Democratic Convention also pointed to his desire
for political favor despite the prohibitions of the
primary law. Too long have Alaskans fought for
the freedom of political action to look lightly
upon any effort to deprive them of their elective
privileges. And the women are up in arms and in
no uncertain terms will show this candidate that
before his own personal ambitions, before his own
party demand for continuance in power, comes
the rights of all citizens of Alaska and the good
interests of the Territory.
-x
AT WHAT PRICE
-X
Each election year, the press of the country,
and the politicians come around to the severs 1
Alaska precincts urging “full territorial form of
government.” In the past we have pointed out
that this is a lot of hokum. There is no sincerity
back of the demand for full territorial autonomy.
The Ketchikan Chronicle said in a recent
editorial under the caption “AT WHAT PRICE:”
“Delegate Wickersham’s bill introduced at this
session of congress to grant additional power to
the Alaska legislature “to conserve, protect, and
manage the salmon and other fisheries” in the
territory, is admittedly enough, a step in the right
direction.
“But does it come at an opportune time?
“We think not. Especially in view of section
2 of that bill which would give the legislature
immediate authorization “to provide funds in the
treasury-to meet the expense of taking over
and exercising the powers” conferred by the bill.
“Where would this money come from? Just
where will it be possible to raise taxes to increase
the revenue by the thousands of dollars necessary
to regulate the Alaska fisheries?
“In principle it is all very well to talk of home
rule, of administering our own fisheries, or regu
lating our own game resources, but let us be rea
sonably certain that we can afford to do so. It
must be proved that the abuses under the exist
ing system are unbearable, and that is a thing
not apparent today... * * *
“Regardless of the capabilities of Alaskans to
administer fisheries affair the plan is not ex
pedient; not, at least, until we have better de
monstrated our ability to pay the cost.”
Just Cheap Talk
In the past this newsprint of Ketchikan has
talked of “full territorial government along with
other newsprints in Alaska. We have always
challenged the sincerity of the urge of home rule
and asserted that it was a lot of political hokum
to catch votes with. Now the Chronicle comes out
and frankly says that Alaskans have not de
monstrated their ability to administer their own
fisheries—that the urge for full territorial con
trol of fisheries was just political hot air.
--x
ALASKANS VERSUS O’MALLEYISM
-x
We assert that Alaskans cannot do worse -
couldn’t possibly do worse than has Henry O’
Malley the past ten years. Certainly Alaskans
would not attempt to parcel out territorial waters
and hand over huge reservations to be adminis
tered by the cannery interests which have in the
past dictated the rules and regulations of the
United States Department of Fisheries. They
would not drive out all private independent trap
operators and resident seiners in order that the
huge corporation traps might deliver catches
of salmon without competition; they would
not tolerate the system of blackmailing decent
citizens by arresting them on false pretenses,
threatening to tie up their boats and fishing gear
unless the plea of guilty were entered and a fine
of $400 paid. They would not listen to the cor
porate interests and continue the destruction of
the May, June and July runs of salmon while pro
tecting the late runs of salmon—which runs now
go to waste for lack of spawning room. They
would not tolerate the wanton waste and destruc
tion of the herring fisheries which in turn
threatens to destroy the halibut and trolling
industries.
Their policy of protecting the salmon runs —
properly and fairly— would insure operation of as
many packing plants with ten thousand fisher
men as against employing less than three thou
sand. Which policy wrould not drive men of Ket
chikan before the City Council begging for oppor
tunity to earn sufficient to hold body and soul
together and the City of Ketchikan would have
been saved thousands of dollars this winter which
they used to feed such fishermen.
-x
A THOUSAND CASES OF SALMON
-x
We mind one summer when one of the large
canneries of Ketchikan packed over 1,000 cases of
salmon on the sixth of July. The fish were caught
in a large trap owned by a non-resident corpora
tion which sent in the trap piling from Belling
ham and hired a Seattle crew to install the trap.
The fish were brought to the cannery by tugs
operated by citizens of Seattle. The fish were
packed in cans by cheap imported Oriental labor
v/ho were under contract to receive their pay in
Seattle.
Resident citizens of Ketchikan were walking
around, heads hanging dejectedly, hands in empty