THE ALASKA FISHERMAN
Published the 16th of each month at Ketchikan, Alaska
WILLIAM L. PAUL, ATTORNEY FOR THE
ALASKA NATIVE BROTHERHOOD
Entered as second • class matter at the Post Office at
KETCHIKAN, ALASKA
SUBSCRPTION PRICE $2.00 FOR TWELVE ISSUES
OUR PLATFORM:
ALASKA FOR ALASKANS.
FULL TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT.
ABOLISHMENT OF ALL TRAPS.
COMPETENT CHRISTIAN CITIZENSHIP.
TERRITORIAL PLATFORM OF THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY PROPOSED
A number of the members of the last legislature
met informally one night and some one suggested that
a proposed Republican Platform be adopted for the
entire Territory.
We herewith print the result of this and other
discussions for the consideration of the Republican
Party in Alaska, to-wit:
1. Elective Territorial Officials for all major offices:
2. Separation of Territorial offices from federal offices;
3. Equitable taxation;
4. Trap-tax based on catch;
5. Discriminatory tax on non-resident fishermen.
6. Repeal by Congress of Section 27 of the Jones
Merchant Marine Act.
A WABBLING SCIENTIST
/ To those readers of the Fisherman who may feel die
f P°sed to support the position taken by the scientists of
the Fisheries Bureau in the disputes that arise between
them and the fishermen regarding the administration
of our fisheries law, we would submit the following re
marks of Dr. Charles Henry Gilbert, Ichthyologist Ex
traordinary to the Department of Commerce on the in
crease and decline of our salmon fisheries.
If an ordinary fisherman should display the cock
sureneas of Dr. Gilbert regarding the cause of increase
and then display the doctor’s uncertainty regarding
the decline, such as he has recently displayed, the
fisherman would incur the ridicule of his fellows. But
when one has attained the distinction that Dr. Gilbert
hag in his scientific profession he may make any claim
he cares to and then reverse himself to fit a changed
situation without incurring any criticism or comment
from the scientific journals of the subsidized press
of Alaska.
Gilbert were just a little less supercilious in
his manner of treating the ordinary mortal who vent
ures to express an ophitQn^ regarding fish in liis august
presence-^his contradictory utterances on the... subject
wfjufd not jar us quite so hard.
Here’s what Dr. Gilbert said to Secretary Hoover on
February 18th, 1927 regarding the Alaska salmon
fisheries. “I NOW FOR THE FIRST TIME FEEL CON
FIDENT THAT THE SALMON OF ALASKA WILL BE
SAVED FOR THE SUSTENANCE OF FUTURE GEN
ERATIONS” and here’s his statement made to thfc
press on August 13th, 1927, less than six months later.
“IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GIVE A REASON FOR THE
FAILURE.” ,He did not hesitate to give a reason for
the big pack of 1926.
Here’s the reason he gave to Mr. Hoover on Feb
ruary 18th. “IT IS NOT TOO MUCH TO CLAIM
THAT A VERY CONSIDERABLE PROPORTION OF
THE INCREASED RUN IN 1926 WAS DUE TO THE
REGULATORY MEASURES , IMPOSED UPON THE
COMMERCIAL TAKE, * * ♦ * THIS SPECIES
MATURES IN TWO YEARS AND THE FISH WHICH
RETURNED IN 1926 AND CONTRIBUTED TO THIS
GREAT PACK WERE THE PROGENY OF THE
ESCAPEMENT OF 1924, THE FIRST YEAR THE
REGULATIONS UNDER AUTHORITY OF THE ACT
OF 1924 WERE IN EFFECT.”
Notice how promptly the good doctor took credit
for the big pack of 1926 and attributed it to the regu
lations of the Bureau. But did the Bureau regula
tions of 1925 have anything to do with the small pack
of 1927? Oh no indeed! Here’s the doctor’s explana
tion of the small run of salmon in 1927. “IT IS LIKE
THE FARMER WHO SOWS HIS FIELDS WITH
WHEAT IN THE MOST APPROVED FASHION. BUT
WHOSE CROP FOR SOME UNTOWARD REASON
FAILS. * * • NOW WE HAVE A CONDITION
OF FEW FISH, THE WHYS OF IT WE DO NOT
KNOW.”
ur. ixiiDert says he aoes not know the reason for a
short run of fish but he is dead sure of the reason fo;
a large run. With the Dr. all credit for a large run
belongs to the Bureau of Fisheries, hut for a short
run all the responsibility lies with Providence. He
denies all responsibility for what the Bureau calls a
“cataclysmic upheaval of the ocean bottom” that des
troyed the salmon supply for this year but when nat
ure failed to furnish any “cataclysmic upheavals” in
1926 and a large run of salmon resulted the Bureau
was right on hand with its propaganda to show what
the regulations had accomplished. This “cataclysmic
upheaval” business never entered the mind of the Bu
reau scientists as an explanation of the , depletion of
splmop whep they were crying for more power to reg