ed strength derived from the new
arrangement, it is to be expected
that aggressive policies will be fol
lowed; and, while there has been no
intimation of expansion in the scale
of activities, the new corporation is
to be regarded as a vigorous and
growing concern, whose position in
the industry will be of increasing
importance.
The Alaska Consolidated Canner
ies, Inc., will maintain its own sell
ing organization through which it*
pack will be handled, having taken
over intact the sales department of
the former corporation, under the
management of J. E. Salmon, to
gether with all brands, labels and
accounts controlled by this depart
ment. The sales department has al
ready become well known throughout
the country, and strong connections
have been established in the various
consuming markets through which a
large distribution is assured.
A CASE IN POINT
During the long years of close ac
quaintance with many managers of
our big canneries we have never
known these managers to tell the
truth about -the fishing industry if
the said manager felt that the
truth would hurt his business. We
also maintain from past experience
that these same managers invariably
give out false information in order
to prove that their system is correct.
This is due to the fact that the
canning industry in Alaska is largely
not in the hands of bona fide “busi
ness men.” We are now using this
word as it is generally understood.
On the contrary the cannerymen
who come to Alaska were exploiters
who figured on nothing else except
their one hundred per cent returns
per year. The succeeding generations
of these managers have been uni
formly of the same character. Here
and there we find exceptions.
A case in point that proves our
experience is the history of the
famous Anan Creek in the Wran
gell District. When Jack Babler, the
superintendent of the A. P. A. sys
tem, placed his trap directly across
the mouth of the creek, with the
full knowledge of the Bureau of
Fisheries, Jack Babler knew that
within a very short time the creek
would become barren of fish. But
Jack Babler cared nothing about the
future runs of this stream. He was
after his one hundred per cent profit.
His theory was this: In the course
of six or seven years his cannery
would produce from six hundred to
one thousand per cent on the in
vestment, and even if the cannery
had to be dismantled, there would
be no real loss, and thus it was that
the Bureau of Fisheries awoke one
day in 1912, and finding that the
horse was stolen, immediately locked
the barn door and forbade all fish
ing around Anan Creek. The sys
tem of the cannerymen and the Bu
reau of Fisheries remains the same
today.
ANOTHER CASE IN POINT
Most readers are familiar with the
story of the boy who was instructed
to guard certain sheep from the
raids of the wolves. He was in
structed that when the wolves were
in sight that he should cry “Wolves,
wolves.” The boy, through improper
motives, did sound the alarm when
there were no wolves.
Since 1906 the law relating to the
closing of the fish traps includes
this provision: That 25 feet of web
bing in the heart nearest the pot
of the trap shall be open horizon
tally, and that the trap shall be
closed from 6 o’clock Saturday eve
ning to 6 o’clock Monday morning
of each week. Judge Jennings ruled,
in the case of the United States
against the Thlinget Packing Com
pany, that the 25 feet opening must
be after the fashion of a window
shade, and when making his ruling
the Judge pulled the shade of the
court room down and demonstrated
what lie meant.
The Bureau of Fisheries, however,
set aside this Act of Congress which
was so plainly explained by Judge
Jennings by the simple expedient (f
sending a circular letter to all the
trap operators, in which the Bureau
of Fisheries said substantially as
follows:
“Dear Mr. Trapman: This is to
inform you that although the
law requires you to open your
trap 25 feet horizontally, please
take notice that if you violate
the law by merely opening one
corner of your trap you will not
be prosecuted by this Bureau,
who have such matters in charge,
for we believe that Congress in
passing this Act has really
placed too great a burden upon
you. Please keep our instruc
tions quiet and everything will
be all right. Trusting that you
will show your appreciation, we
remain, yours affectionately,
(Signed) Bureau of Fisheries.”
This year, however, the policy of
the Bureau of Fisheries was made
to conform to the Act of Congress,
and many canneryman protested
against it and produced this former
letter. The action was brought to
the District Attorney’s office, what
is known as the United States vs.
P. E. Harris Company, directing
that the said defendant obey the
law. Immediately all the cannery
men got together and directed their
Juneau attorneys to ask the court
to enjoin the District Attorney from
enforcing the law. This Judge
Thomas M. Reed refused to do. He
announced at that time the well
known legal principle that the courts
will not be used to restrain another
Department of the Government from
enforcing the criminal statutes.
Then the cannerymen said that if
that rule was enforced it would be
impossible to carry on the canning
business and millions of dollars
would be lost. Indeed, the Pacific
Fisherman, spokesman of these can
nerymen, had an article, the open
ing paragraph of which reads as
follows: “Packers and others oper
ating salmon traps in Alaska face a
serious dilemma as a result of the
present interpretation of the law
governing the opening of the heart
Dr. A. Kearsley
PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON
Sitka, Alaska
ENTERPRISE MACHINE WORKS, Inc.
Ketchikan, Alaska
Machinists, Blacksmiths, Welders
Phone 199
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