Seattle Enters Questionaire Test
Last June, Charles Garfield sub
mitted 30 questions and offered a
rize of ten dollars to the man, wo
aan or child who would give the
•*-st. answers to those questions re
ding to Wrangell.
We will now and here endeavor
o win the prize, the questions he
ropounded and our answers follow:
1. Where is the community
pivil?
A ns. In the community.
2. Why don’t more business men
md others attend meetings of the
Commercial Club?
Ans. Because it is a commercial
:lul or club of commerce for the
jehffit of a small group.
3 Why isn’t your newspaper bet
ter supported?
Ans. Because the newspaper has
become the mouthpiece of certain
,hiortgage holders and does not
cruly speak for the general commun
ity.
4. Why are there so many) empty
buildings?
Ans. They aie only empty in the
zrinicr when the population of Seat
tle moves out of Alaska.
5. Why are there so many stores
and so little business?
Ans. People are finding out that
wholesale rates are cheaper than re
tail $100. can make most anything
look like a store.
6. Where is the fishing fleet?
Ans. In the winter it is on Lake
Union.
7. Where is the prospector and
; miner?
Ans. The fisheries which formerly
provided grubstakes for the pros
pector are entirely in the hands of
gentle trap owners. Without a
stake there can be no prospector.
8. Where is the logger?
Ans. He went out soon after the
Forestry Department began con
serving the forests of Alaska' for
pul? mills. Formerly two or three
men could form a company and log
even if they were broke. But today
they have to own an interest in a
bank before they can get their per
mit and even then they must keep
out of the best logging districts be
cause “they are being reserved for
pulp mills” that might develop in
the year 1950.
- Why is the sav'mill not run
ning?
* ns. Thoy run when they can.
Their market is entirely local. Our
natural market is Japan and China.
We cannot ship there with profit be
cause the steamship companies have
a gf*ntlemon”s agreement” whereby
r.o trans-Pacific boat will come into
Alaska. Therefore our mills must
first ship to Vancouver or Seattle
anl pay a freight of $8. per thou
sr ii.i feet (600 miles) otnerwise we
voi'ld ship direct for $13. to Japan
(7,300 miles).
10. In a forest country, why
burn coal instead of wood?
Aiis. Because coal is cheaper.
11. If the sawmill runs, could
importation of fuel oil for light and
cold storage plant be eliminated?
Ans. It is partly eliminated when
the sawmill runs.
12. Why is there not a better
water supply?
Ans. Because the natural reser
voirs are limited and it takes more
money than we have to build expens
ive dams.
13. Why has not hydro-electric pow
»>r been developed in Wrangell?
Ans. Because it would require a
large amount of capital to convey
the power to town, and the revenue
would not pay decent interest on the
Investment.
14. Why is there not an informa
tion bureau for travellers and tour
ists?
Ans. Again, Mr. Garfield, that re
quires money which the city of
Wrangell does not have. Yon must
remember, that as the result of fish
ery policies which you sponsored
when Fish Commissioner in Alaska*
'Wrangell has been hard hit by tbe:
loss of her canneries.
15. Why is there not a booth for
displaying natural resources and
products, also native flowers, fruits
and vegetables in season
Ans. Same answer as to number
.1 4.
16. Why is the Wrangell Hotel
not filled with guests?
Ans. Because the steamships want,
the longer haul and are advertising..
T„ake Atlin and McKinley Park even
though the scenery around Wran
gell is far superior to either of the.
other places to say nothing of the
unexcelled hunting and fishing. f
17. Why are there not more set
tlers and farmers on the Stiklne
Mats?
Ans. Because it is virtually im
possible to get the Forestry Depart-1
ment to eliminate any of that area
for homesteading. In their report
on Parrot’s application, they said
that the ground was not fit for farm
ing. One patent was issued after
almost thirty years of effort by suc
cessive settlers.
18. Why are there not more new
ncmes along the government road?
Ans. There are. Give them
time. Houses don’t grow like ■
weeds. H
19. Why is the schoolhouse so'
out of date and Inadequate?
Ans. Again we wish to remind1
you that whereas Wrangell formerly
packed over 150,000 cases of salmon
yearly, today they pack virtually
none, due to the policies which yotu .
Mr. Garfield, advocated when an of-7
ficial of Alaska. Fishtraps below"
Ketchikan now catch the fish that
-was formerly caught at WrangelL.
Wrangell has lost the revenue. How^
can they build school houses?
20. Why do high school, students^
attend other than home school?
Ans. Perhaps for the same reason
that so many Washington students