We are the real producers of wealth. If we quit
fishing, Ketchikan will vanish; the political bank
will become a sandbank. All we have to do is
to keep at it.”
“In union there is strength. United we stand,
divided we fall.” If the one thousand trollers
and the thousand seiners will stick together and
are willing to pay the first price that will be
exacted from some of us, we can win.
THE RED HERRING
The two controlled daily papers in southeast
ern Alaska rave about the last primaries and
state that the issue is the destruction of the
Sutherland-Paul influence.
The use of these names is highly improper.
The real issue is simply this; the many against
the few. If Sutherland and Paul were not here,
it would be somebody else to represent the
many. Why credit them with an importance
that does not attach to them?
By emphasizing these names however, it is
hoped that the people will make the political
fight a personal one. Let the people not be de
ceived. If these men should be destroyed or
should turn against the interests of the many to
be rewarded by the few, other leaders will arise
to lead the many, and the controlled papers will
simply use the same editorials with the new
names.
PACIFIC HEIM HAL
IBUT POOL BEING
warn
Movement developes in Amer
ica, merchants and manufactur
ers will learn from producers
and working-men how to help
themselves by helping one an
other.”
The responsibility for start
ing this great work on this
coast originated in an obscure
mind, coming up like a rescue
ship in a stormy, uncharted
sea. This person has been priv
ileged to observe the working
of Co-operative organizations
in California ten and fifteen
years ago; more recently he
was, as a railway transporta
tion man able to study at
tempts of farmers on the
prairies of Canada to co-operate
which finally resulting in the
great wheat pools.
Coming to Prince Rupert six
years ago he was closely as
sociated with the marketing of
all fish thru that port for five
years. Being daily in touch
with the fish markets of Can
ada and the United States for
all the fish that passed thru
that port, he was in a most ad
vantageous position to observe
what advantages Co-operation
held for the producers in this
business.
He watched the struggles of
the Pacific Deep-Sea products
with regret at the lack of suc
cess, but suggests that perhaps
the time was not right for such
a scheme to succeed. The res
ponsibility for its failure rests
as much with our governments,
in a way, he says, as it does
with any individuals who were
connected with it. Today the
fisherman is not handicapped
with insufficient legal protec
tion, and the American Institute
of Co-operation is in existence
with very powerful organiza
tions and individuals ready to
assist him in any way for
little or no expense.
.It has been only since the
war that the value of Co-opera
tion to this country has been
fully appreciated with the re
sult that in only the last three
or four years has anything
actually been done to assist
producers, and enable them to
render efficient service to con
sumers But as Henry Ford
points out, failure is only the
opportunity to start again with
increased knowledge and ex
perience, and the present or
ganizer of the Pacific Halibut
Pool states that the fisherfolk
now have all the benefits of
their previous experience to as
sist them, and therefore the
failure of the Deep-sea products
must be looked upon as an as
set. It will be a light marking a
rock where one ship went down,
perhaps a wreck, but a spot to
be avoided in the future by
other Co-operative ships. Many
Co-operative courses have been
charted by the various state
and provincial legislatures of
The States and Canada, and
present laws now light a clear
course a head. Its up to the
producers of fish to take ad
vantage of them. Our govern
ments are not in the business.
The Declaration of Independ
ence is not a business charter,
nor are the Constitution or
laws of the U. S. commercial
schedules. Its up to the people
to take advantage of what bene
fits they offer. ,
Every halibut fisherman on
this coast is urged to get be
hind the present movement. It
is not to be hastily pushed for
ward, but with the number of
men in the American fleet it
is going to be a big job and
every man must be given equal
privileges with all others. The
actual handling of fish cannot
take place for many months
but the organization can be
completed just as quickly as the
fishermen wish, then the ques
tions of financing, and engag
ing suitable facilities and com
petent staffs will be dealt with.
After the organization work is
completed, every fisherman and
boat owner will be given a
chance to be heard before any
attempt is made to interfere
with the present system of
handling fish.
Last year this organizer work
ed among the Canadian fisher
men and obtained the incorpora"
tion of the Prince Rupert Fish
ermen’s Co-operative Associa
tion. This organization will
welcome the American fisher
men into the movement, and
jointly they will exercise an in
fluence on the distribution of
halibut that will operate to the