THE ALASKA FISHERMAN
Published the 15th of each month at Petersburg.
Alaska, by A. N. B. Publishing Co.
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Louis F. Paul - Editor and Manager
Entered as second-class matter at the Post Office
at Petersburg, Alaska.
SUBSCRIPTION PRICE $2.00 FOR ONE YEAR
OUR PLATFORM
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ALASKA FOR ALASKANS.
FULL TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT.
COMPETENT CHRISTIAN CITIZENSHIP.
ABOLISHMENT OF ALL TRAPS.
EVERY ONE SHOULD BE S ATISFIED
A lone voice calling from the wilderness of
Alaska for the past twelve years; a lone person
pointing the way to Alaska’s economic freedom—
went unheeded. Alaska is suffering now from
those ills of carpet-bag government; carpet-bag
industrialists who come and go after taking the
ci earn of Alaska’s industries and feeding only
crumbs to the white-collared slaves to silence a
universal demand for a change.
For twelve years William L. Paul, now candi
date for attorney general of Alaska as an inde
pendent, has pointed out that the more employ
ment Alaska fishermen get—the more employment
the Alaska laborer secures in the canneries, the
more stabilized will become Alaska’s business. That
the employment of the salmon traps while for the
moment seems to be proper economics, in the end
it is a system destructive of the resources and of
labor.
For a number of years he was called a “radi
cal,” “bolshevik,” “destroyer of business.” During
the twelve years he was fought by the voices of the
privileged classes, just what industries—new in
dustries—have those voices brought to Alaska to
gainfully employ Alaska’s labor? Evidence of the
failure of those in opposition to him is instanced
in the fact that the white population has de
creased and that the only reason for the station
ary position of Alaska’s population is due to the
fact that the Indian population is on the increase.
During those same years more and more traps
were employed or with the assistance of Henry
O'Malley, U. S. Commissioner of Fisheries who
through his selective system eliminated all inde
pendent trap owners and resident seiners. Fewer
Alaskans are employed in the canneries and more
of them are compelled to sit on the beaches eking
out a precarious living by canning foods and
planting gardens.
Recently in the city of Juneau several dealers
asked some of the native leaders: “Why have you
people quit dealing with us,” The reply was “You
should get the Oriental cannery workers to come
and spend their money with you. You should get
the salmon traps to come and spend their money
with you. We have been forced to watch them work
so we have not earned any money. We have none
to spend. Talk to the traps and Orientals!”
Which is the situation long since pointed out
by Mr. Paul and his associates and which he un
ceasingly struggled against without the support of
and with the opposition of the business interests
ct Alaska. That situation is now hurting the busi
ness men—their investments are in jeopardy; the
fishing folk long since were broke and they only
cinch up the tighter on their belts. Th6 wrhite
ccllared slave, the “capitalists without capital” are
now taking their turn at cinching up and in the
cinching process they are being reduced to the
level of the fishing folk whom they have refused
to give any support to during the past twelve years.
Sweat on, Sweat Alaskans.
There Is A Remedy
There is one remedy-—elect that man as at
torney general who will be unafraid to go before
the Legislature in an appeal to secure authoriza
tion to try the legality of the fish trap. John Rust
gard is under obligations to the fish trust and he
cannot, if he would, make effort to destroy that
system which has been and is destroying the
economic freedom of Alaskans. It is the opinion
of virtually the entire legal fraternity of South
eastern Alaska that the fish trap is an illegal ap
pliance. Mr. Paul has declared this long since and
he is willing to make the effort to carry a case in
court. Your vote in support of this effort is the
first step toward economic freedom. Other steps
will naturally follow—but not until after you have
taken the first step.
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WILLIAM L. PAUL FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL
By James R. Little
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Yes, dear friends! You are pressed by human
distress. Then why should you go on, and on, vot
ing for the same old gang? Forget your differences.,
unite and vote as true Alaskans, for an Alaskan.
Vote for William L. Paul. He is your safety in
leadership out of the morass. He will not seek
material values for himself if elected but for the
great masses of toilers who have lived through