to further destroy the herring fisheries fast year
as did the 147 prior to that time; the 25 boats1
will do in proportion to the remaining fisheries,
as much damage this year as did the 147 boats
did three years ago.
Where these boats operate there depletion is
accomplished. As they clean out the “local her
ring” the trollers must vacate those same grounds
for the salmon move to other localities for their
feed. As the king salmon move from these trolling
districts, the fishermen catch less salmon and
therefore earn less and less each year. The re
duction of their earning capacities and their
final reduction to poverty places a burden upon
residents that is unfair and in its last analysis,
poor business.
For the past several years the Alaska Fisher
man has charged that depletion would result as
the policy of the wanton waste and destruction
of this food fish. In defense of itself the Bureau
cf Fisheries has continuously denied depletion
and alleged that this publication was speaking
untruths promiscuously. George Rounsfell, Jr.,
special investigator for the Bureau of Fisheries
has verified every allegation made by this pub
lication. His reports are a vindication of our
position and a serious reflection upon the state
ments of his superiors.
Despite his findings—that the Alaska herring
are a local| herring and dissimilar from the her
ring of the North Sea—that there is a depletion
in fact that is serious, the Commissioner of Fish
eries, Mr. O’Malley asserts before the Committee
on Merchant Marine, Radio and Fisheries, that
the herring fisheries is in a fine condition and
that there was adequate remedy to protect the
fisheries. While in Petersburg, this same Henry
O'Malley asserted that there was no remedy
and no way of preventing the continued destruc
tion of the fisheries. We leave to the conclusion
<of the reader the contradictory statements of the
Commissioner of Fisheries.
The business interests, fishermen and troll
ers—this should also include the halibut men.
should present their support or objections to this
bill which has for its purpose the protection not
only of the herring fisheries but the trolling and
halibut industries. Delegate Wickersham needs
the support of every honest Alaskan in this
matter.
--x
DOLE FOR ESKIMOS
-*
Last winter in his annual report to the Secre
tary of the Interior, Governor George A. Parks
outlined the needs of the Territory and asked for
jschools for the Indians and Eskimos, enlargement
oc medical services to the natives, and federal
relief for the poor.
A metropolitan paper of Seattle states that
"Federal relief is a dole, whether it be doled out
in Alaska or Ashtabula. But since the natives do
not know what dole means, they cannot be de
moralized by it.”
It is possible that the natives of Alaska do
not know what dole means but that they cannot
be demoralized by it is not a truthful statement.
Stories come from India indicating that religious
fanatics hold their arm above their heads until
they can no longer move that arm. Men of
education have deteriorated and much of their
education lost through disuse. Any person of
independent spirit, thrown under federal pater
nalistic aid, whether it be doles or anything else,
soon become a spoiled people and the state suffers
by destruction of this independence.
But Why a Dole
We cannot understand why Governor Parks
or any Alaskan would suggest any dole or relief
for the natives. Is it because they have been de
prived of that benefit of Territorial government
and realization of the unfairness of the discri
mination which fathers the idea of federal relief?
There is plenty of work for all Alaskans. That
has been the reason of the political action of the
Alaska Native Brotherhood. In the past these
"illiterates” have seen the coming of an era of
depression; they have seen coming the era when
local labor would not be employed save during the
short rush peak season of the cannery operations.
They have pointed out that the independent
tiap men would be eliminated; that the resident
independent seiner, the cannery gear seiner
would be wiped out of business; that resident
labor would not longer be employed to any great
extent. The trap system which has been putting
up better than 70 per cent of the Alaska salmon
packs will be cut down by 157 traps this season
but the system will put up a greater percentage
of the product than in the past. Local labor will
be sitting on the beaches wondering what it will
do next winter when the groceryman has cut
down on all credits. And Mr. Business-Man will be
wondering next winter just what he is going to do
to meet his own bills that he might be permitted
to continue his affairs.
Last summer, Pillar Bay, Tyee and Kake
canneries employed native labor—and we are not
exaggerating when we declare that the entire
earnings of these three hundred or more people
did not total three thousand dollars from their
fishing and cannery labor operations.
During the peak of the rush season, a few
native workers were employed for a few days.