fishermen’s license tax suit
brought by Wood Freeman, Seat
tle, according to an Associated
Press dispatch received by The
Empire.
The Appellate Court held the
local statue was invalid by rea
son of conflict with the W'dte
Fisheries Law, which, it main
tained, guaranteed to all Ameri
can citizens equal rights and
privileges in the Alaska fisheries.
The case was originally heard
on demurrer before Judge Justin
W. Harding in the local Federal
District Court. He ruled against
Freeman and upheld the validity
of the law. He was reversed by
the Court of Appeals.
The refusal of the Supreme
Court does not mark the end of
the case but only one phase of it,
declared Attorney General John
Rustgard. Heretofore the de
cisions have been made on ques
tions of law. Now it will be ne
cessary to determine the mat
ters relating to fact. Freeman
has alleged in his complaint that
the average earnings of trollers
in Alaska waters is $500 per
year and alleged for that reason
the tax was confiscatory. The
Attorney General said he was
prepared to file an answer in the
case disputing these allegations
and would press for trial.
No a?iswer can be filed, how
ever, for seme two or more
weeks. The mandate of the Cir
cuit Court was held up in San
Francisco pending the action of
the Supreme Court on the Ter
' oi v's ]a f b ion. As soon as this
is received from San Francosco,
t lie Territory will move to re
open the matter.—Empire.
Halibut Fishermen Refuse Cut In
x
The Friday diner who hes
been accustomed to the solid,
white meat of a halibut steak
for “piece de resistance” mav be
forced this year to turn to salm
on. cod or herring.
Sixteen hundred men man nine
200 boats, the largest halibut
fleet in the world, which go to
the banks off British Columbia
and Alaska each year, are in
disagreement over terms with
the owners cf the fishing ves
sels. The prospects of a settle
ment are slight and the season
opened at midnight, February
14th.
Usually there is a frenzied
rush to be the first to the hanks,
crews hastening to get theii
gear in shape and straining the
engines of the little vessel to the
utmost to beat their competitors
to the finny prizes lolling in the
waters of the north Pacific.
The halibut, of which there
was a catch of 43,000.000 pounds,
valued at almost $13,000,000 last
season, is frozen and distributed
all over the United States, Deal
ers say the supply of frozen fish
is rapidly decreasing.
A half dozen boats, with the
crews recruited from the ranks
of the owners, have started for
the banks, but the remainder
are moored at Seattle cloaks
where they have been since the
season closed la d November 15.
Among the boats sailing are
the Aleutian with seven men.
skippered by Captain Nets Peter
son: the Sunset, with seven m m
also, commanded by Capt. John
Hansen; the Argo, Capt. And? ?
Nelson, with five men, and <he
Mars, with Cant. L. P. Sjong who
has fished oft this coast for 20
years.
The majority of the vessels
are owned and manned by Scan
dinavians whose forefathers
fished off the coast of Norway
Sweden and Denmark for gen
erations past. All of the boats
are powered with engines, none
depending on sail as in the early
.■ay the of industry.
About 100 additional boats
operate from Alaska, mostly
making their home port at Ket
chikan or Petersburg. It was not
known how many of these will
go to the banks this year.
Using herring for bait on a
long line with many hooks the
boats haunt the banks off Cape
Flattery, Hecate strait, Yakutat,
northeast of Kodiak, Alaska, and
Port Lock, near the oi L:i.is re
gion in southeastern Alaska.
Chicken halibut, the younger
fish are the most prized of the
catch. The fish usually average
up to GO pounds.
The heats are individually
owned, with a crew ranging
irom four to 12 men After a
ves el sells her catch the cost of
. ’ : >st gear is deducted from
the gross revenue. Then 20 per
cent of the remainder is paid the
vessel.
The expense of the trip, the
cost of ice. oil. focd and bait, is
then deducted, and what is left
is divided equally among mem
bers of the crew. During the
pat seasons some fishermen
have drawn ns much as $500 for
one trip, but such a reward is
unusual. In addition to his share
the master usually gets 10 per
cent of tire vessel’s share.
The disagreement of the hali
but fishermen and the vessel
owners is over the share of the
proceeds which should go to the
boat. Last year the owners re
ceived 20 percent of the income.
This year they ask 25 per cent
and say they will lose more
money by operating on the 20
per cent basis than if their ships
are laid up ah season.