CREW BRANDS FISH PACK:
ET AS HELL SHIP
Characterizing the Alaska Pack
ers Association’s vessel Star of Hol
land as a “hellship,” where “profit
eering, slave-driving and high hand
ed conditions prevail,” 115 mem
bers of the crew of that vessel
yesterday loged a signed complaint
with the Department of Justice
against the Young & Mayer Com
pany, local Alaska outfitters.
While the affidavit did not charge
irregularities against the packers’
association, it accused Young &
Mayer of sending to the Star of
Holland as foreman one Salvatore
Mendoza, described as a “wolf in
sheep’s clothing,” and who sold
poison liquor and narcotics to mem
bers of the crew of the Star of
Holland.
Men have only few
Dollars Coming
The men signed with the Young
& Mayer Company, the affidavit
recited, for a six months’ fishing
contract, with the understanding
that supplies for such fishermen
must be purchased from that con
cern. While the fishermen were as
sured to earn $170 for the season,
they have but $5 or $10 coming
after settlement is made with the
local outfitting concern, the affi
davit charged.
If the Alaska fishermen see fit
to complain for goods charged to
them by Young & Mayer, the affi
davit said they are turned away with
a threat of being “jailed for dis
turbing the peace.”
Fishermen aboard the Alaskan
vessel were virtually prisoners, the
men charged, and with the arrival
of Mendoza “things began to
happen.”
For breakfast Mendoza ordered
mush and milk, with no sugar for
coffee, and sour bread. The food
could not be eaten, and the men
were obliged to request advances
on salary to purchase eatable arti
cles of food, the affidavit charged.
Mendoza kept the commissary and
the men were at his mercy.
Iceland’s Crew Report
Conditions by Letter
From Dillingham, Bristol bay,
Alaska, members of the crew of
the Star of Iceland reported similar
conditions to United States Attor
ney Carr. In that nffiddavit the
fishermen said in parti
“We, the American men employ
ed in the canneries here, many of
us ex-service men, are appealing
to you for a sejuare deal. We were
recruited last April and were prom
ised almost anything until th6y
got us aboard of the Star of Ice
land, then docked at Pier 54, when
we were given $10 cash. We were
not allowed to leave the boat, as
it was guarded by armed men day
and night.
Could Get Liquor, l
Narcotics, at any time
“But vve could get all the booze
or ‘dope’ we wanted, as our com
missary carried almost nothing
tdse, and was run by our boss
here now, a man named Frank
Gomez,” they reported.
Blankets sold to the men were
infested with vermin, the affidavit
charged.
“Our food here is nothin;-* less
than garbage,” the affidavit recit
ed, “and we are appealing to you
to see that we do not get trimmed
any further on our arrival the
latter part of August.”
E. R. Bohner, the local chief of
the Department of Justice, has re
ferred the matter to the Attorney
General, with the request the Sec
retary of Labor be informed of
the reported conditions. — San
Francisco Examiner.
THE MEANEST MAN
For a time we thought w<: had
found the meanest man in the
world, the man who cut Dillv
Temple’s automobile tires. We think
we have found a man as me'a or
more so.— a certain man who fired
two of his employees because they
were friends of Sidney D. Charles,
editor of the First City News.
PATRONIZE THOSE WHO AD
VERTISE IN THE ALASKA FISH
ERMAN.
CANNERY TAXES
(From Petersburg Herald)
We hear a great deal about can
nery taxes. Whomever one may
dare criticise conditions surround
ing canneries the “tax alibi” is
sprung as a silencer. There are
good canneries and there arc bad
canneries. True, Alaska wants capi
tal and lots of it, but it wants
honest development capital, fnot
capital for looting and exploita
tion.
The other day an item appeared
in the Seward Gateway which
stated that 18 prisoners and five
insane patients, ALL FROM THE
CANNERIES, were brought in on
one trip of the Starr. Now let
that pink in a minUt.e Figure
up the expenses of the government
and the territory in taking care
of these and many similar cases
and see how far taxes will go as
an offset.
Alaska would be much better
off without firms which produce
and contribute to such conditions.
Most of these canneries bring in
all of their peon and contract labor;
they don’t spend one red cent with
the merchants of Alaska, and pay
a nominal tax for looting one
of Alaska's richest resources, and
leave for the officers to take care
of a mess of crime and insanity.
D. Cantil, of Ketchikan, was
found guilty of having fire arms
in his possession without a permit,
he being an alien. Cantil had ser
ved in the U. S. Navy and re
ceived some consideration on that
account. i
Dr. A. Kearsley
PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON
Sitka, Alaska
_*
J. L. PECK & COMPANY
FUNERAL DIRECTORS AND EMBALMERS
Ketchikan Phone Green 171 Alaska
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Ketchikan, ...
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