on the one hand that outside in
vestors have taken enormous risks
but have averaged a very small per
centage of profit, and on the other
hand that they have paid millions
of dollars to local labor, merchants
and millmen as well as huge sums
into the territorial treasury. In
fact no other industry has compared
with the fisheries in contributing to
the welfare and prosperity of the
territory.
The fish trap, that favorable maru
tor the populistic orator, should be
explained. The operators know
that trap fish are more sanitary,
that in certain districts Hip usp nf
traps is absolutely essential to suc
cessful operation, and that from the
standpoint of the public at large
the prohibiting of fish traps would
be inexcusable. It is also easily
demonstrated that the preservation
of the 3almon run is a matter of re
gulation, not of type of gear, and
that if the gear were material, traps
are more easily regulated than al
most any other type. Nor is the
complaint that traps are putting the
local fishermen out of business well
founded. In some districts seine
fishing has become more profitable
than before; in others, the traps
have offered a more profitable alter
native to the resident fishermen
themselves. The conclusive answer
to the charges is that general living
conditions in Alaska have probably
never been better than they now
are. I
The Herring Situation
The herring as well ' as salmon
men have a case needing presenta
tion. The charge that reduction
plants waste a valuable food pro
duct by turning it into fertilizer is
positively false, but the public does
not know that practically all herring
msai is now used for food and that
herring oil also goes largely into
human consumption’ or for other
high-utility purposes.’
Much has been said about her
ring depletion, but at the legislative
hearings proof of* depletion was
noticeably absent; in fact, it was
clearly apparent that no intelligent
study o' herring conditions had been
carried out by anyone, and that to
pass prohibitory legislation , in the
absence of greater knowledge o*
the object would be to confiscate
large amounts of property and
throw many people out of. employ
ment on mere unsupported guess
work and prejudice.
Theoretically, the power to regu
late the Alaska fisheries rests in
Cnngiess. The details of regula
tion have been delegated to the
Bureau of Fisheries which, regard
less of possible mistakes in specific
instances, has on the whole done
its work well and conscientiously
and is largely responsible for saving
the salmon from depletion. Prac
tically, however, the legislature of
Alaska also had the power to regu
late the fisheries through its almost
unlimited control over taxation.
Lot the Facts Be Known
Tile legislative session this spring
in Juneau demonstrated that many
people in Alaska are neither con
versant with the cannery business
nor with its relation to their own
prosperity. If a ■similar situation
is to be avoided in future, the oper
ators must take a livelier and more
intelligent interest in the matter of
public opinion. They should not
only continue to purchase supplies
as far as practicable in Alaska, to
enr.pl y resident fishermen when
available and to give their sympa
thetic aid to the general welfare of
the Territory, but they should not
hide their virtues. They should let
their good deed's be known. Thus
cviy may tney nope to retute in the
pub ic mind the misstatements made
a n ut them and create the attitude
of friendliness to which they are
entitled.—Pacific Fisherman.
SITKA CAMP
ALASKA NATIVE
BROTHERHOOD
Meets 8 P. M. Mondays
- -President: Secretary:
Mark Jacobs A. Hope
His Fingers Grossed
In view of our personal knowl
edge of the relations existing be
tween Mr. Charles Burkhardt, retir
ing president of the Association of
Pacific Fisheries, and the Bureau of
Fisheries and particularly the dis
gust with which Burkhardt has
viewed the work of the Bureau in
Alaska, the following speech of
O’Malley’s is interesting. Our only
explanation is that O’Malley had
his fingers crossed.
COMMISSIONER O’MALLEY'S RE
MARKS AT BANQUET OF AS
SOCIATION OF PACIFIC
FISHERIES
From Pacific Fisherman
T want to express publicly iny ap
preciation of the close cooperation
which I have had from Mr. Charles
Burkhardt during his tenure of of
fice as President of the Association
of Pacific Fisheries. He has come
to me frequently in behalf of the
members of the Association and has
been sympathetic and helpful in con
nection with the regulations which
have been established for the con
servation of the fisheries of south
eastern Alaska. I wish to. extend
to him, as outgoing President, my
grateful appreciation of the friendly
spirit which has existed between
him and the Bureau of Fisheries.
T also want to express my sincere
sympathy for the industry and those
who have been financially embar
rassed by the poor run of salmon in
southeastern Alaska. I appreci
ate the spirit in which the industry
has accepted the curtailment of the
season.
Tne recommendations wnicn it
was necessary for me to make to the
Secretary of Commerce, Mr. Hoover,
were not arrived at hastily, but onlv
after thorough personal investiga
tion of all sections of southeastern
Alaska. I realized fully the seri
ousness of the step which I was tak
ing, as I considered not only the
capital Investment but algo the lit
jury which might be done to the
j