THE ALASKA FISHERMAN
Published the 15th of each month at Ketchikan, Alaska
WILLIAM L. PAUL, ATTORNEY FOR THE
ALASKA NATIVE BROTHERHOOD
Entered as second - class matter at the Post Office at
KETCHIKAN, ALASKA
SUBSCRPTION PRICE $2.00 FOR TWELVE ISSUES
OUR PLATFORM:
ALASKA FOR ALASKANS.
FULL TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT.
ABOLISHMENT OF ALL TRAPS.
COMPETENT CHRISTIAN CITIZENSHIP.
TERRITORIAL PLATFORM OF THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY PROPOSED
A number of the members of the last legislature
met informally one night and some one suggested that
a proposed Republican Platform be adopted for the
entire Territory.
We herewith print the result of this and other
discussions for the consideration of the Republican
Party in Alaska, to-wit:
1. Elective Territorial Officials for all major offices;
2. Separation of Territorial offices from federal offices:
3. Equitable taxation:
4. Trap-tax based on catch;
5. Discriminatory tax on non-resident fishermen;
6. Repeal by Congress of Section 27 of the Jones
Merchant Marine Act.
KOW TOWING
A certain type of mind believes that power of money
or of office comes only of God and that the possessor
is about ready for the kingdom of heaven.
That is often the trouble with our legislators. Tom
Gaffney is a sample of these toe kissers. E. M. Pollev
of the legislature of 1923 got his fat tax collecting
job in that way. “Only with thine eye shalt thou see
the reward of the wicked.”
Sometimes toe kissing becomes a boomerang. We
were re-reading the congressional committee hearing on
H. R. 5694 held in 1921 on the Curry Bill for reor
ganizing Alaska.
The subject was the matter of giving the Secretary
of the Interior power to assign boats from the Ship
ping Board and put them on the Alaska run to give
better service and lower rates.
Carl Strong, praised now by John R. Beegle for his
love of Alaska, testified (page 82) against the pro
posal. He ends his objection by KOW TOWING TC
POWER thus: “If we always have a Secretary SUCH
AS MR. FALL, I THINK IT WOULD BE ALL RIGHT.”
THE CRIMES OF THE KETCHIKAN COMMERCIAL
CLUB—By JOHN R. BEEGLE
In this short review of the admitted crimes of the
Ketchikan Commercial Club, we quote from the con
fessions of one John R. Beegle long a deciding in
fluence in that organization.
John R. Beegle was for a number of years a mem
ber of the Territorial Fish Commission. Was he a
worthy member? There is not on record a single ut
terance, verbal or written, from that prophetic writer
pointing the way to conservation. On that commis
sion, he was a “Yes, man” of the predatory cannery
and trap interests.
Let him tell his own story.
“It may safely • he said that every act of the Bureau
of Fisheries tending toward conservation has had the
unanimous endorsement of the local Commercial Club.
Indeed MANY TIMES THE BUREAU HAS ACTED
SOLELY UPON THE CLUB’S RECOMMENDATIONS.”
This is a very heavy responsibility.
The resident seiners have been driven out of ex
istence. All our seining grounds have been closed to
fishermen. Only fish traps have received the tender
care of the Beegle Bureau. There has never been a
department of government as tyrannical as the Beegliz
ed Bureau of Fisheries unless it be the Forestry De
partment.
*urnf onf TTmim A /I n a4-99
“In 1916 we find the Commercial Club backing up
Mr. H. C. STRONG who spent nearly a year in Wash
ington, at his own expense, (without hope of re*
ward), in an attempt to procure an amendment to the
tariff law requiring all fresh fish from Alaska and
the North Pacific fisheries intended for American con
sumption in the States to he prepared for shipment
and shipped in bond through Canada from an American
port. The purpose of this proposed legislation was to
provide a payroll in Alaska in preparing these fish for
shipment to the markets of the United States instead
of providing employment at a foreign port (Prince
Rupert) in handling a strictly domestic product. While
this first attempt was not successful, it was, indeed,
partially so, as will he shown further on in this
review.”
Stick to the truth, MR. BEEGLE.
The purpose of the bill hacked by the Commercial
Club was TO CLOSE PRINCE RUPERT TO THE HAL
IBUT FISHERMEN. The bill failed because DAN
SUTHERLAND OPPOSED IT FOR OBVIOUS' REA
SONS.