TIIE 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 Territoial 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.
“DEVELOPING ALASKA’’
or
“FOOD I OK THOUGHT”
Twenty-two foreign corporations with 125 traps and
nine individuals with nine traps caught 5 4 per cent
of all salmon canned in Central Alaska in 1925.
These 31 outsiders divided the sum of $8,667,467
among themselves—averaging $280,000 each.
In 1926, 39 corporations tall foreign except 1) hav
ing 107 traps, caught 81 per cent of all the salmon
canned in Southeastern Alaska, the total value was
$3,032,600. In contrast with this all the resident fish
ermen were paid $868,720.40 for fish,
What would happen to business if there were NO
fish traps, and all this money were paid to RESIDENT
fishermen? Is there any merchant who would be hurt?
The Cannerymen say it can’t be done.
Over two million cases of salmon were packed in
British Columbia last year WITHOUT FISHTRAPS.
Alaska would be a good place to live in except for
cannery tools like Tom Gaffney, Ralph Lomen, Walter
Fisher and Robert Sheldon in the House, and Bartley
Howard and Tom Jenson in the Senate.
SUPPOSE ALL KING SALMON WERE CAUGHT
BY NON-RESIDENT TRAP OWNERS
The following items taken from the local newspaper
should furnish food for thought:
“King salmon, mostly, with a lessor quantity of
sockeyes and cohoes, have been caught in a number of
traps south of here. The Celt alone, of the Pidalgo
Island Packing Company, brought in 5100 pounds of
red kings from the Slade Island trap, and 2000 of oth
er kinds. *** No estimate is made of the quantity
which has been received from the different traps *** in
the past few days, but the quantity is known to be
large.”
Business in Ketchikan was practically paralized by
the trollers strike during three weeks of June. Sup
pose a few of the traps could catch all the king salmon
as they do with nearly all the other salmon, what
would happen to Ketchikan?
And yet, fish traps are now being used to catch
kings.
WHY FISHERMEN LOSE FIGHTS
A common accusation of fishermen when discussing
their losing fights political and otherwise is this: “The
other bunch have too much money” or else “Our men
sold us out” when referring to legislators or city coun
cilmen and even certain Mayors.
This may be in part true.
But another powerful reason is that fishermen do
not Btick to their friends while the other crowd stick
to theirs. This ig true in business and politics.
A good example is the two newsapers in Petersburg
The Alaska Native Brotherhood started a weekly pa
per, “The Alaskan” in Petersburg last year to print
information which is suppressed by special interest pa
pers.
Four months later, cannery interests through the
Bank of Petersburg got Jack Schoettler, reporter on
the Ketchikan Chronicle to start a paper there, “The
Press.” Jack knows on which side “his bread is but
tered” and has become a strong supporter of the worst
of cannery interests., such as Schoenwald.
Suppose the cannery and other exploiting interests
should succeed, the fisherman class of people would
say, “We ought to have some paper to tell our side of
the story.”
You won’t get it from Jack for he said recently,
“Believe me, I'm going to stick right close to where
the money is.” Isn’t that why Jack and Marquam
were bedfellows recently?