the fisherman prospers, does he
alone prosper?
“Where employers seek them
out to give work.”
There were approximately 3,
000 Filipinos working in and
around Ketchikan this season
in the various canneries. They
were hired because they were
cheap. One group said they
were paid $80 and board FOR
THE SEASON. .
“Where they are paid spot
cash every night for the work
accomplished that day.”
The season closed in this Divi
sion a week ago. Many of the
fishermen and laborers are still
waiting, idle, under heavy ex
pense, for their settlements. It
has been the practice of the can
tiers to delay settlement to hold
fishermen and families at the
canneries where they are com
pelled to purchase their supplies
at the cannery store at exorbit
ant prices in competition with
local business concerns.
“Where there are no strings
attached to their money.”
Living in company cabins that
would be a disgrace in any com
munity, trading at company
stores and paying prices that
guarantee 100 per cent profit,
fishing with company boats and
company gear with shares taken
for use of those boats and at a
lesser price than paid for pri
vate gear or trap fish, and car
ried on company hooks from
year to year!
“Where, in case of want or
sickness, every consideration is
given them.”
We hope that may sometime
be true. We can easily cite not
a few instances where very
slight consideration or none
whatever was given.
“Where conditions are such
that natives, have,, under, the
care. of. the. canneries, been
taught to save money, to build
good homes, to live- right, and
thus find contentment and pride
in their surroundings. * * ”
. .Not. exactly, taught,, rather
lorced to live on less than suf
ficient to keep the body nourish
ed—they get so. little, money.
It. is our. observation that the
“good hemes” are just such kind
of homes as you can expect the
families to live in who must be
carried on books from year to
year.. It is our further obser
vation that cannery life demor
alizes the Indian youth with the
; cum and off-scourings from the
water fronts of the states.. The
percentage of venereal cases has
increased among the natives
with the importation of moral
and physical degenerates. It is
our certain knowledge that the
Sheldon Jackson School at Sit
ka and the Alaska Native Bro
therhood which are the agen
cies which have raised the stan
dards of living among these peo
ple and not the cannery system.
There is more to the Gateway
editorial.. We have not quoted it
all. We agree., hands, down,
■hat the Gateway’s impression is
all wrong Judas betrayed his
Master for thirty pieces of silver
and then wept bitterly. We hope
rhat the Gateway may repent its
error while there is yet time.
The welfare of the Territory of
Alaska is not so much involved
in the welfare of corporations
whose stockholders reside be
yond her borders and who know
little and care less about the ul
timate destiny of this Territory;
whose slogan is “Get the mon
ey.” Wring Alaska dry and turn
her people into paupers while
turning her resources into divi
dends. And what part of those
dividends find their way over the
cash registers of Alaska mer
chants? Is it not apparent that
the welfare of this territory is
more directly and vitally involv
ed in the welfare of our work
ers and fishermen? Can mer
chants thrive on customers with
empty pockets? Can banks
thrive where merchants must
carry their customers from year
to year on their books? And is it
necessary to remind the Gate
way, and others, that one plus
one is two?
-x
“HATS OFF TO O’MALLEY”
By Louis F. Paul, in The Alaskan
Eddie Morrissey of the Ketchi
kan Chronicle says “Hats off to
O'Malley.” The operation of
the Chronicle to a point of
bankruptcy is a condition re
sultant from O’Malley’s regula
tions. Hoping to secure remun
erative reward, Eddie has kissed
O’Malley’s left foot and at the
next opportunity, he will kiss
O’Malley’s other foot.
“In Ketchikan this year it ap
pears to us that there is proof
conclusive that Mr. O’Malley’s
regulatory policies have been the
right ones.”—Chronicle.
Ed Morrison was arrested by
a warden for illegal fishing. One
warden said that Morrison could
fish from marker to marker and
so he did. A district warden
came along and arrested Morri
son, declaring that fishing oper
ations should be on a triangle.
Morrison wanted the case to
come to trial so the warden said
that in this event the case would
be transferred from Hydaburg
to Juneau and then to Ketchi
kan district where it belonged.
No trial till late in September.
Says the warden, “If you plead
guilty we will let you off with a
fine of $300, but if you fight the
case we will postpone trial until
September.” Morrison plead
guilty.
“Hats off to O’Malley,” the
czar of Alaska who uses the dis
trict attorney and the courts of
Alaska to blackmail decent hon
est Alaskans who are trying to
make a living without having to
be criminals.
Another boat travelling up
Chatham Straits, more than a
mile offshore from a fishing
stream, was stopped by a tool