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, tc-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.
DR. S. HALL YOUNG
Dr. S. Hall Young has passed away and with his*
passing, has gone a true and honest friend of the
people of Alaska.
We new him well. He was the first protestant
minister in Alaska, arriving at Wrangell in 1878 fol
lowing Mrs. A. R. McFarland who had established a
school at “ Fort” Wrangell.
He preached the gospel of Christ fearlessly, then
assisted in educating them, but the whiskey smugglers
of the civilized whites have increased.
Dr. Young was a good friend to us. In the family
life of the editor he played an intimate part. He bap
tized the mother then a young student of the McFarland
Home. He baptized the father and then married
them. He then baptized the three children and several
grandchildren. We knew him well.
During all the years that followed, he was always a
fine Christian gentleman.
WHAT AILS ALASKA?
“The department’s principal interest is in the per
petuity of the salmon industry ” Henry O’Malley at
Seattle to the Associated Press.
O’Malley works at but half of the problem.
The true problem is increase of Salmon and People.
Under the policy announced by the Bureau of Fish
eries, some 30,000 people come to Alaska, skim off
the cream of our wealth, and go back to Seattle and
San Francisco.
In addition to this, they have destroyed our one
great resource—the salmon. For over 20 years va
rious of us have warned them that depletion was in
evitable if fish traps were permitted, but to no pur
pose.
And now lacking the courage to join with us O’Mai
ley merely says that “There is too much gear in Alas
ka.”
THE- CLOSED SEASON
Four years ago in opposing the seasonal closing
plan, when it was proposed by J. R. Heckman as a
substitute for the bill proposed by Mr. Hellentlial,
William L. Paul said, “If you breed late fish, you will
get late fish.”
All too soon this has come true.
There are today, millions of salmon at the various
salmon streams. They came late because they were
bred late. Some people say they came late because
there was no rain, or the north wind was blowing.
The reason is more simple than that—they were bred
of a late variety of salmon.
With the tremendous increase of fish traps, all the
salmon that came prior to the closed season in August
were killed off. The salmon that spawned were the
fish that came to the streams in August. Naturally,
the descendants now come at the same time their
mothers came.
Why do ducks swim, or geese fly north in the
the spring? Instinct. Why do herring spawn in the
spring, king salmon in May, sokeye in June and July,
humpback in July and early August, Cohoe in August
and September with dogsalmon? Because their moth
ers did before them.
“If you bred late fish you will get late fish.”
IS IT RIGHT, MR. BUSINESS MAN
The Kennecott Corporation distributed $5,593,030
in dividends—more than all t.lie profits in the cannery
business. Certainly many times more than the profit's
of the canneries in southeastern Alaska.
THE KENECOTT PAID A. TAX OF $68,000.00
LAST YEAR.
This is about 1% of its net profit.
THE LEGISLATIVE RECORD
During the discussion of the tax bill, the so-called
radicals (see the vote for their names) saw the In