ALASKA CANNERIES FOR
ALASKANS
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From Seldovia Herald
It is beginning to be realized
tJiat salmon canneries can be or
ganized by, and for, Alaskans
just as competently as by, and
for outsiders. The fallacy has
long controlled that in order to
carry on successfully the busi
ness of canning salmon within
the territory of Alaska, full or
ganization had to take place in
the states with official person
nel residing therein; all pur
chasing power, excepting in the
most emergent cases, to be ex
pended outside. And when it
came to the point of man pow
er there never seemed to be any
question about the perfect reas
onableness of employing people
basking in the sunny vales of
Mexico; ukelele experts from
Pacific island banana belts; the
almond-eyed youth who had
gained first hand knowledge of
salmon canning activities by
watching his uncle mangle in a
Chinese laundry. People who
signed on the dotted line in full
agreement that payment for the
season's work would t>e forth
coming upon return to the
states.
The operations of Associated
Fishermen of Alaska, Inc., in
the Bering Sea district as a
floating cannery unit, with
promised expansion into an up
to-date shore plant; the taking
over of the Sunrise cannery in
Ketchikan, by Alaska men wita
Alaska capital and with the as
sured plan to employ Alaska la
bor, all tend to support the idea
/W--—.
ALASKA NATIVE
SISTERHOOD
President Mrs. A. McGiltdn
Meet# Every Monday
Petersburg - - Alaska
that one way to stop the uproar
about outside interests draining
Alaska resources, is for Alaskans
to turn to and do the job them
selves.
If the people anywhere else
are more competent to manage
the affairs of a salmon cannery
than Alaskans, we cannot think
just now who they might be.
And there ic. power and hope,
in the thought that those with
the sinews of war and the will
to do, are beginning to realize
an important business fact, the
exploitation of which would be
of lasting benefit to the people
of the territory.
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JUDGE HARDING RULES
AGAINST SEATTLE TROLLERS
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Judge Justin W. Harding of
the District Court at Juneau,
recently upheld the Territorial
tax of $250 on non-resident
trollers, overruling a demurrer
filed against ths Territory’s
answer which in substance up
held the Act of 1929 a second
time.
This case was brought by the
Seattle Trollers’ Association thru
Wood Freeman. It was alleged
that this tax was prohibitive
and contrary to the guarantees
of the law of 1924. Freeman al
leging that the average earn
ings of the trollers was $500 and
this contention was upheld by
the Circuit Court of Appeals in
San Francisco last year.
Attorney General Rustgard in
his answer contended that the
average earnings of the fisher -
men was $3,000 and that the tax
of $250 was not unreasonable or
prohibitive. Counsel for de
fense, H. L. Faulkner demurred
r,o the answer as not constitut
ing any defense and so two
weeks ago the case was tried be
fore Judge Harding. Counsel
for defense contended that the
Act of 1929 was invalid in that
it fixed a discriminatory license
rate between resident and non
lesident trollers. As defense at
torney did not deny the Terri -
lory’s allegation relative to th-3
trollers’ earnings, Judge Harding
held that the answer did consti
tute a valid answer therefore he
overruled demurrer.
The case will again be appeal- '
ed to the Circuit Court.
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Mines and Mining
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HOFSTAD AFTER COPPER
MINE
Seldovia Herald
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The M. S. Lark, out of Peters
burg enroute to the Westward
Balboa Bay district, put into
Seldovia Wednesday afternoon
with a damaged feed pump, the
Seldovia Machine Shop was call
ed on the job and Thursday
morning the Lark continued on
her course.
Captain I. M. Hofstad and
sons, Arthur and Harold own
and operate the boat. They own
copper and zinc mining proper
ties on the mainland about Bal
boa Bay, and they have gone
there for the purpose of doing
assessment work.
Discussion with Captain Hof
stad brought out the interesting
point that he had worked the
same mine 25 years arp. At that
time he could have done well
with the copper, but there was
no market for the zinc. In fact
penalties were levied because of
the zinc content. Later, markets
developed for the zinc but now
there is no opportunity to work
the mines as the copper has
dropped from sight.
Undiscouraged by the present
bleak outlook, the owners have
mapped out a preliminary de
velopment prpgram calculated to
have things in readiness for bet
ter market conditions.