ARTICLE DENOUNCED
BY RALPH LOMEN
Speech of April 7, 1927 Considered
Insulting And Lonicn Forced to
Apologize.
FERTILIZER FROM HERRING
By Chas. B. Ferguson
(Continued from Page Six)
able. There is but one establish
ment engaged in the fertilizer and
oil industry in Alaska. To prevent
extensions of the business and pro
vide for its termination without in
jury to existing interests it is only
necessary to prohibit it by legisla
tion effective at a future date, al
lowing ample time for the present
concern to wind up its affairs. The
Bureau has already through the De
partment recommended to Congress
an early tentative date, in part for
the sake of eliciting the facts on
which to base a reasonable interim.
F/vidence has been taken on both
sides of the question and a common
ground reached for a settlement of
the question which is believed to be
just for all concerned. It is main
tained and conceded that the con
tinuance of the herring fertilizer
and oil industry is likely to become
inconsistent with public policy res
pecting the fisheries. The Depart
ment on the other hand is inclined
to allow a liberal term before any
prohibition upon the industry shall
become effective, and upon the fix
ing or tnis term me question may
be said to pend. A few years delay
in the inauguration of this change,
intended to hold indefinitely, is a
matter of little moment to the fish
eries, but of imminent importance
to the industry."
The above recommendations were
made in 1910, 17 years ago. Un
fortunately for us, through a change
in Administration shortly after that
time, these executives lost their
jobs or resigned after the new Com
missioner was appointed, and the
race for the looting of our fisheries
was on.
It will be noted that in 1910,
with only one plant in operation,
the Bureau of Fisheries after care
ful investigation by men of un
questioned integrity and scientific
attainments (Dr. Barton W. Ever
man, Prof. John N. Cobb, and
Willard C. Marsh) recognised the
menace to our king salmon and her
ring fisheries, and recommended at
that early date to the Congress that
NO MORE PLANTS BE PERMIT
TED, and the one in, operation notifi
ed to wind up its affairs and GET
OUT.
There is no record of any sub
sequent executive of the Bureau of
Fisheries making any recommenda
tions to that effect, but on the con
trary the present Commissioner has
permitted, plant after plant to be
constructed and operated without
protest, and apparently even aided
in the suppression of evidence when
an attempt was made to prosecute
operators for gross wanton waste
beyond their common practice.
Aside from th© 18 plants in opera
tion last year, three more new con
cerns are prepared to enter the
held. None of the operators are
residents of Alaska, nor are their
fishermen or laborers with few ex
ceptions. They bring all their sup
plies, spend nothing, and take all
they can get.
What has transpired in the Coast
al areas of Alaska (containing 90%
of our entire population, 80^ of
whom are dependent on our fish
eries) since 1910, is one of the
most shameful pages in American
history. Instead of exercising some
responsibility as trustee of our fish
eries, and lending encouragement to
a struggling pioneer people, it has
been the policy of the Bureau of
Fisheries since then to act the role
of a glorified Santa Claus, and give
free rein to every freebooting in
terest to plunder our fisheries and
impoverish our people, with the re
sult that to day 39 Corporations and
95 individuals, with appliances out
lawed In all civilized <jounine»
destructive and oppressive to the
people, catch 81% of all salmon
canned in S. E. Alaska, 22 Cor
porations and 9 individuals 54% of
all salmon canned in Central Alaska,
and 18 fertilizer plants are operat
ing against the protests of common
sense and common decency in mak
ing out limited supply of herring,
the dependence of our king salmon
and halibut fisheries into fertilizer!
The argument is advanced that*
the ' whole Pacific Ocean is full ol
herring, and that the supply is in
exhaustible. The same was said of
halibut. No large boat out
of Seattle or Vancouver went far
ther North than Rose Spit in those
uay» IU S“L cl lull iuau ui uauuui in
a few days fishing. They go nearly
to Behring Sea today, and this de
pletion has been accomplished in a
few years by PRIMITIVE AND
LTNE fishing.
The largest area frequented by
herring in any considerable quanti
ty on the Pacific Coast is from Cape
Spencer to Dixon’s Entrance, but
in this comparatively limited area,
only a few spots In this Coastal
Section the 100 fathom line is but
a few miles off shore, beyond which
the Continental shelf dips to abys
mal depths, not frequented by food
fishes.
There are but few localities else
where on our entire coast line where
herring are known to exist, and
these of uncertain and limited pro
portions; this is so well recognized
that the ferilizer plants, requiring
vast lots of herring, are all within
this area, mostly at Port Walter
and vicinity. With the 50, or more
modern purse seine boats of the
largest size, (not one of which is
owned in Alaska, or operated by
resident fishermen) fishing in this
area intensively, how long will
these herring last?
It is pleaded that a prohibitive
tax would confiscate the plants and
destroy Capital. No consideration
was given the Brewers and Distill
ers when the 18th Amendment was