The Industrial School==Southeast
Alaska
The Honorable William John
Cooper, Commissioner of the
United States Bureau of Educa
tion, has just announced that
the site for the Industrial School
for Southeastern Alaska has
been selected, towit, Sliomak
er Bay. This site is four miles
east of Wrangell, Alaska.
This site was preferred by the
Commissioner because it scored
the most points in the elimina
tion contest in which the candi
dates numbered five, namely,
Metlakatla, Klawock, Ketchikan,
Wrangell Narrows (near Peters
burg) and Shoemaker Bay.
The authorities announced
before hand just what they
would require and grouped the
points as follows:
Essential, 500 points; Primary.
300 points, and Secondary, 200
points.
The Essentials (500) were:
1. Water - Domestic (including
fire.
2. Power-Available or Potential.
3. Soil for gardens, etc.
4. Accessibility to population
centers or ready transporta
tion.
5. Possibility of School Atmos
phere and Spirit free from
tribal influence
The Primary Points (300) were:
1. Accessibility—Steamer Lines.
Roads, Docks.
2. Area available.
3. Exposure—elevation; level
drainage.
4. Climatic Conditions—rainfall,
winds, pests, sun.
5. Harbor (for small boats).
The Secondary Points (200) were
1. Hospital facilities.
2. Church facilities.
3. Available Industries, canner
ies, sawmills, etc.
4. Proximity to regular steamer
stops.
5. Regional environment, liquor,
crime, narcotics.
Those who know the facts
about each candidate will readi
ly see that Shoemaker Bay
would score the highest 1'.'
Petersburg location was put out
of the running (when it seemed
to have won in 1928) by a letter
from Governor George A. Parks
who transmitted a letter from
the War Department protesting
that any structure in the Nar
rows would be a menace to navi
gation.
Ketchikan was eliminated (we
think) because there was not
sufficient area of land available
and because of the very things
that the managers of the city
think are necessary to attract
the bachellors among fishermen
and sailors are considered ob
jectionable for schools and stu
dents.
Metlakatla, we think, was
eliminated because of the fifth
point under the Essentials. The
Commissioner could not very
well overlook the long continued
hostility that has existed be
tween the Tsimpshean people
and the Thlinget-Haida group.
But perhaps the strongest
handicap of the claim of Metla
katla was the fact that it has
no harbor for small boats. This
location and Ketchikan as well
have about twice the rainfall
that Shoemaker Bay has, the ra
tio being 156 to 80 inches per
annum.
Klawock really put up a strong
claim for the school but could
not overcome the handicap of
being entirely out of the line of
passenger steamboat travel ne
cessitating double freight charg
es.
Thus by elimination, Shoe
maker Bay (and Wrangell) gets
the school plant on which the
initial expenditure will be over
$200,000.
Not the least of the arguments
advanced for the Wrangell site
was the fact that at this point
the race question is virtually
solved, there being but one per
son of prominence who still talks
about the “siwashes.”
Some people of course will say
that this site was finally select
ed because the ALASKA NATIVE
BROTHERHOOD preferred it
there. It is true that they did,
but this only proves that the
BROTHERHOOD endorsed the
site having in mind but the
single good of the school, and
that they selected the place that
stood all the tests that a fair
minded man like Dr. Cooper
could make. The ALASKA NA
TIVE BROTHERHOOD is the
voice of the organized natives of
Southeastern Alaska. The great
est good for the greatest number
is their motto. While in conven
tion, they selected Shoemaker
Bay as being the best location
for the proposed school. This
solidarity was somewhat broken
when one person induced the
Klawock people to repudiate
their delegates to the Conven
tion and to make claim for the
school. An attempt was also
made among the Hydaburg peo
ple, but the leaders there saw
that this person was merely try
ing to divide the native people
and thus weaken them, and so
they stood by their delegates.
The building of this school will
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