CONDENSATION FROM DELE
GATE SUTHERLAND’S SPEECH
COLISEUM THEATRE, NOV
16th, 1925
The White Fisheries bill is a
good bill, similar to the fishery
law that governs most of the states
and British Columbia. Any injus
tice that arises in Alaska is not
due to the law, but to its mal
administration by the Bureau of
Fisheries.
....In British Columbia, with ..its
pack of about a million and a half
cases, there are over 7000 men
fishing with Independent gear, trol
lers, purse seiners, gill netters and
drag seiners. !.*.
....In Alaska, with its five million
cases, there are arouna 5000 men
fishing iWith ..Independent .gear.
There are practically no traps in
British Columbia.
Congressman Free ..broadcasted
over the United States that 1800
illiterate Indians voted in Alaska
last election, 1000 in Southeastern
Alaska and 800 “to the Westward."
The Westward is a very indefinite
region, but usually means that dis
trict beyond Seward, including all
the ports on Cook’s Inlet, except
Anchorage. In this district, accord
ing to the records, the total vote,
both white and Indian, literate and
illiterate, was a little over 500.
Of this number the Indian vote
was around 200.
According to the census report
there are over 1500 literate Ind
ians in Alaska.
The total Indian vote in Alaska
was less than one-fifth of the
white vote and yet they talk of
Indian dominance.
In Cordova, 35 Russians classed
as Indians were taken to the polls
by the Democrats to vote, presum
ably the Democratic ticket. They
voted the Republican ticket. I know
nothing- about the literacy of these
Russian-Indians, but I commend
their intelligence.
The main reason for the build
ing of the Alaska railroad was in
order that the Alaska coal from
the Matanuska district might be
marketed. Not one ton is being
shipped south of Seward. It is no
wonder there is a deficit in the
operation of the railroad.
At the last meeting of the
Alaska Legislature^ a memorial ask
ing for the repeal of the discrimi
natory section of the Jones act,
which makes it impossible for Ala
ska to benefit by lower freight
rates on Canadian lines, was de
feated by the lobbyists of the
Steamship lines purely on argu
ments of Patriotism. “Let us build
up a strong AMERICAN merchant
marine,” even though we in Ala
ska pay the toll out of our pocket
book9. These same steamship lines
are showing their brand of “Pat
riotism” by supplying us British
Columbia coal.
I claim the entire credit for
the two cent duty on Canadian
halibut. When the tariff act was
passed, I was between two fires; the
strong: fishing interests of the East,
Who wanted no duty on foreign
fish, and the Seattle and Ketchikan
interests who wanted a complete
embargo placed on Prince Rupert.
I won out. And according to the
brief prepared by the representa
tives of Ketchikan at the halibut
hearing in Seattle last summer, an
unprecedented era of prosperity
dawned for the Town of Ketchikan,
ai, shown by the clearances through
the custom huose, the increase in
business, especially among machine
shop and outfitting lines, the in
crease in building, and the in
crease in .saving bank deposits.
This prosperity is due almost en
tirely to the provision that requires
American boats to outfit in Ameri
can ports. The two cent duty is
merely an offset to the fact that
the Canadian boat can outfit more
cheaply in Canada.
The Juneau Empire thinks there
is merit in Henry 0‘Malley’s sug
gestion that there should be a
continuous escapement of salmon
during the entire season rather
than a closed season. We will not
let the Empire or others forget
that this was the exact argument
advanced by William L. Paul in
1923 when the closed season was
first proposed by J. R. Heckman,
vice-chairman of the Alaska Terri
torial Fish Commission. You will
have come to it that Paul was
right in that, and that he also
was right in his fight for the
abolishment of the fish trap, if
you are going to save the fish
eries of Alaska and also to save
the white population.
* MAUD HAZEL
For
CHARTER
Ketchikan, Phone White 83
WILLIAM L. PAUL
Lawyer
No. 35 Dock Street
Ketchikan, — Alaska
# *" • i. 11. . . *
Thwaites Photo Shop
Ketchikan
Kodak Finishing
Copying—Enlarging
FIELD’S
Everything to Wear for
Men and Boys
Newtown
Ketchikan Meat Co.
Next to Custom House, Ketchikan
Central Market
Newtown, Ketchikan
Dealers in
Fresh Meats and Provisions
Special Attention Paid to Boat
Orders
KETCHIKAN MEAT CO.
Phone 120 Day
Phone White 76 Ni,<?ht
Phone 307
CENTRAL MARKET
SITKA CAMP
ALASKA NATIVE
BROTHERHOOD
Meets 8 P. M. Mondays
President: Secretary:
Frank Price A. Hope
Taxi
OTEM
PHONE 116
Ketchikan, Alaska. Jack King
QUALITY is what you want—
QUALITY is what we give at the
QUALITY BAKERY
City Float, Water Street
Phone—Green 140
Ketchikan, - - Alaska
—*