the validity of the trap system, and asked John
Rustgard his opinion on the matter. The Attor
ney General was absolutely opposed to the bill.
Senator Charles Benjamin of Wrangell intro
duced the bill. A committee from the Senate
took the matter up with Attorney General Rust
gard and his influence marked decison of the
committee which made an unfavorable report.
Thus died an opportunity of the Territory to test
validity of the trap system in protection of the
interests of resident fishermen.
It is the contention of some Alaska lawyers,
and cannery attorneys admit fear of it, that op
eration cf a trap in Alaska is by special privilege
contrary to the White Law cf 1924. For the reas
on that fishing with any other kind of gear with
in 300 feet of any trap is prohibited and no other
trap is permitted within one mile. The Act of 1924
is specific in declaring that ail fishing operations
shall be general and where any one class of gear
or fishing is permitted, every other class shall
have that same right.
--x
SETTLING IN ALASKA
-x
Thus far, prospective agriculturists brought
up to Alaska from the States by the Alaska Rail
road at a cost running into thousands of dollars,
take one look at the country, turn about and beat
back to the Outside. In about two years, we doubt
if there are more than fifteen new colonists who
have stuck. Personally, we don't like the idea of
buying people* to come up. We believe those
thousands of dollars should be spent toward open
ing up the mineral resource'*- 1 *t the farmers fol
low.—Seward Gateway.
It bas been the contention of this publication
that too many bureaucratic hinderances are set
up which prevent natural settlement and devel
opment of the Territory. The government of the
fisheries industry takes into consideration only
conservation of salmon and through discrimina
tory provisions fishermen are leaving the Terri
tory instead of living in and building it up; the
Forest Department in its efforts to sell Alaska to
the pulp interests have so discriminated against
tne loggers and mill men that the loggers are go
ing back to the states where they can operate
with some degree of profit and the mill men have
been forced into virtual bankruptcy. During the
era of Alaska’s steady growth, labor came to Alas
ka as fishermen, loggers and millworkers and as
the seasons ended they drifted on into the interior
mining sections. Some turned into the agricul
tural fields, some to the mineral, others remained
in the Division where they made their homes.
Thus the country developed. There was no effort
made to sell the country. The country sold itself
to the settlers.
We fail to see any consistency in any policy
which permits the driving out of settlers which
another department of the government spends
good money to secure. It is time that the bureau
crats were taking a frank inventory of the results
of their efforts—good and bad and then make ef
fort to straighten out conditions.
. # -A
“WE LL BUST YOU!”
-x
A conference was being held in Juneau and
the fibre box tax was the subject under consider
ation. A young man who had been giving his en
tire support to the measure, was asked to with
draw his support and when he refused to do so
was told, “If you don’t withdraw your support,
we’ll bust you!” He replied, “You be damned! I’m
broke already, anyhow. Why dance over a corpse.”
He stood by his principles and even those who op
posed him, admire him for his courage and lie did
not lose friends or respect by standing firm. But
that is the way that the morale of business men
and legislators is broken. Which is one reason why
many problems, the solution of which is popular
with the electorate, fall through.
-x
CANADA AND INDIAN AFFAIRS
-x
In Canada, the first and most important idea
underlying the administration of Indian affairs is
protection; that is, to protect a dependent race
in its lands, moneys, and its contact with the com
munity. The Magna Charta of the Canadian In
dians is the Proclamation of 1763, which set forth
that no Indian could be dispossessed of his lands
without his consent and the consent of the crown.
The reason of Canada’s success in the manage
ment of Indians is based on that broad principle.—
Anchorage Daily Times.
. -A-- --- •
FLYING ARROWS
When one rooster struts and crows the other
looks to his spurs. This applies to politicians
building political fences.
He who lives by “passing the buck” will soon
have no bucks to pass.
He who sells his soul for the paltry dollar or
political favor comands not the respect of one’s
self or that of his fellow men.
History is the record of what we may do if
we try.
The great souls of the earth are those who
have risen up by stooping down.