THE ALASKA FISHERMAN
Published the 15th oi each month at Ketchikan,
Alaska, by A. N. B. Publishing Co.
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Louis F. Paul - Editor
William L. Paul - - Associate Editor
C. O. Parks - Business Manager
Entered as second-class matter at the Post Office
at Petersburg, Alaska. Permit Applied For.
SUBSCRIPTION PRICE $2.00 FOR ONE YEAR
OUR PLATFORM
ALASKA FOR ALASKANS.
FULL TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT.
COMPETENT CHRISTIAN CITIZENSHIP.
ABOLISHMENT OF ALL TRAPS.
“THE ROOT OF THE EVIL”
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“The British Columbia canners packed 2,
221,819 cases, a gain of 156,629 over 1920 a record
year. Yet the packers said there was no alarming
over-production” and were generally pleased with
their business. “Sales to Great Britain last year
showed a 50 per cent gain despite the widely
heralded Russian and Japanese competition.”—
Juneau Empire.
British Columbia uses no traps.
The price paid fishermen for pinks is from 2
to 4 cents. The canners pack cheap fish and yet
the fishermen make money at that price.
In Alaska, the price paid traps for pinks was
15 to 20 cents; to seiners 10 tc 12 cents. The can
ners are broke, the fishermen made no money,
and the Russians are blamed for taking awTay the
London market.
The root of the evil is the fish trap.
Abolish that evil and you immediately de
crease the pack to safe proportions, you elliminate
the expcncive trap, you increase the fishing pop
ulation, you increase the fishermen’s average
earnings and yet get cheaper fish for the canners.
-v-L.
SOUNDS LIKE DISCRIMINATION
The Ziegler bill, introduced in the Territorial
legislature Wednesday, seeking to penalize can
nery men who import fibre board boxes for their
products, as against using box shooks made in
Alaska, appears to be based on discrimination. If
so, the bill hasn’t a ghost of a show to go through.
We doubt very much if an interstate embargo of
this sort is permissable. It is regretable an Alas
kan industry may suffer from such importation of
lighter weight boxes but it also must appear logic
al shippers and buyers are going to cut every
corner possible to reduce the price of a commod
ity.
For the moment the exact figure eludes us
but in commenting on this same subject last sum
mer 'iue Gateway published an accurate state
ment of the saving in a carload of cased salmon
going overland from the Pacific to the Atlantic
seaboards. It was around $60 a car, that we are
certain. In other words, cased salmon, or clams,
in wood boxes, cost approximately $60 a car more
in freight rates than fibre board.
It would appear with pulp mills going in
Southeastern Alaska, fibre boxes could likewise be
manufactured. On the other hand, if Alaska could
tax all importations shipped in. our progress
would bve assured. Local industries of all sorts
would blossom overnight. If the legislature can
put the Ziegler bill through, protection should be
given every business in the Territory.—Seward
Gateway.
TIIE SOCKEYE SALMON TREATY
Notwithstanding the opposition of Governor
Hartley and United States Senators Jones and
Dili, the Bellingham Chamber of Commerce be
lieves that the salmon treaty with Canada should
be ratified. Unless the United States enters into
an agreement with the Dominion government,
the sockeye salmon fishery, which easily could be
made to p :e_ $ 000,000 a year in new wealth,
is doomed to early destruction. It is suggested
that the Legislature at once urge ratification of
the treaty.
Whatcom. Skagit and San Juan Counties are
vitally interested in the perpetuation of this fish
ery. It is in the waters of these three counties that
the salmon, which spawns in the Fraser River, is
taken. Depletion of the run will cause irreparable
damage to these counties as well as to the state
at large. The Bellingham Chamber makes this
significant statement:
What the fruit orchards are to Ya
Kima and Wenatchee; the wheat fields to
Walla Walla and Spokane; the standing
timber to the Olympic Peninsula; the
sockeye salmon run, until its almost com
plete destruction, has been to the three
northwest counties of Washington—
Whatcom, Skagit and San Juan
Selfish interests have defeated every effort
to conserve this great source of wealth. Their
political influence now is operating to prevent
ratification of the treaty which Canada already
has approved. The effect of this short-sighted
policy will be fe dor>— ? <-vv^
resource.