THE ALASKA FISHERMAN
Published the 15th of each month at Petersburg.
Alaska, by A. N. B. Publishing Co.
-x
Louis F. Paul - - - - Editor
C. O. Parks - Business Manager
Entered as second-class matter at the Post Office
at Petersburg, Alasxa.
SUBSCRIPTION PRICE $2.00 FOR ONE YEAR
OUR PLATFORM
ALASKA FOR ALASKANS.
FULL TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT.
COMPETENT CHRISTIAN CITIZENSHIP.
ABOLISHMENT OF ALL TRAPS.
A WORD TO ALASKA BUSINESSMEN
Throughout the whole United States tremors
of economic evolution and revolution are being
heard and felt. The effect, which is nation
wide, begins with the smallest units in every
state and territory. The problem of production
and consumption is a problem of the ability of
the public to pay in cash or through credit for
the goods produced. The purchasing power of
the United States and Alaska is, in the main
in the hands of the wage earners. In Alaska, ii
the fishermen, the small miners, mggers and
laborers and the Indian all stopped o dying, ba^ -
iness would immediately become bankrupt.
During the past several years The Alaska Fish
erman has opposed the fish trap system which
has reduced the earning power of resident fish
ermen. Every trap which produces 100,000 salm
on puts out of employment 25 resident Alaskans
and there is no other field of industry to take
care of this labor.
Displacement of Alaska labor by the trap sys
tem, and the importation of labor which is paid
off in Seattle, simply reduces the buying power
of Alaska labor. The greater the reduction of
Alaska’s buying power the greater the loss of
business to Alaska’s business men.
While the resident fisherman is hurt, his hurt
is limited to his earning power. The Ala~'oa
business man has accumulated savings invested
in his business. The fishermer have lost about
all they can lose. The resident business man
already has lost thousands of dollars in extend
ing credit to the fishermen—and further credits
are asked.
And to what purpose, we ask, do you business
men bow down on your knees to Henry O’Malley,
Czar of Alaska's fisheries, the official spokes
man of the trap system? When your customers
fail, how shall your business be supported?
-x
CAPITAL SCARED OUT BY BUREAUS
-x
With much amazement we read in The Alaska
Weekly published in Seattle, a statement by J.
J. Connors, Democratic leader in Juneau, that
“The bureaucratic government maintained by
the United States in Alaska has the effect of
scaring capital which will never come in while
unnecessary regulations lock up our resources.
The business of our Territory could be conducted
far better by private individuals under govern
ment supervision and regulations. Furthermore,
Alaska should have entire control of her fish
and game.”
During the elections of the pest few years, the
party which Mr. Connors so ably furthers has
written diatribes against William L. Paul and
“his Indian voters” for driving capital out of
the territory. The fact of the matter is that
this vote so often damned has been more fair in
its efforts to secure legislation that will be ben
eficial to the entire territory than those who
have been so noisy in their condemnation.
It is getting so now that eve^y time a Dem
ocrat opens his mouth he puts his foot in it.
Sort of hoof and mouth disease But the truth
will eventually cut and the right thinking Al
askans will realize that they have been the vic
tims of bunkum platforms too many times.
-x-. *
ILLITERACY IN ALASKA
-X
A tabulation of census returns for the T^ri
tory of Alaska relative to illiteracy, shows great
advancement the past ten years. In 1920 10,874
persons over ten years of age were unable to read
and write. In 1929, 9,416 persons failed to res
pond to the literacy test. The number who fail
ed were not Indians alone, but whites as well.
In 1920 but 6,455 children, five years of age
and over, were attending Territorial schools. In
1929, despite the great falling off in population,
some 9,133 were enrolled. When one remembers
that in the past ten years Alaska has lost more
than one-half her 1920 population, the showing
is much greater.
The greatest educational gain has been among
natives.
They have responded so ardently to our school
facilities that it has kept the Bureau of Educa
tion busy building and enlarging their schools.
Practically all of the younger generations can
read and white, and in some instance they have
made remarkable scholastic records in arts and