TIIE ALASKA FISHERMAN
Published the 15th of each month at Ketchikan, Alaska
WILLIAM L. PAUL, ATTORNEY FOR TH£
ALASKA NATIVE BROTHERHOOD
Entered as second • class matter at the Post Office al
KETCHIKAN, ALASKA
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OUR PLATFORM:
ALASKA FOR ALASKANS.
FULL TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT.
COMPETENT CHRISTIAN CITIZENSHIP.
ABOLISHMENT OF ALL TRAPS.
JOHN RUSTGARD’S REMARKABLE PLATFORM
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The efforts of two such political geniuses as
John Rustgard and managing editor Pegues of the
Juneau Empire should be enough to overwhelm
the average voter. And certainly this couple of
strange bedfellows make the average reader sit up
and marvel when they try to digest John's plat
form, as recently published in his organ.
Since the rumor became general that Henry
O’Malley had decided to nomnate John for Dele
gate it cannot be wondered that this political as
pirant, who lusts for larger salary than the At
torney General’s office affords, should throw over
board his former constituency—the fishermen of
Alaska. But the real surprise is that John should
allow Pegues to pull such a boner on himself as to
make him say in one of his planks:
“I believe in elminating from the public
life of the Territory all those individuals
who make a business of stirring up antag
onism against industrial institutions for
the sake of getting a hand-out.”
For years past John Rustgard has been knock
ing the industrial enterprises of Alaska while get
ting his hand-out from the Territorial Treasury
Now, when he hopes to get a much larger “hand
out” from the government, he completely revers
es himself. What did John, say in his “discussion
of legislation and legislators” at Anchorage, on
Sept. 30, 1927. Listen to part of it:
“In most lurid language it is asserted
that the industries of Alaska owe their
origin and their continuance to the gen
erosity and intelligence of bureaus, and
that we need more of them instead of
fewer. ‘Behold,’ shout these orators, ‘is
not pulp and paper industry coming and
as the result of the work of bureaus’?
“What are the facts? If the lands of
the coastal regions had not been with
drawn from private appropriation and
placed under the bureaus, the pulp and
paper industry would have been estab
lished long ago and would probably now
have been one of our leading indus
tries. * * *
‘ Since that time the Bureau has been
lowering its demands and relaxing its
strictures until last spring it offered
terms which are better than a patent to
the land. The timber is now given away
at a nominal price, etc.
iuat is better Mian a deed, lor as long as
the government holds the title the land
is exempt from taxation and the govern
ment bears the risk of destruction and
the concomitant obligation of protec
tion. I am perfectly safe in asserting that
it is the bureau system—rather, perhaps,
I say the government ownership system
winch has prevented the development of
Alaska. * :!: :i:
“The future for the development of
Alaska’s resources was never darker than
now. It would appear that the present
bureaucratic system has not only conserv
ed our resources but has embalmed them
for all times.”
Consistency is not a jewel in the crown of
John Rustgard’s dome. He is proving himself a
mental acrobat worthy of a high place among
ward leaders or heelers. After expressing him
self in such forceful and apparently sincere lan
guage, as was heard at Anchorage on that Sep
tember night in 1927, how can his present en
dorsement of the methods that he then severely
criticised be taken other than mere froth? In his
platform recently issued, writer Pegues made him
tumble all over himself, in the following words:
1 commend the Bureau of Forestry for
its determnation to have the timber with
in its keeping manufactured into articles
of commerce within the Territory instead
of shipping to foreign countries to be
there prepared by foreign labor.”
John Rustgard is certainly proving him
self a chameleon of some large size.. And the vot
ers of Alaska are just beginning to realize the
manner of man this self-important, kingly and
suave chatterer really is. He is demonstrating
just what he will really do for a big piece of money
like a Congressman’s salary. But what can be ex
pected of him when he allows such Democrats as
Troy and Pegues to flatter and lead him astray?
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