water leaking into it from the
tide lands or part of the sail
wate; of the sea flowing into the
stream. But that does not de
teimine or change tiie line of
mean low water, and the mouth
of a stream, as stated, is where
its waters meet the line of mean
low tide.”
HOUNDING THE PEOPLE
There is not the slightest re
gard lor this law shown by your
Bureau or its agents at Yaku
tat, for while your agents are
hounding the local residents of
Yakutat and compelling them
to catch their family supply of
fish under unreasonable diffi
culty. the illegal fishing in all
the other streams goes on with
large scale operations. Appar
ently, all the diligence of your
agents is directed toward ap
prehending small fry and per
mitting the whales to run un
molested.
Let me call your attention to
another “strict interpretation”
of the fishery law at Yakutat
that eminated from your Bu
reau in the 1927 regulations. I
refer to the closing of Dry Bay
to king salmon fishing. This
mling was a complete reversal
of the theory of Congress with
regard to closing streams in
Alaska to salmon fishing. Un
der this ruling, fishing in Dry
Bay was suspended in order that
the salmon might be taken com
mercially in the upper reaches
of the Alsak River which emp
ties into the Bay. If there is one
single sheltered area of water in
all the Yakutat region from
Ocean Cape to Cape Fairweath
er where men could fish in com
pliance with the law regarding
the closing of streams, that area
is Dry Bay. But men were for
bidden to take these king sal
mon from the Bay when they
were in prime condition in or
der that they might be taken by
others on the Alsak River after
the deterioration of the fish in
cident to their movement from
the ocean into fresh water. I
do not question the authority
of your Bureau to issue this
most ridiculous regulation to
the injury of a few mild cure
fishermen, but I do say that in
issuing such regulations the Bu
reau should have a little consid
eration for fairness and equity
and not exercise the power given
b y Congress t o discriminate
against one class of fisher
man and in favor of another.
You surely will admit that the
mild cure fishermen needed
a few of the salmon des
tined for Aisak River just as
much as those who took them
later on from the River; and I
expect you to admit that the
men fishing in an arm of the
ocean ought to have the same
chance as men fishing in a trib
utary river. I, of course, main
tain that the mild cure men
had rights of fishing superior to
those on the upper river under
the theory of Congress and
“strict interpretation of the
law.”
By reason of the incidents of
law enforcement at Yakutat as
above set forth, it must appear
to any unbiased party that the
“strict interpretation of the
law” maintained by Mr. Winn is
merely a “strict interpretation”
of the whim of Warden Pryde
and I do not believe there is
anything to be found in the
fishery Acts of 1906 or 1924 up
on which to base his action in
depriving the local residents
from taking fish for home use
at Yakutat.
Sincerely,
DAN SUTHERLAND
Delegate from Alaska.
--x
It is not the salary, but the
service that stamps the hireling.
Whatever you dislike in anoth
er person, be sure to correct in
yourself.
CHRONICLE RECOGNIZES A
SERIOUS FACT
-x
The Ketchikan Chronicle the
First City’s daily recently declar
ed that:
“Seine boats running out of
Ketchikan have not been doing
well so far this season, making
probably a little better than ex
penses. In some isolated in
stances good catches have been
made. One seiner declared that
the fish are running later and
later each year and that the
closing season cuts off. their
main supply of revenue, with
the result that it hardly pays to
keep up the expenses of seine
boats any longer.”
HOPELESS FOR SEINERS
-x
“Reports indicate that the
seiners are not doing as well as
might he hoped for in South
eastern Alaska. This is unfor
tunate but it is becoming recog
nized more and more each year
at the seine boat is antiquat
ed as a method of catching fish.
Gradually, but surely, the sein
ers will disappear from the wat
ers of the north, and legislation
will not save them.—Chronicle.
TRUE ENUFF
. .“Brudder Jones ” said the dea
con, “can’t yo-all donate soms
small contribution to de fund fo
fencin’ in de cullud cemetery?”
“I dunno as I kin,” replied
Brother Jones. “I doan see nr
use in de fence round no ceme
tery. You see, dem as what’s in
dar kain’t git out, and dem watt,
out sho’ doan wanta git in.”
TOMMY’S RIBS
-o
The teacher of the class in
physiology put to Tommy tlii
question: “How many ribs have
you?”
“I don’t know, ma’am,” said
Tommy. “I am so awful ticklish
I never could count ’em.
•-x—