Alaska Native Brotherhood Convention Takes Up
Problems of Vital Interest to Territory
-v_
In spite of a mass of detal
work, organization work and
clearing out of matters of con
troversial nature, the convention
of the Alaska Native Brother
hood at Ya^utat last month took
up matters of vital importance
to themselves, to the people they
directly represent and to the rest
of the Territory which is directly
interested. And the manner In
which they met each problem,
their sincerity of purpose and
open-minded discussion showed
a definite and positive under
standing even greater than many
so-called highly literates of the
territory have shown. We present
the various resolutions herewith:
Fisheries:
The U. S. District Attorney at
Juneau was requested to insti
tute steps to punish operators of
fish traps who brail their traps
during the weeiriy closed period
which is in violation of the law
ot 1924 which provides that no
person may “fish for, take or kill
any salmon of any species in any
manner or by any means except
1 and rod, spear or gaff for per
sonal use and not for sale or
barter.” The operators of fish
traps being the objects of favor
by the Bureau of Fisheries in
this manner while the' troller,
giilnetter and seiner must com
ply with the law. The matter is
also brought to the attention of
Hon. Robert P. Lamont, Secre
tary of Commerce, the Commit
tee on Merchant Marine and
Fisheries of the House of Repre
sentatives and to the Kon. James
Wickersham, Delegate to Con
gress from Alaska.
Illegal Trap
Attention of the Secretary of
Commerce, Robert P. Lamont, is
called to a trap operated at In
dian Point, Behm Canal, Ketchi
kan District, „whieh is fifteen
miles within a closed area.
Bequest is made that he instruct
his agents to remove the instru
ment for with.
The Territorial Legislature is
petitioned to in t:uct the At
torney General for Alaska to in
stitute a case in the court to
test legality of fish traps in
Alaska. It is pointed out that
traps arc objects of special pri
vilege contrary to the provisions
of the law of 1924.
Stream Obstruction
Attention is called to the Bu
reau of Fisheries to the practice
of fencing certain salmon
streams in Gastineau Channel
with the request that the prac
tice be stopped.
Over-crowding Salmon Fishing
Area.
The Libby, McNeil & Libby
Company, operating a cannery
at Yakutat is petitioned to de
srt importing non-resident
fishermen and placing them at
strategic points on the Setuck
River beginning in early Febru
ary, and by such policy forcing
resident fishermen of Yakutat
into the turbulent and danger
ous shoals of the river and ocean.
Attention is called to the fact
tha t already this policy has caus
ed loss of life. The matter is
further directed to the attention
of Secretary Robert P. Lamont,
Secretary of Commence, the Se
nate Committee on Indian Af
fairs, the Secretary of the In
terior Ray Lyman Wilbur and
the Delegate to Congress, Hon
James Wickersham, with a pray
er asking for remedial action.
, Endorse Herring Resolution. .
The resolution relative to the
wanton waste and destruction
of herring, passed by the several
Chambers of Commerce, was en
dorsed by the convention. Tne
findings of special investigator
Mr. Rounsfell, Jr., bearing out
the allegations set forth in the
resolution and vindicating the
allegations of the Brotherhood
which sponsored the action fur
thered by the Chamber of Com
merce resolution. Copies of this
endorsement were sent to Hon.
Robert P. Lamont, Secretary of
Commerce, Henry O’Malley, Com
imss’oner of Fisheries, Delegate
James Wickersham, with the
resiiest that this resolution re
ceive their serious consideration.
Seasonal Closed Dates
The various dates for fishery
op '..Lions ?n Southeastern Alas
ka have keen a matter of con
tic c ial a' Li m amongst the
fishing interests for some time.
Regard vs of what any of them
might wish or believe right,
Commissioner O'Malley sets the
dates and that is the law. In
some instances this has wrought
a hardship and cf a discrimina
tory nature. The deliberations
were the honest conclusions of
men conversant with every de
tail of catching salmon, the
various salmon runs and the
error of the regulations which
destroy rather than build up for
a balanced season. The following
dates were recommended:
Ketchikan and Wrangell dis
trict, closed season until August
first, when operations shall begin
and remain open until the end
cf the season. This has no rela
tion to the Stikine River district.
Klawcck and the West Coast
of Prince of Wales, open from
the first of August up to and in
cluding the fifteenth of Septen^
her.