lent officials in both the Biolog
ical Survey and the Alaska
Game Commission, I am very
much impressed by the com
plaints which come to me that
these official bodies do not give
the Alaska trapper and fur buy
ers the aicl which these Alaskans
( deserve.
' Herewith I attach for your in
formation and as an example
of just what I mean, a letter ad
dressed to me by E. H. Martin, a
merchant and fur buyer of Tolo
vana, dated March 30, 1931, to
'\hich is attached a copy of a
letter addressed by him to the
chairman of the Game Commis
sion, at Juneau, complaining of
one feature of obstruction to
the fur trade, which certainly
ought to be corrected. Instead
of giving the trappers and trad
, ers freedom in a legitimate busi
ness, this annoys and hampers
them and practically destroys
the chance of trappers and trad
ers in distant places from secur
ing ready sale of their furs. Of
course, it will be urged that
rules must be laid down for the
control of the business, and I
concede that, but the rules
3. That your Committee give
quite as much attention to the
ought to be such as not to de
stroy the credit of both trapper
and trader, and the Biological
Survey and Game Commission
can easily do that if they would
only take that degree of inter
est in assisting the trade that
they do in protecting the game.
I have many complaints from
! rappers, traders and fur farm
eis without limitations, etc., up
on them, which seem to them
and to myself to be unnecessary
burdens upon them, but they
will make their own statements
to you personally, if they can
receive notice and a hearing.
In conclusion I most respect
fully request that:
1. The Committee extend its
visit as far at least as Tanana,
at the Junction of the Tanana
and Yukon Rivers, and forther
:f you can.
2. That general notice of your
coming be given and that trap
pers and traders, fur farmers,
and all persons interested in the
fur trade, be invited to appear
before you whenever and when
ever possible, and make state
ments concerning the protection
of wild life, as well as trapping
trading and fur farming,
protection of trapping, the fut
trade and fur farming, as is ne
cessary to advise you of needed
changes in or additional rules
for the protection of this im
portant and legitimate business,
and that this feature of the sub
ject be given such space in your
findings and report as will re
lieve these men from unjust and
unnecessary burdens, about
which many of them now com
plain.
There will De no aonut wuii
the Biological Survey and the
Alaska Game Commission will
oe heard to support their views
on all these matters, but the
men who produce an annual
Four Million Dollar trade from
Alaska furs, are the real people
who ought to be heard to speak,
end I respectfully urge that
chey be given special notice and
hearing.
Your sailing from Seattle, I
understand, will be about the
27tli of June, on one of the Bu
reau of Fisheries boats, and
wishing you a pleasant trip in
to the great Alaska fur land, I
am,
- Very Respectfully Yours,
James Wickersham,
.. Delegate to Congress from ..
Alaska.
Returns fo* W ashington to Give Aid to Railroad
From LABOR,Washington, D. C.
James Wickersham, chosen at
last years’ election as Delegatj
in Congress from Alaska, h'1
returned to Washington to re
turned to Washington to re
sume a fight he bagan more
than ‘20 years ago for the gov
ernment-owned (Alaska rail
road.
He declares that his “pet” has
not been treated fairly by Con
gress and by the Interior De
.4, partment, which is responsible
for its management, and he is
t;oing tp see what can be (tone
about it.
Failing to obtain action from
department heads, he plans to
carry his case to Congress. For
all his 73 years, the Alaskan De
legate is a picture of robust
health and seems perfectly
capable of putting up a good
show when he gets into action.
Father of Alaskan Road
Wickersham was a member of
r'ongress from 1909 to 1921, and
mere than 20 years ago began
agitating for the construction
of the railroad. He “sold” the
idea to Franklin K. Lane, Se
cretary of the Interior in the
Wilson administration and con
struction was begun before the
war.
Last summer a committee
composed of Senators Howell of
Nebraska, Kendrick of Wyoming
and Thomas of Idaho made an
inspection of the railroad and
brought back a report that it
was being extravagantly man
aged and recommended that its
rates be raised to meet operat
ing deficits.
The Interior Department fol
lowed this recomendation by