“DOLLAR FISH"
“Abolish the traps and then
it will be ‘one fish, one dollar*.’’
So states the Juneau Empire
is the plan of those who are
fighting the fish traps, and an
end to which the Empire is
opposed.
Of course, the statement is
one which originated with
“Johny Walker” Troy. But
suppose that were the ambition
of those fighting the fish traps,
would that be bad in itself?
Would not every fishermen be
glad to get “One dollar, one
fish?”
The Statement Is Untrue
The statement is untrue, and
if it were true, we would have
to say that such an ambition
is foolish. The position of
those opposed to fish traps is
simply this; with the intro
duction of fish traps, the sal
mon began to disappear from
the salmon streams of Alaska.
To save the industry itself,
the fishtrap must be abolished.
There is no deception about
“One fish, one dollar.” The
fishermen of Alaska are simply
fighting for their existence.
What Would the Effect Be
What would the effect be if
traps were abolished thru taxa
tion by the next legislation?
First, it would mean an ad
ditional escapement of ten
million salmon. This would
take away th only excuse the
Bureau of Fisheries has for
the abominable and insane sys
tem of closing the fishing sea
son just when the resident fish
ermen are beginning to make
their winter’s stake.
Secondly, it would mean an
immediate increase in our fish
ing population. The increase
would be about 300 per cent.
This could be made permanent
in kind by simply taxing the
foreign fishermen so heavily
that they would either stay
away and give our own res
ident fishermen a chance, or
else they would make their
homes here in Alaska, carry
ing their share of our burdens
in developing a new country.
Plan Is Practical
Such a plan is practical and
has for a precedent the laws
of Oregon, Washington and
California, states in which we
are not allowed to fish until
we have first lived there for
TWELVE months. Alaska can
not be condemned by the cap
ital of those states for doing
exactly what those states them
selves have done.
Effect on Certain Towns
The abolishment of fish traps
would increase the earning of
the people who trade in and
out of Juneau by at least $500,
000. Would the Juneau mer
chants who so strongly oppose
Paul and Sutherland object to
that?
Effect On Ketchikan
The increase of earnings in
the Ketchikan district would
be at least $1,500,000. The pop
ulation would increase to about
15,000 people. Some people
estimate the increase as more.
These figures are conservative.
Canada WITHOUT TRAPS
has over 7,000 resident fisher
men altho packing only 1,500,
000 cases of salmon. Alaska,
packing over 5,000,000 cases
has only 6,000 resident fisher
men. If we used the Canadian
system, we should have at least
15,000 more resident fishermen
in Alaska. If each fishermen
had an average family, this
would mean at least 45,000
people. And Ketchikan and
other towns would get their
share.
/is 1 o Price
There would be an increase
in the price of fish, perhaps
not to a dollar however. Is
this to be opposed? Why
should our fishermen in Alaska
not get an increased price?
Pinks now sell in Alaska for
8^' and cannerymen declare that
they “cannot afford to pay
more.” But some of these same
companies are paying 30^ for
pinks on Puget Sound.
We remember the time when
we sold pinks for each, and
when we asked for 1(\ the same
canneries told us that they
“could not afford to” for they
were “just barely breaking
even.” The wholesale price of
pinks was then 90^ a doz. To
day they pay for pinks with
the wholesale price at $1.35.
On the Puget Sound, they pay
30^ for pinks and wholesale
at $1.35. Why should our
fishermen not get an increase
in the price?
DOES THE POLICY OF THE
SEWARD GATEWAY SHOW
A SHIFT FROM SUTHER
LAND TO MARQUAM?
This is the conclusion of the
Ketchikan Chronicle on August
10th. The editorial follows;
Seward Gateway for Marquam
Recent issues of the Seward
Gateway show that that news
paper is out and out in favor
of the candidacy of Thomas A.
Marquam, for delegate to con
gress. It shows a shift in the
wind inasmuch as the Gateway
has in each campaign support
ed Dan Sutherland. Like so
many other citizens of Alaska,
the Gateway courageously says
it has come to believe that
Sutherland has outlived his
usefulness in Washington.
There is no doubt that Suth
erland and his cohorts will now
declare that “the canneries
have bought the Gateway.”
As long as that newspaper re
mained a Sutherland booster
it was a patriotic sheet. Now
that it has changed its view it
will be villified. But it mat
ters not, the Gateway will be
serving its district long after
Sutherland is forgotten.
THE TRUTH
The truth is known to the
Chronicle; towit, that the
editor who for so long support
ed Sutherland sold out to a
couple of young fellows. The
young men are establishing a
policy of their own. There
might have been some signi
ficance in the change if it had
been under the old manage
ment. Otherwise there is none.
*
Blacksmithing Plumbing
CHRIS GRONSETH
Sheet Metal Work
Petersburg, - - Alaska