TRAP SHOTS
The Empire says the abolishment
of the trap system would destroy the
whole canning industry. It is our
belief and will be borne out by dem
onstration that limited production
would save seed fish and do away
with the peon system of contract
labor and give employment to many
residents who now must sit by wait
ing for the heavy run of salmon.
*****
The Alaska Consolidated at Yes
Bay had all contract labor from the
Sound. A limited pack at these can
neries would make it unprofitable to
import labor thereby giving resi
dents a chance to take care of all
the work in those canneries.
*****
The Fidalgo Island Packing Com
pany of Ketchikan had only about
40 contract laborers at their plant.
They saw to it that residents had
a chance to earn their winter’s sup
plies this summer. This company
paid out over ten thousand dollars
to resident cannery hands. A com
pany like this is wrorth two like the
Alaska Consolidated mentioned above.
This same company operating their
herring plant at Cook’s Inlet paid
out about $17,000 to cannery hands.
Not one contract laborer from the
Sound was employed at this plant.
The earnings of the fishermen at
this point was in proportion to their
labor.
*****
Do you remember when the canner
ies were losing money canning dog
salmon at a cent and a half per
salmon, as they claimed? With the
market price but a little higher the
canneries pack this same fish at
twenty cents per fish. The trouble
with the canneryman is that unless
they make a profit of 100 per cent
they think they are losing money.
* * * # *
The fishermen of Ketchikan got
more for their dog salmon than the
Union Fishermen of Puget Sound got
for sockeye salmon this summer.
* :js * *
The Empire condemns the unprin
cipled leaders who try to vote the
Indians en masse. Who was that of
the gurry crowd that traveled around
with Jake Williams at Juneau last
spring at the primaries trying to get
the natives to vote the “oily ticket?”
The Indians of Juneau were not
sheep-minded, therefore they failed
to follow the Juneau Sheperd.
* * * * *
If it is wrong for Paul to be elect
ed to the Legislature; if it is wrong
for anyone of Indian descent to make
laws for the country then it is
wrong for Coolidge to be re-elected
President; it would be wrong for
Carter of Oklahoma to be re-elected
to the House of Representatives; it
would be wrong for Senator Curtis
to be re-elected to his office. We
could go down the line according to
the Empire and name a score of
others holding office who should get
out just because they were “unfor
tunate” enough to have an Indian
grandmother.
* * * * *
Do you remember when the contest
between Sulzer and Wickersham was
on for the office of Delegate to
Congress? Did Jawn Troy condemn
the voting of the “illiterates” who
cast their ballot for Sulzer. We
did not hear of it.
* * * * *
Yellow Robe of Montana is run
ning for the office of United States
Senator. He will have the backing
of 12,000 Indians under the law
passed by Congress this year which
gave the rights of citizenship to
every Indian within the territorial
limits of the United States. Truly
this country is going to the dogs
when it gets to the stage when a
mere Indian can run for office and
have a chance for election.
;k ;k A sk
Mr. Henderson in one of his school
reports says that it would take sev
eral generations before the Indians
of the Territory would be fit to en
ter the public school system. Doctor
Eastman, M. D., of Boston is not far
removed from his “illiterate fore
fathers” but he certainly has many
calls from patients on the Boston
“reservation.” Rev. Henry Roe Clou.l
did not get away enough generations
to have his name changed yet he
seemed to have acquired sufficient
education at Yale to preach the word
of God to audiences that are not
altogether of the red race. Rev.
Coolidge of the Episcopalian Church
in Minnesota did get far enough away
to lose the aboriginal name but he
is an honored bishop and one listen
ed to with respect by many on and
off reservations. Father Phillips evi
dently got into the wrong pew when
he thought the Catholic Church was
a reservation for he is an Indian
priest not several generations away
from aboriginal environment. Char
ley Bender who was one of Connie
Mack’s stand-bys on the famous
Athletics in its championship days;
is certainly a refutation of Hender
son’s statement. General Parker,
who was a colonel and an aide to
General Grant was not several gen
erations removed from his parental
environment but he was recognized
as being a very capable officer.
The trouble with Henderson is
that he does not know enough about
the subject to talk with first knowl
edge. The Indian is no different
from any other race. First he is a
man; next he has the same failings
that any other race might have. He
has the same reactions and emotions
—the same likes and dislikes. Treat
him with respect and he will respect
you; treat him with kindness and he
will return the kindness; give him
the educational opportunity and he
will use it and abuse it just as do
the thousands of white children now
in school. Give him the environment
and if it is the proper kind he will
advance and be a credit to himself,
his people and his country. Keep
opportunity from him and he will
mark time and retrograde as do
any other people when they do not
have proper competitive educational
opportunity.
* # ❖ ❖ *
Unless the next territorial legis
lature passes a literacy test, says
the Empire, there will be a Paul in
every division. This would be a
calamity for the brand of politics
that has been handed out by the gang {
of political tricksters who have been
prostituting the affairs of the Terri
tory.
When in Wrangell go to the
Wrangell Restaurant.
HOGUE & TVETEN^
General Merchandise
—Operating—
CITIZENS WHARF
Petersburg* - Alaska
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GEORGE COWAN
Watchmaker and Jeweler
Mail Orders Solicited
Wrangell, Alaska_
Wrangell Steam
Laundry
M. 0. JOHNSON, Prop.
First Class Work
_Telephone 28__
--
Wrangell Bakery
Next to
Skating Rink
Wrangell, Alaska
THE BOSTON CAFE
H. SAITO, Prop.
Tasty Noodles and Chop Suey
WRANGELL
THE DRIFT INN
L. A. OLSEN, Proprietor
Pool Hall-Cigars and Tobaccos
Furnished Rooms
Wrangell - Alaska
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