ENCOURAGING LAWLESSNESS
The United States District Attorney’s otiice in so
many words charged the JUNEAU EMPIRE with en
couraging lawlessness.
The reply of Johnny Walker in the Empire is that
‘Any intimation that it’s (the Empire’s) policy is de
signed to give encouragement to “lawless” elements
is without foundation of fact.”
Even those who heretofore have accepted the Juneau
Empire as their “infallible rule of political faith” and
purveyor of honest news are beginning to see that a
corrupt and depraved editor cannot turn out honest
or decent news items or editorials.
One trouble with Juneau is its Empire.
A Vital Matter That Calls For rl lie Attention Oi* AH Those Who Look On Alaska As Something Mpre
Than A Summer Resort Oi' Rich Pickings For Tourtists Of Wealth.
DEC. 30TH, 1927
TO THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED^ CONSERVATION
OF FISH IN ALASKA.
We are submitting for your consideration a number of petitions signed by many of the residents ot
Southeastern Alaska, which have a bearing on the diminishing herring supply in Southeastern Alaska, and
we a3k that the wishes of the people be given earnest consideration.
The idea of the Petition is not to put the Herring Reduction Plants out of business, as seems to bo the
way their owners look at it, it is to protect the herring which are coming into only a 3mall area of South
eastern Alaska.
The bulk of our herring come into inside waters past Cape Onianey, a comparatively narrow passage about
ten miles wide, and from there into Chatham Straits, and a few other small areas inside the three mile limit.
As soon as the herring show up at Cape Omaney, they are speedily gone after by large numbers of pow
erful, well equipped seine boats, which in the land inclosed waters, quickly catch the largest part of the
school of herring and the remaining few are scattered.
Many times more herring are caught in the seines than the boats can take in their holds, and owing to
the rough handling these herring get in the seines, many of them are killed and crippled, are turnd adrift
as such, and are not even taken into the reduction plants. i
The idea may be advanced, that the People of Alaska are making this strong move against reduction
plants, just because these plants do not belong to Alaska, because they buy almost all of their supplies in
the States, because they bring 'most ot their boats ana and boat crews also their plant crews from the States,
because they live and vote in the States, but even if these plants were operated by real Alaskans, who made
their homes in Alaska, bought their supplies in Alaska, and employed Alaska labor, we would still have to
make this move against them, if they were operating on herring as are those at the present time.
HERRING FISHING IN SOUTHEASTERN ALASKA COMPARER TO HERRING FISHING IN NOWAY
Herring Fishing in Southeastern Alaska cannot be compared to herring fishing in Norway, for the rea
son that Norway has the whole North Sea and.many miles along the Atlantic Coast line and the Arctic
Ocean to draw from, while in Southeastern Alaska Lhe waters (lie herring come into, where they may be tak
en for bait and food purposes, are comparatively very small in proportion.
Some years ago v/haling was being followed along the Norway Coast on a large scale. The people ol
Norway tried to have the‘Whaling Stations closed, claiming, that with the whales killed off, the herring
would not be chased inshore, where the fishermen c,3uid more easily catch them, and not getting the
legislation passed against the Whaling Stations, the fishermen and their sympathizers destroyed the Whal
ing Stations by main force.
The whales off our Southeastern Coast are very few at present. Whaling operations cleaned them out
some few years ago, and with, no whales, the enemies of herring, to chase the herring into the smaller In
closed and shallow waters,' where the whales could not go, is another reason why the few herring which
do come inside the three mile limit, should be protected more than ever for bait fishing, which Is used
to catch food fish, and f<3f food itself. '
Experienced whalers will fdli : you‘, that where whales were plentiful, there were always large quantities
of smaller fish close Inshore, wher'e<:*ttffey were driven by the whales.
A Comparison Between the Reduction Plant Operations in the Vast Herring Fished Area in Norway, and the
Small Area in Southeastern Alaska’s Inside Waters, Sh»ows Indentical in Some Respects, Except As
To Volume. Norway Being by Far the Greater Area Pished.
From Central Norway Northward, reduction plants have been operating for some years, and owing to