Reciprocity
-X
Members of the Brotherhood
of Locomotove Engineers in
Washington and Oregon have
served notice that they will pa
tronize only those merchant;-,
jobbers and shippers who use
the freight-hauling facilities o;
the railroads. A resolution sign
ed by General Chairman Wil
liam Bibelhauser, C. G. Younger
T. E. Luster, and P. W. Rathbun.
declares that continued use of
transportation facilities other
than the railroads will mean lea.
jobs for railroad employees and
that they feel it is their duty to
patronize only those firmswhicli
give their shipping business to
the railroads and thus aid in
maintaining “the largest pay
roll in the two states.”
Railroad men and those di
rectly dependent upon them ar:
responsible for a staggering
amount of business in the two
states each year. The patroniz
ing of auto bus lines and motor
truck freights makes no jobs lot
railroad men. But there is one
element in this story which is of
particular interest to the pub
lic: It is just one instance where
the employers and the employ
ed have realized their interde
pendence and. that, each must
fight the other’s battle in order
to protect their own interest ;.
Such a spirit of co-operaion and
reciprocation would have obviat
ed every labor dispute in history
and the public, though not a
participant, is a sufferer in every
custuruance.
We talked with a couple r-t
salmon canners recently about
operating costs and salmon mar
kets, and we were told that tne
operator who made a profit tins
year would be indeed fortunate.
“I do not know what we can nay
our fishermen. We wish to pay
them full venue for tne*r p.uvaiej
but unfortunately circumstance >
will not permit p? to set a price
which at this time would cause
us to jeopardize our investment
We have had Mr. O’Malley clGoe
our trap locations to protect us
during the time we use only lo
cal fishermen. We would like to
set a minimum cost per tish ana
later when the pack is sold, dis
tribute to our men the differen
tial, if any, which the market
allows,” stated this operator.
We replied that the fisher folk
were a fair minded people whose
desire was to receive fair an.I
fal value for theii labor. At the
present rate of production, tne
average crew delivering 25,000
salmon at 5 cents could not ev
en hope for an existence but :f
the system, by abolishing the
traps, permitted a catch of 100,
000 salmon at 3 cents, the men
would be satisfied with the less
er price. And if they had as -
surance from the operators that
r. fair per cent of the case prove,
would be forth coming, the.y
would be willing to operate on
that basis.
That friendly assistance in the
political fields would mean a
measure of relief which the can
ners need. In comparison to the
tax to the federal government,
and the territorial tax whether
the operator makes a million cr
loses a million canning salmon
the minor pays 2 per cent on a
net profit over $500,000. During
the immediate future the Terri
tory will face an economic crisis
as it has never faced before. The
Treasury will be bankrupt by the
first of the year. The taxes in
the main come from the fisher
ies. Any failure in this industry
will add to the crisis and in 1935
it is the announced policy of the
Bureau of Fisheries to close the
Bristol Bay area, taking that
revenue from the Territory. The
solution is employment of rest
cent labor at a scale which will
insure greater buying power in
I - U-wvi; Lu-o ~ w sjy 1 w
pains met. homes built and all
development in stagnant pools
of depression be wiped out. Their
is no need for the depression to
occur in Alaska with the wealtri
of the fisheries, timber and min
erals at her doors. But when
they are locked up for future
generations, for the benefit ot
political demagogues, when tic*
and only selfish greed continues,
rules of reciprocity arc forgotten
then must the Territory stagger
along to meet a greater financial
crisis than it can bear.
In the end labor, the small
consumer must pay and pay and
pay. And the first immediate
burdens of government must be
met and how is the question now
worrying some of those who put
the inequitable burden upon the
canners in favor of the miners.
-x
Canadian Court Rules
Against Fishermen
(From Pacific Fisherman)
Holding summarily that the
“Convention of 1818’’ between
the United States and Great
Britain dees not apply to the
Pacific Coast, the Supreme
Court of Canada upheld h
every regard the decision of the
Victoria admiralty court and
confiscated to the Crown the
American trollers “May,” “Queen
City,” “Tillie M” and “Sunrise
The decision is a sweeping one
and as far-reaching as it i:
sweeping. Under it American
fishing vessels have no special
rights whatever in Canadian Pa
cific waters. Under it, the pri
viliges which they have enjoyed
without question for decades a«’e
swept away.. Under it, Ameri
can fishing vessels have th.
right to enter Canadian wateis
only under conditions of “irre
sistible distress” and “compell
ing necessity.” Under it, fric
tion and perhaps serious inter
national questions are alnjast
certain to arise.