﻿40 
  ALASKA 
  FISHEEIES 
  AND 
  FUR 
  rNDUSTEIES, 
  1913. 
  

  

  does 
  undertake 
  to 
  exclude 
  aliens 
  from 
  participation 
  in 
  a 
  great 
  industry; 
  and 
  the 
  effect 
  

   is 
  not 
  far 
  different. 
  I 
  appeal 
  to 
  the 
  legislature 
  to 
  refrain 
  from 
  finally 
  passing 
  an 
  act 
  

   which, 
  in 
  all 
  probability, 
  would 
  be 
  rejected 
  on 
  the 
  broadest 
  grounds 
  of 
  national 
  and 
  

   international 
  interest 
  if 
  presented 
  in 
  the 
  Congress 
  itself. 
  

  

  No 
  effort 
  was 
  made 
  to 
  pass 
  the 
  alien 
  measure 
  over 
  Governor 
  Clark's 
  

   veto. 
  

  

  FISH-TRAP 
  CONTROVERSY. 
  

  

  Early 
  in 
  the 
  session 
  of 
  the 
  legislature, 
  and 
  notwithstandlno; 
  the 
  seem- 
  

   ingly 
  direct 
  prohibition 
  in 
  the 
  enabling 
  act, 
  Delegate 
  Wickersham, 
  

   who 
  represented 
  Alaska 
  in 
  Congress, 
  took 
  the 
  stand 
  that 
  the 
  Territory 
  

   had 
  authority 
  to 
  legislate 
  in 
  all 
  matters 
  pertaining 
  to 
  the 
  fisheries 
  

   of 
  Alaska. 
  As 
  a 
  result 
  of 
  this 
  opinion, 
  bills 
  were 
  introduced 
  in 
  both 
  

   branches 
  of 
  the 
  legislature 
  to 
  prohibit 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  fish 
  traps 
  in 
  Alaska 
  

   waters, 
  and 
  a 
  heated 
  discussion 
  was 
  precipitated, 
  which 
  soon 
  resolved 
  

   itself 
  into 
  a 
  controversy 
  between 
  trap 
  fisliermen 
  and 
  purse-seine 
  

   fishermen. 
  Various 
  hearings 
  were 
  held 
  by 
  the 
  joint 
  fisheries 
  com- 
  

   mittee 
  of 
  the 
  two 
  houses, 
  at 
  which 
  representatives 
  of 
  both 
  sides 
  

   were 
  heard 
  at 
  length. 
  

  

  Action 
  was 
  deferred 
  in 
  the 
  hope 
  that 
  an 
  opinion 
  could 
  be 
  obtained 
  

   from 
  the 
  Attorney 
  General 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  legislature's 
  

   authority 
  in 
  the 
  matter. 
  No 
  opinion 
  was 
  received, 
  but 
  the 
  general 
  

   view 
  entertained 
  by 
  legal 
  authorities 
  is 
  that 
  the 
  Legislature 
  of 
  Alaska 
  

   had 
  no 
  jurisdiction. 
  Near 
  the 
  close 
  of 
  the 
  session 
  the 
  antitrap 
  bill 
  

   was 
  called 
  up 
  in 
  the 
  senate 
  and 
  met 
  with 
  defeat. 
  

  

  Faihng 
  to 
  effect 
  the 
  passage 
  of 
  the 
  antitrap 
  bill, 
  the 
  legislature 
  

   then 
  memorialized 
  Congress 
  as 
  to 
  what 
  it 
  considered 
  best 
  for 
  the 
  

   Territory 
  in 
  the 
  way 
  of 
  fisheries 
  legislation. 
  Following 
  is 
  an 
  outhne 
  

   of 
  the 
  memorials: 
  

  

  For 
  Government 
  ownership 
  of 
  hatcheries. 
  

  

  For 
  patrol 
  to 
  prevent 
  encroachment 
  of 
  alien 
  halibut 
  fishermen. 
  

  

  That 
  herring 
  and 
  other 
  food 
  fishes 
  be 
  not 
  used 
  for 
  oil 
  and 
  fertilizer 
  'after 
  1917. 
  

  

  To 
  rescind 
  the 
  order 
  creating 
  the 
  Aleutian 
  Islands 
  Reservation. 
  

  

  That 
  returns 
  from 
  seal 
  fisheries 
  and 
  sale 
  of 
  public 
  lands 
  be 
  applied 
  to 
  road 
  fund. 
  

  

  To 
  abolish 
  jiggers 
  on 
  fish 
  traps; 
  limit 
  lead 
  on 
  traps 
  to 
  600 
  feet; 
  Kmit 
  traps 
  to 
  a 
  distance 
  

   of 
  1 
  mile 
  from 
  streams; 
  remove 
  traps 
  from 
  channels 
  less 
  than 
  1 
  mile 
  in 
  width; 
  the 
  

   Bureau 
  of 
  Fisheries 
  to 
  establish 
  markers 
  at 
  stream 
  mouths, 
  places 
  to 
  be 
  designated 
  

   by 
  practical 
  fishermen; 
  the 
  Government 
  to 
  operate 
  all 
  hatcheries; 
  that 
  the 
  inspection 
  

   system 
  affecting 
  fishing 
  operations 
  be 
  expanded; 
  condemnation 
  of 
  general 
  features 
  

   of 
  the 
  Jones 
  bill, 
  particularly 
  with 
  reference 
  to 
  creation 
  of 
  Alaska 
  fund; 
  objection 
  to 
  

   any 
  law 
  granting 
  title 
  to 
  tide 
  lands 
  or 
  waters, 
  or 
  making 
  special 
  reservations 
  for 
  fishing 
  

   any 
  certain 
  kind 
  of 
  gear; 
  prohibition 
  as 
  to 
  taking 
  salmon 
  by 
  spear 
  or 
  gaff 
  for 
  commercial 
  

   use; 
  establishment 
  of 
  close 
  season 
  for 
  southeast 
  Alaska 
  on 
  ed 
  and 
  humpback 
  salmon 
  

   September 
  1 
  to 
  December 
  1. 
  

  

  Much 
  opposition 
  developed 
  to 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  proposed 
  fishing 
  

   limitations, 
  the 
  contention 
  being 
  that 
  it 
  was 
  drawn 
  especially 
  to 
  

   favor 
  the 
  interests 
  of 
  the 
  purse-seine 
  fishermen, 
  and 
  that 
  it 
  was 
  unfair 
  

   to 
  the 
  owners 
  of 
  fish 
  traps. 
  Practically 
  all 
  of 
  the 
  discussion 
  and 
  

  

  