Norwich bulletin., 1910-03-17

Alaska, that embodies a legislative
 commission to be appointed by the
 president, comprising eleven members,
 two from each of the four judicial dis tricts, called councillors, the governor, attorney general, which at present IS an officer in perspective only. and the commissioner of the interior ana mines, to be presided over by the gov ernor, with power of veto, etc., and Governor Clark did not care to make any comment as the bill is pending in congress.
 Three Important Issues.
 He said that there were three mat ters of vital moment to Alaska and its development that he proposed to take up with congress at this time. the pres ent game laws, the imperative necessl- ty for more lighthouses and the enact ment of laws whereby the enormous industry Of the fisheries may be better and more properly handled to insure their best development.
 New Game Laws Needed.
 Governor Clark said that the game proposition was a big one and that he intended to urge. the department to make new regulations under the exist ing game laws so that they would be even more strict rather than more lib eral and advocates a change in the open seasons for different classes of game to insure better protection The game hunted in Alaska numbers moose, caribou, deer, brown and black bear, walrus, sea lions, grouse and ptarmi- gan Ca good deal like our partridge), which is brown in summer and pure white in winter, which makes it very hard to distinguish it in the snow drifts.
 Additional Lighthouses Required.
 One of the most important questions confronting Alaska today is the in sufficiency of lighthouses and aids to along the coast. The trans portatiOn facilities are fairly good, as there are a number of steamers plying back and forth along the coast, but they are afforded comparatively little protection and ofttimes have to lose considerable time waiting for daylight or a change of tide before advancing along the coast where it is winding. At the present time the in surance is something like 10 or 12 per cent, and consequently freight rates are very high With the establishment of more lighthouses delays in travel would not be factors to be contended with and the item of insurance would be lowered to or per cent, and as a result the freight tariffs would also be lowered a great deal, so that almost mm measureable benefit would accrue to the people of Alaska and work toward 3 more steady and uniform develop ment. Governor Clark said that he had taken trips this winter in the reve- nue cutter to personally ascertain the specific needs in this all important question.
 He said: You see. Southeast Alaska is an inland sea and the Wrangell Straits are very narrow and tortuous and it makes navigation most treach- srous because of lack of lighthouses. Many times steamer will lose a num- per of hours lying to waiting for a tide )r daylight before daring to proceed 1
 Tt is these steamers that bring in | he necessities of life, those that are lot raised in Alaska, and when the l ighthouse system has been perfected I md expanded so as to make naviga- | ion less perilous the cost of living in | Alaska will be very materially lessen | ,d-
 The Fishing Industry.
 ''The third proposition that I will | ,ring to the attention of the depart | nent personally is the conservation | md proper exploitation of the fisher | es," said the governor. 'It is an enor- 1 nous industry, the salmon product l llone amounts to $10,000, 900 annually I 1t the present time, and it is but in | ts infancy. so to speak. HaEbut, cod md herring are also very plentiful. It | s safe to say that the halibut that is Ierved at any of the best places in | Boston is the Alaska product and it | s fresh as 1t is delivered by express | here as well as New York and Chicago | " the New England Fisheries compa- | ly. l want the government to make a l minute coast survey, using the steam | 1T A1batross, which has done consid- | rable work Of this character, and per Orm the work as carefully and tnor-