The Alaska citizen., 1915-02-01
F0X FARMING IN ALASKA IS
 EXPLAINED
COMMISSIONER JONES TELLS OF LAST YEARS iNVES-
 TIGATIOk

ing in Alaska and and explanation of the way foxes are being illegally shipped out of the Territory are features of the report of the investi- cations made In Alaska by F. Lester Jones, who was sent here last year to look into the fisheries and other matters on behalf of the department of commerce.
 Advance sheets from MT. Jones' report were received by The Citizen on the mall arriving from the Out side Saturday night. Accompanying the advance sheets of the report was a personal letter to this news paper from MT. Jones. who said he would later send the report in complete form.
 The main part of the report deals with the fisheries, which are of but minor interest to the people of the Interior. There are, however, vari- peal to everyone in Alaska, and one of these concerns fox farming
 Following are paragraphs taken from the report concerning the handling of foxes in Alaska
 "A new industry in Alaska the raising of fur-bearing animals In cor rals or on island ranches, has creat-
 d more than ordinary interest, Owing to the fact that few of the
 nen who have engaged in this business have sufficient knowledge 1f the conditions necessary to raise ioHes in captivity successfully, there nave been many failures and few successes. Because live black or ,ilvergray foxes have brought ex- orbitant prices, men have been mis- led into thinking that all they had to do was to purchase few foxes md soon begin to reap the benefits y receiving large sums for their sale.
 The prices obtained by many who are carrying on tie business in tanada and elsewhere on the con- tinent do not indicate a healthy In fact, the prices that are asked and actually received in many cases do not represent the real commercial value of these ami malls as fox-farm business propo 5ition. It is a good deal like a man
 " ii' iiel@7 <I pi iLV " lllllIIIS uoS SOlllt wealthy person comes along and pays him $5000 for 1t because it has won some special prize at celebrated show. Other people i'm think that dog raising is a profitable business, if they bring such enormous prices, and want to jump into it without further knowl- edge. With foxes as with other things, an unnatural condition like this only brings disaster and can not possibly work any good
 ITO undertake the business of fox in Alaska man must, in the first place, be industrious and willing to endure hardship. In the second place, he must study to some extent the habits of foxes and the kind of country or soil necessary tor their welfare. And third. he must have sufficient capital to buy his first installment of breeding stock, with ample capital in reserve for ordinary losses. and to provide against the fact that it will be neces- sary to operate the farm for prob ably four years without any returns. When he has done these things, the reasons seem remote why he should not succeed. Unfortunately. to date there are very few who have taken hold in the proper manner, yet their misfortune and reverses have en abled others to profit by their eX perience, and l look for better and more settled conditions relative to the propagation of fur-bearng anil mals in Alaska. Those who are now beginning realize that 1t Is business 70 be worked out practically aln scientifically. and that haphazard methods will not suffice. ..
 ILLEGAL FOX FARMING
 Unfortunately some men are get ting licenses with the intention and sole purpose of deceiving the govern ment and defeating the spirit of the law. It must be understood that the regulations of the department allow only ranch-bred foxes In gen eral to be shipped out of the Territory of Alaska, on permits Issued by the made by the shipper. No wild foxes. or foxes that have not been born on licensed fox farms, may be ship ped out of the Territory. Now, the prevailing manner in which these interruptions, so-called fox farmers do their unlawful work Is this: They ouy from the natives throughout the region in which they operate live foxes of all kinds and sizes that they have trapped during the year. and perhaps they also engage In trapping themselves. Possibly they have al- ready applied to the government for a license to conduct fox farm. and when they think they have enough foxes for a small shipment to Canada or the United States they make application to Washington, re- ceive their permits, make affidavit that they have ranch-bred foxes, and send them out of Alaska, when, as a matter of fact. they should not have been caught, much less shipped