The daily progressive-miner., 1915-10-22
HAS FINEST
 HALIBUT INDUSTRY
THE SITUATION IS
 CLEARLY DEFINED Editor Of Leslie's Weekly Hits Nail
 On The Head
(From Leslie's weekly)


 dustry in the country. It wants
 to keep it It is in danger of losing it unless the government fights to
 retain it as Loyalty and vigorously
 as Canada is now fighting to take
 it away. I found the halibut fish ing question a live one, especially
 at Ketchikan, center of the in-
 dustry. The Grand Trunk Paci-
 fic has been completed to the north
 west corner. of Canada, terminating
 at Prince Rupert, few miles from
 the international boundary between British Columbia and Alaska. Alas
 ka has no direct rail connection
 with eastern markets. These con-
 ditions with the present American
 shipping regulations are throwing
 an enormous volume of trade--the
 catching, icing and shipping of fish caught on the Alaskan Banks for the market of the United States
 into the Canadian channel, thus building up and supporting Cana dian towns with American resources and capital.
 Alaska asks for legislation that will require vessels engaged in fish ing for the American market t5 discharge the fish at an Aineri an port, so that if Canada wants our fish the Canad in railroad can es tablish ferry service from Prime Rupert across to the nearest Alas kan porr, vncl is Ketetlkan, a dis tance of 90 miles. This can be tra- versed in a few hours. Seattle is interested in procuring this trade. The completion of the Grand Turk Pacific Railroad to Prince Rupert brings it 500 miIe es nearec the fish ing banks .han Seattle. Prince Ru- pert, with ras connections with the eastern maril4ts % the United Sta tes, has an adva1r;.:,,e over Seattle because it reau'ras two or three days for the steamer trip from Ket- chikan to Seattle long journey for fresh fish by water when re- frigerating requirements are not provided as in trarsporaion by rail.
 Heretofore, millions have been disbursd in ousf [ n., boats, wages and percentages paId to crews of fishermen, but Prince Rupert is taking this business. The fish from the Alaskel banks for the American markets are shipped to the Canadian side. There the of ficers, crews lni fishermen are paid off and the vessel is outfitted for her next voyl:, back to Amer jean waters, the Canadian port be- ing the only ons touched at. The money to pay these bills comes from New York, Boston and Chicago and the fish come either from inland waters of Alaska or the high seas. Thus we are pouring money into Canada and losing not only our trade but our fishermen, as many of them are now moving to the Canadian side.
 Alaska asks the pertinent ques- tion: "How long would Canada per init Montreal corporation, operat- ing British vessels, engaged in the taking of fish from the waters of British Columbia, to operate these vessels out of Seattle, making the port their Pacific headquarters, buy ing their supplies and hiring and dis charging their fishermen at the | American port, and then to ice and box the fish at Seattle for shipment | to Montreal over an American rail- | road? Secretary Redfield at Wash inton is taking up the question. It | will give him splendid opportunity | for constructive, helpful work. Nor should he overlook the vital fact |