Evening star., 1917-04-01

ginning Of the European
New Fish war by the bureau Of fish,
| ~. cries is to introduce to the
ooue' American people new kinds
Of fish. which up to the present time
have been considered non-edible. In
this connection 1t can be said that the
bureau has been successful to a large
degree, mainly because Of the high cost
of living and the fact that the fish be-
ing introduced have up to this time
been considered by the fishermen as
waste.
Experts Of this branch Of Uncle
Sans service say that to gain entrance
to the best society a new fish. like
new neighbor. must be vouched Tor
and properly introduced. Cod. mack
erel. salmon and a few other members
of old and respected fish families OF
Europe, which came to the shores OF
| America, even before the Pilgrim Fa-
theirs, were at once recognized and ac-
cepted by the Mayfower immigrants
| and their successors. and there was es-
| ltablished from among them a verltaole
Goldfish aristocracy' Of the markets:
Recently the democracy of high prices
| has upset the old exclusiveness, and
has given to previously unknown or
| obscure fishes an opportunity to be
pushed to the fore and to demonstrate
|
least, equal to that accorded to those
| of longer standing in the community.
Mainly through the efforts OF the bu-
reau Of fisheries the tilefish has estab-
grayflsh Is now living down the repu-
tation which 1t acquired as pirate and
is acquiring respectability.
| The bureau is now presenting the
sablef1sh. which, the experts say. for
no reason of it's own making, has lived
| heretofore under the alias of "black
cod" The officials of the bureau say.
strangely enough. that it is not cod
at all. and is not related to the mem
| bers OF that family.
| When this fish was first found on the
Alaskan coast in 1911 the only name
| which 1t bore was the barbarous ono
used by the Indians. and the early
white settlers and explorers. with the
communities, gave it nickname based
on superficial appearances. So long as
| the fish was practically unutilized the
misnomer was of little moment. but
now that 1t is entering commerce it
becomes deceptive. and not only runs
the risk of being banned under the
pure food laws, but is actually mislead-
ing to the consumer. who may buy 1t
under the impression that in It's edible
| qualities 1t resembles the cod.
Until now its excellence. say the ex-
| perts OF the bureau. has been known to
but a few persons on the Pacific coast,
but the time has come. they believe.
when. both on account Of its edible
qualities and low price. it should be
| known to all. 1t is found in the deep
water off the coast from San Francisco
| to Alaska. and is particularly abun-
dant from Oregon northward. 1t has
| been caught. it Is said, more or less
freely by the halibut fishermen for
many years. but has been regarded as
| a nuisance rather than at it's true
worth because. with the characteristic
| American heedlessness of the value of
| natural resources, 1t has been neglect
ed by the consumer, and there has
| been no market for it. 1t is estimated
| by the bureau that millions of pounds
! nave been returned to the sea annually
while the people who should have been
| using 1t have been clamoring for in
vestigations into the reasons for the
| hlgh cost of living. Here is one rea-
son. the bureau points out. which re-
! quires no legislation for it's correction.
| me bureau means to push" the use of
| this hsh In the United States as much
as possible.
There is probably no region in which
the actual cost of the necessities of life
| varies SO greatly as 1t
Cost of Living does in Alaska, ac-
:, A1,,h cording to experts of
lAe department OF
| Agriculture. who have recently made
study Of that country in order to as
| certain agricultural and other infor-
| nation of interest to the prospective
settlers in that section of the United
States.
1t is well known that wages in that
hand. there are said to be places in the
remote interior to which it costs a dol
lar a pound to transport provisions
from tidewater; consequently the con-
sumer must pay this freight rate in
addition to the actual value. 1t is said.
however. that at other places in the
coast towns. particularly those nearest
, Puget Sound cities. provisions can be
, obtained at comparatively small ad-
vance on the prices in Seattle.
| There are as yet but few laborers
employed in agriculture in Alaska. it
| money to hire labor. and. therefore,
have to depend on their own efforts for
| the clearing of their land and the erec-
tion of their buildings. Up to the pres
| ent year it is said that the wages for
common labor in Alaska have been
$3.50 day for eight hours work AS
development progresses there will, of
course. be more and more demand for
| men to do the work. officials who made
the study say, therefore, that any
young, able-bodied man who is willing
| to work at anything he can find to do
| can ma WOTR somewhere IN AlaSka, so
! that he not only can make a living. but
! if he is of a saving disposition he can
| lay something aside.
Alaska is not a wheat country. The
experts found, however. that certain
varieties of spring wheat have been
grown and can be matured in favorable
seasons in all Of the interior valleys,
| but wheat does not do it's best in these
| far northern 1atitudes. The agricul-
| tural experiment stations are now en-
gagged in developing varieties Of spring
wheat which will mature IN a shorter
F! period of time than those now grown
| in the states or in Canada.
| During the past year. according to
naval offici-ls. complete plans covering
the mobilization of
| Nayo] Militia the Naval Militia in
Mobilization. forth forth by the % presi-
| dent, in accordance with the provisions
of the Naval Militia act, haYe been pre-
pared These instruct the officers and
enlisted men to proceed to the federal
rendezvous which are designated by
] the Navy Department and there COM
pIete their professional examinations,
| and take the physical examination
prior to being mustered into the service
| of the United States.
After muster enlisted men are de-
| tailed to duty by the commanding