The Alaska daily empire., 1917-06-28
MERCHANTS URGE QUICK ACTION
 ON FISH MATTER
Now Is Golden Hour and Delay Will Be
 Dangerous.
S15,OOO TO DREDGE BAR
Chairman Tripp Intimates That Channel Will
 Be Put Through.

mat lnere SnOulQ De no ueldy TOT | the accommodation of the fisheries Industry at Juneau was the emphatic | opinion expressed by several speakers at the luncheon today of the Mer- chants Protective Association. The l Association also decided to press the l City Council for action in the matter l of small debts court where bills may be collected at small expense I A report presented indicated the Gastineau Channel Bar will probably be dredged soon.
 There were more than 30 members present at the luncheon today which was served at the Gastineau Cafe President Charles Goldstein presid ed over the meeting
 A communication from the Alaska Electric Light and Power Company enclosing it's proposed new contract to furnish electricity at about half I of the present rates-that is at five cents a kilowatt hour for the first ! 100 kilowatts, four cents for all over that for lighting purposes, for three cents a kilowatt for power and two cents for heating and cooking read, and laid on the table. A committee consisting of E. C. Russell, William Britt and J. B. Marshall was appointed to take up I the matter of small debts court with the City Council.
 Will Investigate Shipping Matter ! mittee on boats for routes out of Jul neau and connecting with the var ious> fishing and mining camps of Southeastern Alaska said that the committee proposes to make a tour ! of the various camps and ascertain \ what support, bonuses and stock sub ! scriptions they can secure for boat owning company
 i w. k. Nowell said the Alaska Steamship Company is still consid er!ng the question of intra-Alaska navigation.
 George F. Forrest and William Britt urged immediate action on the fisheries matter. They complained that too much time is being wasted In the course of the discussion which ' followed it was disclosed that other locations as well as the Shattuch dock next to the City Wharf are be ing considered, though the impres sion prevailed that the Shattuck property or the Behrends-James prop erty adjoining it, or both, offered the best location for the fisheries industry in Juneau. Other sites men toned were the Worthen property the Femmer and Ritter Dock and the Pacific Coast Company's property at the foot of Main street.
 J. H. King, of the City Council said that there had been a good deal of complaint concerning the price asked for the Shattuck prop erty and other properties as well He said, however, that no matter what the city paid there would be some to say that it was too much He said that as far as he was con cerned he believed the city could very easily lose more than it would be saving by delaying matters while it was trying to drive a close bargain
 All agreed with Mr. Forests dec laration that now is the golden hour and that later one might be too late Dredging of Bar Would Cost $15,000
 Chairman H. T. Tripp said that the surveys of the Territorial Road Commission disclose that the cost of dredging the Gastineau bar would be about $15,000 and he spoke hopefully of getting the work done. However. he said, "every section of Southeast ern Alaska is asking for roads and there are nothing like funds enough to go around"
 It is proposed to make the channel six feet deeper.
 | The officers of the Merchants Pro- tective Association will be elected at the next meeting.
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