The Alaska daily empire., 1917-09-29
REINDEER MEAT
 TO AID MARKET
 SAYS TAC0MAN
Alaska Herds Pointing to That End; Are Easily Raised and Most
 Valuable.

 Alaska reindeer meat will become 8 more productive source of our na- tional meat supply to make up for the reduction in domestic livestock. This is the opinion of c. o. Suthor land, who has just returned to Ia coma after spending two years Tn that Territory, where he was en- gagged in contracting and mining near Anchorage Mr. Sutherland plans to return to Alaska in Novem- Der.
 Cattle as source of food are disappearing from the face of the American continent" says MT. Suth- crland. "The supply now does not equal the demand. The tremendous increase in population during the last 25 years has forced the cattle ranges of the west under cultiva- tion for production of the cereals. The great cattle ranges of 20 years ago are becoming only memory. With the sheep and cattle supply rapidly decreasing from year to year the American people are fac ing vegetarianism unless new source of meat supply can be found and developed in the near future.
 Reindeer to the Rescue
 Reindeer and the great moss GOV cred plains of Alaska are the only hope of supplying this long felt want, and it would seem that the neces- sity of the human race is to bring to light another unsuspected source of wealth in Alaska. The reindeer is valuable not only for food but as a beast of burden and his skin is valuable for a great many pur- poses. He lives on gass in the sum- mer and moss in the winter and the only shelter he needs is his own thick coat of hair. He requires no artificial shelter in the winter time and no prepared food. He is easily handled and herded, and two experienced men can handle from 1,500 to 1000 deer. The experience of the United States government has proved beyond all question of a doubt that he is the coming meat food of not only the people of Alas ka but of the United States as well. Beginning in the year of 1892 and ending in the year 1902 the govern ment imported into Alaska 1,2S0 deer Growing from this small num- Der the herds of Alaska have in creased until at the present time there are over 100000 deer in Alas ka.
 Tt is estimated that 60000 deer have been slaughtered for food for the natives, for clothing and for oth- CT purposes. Thus it will be seen that the original number of 1,280 deer has increased until today if none had been slaughtered there would be nearly 100000 reindeer in Alaska. Reindeer meat is consider cd by many to be superior in taste and flavor to the mountain sheep, which is considered the finest meat of all game animals in Alaska.
 Reindeer as Private Investment
 Reindeer as an investment is not a get-rich-quick scheme, but it as safe as any investment can possibly be. and still it will yield a large profit on the money invested.
 'At the close of the fiscal year 1915 the government had invested S307 900 in Alaska reindeer and the returns from the investment, calcu- lated up to the same time, show a total value and income of $2,243.000, showing a gain on the investment of 621 per cent. Now when you consider the enormous expense of the government in importing the deer from Lapland to Alaska and compare it to the present time when deer can be bought for from $20 to s36 per head it can readily be seen that the returns of the investment are large. Reindeer are ready for the market at the age of two and a half years and will dress from 13o to 1S0 pounds. The meat is selling in Alaska for from 25 to 40 cents per pound. according to local ity. In addition to this the hides would always find a ready market and with the establishment of a packing plant in Alaska all parts of the deer could be used for commer- cial purposes.
 "The great need for a new sup ply of meat food and the opportun- ties offered in Alaska induced few