Douglas Island news., 1918-01-25
CONCERNING
 ALASKA FISH
The "Duthie Booster" New Seattle Publication, Calls Alaska
 Land of Food"

The following is from tho "Duthic Booster" a new publication issued Iby thc great Scotch shipbuilding plant of the J. F. Duthic Company at Seattle in the interest Of its em- ployes:
 Alaska Stewards Polar Bear Car den! IT those sconcrs of Secretary Stewards day could, Rip Van Wrinkle like, return Co earth today how am aged they would be, and perhaps think themselves still dreaming, if confronted with Che figures of Alas ka's food production alone. We doubt that even Secretary Seward, far-sec- ing man that he was. could have imagined Alaska shipping fish to supply countries across tho Atlantic and vegetables in successful com petition with those Of Puget Sound, Co say nothing of killing Santa Claus reindeer for meat
 Take the one item of fish alone. Multiply the price paid to Russia by a little over thirty-nine, and you then have the total production Of fish and by-products since Che year 1867. to and inclduing the season just closed, or total of about S2S2,- .19S7O2. Nature, always willing to do her share. has seemed to respond Co the world need at this time for food. for the unprecedented pack of salmon in southeastern Alaska waters this past season will probably bring the total of fish products for 1917 to between forty million and fifty million dollars, exceeding in value Che combined output of Brit ish Columbia, Washington, oregon and California. No other country in the world contains fish feeding grounds equal in extent to those Of our northern territory
 In 1916 the total investment in the Alaska fisheries amounted to S39.5Gg,G12, approximately SS per cent of which was i'm the salmon in- dustry. This past season about 30 new salmon canncrics have been add ed. making a total of about l3O. One cannery in the ley and Chatham straits districts packed more than 1GO,OOO cases, and a singlo-line plant put up G3,OOO cases, which, for the size of the plant. is a worlds record. Owners of gas boats earned from S2.OOO Co $5,OOO for their two and % half months work Fishermen not owning boats cleared from $iOO to S1,5OO per man during the same period.
 The natives have rcaped a "Klon- dikc." as evidenced by high, white topped shows and silk and satin party gowns. The present fad Of Che Kotchikan natives Ondians not EskimosD is taxi riding at $500 per hour. To bid good-by to a friend departing on one of the boats, an on- tire family of natives rode down to the dock. alighted and seriously shook hands with him, wished him a bon voyage. re-cntcrcd the auto, and the head of the family airily waved Co the chauffeur, "IIomo, James" With this prosperity have also come a liberal patronage of thc bootblack and demand for silk hose and expensive facc-powdor for Mnady Thlinket.
 Alaska's halibut ranks next in importance to that of salmon, and, unlike Che latter, the fishing is pros ccutcd throughout the year, supply ing both Puget Sound and the east crn markets the entire year with fresh fish. The banks extend over tho southeastern and southern coast of Alaska as far west as Kodiak isl- and. Notwithstanding tho lessen ed catch fin 1916,-11,495,557 pounds. or approximately 3,922,232 pounds loss than i'm 1915, the total value of this industry in 1916 ex- ceedcd that of the previous year by $1O1,54S. It is estimated that AL askan waters furnish about SO per cent of the halibut of the entire Pa