The Alaska daily empire., 1918-02-09
FUND STARTED TO BUILD HALL
 FOR NATIVES Herbert Murchison of the MetIakatla Visitors
 Delivers an
 Address. HE FAVORS RECREATION Asserts That the Whites Are a Thousand Years
 Ahead of the
 Natives.
HE FAvORS RECREATION

In response to several urgent de mands from the more progressive Native element in the city of Juneau Herbert Murchison, manager of the visiting MetIakatla basketball team addressed upwards of hundred peo- n the Native section. The affair vas a social and dance, given by he Alaska Native Daughters, for the purpose of raising funds with which o build a hall on Willoughby Ave tue. Basketball appears to have ta- 1en the Natives by storm, and con siderable interest is being manifest ,d on both sides of Gastineau Chan Tel. Douglas has a commodious hall owned by the Native Progressive Club and many are the elaborate en- ertainments given thefe.
 When the Juneau Natives recipro- ate the courtesies of the sister own, they must needs hire down. own hall for the purpose
 Recreation" said Mir. Murchison
 is one of the necessities of modern life. When it has tendency to strengthen muscle, develop good phys que and promote clean moral life ,mong our young men and women. t has the approval of the best peo- ,le. Progressive white people are thousand years ahead of us in :ulture and development, but that housand years has been one long struggle on their part to achieve and ,et ahead Their young men never tuit studying. They attend school onger and more regularly than our ,oys do, and they keep it up. Their ecreation is part of their educa- ion. They are not afraid to spend aoney for that purpose. White chil- lren who win out in popular con ests are the pride of their parents. Native parents are proud of their children who win, but they don't ealize the necessity of fitting their .hildren for modern success, as the white people do. This effort to have l large hall of your own is step n the right direction Let me urge ,ou to subscribe for the newspapers, ,uy books, and have your young 'olks read them at home. Every where l go in Southeastern Alaska, hear of the work our Native wo- nen are doing for their government n giving their service t6 Red Cross york; especially l have heard of the hitting being done in Juneau. That 8, good. Keep up the spirit and take interest in public life. Eliminate as much as possible all party feeling md small quarrels; we all. meet hem in daily life. Success lies in overcoming such things for the good of the whole community. Strength s in cooperation. It would not be .op much. in my judgment, of each leading man here assessed himself fifty or even eighty dollars toward material for the building of the hall. After it is built you will be able to 'pend your money where you get 'nC DChCiit' | uc Hdil IucdHS UCuCAit o your children also. When 1t is quilt and equipped. 1t will serve as 2 meeting place for athletic teams from Metlakatla Hydaburg. and oth. CT progressive Native towns. also for the big annual fair. This fair meets at Hydaburg in March. There will be many contests there, both men tai and physical Our young men and young women are working for it. Metlakatla hopes to carry off some of the prizes. I see before me in this room many young men who would be splendid material for athletic teams. and who would be ,enefitted by the practice of basket >all and other inside winter sports. Your hand is splendid 0rganixa.