The Alaska daily empire., 1918-06-10
ALASKA FISH TO BUILD UP TOWNS WITHIN CANADA J. L. McPherosn in State- ment Says That May
 Be the Out
 come. WHAT INDUSTRY MEANS Believes That the Industry Should Be Utilized to
 Assist American
 People.
INDUSTRY MEANS

The great fishing industry of tho along lines of economic waste that have resulted in the use of only the more valuable varieties of fish, in creased cost to the consumer and nc commensurate return to the pro ducer.
 1t has been shown that from one half to two-thirds of the time of tho fish ermen is wasted operating iron bases at Prince Rupert or at Pu- get Sound ports. while the fishing vessel is transporting the catch to its base of operations. With the present need of food it would ap pear imperative that we conserve the valuable time of the fisherman and his equipment in a more eco nomical handling of this industry This can only be secured by tho landing of the catch at the nearest port to the fishing banks, where i can be frozen or otherwise prepared and transported by freight carryinf SltdllltlS tO diiiOou tti iiiiA on' the Grand Trunk Pacific railroad through a shorter distance to th' principal markets of the East ol due to other economic conditions is enabled to secure greater par of the transportation of this in dustry the only regret of the Alas kans will be due to their patriot ism. The Alaskan does, however strongly protest against any condi tion, natural or otherwise, whic' may have the effect of centerinf the producing part of this industr, in Prince Rupert, as such a condi tion can only result in con tinuation of the present wastefu method of operation; the gradua loss of our principal fish industr' to the United States; and the los of an industry to Alaska that would if economically developed, resul in the building of many prosperous fishing communities along the coas' of Alaska.
 American Industry.
 This industry is now predominant ingly American, due to the fac that it has been developed witl Ports of Puget Sound. If the present methods of operation are continued, without restriction, the base will shortly be Prince Ru- pert, and the fleet and industry will become Canadian, just as surely as the Gloucester banker fleet became Newfoundlander; the United States will loose the only extensive fisher ies it posses, the great need of which is now known to our people, both as a valuable source of food sup ply and as a training ground for the seamen, which the nation will require for it's Navy and Merchant Marine.
 Nature has richly endowed Alas ka with these fishing banks adja cent to her shores and their ra tional development, from the stand point of the fishermen, the people of the United States and the ped ple of the great Territory of Alas ka, requires the centering of thf industry at the nearest ports or the coast to the fishing banks. Thif would result in more favorable con ditions and greater profit to the fishermen, reduced cost to the con- sinner and the building of pros porous fishing communities alonf the coast of Alaska, from Ketchikan to Kotzehue, distance of over B. 900 miles.
 Can Develop Trade.
 Alaska today, presents the unique spectacle of possessing probably the greatest fishing resources of any country. and relatively speaking, no fishing population. This condi- tion is resulting in the greatest eco homie waste and the Territory Of Alaska is not receiving, in any ap- preciable measure the benefit i' should from the development of its great natural resource. Such con dition cannot fail, as it has in the past, in arousing resentment from all true pioneers and well wishers of the great Territory of Alaska. It has been the earnest effort ot the Alaska Bureau. of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce and. Com mercial Club, to bring about a change that would result in the more economical and rational de- velopment of this industry and build up a fishing population in Alaska that would assure an allied industrial development, the value and extent of which would be far reaching. There is no condition, eli matic or otherwise. prohibitiye of such development. The winter eli mate along the south coast of Alas ka is more favorable to the building of communities that is the case along the New England coast. The average temperature for the month of January on the south coast Of