The Alaska daily empire., 1918-07-13
REDF|ELD SUGGESTS BOAT BUILDING PLANT
 FOR SQME ALASKA TOWN

StTNltC IOI tHC cltiIc AldShdl COaot. took pleasure in personally appear ing before the Senate Committee. and asking that this matter be eXpe- dited.
 have recently caused inquir- ies to be made in Ketchikan as to whether the wooden steam lighter for the Fisheries Service could be built as some Alaskan point and re- gret to find that there seems no yard adequate for the purpose. Let me suggest that good boat build ing yard would seem to have an eX- ccllent opportunity at some Alaskan port. There is, l take it, abund- ant material and the amount of labor would not be large. If such yard existed now, we could give it an opportunity to bid upon four small wooden vessels and this is, think, likely to recur from time to time. We shall ask Congress for four more launches in addition to the four now granted and of these two more could be built in Alaska
 Furthermore, there are so many fishing vessels of moderate size along the Alaskan shore that there must be steady demand for boat repairs and it would seem that a moderate sized yard could keep busy pretty steadily. On the other hand it would greatly facilitate the fish cries work in Alaska if the fisher men were able to get boat repairs and possibly minor repairs on yes sells made promptly. A small ship railway would be a valuable addi- ion. We would willingly encour- lFe such a yard by giving it such business aS we had.
 As you know, the steamboat In spection Service district in which Alaska is included, covers also the entire Pacific Coast of the conti- mental United States, and Hawaii S well, with headquarters at San Francisco. This is an impossible situation which we have long striv- en to change. Legislation is now pending at our request which will put California and Hawaii into one district and esta blish a new one with headquarters at Portland or Seat tie to include Alaska. The result will be a much closer supervision over matters within the review of this service through the ability to give more detailed care to the work of the local boards at St. Michael and Juneau.
 Passing to matters of future pol icy, we intend to actively continue the work of improving the physical condition of streams so that spawn
 ing salmon may find their way up- ward and young salmon may pass downward By dynamiting ob- structions a considerable number of streams now altogether or part " devoid of salmon runs may be made suitable for particular species and the production of salmon in cer- tain regions can be thereby mate rially increased.
 The Bureau of Fisheries is now in position to carry out for the frs time the special patrol of salmon streams, matter which has beer advocated from time to time by peo pie in Alaska. This year about 20 of the principal streams will be un der the constant supervision oi .watchmen to see that the fishery laws are enforced and to report or fishery conditions. Each of these patrols will have motor boat and the service will, if it proves sat isfactory this season, be extended and made permanent.
 The plans of the Bureau of Fsher. ies for salmon culture in Alaska i'm clude:
 (a) Additional hatcheries in the regions of the most exhaustin sDfish- cries
 (b) Acquisition of the present private hatcheries and the opera ton as Government plants of those that are able to render good serv- ice.
 Co Perfection of methods and extension of rearing facilities so that the salmon matched may be reared to a suitable age before release.
 The Fiseries Service is undertak- ing this year a special investiga- tion of the salmon resources of the Yukon and Copper Rivers, with particular reference to the conser- vation of the supply. There is also in progress scientific investigation