The daily Alaska citizen., 1919-09-03

more years under the present arrangement will inevitably result in the total destruction 0 the fishing industry on the Yukon river an, it's tributaries
 Ii the matter is put up to the dcparuncu ol commerce in the proper light. 1t k not yc too late to have the situation rcmciicd. Thr falls under the province ol the local Commcr claI club. By getting in touch with the fisher men all along the Iauaua river aud those or rhc \ lukon from Eagle to it~ month. figures or the catch of the present season can bc >ccurcD and by comparing these with the catches ot the last three or four Scasous, the dcpartmcu can be definitely shown how the operation of the canncry outfit affects thousands of miIc> of territory and the welfare of many people,
 Coast people are also beginning to pro- test against the unlicensed methods being uScC in coast waters by packers. Greed, lack ol foresight and Wanton destruction are charge, against them. In q recent editorial, headed "Rapinc vs. Reason" the kcc1ikan Chronicl, dccIared
 Comes the announcement from San Fran cisco of the Alaska Packers that their boat, are returning from the wealthy waters ot Alaska in ballast; that the salmon pack for the year k smaller than in any previous season il the history of the organization The iuicrcnc, may even be drawn from the announcement that the Alaska Packers are losing money thi> season.
 Can there be any doubt as to the reason Do the Alaska Packers officials wonder Wh, their boats are returning from the North il ballast, Does any canncryman, or fisherman or merchant, or resident of Alaska have tC ask the why; It is not miracle of God, anc therefore there must be reason for it. Every foresight and Wanton destruction.
 That scIfishness reaches out in many directions It grasps the canncrymcn, the troI Icr the seincr even the merchant They wan the fish, the money that the fish will bring The lure of the gold has blinded their reason
 It is written that they shall all go dowr Ito destruction, financial destruction, unIcs. they become instiIIed with the rule of reason
 The fisheries of Alaska that have pro- duced hundreds of million, of dollars, tha have fed untold thousands of persons tha helped win the war, that helped save man kind-thcy are doomed Onh reason anC foresight or miracle can save them. And the day of miracles has gone
 Millions of dollars in property canneres small fishing vessels, large ships and equip ment are tied up in the fisheries. They vii all be lost And far worse, the source of sup pN of food for coming generations will be wiped out. The shame of it! And all fo1 greed
 Will anyone deny that the seiners are rob bing practically every stream in Alaska Vii anybody deny that the canncrics knowing that those seiners are robbin@ the streams, art buying their fish, and glad to get them Will anybody deny that too many traps are bui So close to mouths of streams that they arc pllterng the food of this and future genera hons; The facts are undtniable. They arc commOn knowledge.
 And to add to it all, no administration republican or democrat, has shown itself bis enough or knowing enough to put a stop to it
 Fisheries to the north of ketChikan are "a disappointment for 1919. Fisheries of the WhoIc Pacific coast will be tragic disappoint ment within a few years
 Yet, 1t is not too late This destruction can be avoided This shortage of fish can be remeded here before 1t is too late and in Oth Ter districts the production can be brot back tC normal, will be, must be-
 The farmer who pravs for his corn CroI to be a success does not reap the harvest tha his neighbor does who hoes out the weeds; nol will the praying of the fishermen for a gooC run of salmon get the pack that may be obtain led by proper measures of preservation anC propagation.
 The federal administration of the fisher, ies would be a joke, if the matter was not sucl a serious one It has been an utter failure, { disaster. Politicians have haranol1ed and ..eN: