The Nenana daily news., 1920-04-05

fenced by the shortage of last sea. sons fish supply, and other hun. dreds of natives are now facing physical suffering by the same cause.
 Dr. Smith seems to assume that my protest is in some way connect
 ed with Archdeacon Sucks so- called "propaganda. That is not the case. I have no knowledge of the archdeacon's sins of commission, nor of the bishops sin of admis- sion, to which Dr. Smith and the Honorable Edwin F. Sweet have re- ferred. Neither of the reverend gentlemen has spoken to me about the matter. spoke as private citizen of this country; and the Nenana Commercial club, of which I am member, has spoken a mum Der of times in the last eighteen months, not only protesting against l the bureaus seeming negligence. but citing evidence in support of their protests. The "evidence" which Dr. Smith declares was unavailable, which we believe does connect the cannery's operations with the fish shortage, has been available all the while, and is still available. But what may Alaskans be led to ex- l pect from a bureau, whose admin istrators blandly state: "The cannery was established without our knowl- edge; and governmental permission was not sought, was not required, and was not given even by implica- tion"? And remember, Mir. Hall, that the fish industry represents Alaska's present greatest commer- cial enterprise. Yet. notwithstand- ing its importance to the Territory and to the nation, our Fisheries Bureau calmly admits that big cannery was located in Alaskan wa ters without that bureaus knowl- edge; that no governmental permis sion was sought, none was required, and none was given even by inn plication. Are you surprised that Alaskans are protesting against the depletion of our fish supply, our present greatest active commercial asset, an asset which is of vital in- terest to the Territory and which must be kept in good condition? | Did the Nenana Commercial club do either an unpatriotic or discourte- ous thing, when it sent a telegram to Senator New, last week, which reads, in part: s'With intense in terest and appreciation we follow the efforts of yourself and Repre- sentative Curry toward freeing Alas ka from present absurd and shame fully inefficient departmental con- trol"?
 i It is true, that there is record of short runs of salmon in the Yu- kon and tributary streams in former Iyears. The gentlemen failed to tell you, that it is ALSO true that there is neither record nor tradi- ttion of a shortage that compares with the shortage of last year. It is true, that the cannery operated in 1918 and that the shortage was not nearly so bad as in 1919. But you were NOT informed that the cannery had changed its location for the operations of 1919; and all men who have any Knowledge of the habits of the salmon will readily conclude that more favorable sal mon runway had been located. Doubtless the second site was a more convenient site, also. I am not accusing the cannery company of violating the law in either years operations. am simply creditine thenS' with good business judgment. l It is also true, that for very short period in the summer of 1919 the salmon DID run in fairly good numbers. It is beyond reason, how ever, to suppose that the fish supply for this Interior region bordering on the Yukon and Panama rivers and their tributaries, can be taken