The Alaska daily empire., 1921-04-15
TAXING FISHERIES FOR CONSERVATION PURPOSES

JUNEAU, April 15.ATo the Editor. The salmon in the Alaskan waters have been producing nearly half of the export wealth of the Territory for the past few years. But as a result of too heavy fishing, thi great industry appears to be in a precarious condition. Not only have so many fish been packed that the market is overstocked, but so many have been taken that there will soon ! be few fish left, if some measures are not quickly adopted to arrest depletion.
 Arguments have been advanced pro and con in favor of different gear for taking salmon Generally speaking it may be said that the people who live in Alaska, and ex- 1 pect to live here until they die are against the fish traps in particular. 1 Probably because those that have op- erated them have taken salmon ~<A, such great quantities, destroyed oth- CT fish nearly as valuable in equal numbers, and have broken the ex- listing fish laws almost with impun- ity, seeming to care nothing for the future of the industry and of the peo- pie who call Alaska HOME"
 But the greed of the cannerymen has not only brought down the wrath of all right-thinking Alaskans on their heads, but the cannerymen have i rni hair rlya and endangered the life of a prof itable business. Furthermore, the men so closely identified with the business seenb not to agree amongst themselves on any one plan of ac- tion, except to prevent others from handling the situation in a sane manner. 'S
 Since the gravest danger is that sufficient salmon do not reach the spawning streams to re-seed the streams and insure salmon for flu ture year, perhaps q tax on traps and on the raw products. sufficiently high to reduce the taking of salmon to half the average number taken during the past ten years would work to the benefit of all concerned.
 It has been estimated that a tax of $1000 would reduce the three hundred and fifty or sixty traps in Southeastern Alaska to fifty or sixty and that a tax of cent a pound on red salmon would not entirely pre- vent canneries operating, because Al aska controls the red salmon, in point of numbers, in the Pacific Ocean.
 The levy of such taxes will either bring in a good revenue to the Ter ritory. or permit the salmon to prop agate and grow into valuable pro- ducts for the future. In the mean time, other industries like low-grade gold mining and others that should be encouraged to produce, not re- tarted, may be relieved of a portion of their taxes until they are in better shape to carry their share of the public burden.
 It has been the complaint of Alas kans for some time that the salmon packers have made huge profits in Alaska year after year and not ex, pended ten percent. of their gross re- ceipts in the Territory. From what ever angle one looks at the propo- sition it appears that a heavy tax on the salmon taken in Alaska will be beneficial to the general public And the greatest good for the great est number is the ultimate aim of statesman.
 Furthermore. the regulation of salmon industry by taxation will not necessarily call for high salaried commissioners. The Territorial Leg islators will have control; and two years from now they can change the tax rate to suit the then existing conditions. And the vital point of the plan is that the Supreme Court has already passed on and approved the Territory's right to tax fish commodities to the point of confisea, tion. Legislators need not hesitate