The Alaska daily empire., 1921-04-07
DOUBT OF GOOD FAITH ADVANCED
 BEFORE SENATE
Gov. Riggs Urges Increased Power to Fish Commis-
 sion to Watch Bureau.

Doubt as to the good faith of gov erning bureaus, or the bureau direct ly concerned, was expressed by Gov. Thomas Riggs yesterday afternoon, during an explanation of Senate 6ill No. 35, increasing the authority of the present Territorial Fish Commits sion and authorizing the employment of a Territorial Director of Fisheries during the consideration of that measure by the Senate in the Com mittee of the Whole. The Territor- ial Fish Commission, he said, had found that it must have additional power and authority if it is to be able to safeguard Alaskan fisheries.
 Gov Riggs, at the beginning of his as chairman of the Fish Commi5 sion. Charles D. Garfield, Secretary and one of the Commissioners. and A. J. Adams, of Cordova, Commissioner, were also present, all of them being accorded the privileges of the floor.
 Fisheries Neglected
 Gov Riggs declared that neglect of Alaska fisheries. indifference to the interests of the Territory by the gov erning Federal Bureau, nonenforce- ment of regulations and other fea- tors make it imperative for the Ter ritory itself to pass certain meas ures and force them upon the Fed- eral Government if it wishes to pre- serve the industry from total extinc- tion "We have found occasion even al Bureau" declared Gov. Riggs. The good that the Territorial Fish Com mission has accomplished. he con tinued, has been done in spite of the bureau and not through it's synpa- thetic cooperation and whole-hearted assistance. The fisheries are Alas kas greatest resource and in the past have furnished 75 per cent. of the Territorial revenue, he said. Ow ing to everlasting, law violations, etc, the Territory is faced with a decrease this year from that source of from one-thrd to one-half of the former returns.
 Cites Instances
 Sometime ago, the Governor stat ed, the Senate by resolution, asked him for all correspondence between his office and the Bureau of Fisher ies relative to the industry. On au- thority from Secretary Fall, he said, he turned over to the Senate such correspondence. Among the papers, he said. were certain ones relating to the opening of two of Southeast ern Alaska's greatest red salmon spawning streams, the Chilkat and Chilkoot rivers. Application had been made to Territorial authorities, he said, by certain companies three years ago for permission to take fish from those streams and 1t had been refused A short time later, he said, it was learned that one large company was canning fish from the streams and the matter was taken up with the local agent of the Blu reau of Fisheries The agent. said Gov Riggs, was reluctant to say any thing about the matter "I finally pumped out of him the fact that the Bureau of Fisheries had opened these streams to one company, and had instructed it's agent to giTe 1t no publicity" Other companies were refused the same right and were t'ld that the streams were closed, ac- cording to the Governors statement. q accuse no one of acting wrong fully, but that instance certainly shows the falacy of attempting to run things 4000 miles away. We have got to have a man to watch out for such things and see that the Territory gets some benefit from Cv- cry order issued by the Bureau of Fisheries and protect it's interests from injury"
 Cites CordoVa Hearings
 Another instance of bureaucratic indifference was cited by Gov Riggs in connection with the Fisheries hearings at Cordova last year rela- tive to everlasting in the Copper river stream system. He stated that he had requested the Bureau Of Fisheries to send a certain refresen- tatiye of the department to CJIdoya to conduct the hearings on account of his familiarity with the situation and knowledge of conditions, anG had been assured that the man 1e- sired would be sent. Orders were issued sending that representative to icontInued on Page Twol