The Alaska daily empire., 1921-05-18
GOVERNOR TAKES ISSUE WITH SEN.
 HUNTS ARTICLE
Refutes Charge that Veto of Hatchery Item lnconsist-
 ent with Record.

Governor Riggs, commenting on an article by Senator F. J. Hunt in a recent issue of the Ketchikan Chron icle, refutes the charge that he was not consistent in his veto of the $10.0O0 fish hatchery item for ket chikan in the general appropriation bill.
 Senator Hunts article is devoted largely to a study of the fisheries legislation coming before the late leg islature. He states thGt while the House of Representative only al lowed $40,000 in the appropriation bill for the Fish Commission, when it reached the Senate, "Mr. Britt moved to have the appropriation raised to SS0,000 which was done but got appointed upon the com mittee on general conference of the appropriation bill and when we came to this item the committee voted an appropriation of $50,000 to be ex pended for experimental work in hatcheries and fish propagation along salmon spawning streams. $20.000 to be spent in the Third Division. $20. and s10,000 to be spent under the di rection of J. R. Heckman, in the es tablishing and maintaining a salmon hatchery on Ketchikan Creek. This last item Governor Riggs vetoed. for the reason that we had taken the authority to appoint a man from the fish commission which. he claimed to be a direct slap at the commission. In taking this stand he evidently forgot that the Terri torial Treasurers report for 1917-1SI has the following item, to-wit: Charles D. Garfield, Secretary-Treas- urer Alaska Fish and Game Club, Juneau, allowance account care of young trout by club preparatory to of same to streams, $1 ,250.00."
 Not Inconsistent.
 Commenting on Luis statement, Gov. Riggs said that to anyone famil jar with the history of the work of blC <Aloohd ioll odhlC SluD lOl to the functioning of the Territorial Fish Commission, the Territory's connection herewith needed no ex planation. The club, an organization of private individuals and having limited funds, made the first attempts in Alaska to propagate fish It had an established hatchery and at a time when it lacked money to trans plant not only brook trout with which it was experimenting but salmon to spawning streams an agreement was made with the then Gov. J. F. A Strong whereby financial assistance was given by the Territory in a limited way. Gov. Strong in accord ance with that agreement appropri. ated out of the emergency fund 'un der his control some $2OO for the work. Acting Gov. Charles E. Da. vidson under the same agreement ad, vanced $500 and the final advance was made when Gov. Riggs came into office in the sum of $1,050, making a total of $1,S50.
 w lIlc LucIc WGIe SOIHt there were many more salmon in volved in the experiment in which the Territory aided" said Gov. Riggs "The result of the experiment was shown when certain variety of salmon which was planted ( in an Alaskan river reappeared at the end of the three-year cycle. This variety had never been seen in that stram
 Quotes Attorney General.
 "The money was expended from the emergency fund which was un- der control of the Governor and made available in the geenral appropriation bill as follows: Emergency appro. priations for incidental and other ex- penses in the Territory not other wise specifically provided for. to be expended under the direction of the Governor
 Under a ruling of the Attorney General this could be expended for any purpose not specifically provided for by law, which in the Governors judgment was for the benefit of the lerritOTy.
 Undoubtedly this was in the mind of Gov Strong when the agreement was made.
 Has No Bearing.
 "The above matter has no bearing on the veto of the Ketchikan fisl hatchery item in the 1921 appropri ation bill. The two cases have not even remote similarity.
 q regretted the necessity for ve toing the hatchery item but could not do otherwise"
 Governor Riggs also stated that he had the highest personal regard fol MT Heckman and that he had nc doubt that the latter would have ex rended the money wisely. He sait that MT. Heckman had twice beer asked to accept a place on the Ter ritorial Fish Commission and had re fused both times.
 1ApN nAltHhrER CnMES