The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-11-04

nuns stofr ana TOT many tn~fN
would not be much ief,. Tho Is tar
meant nearly five days OF hard work
for these already highly-expioited
workers.
CHINESE GANG
PAY SCHOOL TAN
The salmon canncry owners pay
$500. 900 a year In territorial taxes on
an annual income from tho can.
neries OF ga. 100000. That means
that one-one hundred and eiEhticsh
Of what they make goes 10 tho Alas
kan government whilc onethirty-
fourth Of what wc made would 70
for taxes.
Tho salmon Gamers pay 70 tho
government from three to sevcn
cents a case and per cent Of their
net earnings. but they bring back
their ship. laden with an arxoxy OF
tens Of thousands Of dollars worth
Of gold fish"
We who were being taxed - on
our ,t7o earnings would be lucky "
we brought back our health and 800
TO see us thru the winter.
Several OF the Chinese crow wor~
always aiiing. but one Mexican was
suffering excrusiasinsiy from sick
headaches. We wanted To set him
10 the doctor. located At ono Of the
Alaska Packers association Gamer
les. five miles down river.
Had he not been 70 week and had
he owned rubber boots. he might
have walked. The only other way
was 10 borrow q boat. and the only
way to get a boat wNs from the com
rany.
II seesns incredible. but We wers
two days getting permission to use
dory and carry q sick Mexican 10
doctor. our motives were Of tho
best. but we were treated N tho We
were trying 10 impo~e on the com
pany. Tho b~sch-wAng boss iasusd
an angry warning aioog WITH his
first refusal.
.And remember.- he shouted. MS
a $40 fsns for anybody 10 sahs boat
cusa here without permission
We finally got grudsing permit.
and landed our patient at the hoo
pisai.- While there 10 accepted an
invitation from cne % she Mex1cAns
ther. 10 stay for dinner.
AZ. A. PLANT
IS MODERN
The Alaska pnckers' association n
the biggest company operating In
ALASKA. and n financed By the Same
people b~hind the California Pack.
Ing corporation. the great fruit-can-
ming concern
It's biggest holdings are IN Bristol
Bay. where Il operates nine out OF
rs is canneries. These canneries are
among the best In that part OF
Alaska.
For tho Chinee crews they have In.
stalled good bunk houses. with siec
trio lights. showers and sanitary
equipment. all quite different from
our place.
But they sim persist In the same
outworn Chinee contract system.
ana among their common iaborers Ia
the Same seething discomfort AZ the
result.
In tho cnnnery 10 were visiting.
the same Chinese contractor held
the contract n. owned" US. and. Of
course. similar conditions prevailed
on their ship and at their csnnery
such A. we wsre complaining o.
In fart. while the housing condi.
lions here were Of the best. the food
was worse than ours, and several
coIored boys had como over 10 our
csnnery on purpose 10 ess Of our
good bread.
PLANS ESCAPE
FROM THE BOSS
had been In Alaska about thre.
weeks. and I had seen cannsry life
NJ Its worst. To get n fair idea OF
n. ! would have 20 visit many other
canneries. To do this. must .es.
cape" from my Chinese boss and
come back by steamer.
was up against tough venture.
! had the money, a thing that most
wouid-be refugees lack. I had ban
daged 5000 IN greenbacks on my leg
before left the city. But there were
two other big obstacles. belonged
70 the chinaman by virtue OF my
contract. and must In some manner
break this chain
The second obstacle was the can
merry boss. Joe. and his assistant,
Hector. For Some time had sensed
a growing hostility on their part. and
n knew could expect no favors
from that quarter.
The cannery boss rules supreme
in Bristol Bay. He controls the only
source Of news. the wireless. and the
only means Of transportation. power
boats.
Once a month there comes into
Bristol Bay the only means OF 80.
cape. II is a little steamer I'D from
Seward. the mail boat. II costs over
$3.50 70 get down 70 Seattle from
Nushagak. and TO board the steamer
the river from where we were To-
Gated on the day she arrives. for she
anchors there for only one tide.
LEARNS BOAT
DUE IN WEEK
II ! were successful In getting
away from the Chinaman, how was
TO know when the boat was due, and,
IL knew, how was I TO get down the
river to "Clark's Point"7
lay awake nights worrying over
my problems. To miss the boat
meant another month in Alaska, and
the chances were not even fair of
my making IT, In fact. there was not
q case on record In our cannery OF a
mans being able 10 quit the China.
man and return home.
One day overheard two OF the
squawmen talking. One of them
was telling the other that the mail
boat had been heard from and was
due at Clark's Point In a week.
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