The Alaska daily empire., 1923-02-06
LOcalize the Seal Industry.
(Cordoya Times. l


 General and concerted movements of various kinds appear to be under way for bringing about more equitable handling of the fur seal industry of the Pribilof Islands An organization has recently been incorporated Seattle for the purpose of breaking the alleged monopoly of Fouke Company of St Louis who now the exclusive buyers of the Alaska fur seal and recently bil Twas introduced in Congress by Senator Johnson of Californa, providing that the Alaska fur seal be sold only sated form and cured and shipped from the Pribilof Islands Both move ments have for their object localizng of the fur seal industry nearer to it's source
 Withcut protesting to know anything about the technical features involved in either proposal The Times is heartily in favor the adopton of prac- tica measures that will give to Alaska some benefits of the seal industry, especially of moneys accrung from the annual sales of skins The income derived each year from the fur seal and fox islands to the Westward amounts to something like million and a quarter dollars. This income taken Alaska and produced through the capable management of the Fisheries Bureau of the Government should be turned Tn part at least, to the benefit of the Territory. At the present time all of it is turned into the general fnnd Of the United States and administered by the Treasury Department
 The Fisheries Bureau needs money for carrying on It's Vally necessary work in the preservation of 1he Alaska salmon The present appropriation for the Bureau Is utterly inadequate. few years more of intensive hshng, inadequate protection and lack of fepletlon by means of hatcheries and it will be too late The Bureau of Fisheries has honestly and econ ohieaHy handled the fur seal business which the GoVernment has embarked Why not divert q portion o the moneys thus derived to the Bureau of Fisheries for salmon protection?
 ine salmon Fisheries of Alaska pay in taxes lor the support of the Territory than all the other industries combined Without this revenue tho Ter ftory would be hard put to it's ordinary ex- pehsos The shortage of this fund would necess ta c the assessment of large property the support ol the public schools which short of funds for their proper maintenance To help meet this and other Territorial shortages Governor Bone in hlS recent report recommended that one-haf of the aedl money De converted into the general fund of the Territory. Alaska needs pre-emnentlv three thlngs: roads, schools, and the preservation of it's hsh Why should not the fur seal revenues derived rem Alaskan territory, be turned to these ugesq Why should not major part of the annual return he accredited to the Bureau of Fisheries for it's own up- keep, and to the Alaska Road Commission for Alaskan highways. the remainder turned into the peraraI fund of the Territory for it's public schoosq As for the actual selling busness for the disposal of the seal skins there appears to be why the fur
 "ihet shouid De maintained in St. Louis or Seattle UT anywhere else than in the Territory of Alaska and the establishment of such market here would be Of great economic benefit to the Territory