The Alaska daily empire., 1923-02-15
MT. Sutherland Again.
lCcrdoYa Time

fCCrdoya Timec.)
 Mir Suherland's inordinate attack upon the Bureau Of Fisheries yesterday before the Senate Com merce Committee hearing the bill to regulate the sale Of sealskns taken from the Pribof Islands, is perhaps the deporable of the several deplorable utterances of which the Delegate from Alaska has lately been guilty. In charging the Bureau of Fish cries with being rotten from top to bottom" MT. Sutherland commits fragrant breach only good taste, but of authority As the Delegate from Alaska Mr Sutherland purports to speak at Washington for the public of this Territory When, therefore, he declamg, he has recently in immoderate language against the measures taken by the Department of Commerce in behalf of the fisheries of Alaska MT Sutherland gives the impression that he is vocing tine sentiment of the majority of Alaskans.
 As matter oi fact in this instance Mr Suther- land does nothing of the kind. Mfr Sutherand's re- cent polemics against the policies the Fisheries Bureau with respect to reservations, and now to the conduct Gi the seal industry, do not represent the eoEcensus Of intelligent opinion in the Territory
 To what extent the effort to break the alleged monopoly of the Fauke Fur Company. expressed in the Johnson bill, is dsintereged remains to be seen Other corporations have lately been formed with the avowed object of ousting the St. Louis company from is present part in the Pmhlof seal industry Whether that action would be 'thc advantage Of the seal rookeres is the mporant quc1tion In just what the elleeed monopoly of the St. Louis firm consists is another.
 The taking, skinnng, curing and tanning of seal skins IS highly technical business. that the valuable hides go carefully guarded by Government saai nave the proper treatment in these respects the Government entered into a contract with an expert
 
 Pribofs by the Fouke Company six or eight experts sealers rom the New Foundand coast. who together with two experts from the Bureau of Fisheries and under strict regulations, supervise the killing skin hlhg and curing The skins then shipped to the fauke company at St Louis. where they are plueked tanned and dyed, ready for market Fer this service the Fouke Company receives contract price When Inc skins are ready for sale public aucion is hold under Government supervision To that auction como buyers rom all parts of the world and the skins arc sold 10 the highest bidders. the Government reservno me rlsh 10 reject any unsatisfactory Just where al,iS arrangement creates monopoly is not clear lie fouke company does not buy or sell the skins II acts merely n the capacity of agent and as such h.ures To the Government expert care of il highly faluable commodity What would be the effect unon the qualty and prices of thene skins if ndscrin,ina ana lnexpert hands had the meddling with them iy easy imagine ~ 'a This is no brief for the Fouke Compapv Tbore nay De ether companies as capable as Fonke. tharf may be better terms 10 be made In the absenco ot reliable information do not know But il ie sore iie say that any plan which has for it's object tbe parcelns out of the seal industry to any lea exner iahds Is one which would be costly at any price ana vigorously 10 be condemned W
 As for Mir Sutherlasl's attack on t, u;,, bureau including as il docs everyone from Hcrbert Hoover to local fish wardens it is as absurd o ;s :, uhauthoilzed It will do MT. Sutherland m pood other Tn Washington Alaska and he does in eaicuapie damage to the Territory before tbe na,io, anu m quarters where the Territory needs snnam. II doea not reflect the general sentiment of Aas-a where It's expression is deeply regretted