The Cordova daily times., 1923-01-26
FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 1923
LOCALIZE THE SEAL INDUSTRY

General and concerted movements of various kinds appear to be under way for bringing about a moro equitable handling of the fur seal industry of the Pribilof Islands, An or ganization has recently been incorporated in Seattle for the purpose of breaking the alleged monopoly of the Fouke Company, of St. Louis, who are now the exclusive buyers of the Alaska fur seal, and recently a bill was introduced in Congress by Senator Johnson, of California, providing that the Alaska fur seal be sold only in salted form and cured and shipped from the Pribilof Islands, Both movements have for their object the locallzlng of the fur seal industry nearer to its sourcc
 Without protesting to know anything about the technical features involved in either pro- posal The Times is heartily in favor of tle adoption of practical measures that will give to Alaska some benefits of the seal industry, especially of the moneys accrulng from the annual sales of skins The income derived each year form the fur seal and fox islands to the Westward amounts to something like a million and quarter dollars. Fms lncome, taken from Alaska and produced through tbo capable management of the F1sheres Bur eau of the Government, should be turned, in part at least to the benefit of the Territory At the present time all of it it is turned into inc general fund of the United States and administered by the Treasury Department.
 The Fisheries Bureau needs money Tor carving on it's vitalIy necessary work m the preservation of the Alaska salmon. The pres cnt appropriation for the Bureau IS utterly inadeuuatc A few years more of intensive fishing, inadequate protection and lack ot re- nlnti0n by means of hatcheres, and 1t will be loo la+o The Bureau of Fisheries has honest lv and economically handled the fur seal bnsl- ness OH which the Government has embarked. 7Eiy not divert a portion of the moneys thus dc,ivc1 to the Bureau of Fisheries for salmon protection?
 The salmon fisheries of Alaska pay more in taxes for the support of the Territory than al! thc otlor industries combined. Without ti;g revenue the Territory would be hard put to meet it's ordinary expenses. The shortage of 1his fund would necessitate the assessment of large property taxes for the support of the public schools, which are even now short ot funds for their proper maintenance. To heII meet this and other Territorial shortages Gov. c,n0r Bone in his recent report recommonde7 that onc-half of the seal money be cOnverfeC into the general fund of the Territory. Aask; needs 1,rc-cminently three things: roads schools, and the preservation of it's fish. Mh! should not the fur seal revenues, derived iron Alaskan territory, be turned to these uses Why should not a major part of the annu2 return be accredited to the Bureau of F'Sh cries for it's own upkeep, and to the Alask' Road Commission for Alaskan highways, tb' remainder turned into the general fund G the Territory for its public schools? As fol the actual selling business for the disposal o the seal skins, there appears to be no reasol why the fur market should be maintained il St Louis or Seattle or anywhere else than il the Territory of Alaska, and the establishment of such market here would be of great eco homie benefit to the Territory.