Seward daily gateway., 1923-11-17
WORKING TO BUILD UP ALASKA?

A recent interview given out by Attorney General Rustgard to Van couver papers, quote the Alaskan off cial as stating that he was going to Washington to make Prince Rupert the shipping center of the Pacific Coast, or words to that effect. Now, lest our readers get us wrong at the start we wish to say that the Gateway is an ardent supporter of MT. Rust gard, and has great faith in his ability and integrity but, when he intimates to the good people of Canada that his special mission in life is to build up a Canadian seaport at the expense of an Alaskan port we believe that he is wrong, and so far wrong that we would not give bursted fish bladder for his perverted loyalty to Alaskan industries.
 In their anxiety to clasp hands across the sea, Mir. Rustgard and his advisers have evidently overlooked the port of ketchikan as a fishing center; a port which has every right to the fishing trade, and which is a port where every dollar spent by fish ermen and buyers would be of direct benefit to Alaskans.
 For several years past Canada has secured the cream of the halibut fish cries business from a strictly Alaskan product, these fish being caught in Alaskan waters by Alaskan boats. The town of Ketchikan has been forced to sit supinely and watch hundreds of thousands of dollars in trade go to an alien port, where American products are discriminated against by duty, and where American labor is not all lowed. With unlimited resources to handle the fish trade, Ketchikan has been forced to let it go to Prince Ru- pert, mainly for the reason that our Territorial citizens are very lax m patriotism, and devote their efforts to- the upbuilding of trade in foreign
 
 country.
 The recent ruling by the Treasury department that fish frozen and ship ped in foreign markets must pay tax of two cents per pound upon re-enter- ing the United States will be hard blow to many persons who are inter
 init the detriment of those of Alaska.
 The Gateway has no desire to con- duct an educational campaign onI building up patriotism for local indus tries, but it does believe that fish caught in American waters by Ameri- can boats should be sold in an Amerl-l can town and handled by American labor. And the Gateway also believes that the question of prices and trans portation would be speedily settled II this were done. Ketchikan is the log ,cal town for the fishing center so long as the fishermen carry their pack south. If Americans lose sight of their duty to Alaskan industries ana Alaskan towns, 1t is fitting that dis criminatory measures should be taken by congress to compel the practice to cease.
 With Ketchikan the clearing port for the Alaskan halibut catch, every town in the Territory would beneht thereby. A town of 20,OOO in Alaska is worth more to us than town ol ten times that population in Canada.
 If MT. Rustgard will revise his state ments and claim that he is going toI Washington to make some Alaskan port tha largest fishing center on the Pacific coast, it would sound better, and he would find every true Alaskan behilu him in his endeavors. We be- lieve iii America for American inst- tutions and this should apply to Alas ka 4 ell.