Seward daily gateway., 1923-09-29
BRISTOL BAY CANNERIES ARE SEVERELY CRITICIZED
 IN GRAND JURY REPORT

The grand jury at Valdez which ad- journed last week, until after the Cor dova term of district court, submitted a special report to Judge F. E. Ritchie dealing principally with the fisheries to the westward, and is as follows:
 We, the Grand Jury for September i, 1928, term of the above entitled court, held at Valdez, Territory and Division aforesaid, composed of elev- en women and eleven men, beg to submit a special report. AS the Grand Jury is now in adjournment until Oct. 25 and many members of the present panel will perhaps not be present when the Grand Jury reassembles, we beg leave to submit this special re- port upon certain matters herinafter set forth, which we believe require action.
 In the fishing districts in the west ern part of the Third Division, and especially in Bristol Bay, we find con- ditions appalling and on account ol the character of labor employed and the conditions existing at many of the canneries the government is put to the expense of many thousands of dol lars, which in our judgment should be avoided.
 We wish to call attention to mar cotic conditions. Many addicts and a large amount of narcotics find their way to the canneries and fishing grounds through the cannery help, and it has become a grave menace to the safety and health of the people of Alaska, and especially to the food supply through the use of diseased help in the packing and handling of salmon. At one cannery it appears there were at least forty men addict ed to the use of various narcotics, such as opium, cocaine, marihuana, and other habit forming drugs. Iii many instances foremen of China 
 them to the men under their charge in the canneries and there appears to be narcotics sold, and addicts at all canneries.
 One instance is reported where a man in the advanced stage of syph- ilis, and having ulcers therefrom all over his body, was employed in press ing the fish down in the cans with his hands, which were protected only with cotton gloves. Another instance is reported where a member of the China crew was allowed by the com pany S1 per day to buy narcotics on the plea that if he did not obtain the narcotics he would not and could not work There appear to be men, i'm ported in China crews by some of the canneries, who come north for the sole purpose of practicing the detest- able crime against nature. These men it appears, dress themselves in silks and women's clothing and indulge in these terrible practices, passing from one cannery to another and doing lit tie work. At one cannery, it is report ed there were a large number ot cases of rectal syphilis resulting from these nra actices more than twenty. There appears to be no provision made for the inspection of the bodily health ol the men who handle with their hands the salmon packed, and several 1n stances are reported where men hay ing actual handling of the salmon were infected with venereal and other loathsome diseases.
 We wish to call the Courts atten- tion to the fact that at the present term here are two cases of homicide and three cases of assault with dead ly weapons and other crimes originat- ing among cannery help imported by the canneries, which will cost the gov ernment many thousands of dollars in prosecutions
 We also beg to suggest that anoth CT source of trouble in the cannerles appears to be quality of food furnish ed and fed to the China crews by Orl ental contractors in the employ of the canneries. Some of the crime and much of the trouble originating in the cannery districts has been through strikes on account of China crews One of these food strikes terminated with the killing of one man and the wounding of two others.
 Evidence has been deduced before us showing that a common practice in many of the cities of the Pacific Coast is to release men serving terms in jail to come North to the canneries which results in unloading upon the