The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1927-05-14
PARKS WITHOUT
Information OF
LOCAL DISTRESS
Governor at Loss to Account
for Charges in Mission
Boards Report.

Expressing astonishment that lack
of food and economic distress"
among the Indians should be laid at
the door of the salmon canning in
dustry of Alaska, Gov George A.
| Parks today declared he was at a
loss to account for such charge as
that contained in the advance state
ment of the annual report of the
National Board of Missions of the
Presbyterian Church. He said he had
no knowledge either officially or per-
sonally of facts which would support
such a contention.
The advance statement of the
Boards report, published Friday in
The Empire in Associated Press
dispatches under New York date
line, said Organization of the sal
mon fishing industry by large can
merry companies has deprived native
Alaskans of food and caused serious
economic distress along the Alaska
coast.
White-indian Conflict
The dispatch added that the Board
will urged that the Presbyterian
Church be allowed to act as media
tor in the conflict between the Ma
tives and Whites that has resulted
from this combination and is work
ing out so disastrously for the Ma
tives."
The Governor expressed his as
tonishment at the entire tenor of the
report as revealed in the Associated
Press dispatches. This is the first
intimation the Governors office has
Lot -aI, in.
industry has kept Alaskan Indians
from getting fish for food from
local streams. or that any economic
distress has resulted among that Sec
tion of the Territory's population from
the canning of salmon" he said. #
know of no conflict of any nature
between the Whites and Indians
which could be attributed to the
operations of the salmon canneries,
and, naturally, am unable to under-
stand to what the report has re-
ference in that respect" he added.
No Limit on Food
He pointed out that the regulations
of the U. s. Bureau OF Fisheries
permitted the taking of salmon by
anyone for domestic food purposes
at any place and at any period OF
the year The regulations it has i'm
posed are placed upon commercial
fishing only. And | have not heard
of a single instance where anyone,
either Indian or White, were unable
to obtain fish in ample quantities in
coastal Alaska for food purposes"
he said.
He pointed out that the cannery
operations in Alaska furnished EN-
ployment in the fishing season to
large number of the adult Indian
population. Official records of the
Bureau of Fisheries show approxi-
mately 5000 of them to have been
working in the Alaska Fisheries in
dustry during the season of 1926.
This was slightly less than 20 PEI
cent of all persons engaged in the
industry which paid out in wages
about $1O,000.0O0.
Employment Means Progress
| Progress in the Alaska canning in.
dustry has been accompanied by pro-
gress OF its Indian population. 1t has
furnished employment and other
wise contributed to their ad-
vancement to the extent that they
are rapidly making a place for them
selves in the Territory's economic and
industrial life.
"The cessation of the canning in
dustry in the Territory would be
one of the most serious setback5
that could be dealt to the Indians.
1t would deprive them of the one
sure source OF steady employment
and income and, under existing con-
ditions, there is nothing else that
could replace it for them" the Gov
ernOr concluded.