The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1927-03-03
Much Legislation Suggested
In Biennial Report of Atty.
General to the Legislature

! Recommendation for legislation
regulating Cannery operations TO pro-
vide for sanitary methods of pack
ing fish, effecting labor contracts
and embodying minimum weekly
wage in canneres and salteries. ar
bitration before the Labor Commits
sioner of wage disputes, revision Of
criminal procedure, for a $65 600 sub
Sidy for a steamship line bet Neen
Southeastern Alaska and Prince Rup-
ert, and many miscellaneous sugges-
tions for Legislative action are en-
bodied in the biennial report of AT
torney General John Rustgard which
has just been made public.
1t is divided into four distinct sec
, tions and outlines in some detail
suggestions for legislation to carry
out his recommendations.
Start Is Made
The Attorney General said a stalt
had been made toward betterment
OF sanitary conditions in the fish can
ming industry Arrangements made
with Federal agencies last Spring
resulted i'll the first general physical
Alaska for seasonal work in such
establishments. Commenting on the
results, Mr.. Rustgard said:
only a very small percentage of
those examined were rejected. but
the number Of diseased persons thus
.,1i II
than a fractional part of the diseased
individuals who We're excluded from
Alaska by the new system The
greatest benefit accrued from the
fact that those seriously afflicted.
knowing they would be rejected,
evidently preferred to refrain from
offering themselves for transporta-
ton North
"The total number examined was
1850. OF these 81 were rejected on
account of diseases Of various kinds.
The number vaccinated were 11,514.'
Bill Is Prepared
Accompanying the report to the
Legislature will be a bill entitled
AN Act to regulate the operation
of canneries and other establish
ments for preparation of food from
fish and aquatic animals and to in
sure and protect the health of The
population engaged in or living near
such industries
The report enumerates the re-
quirements of the measure as fol
lows:
l. Sanitary methods for handling
and treating the fish.
2. Sanitary condition of the boats
carrying the fish.
>. Sanitary condition of the can
merry its appliances and equipment.
4. Proper facilities for enabling
the help to maintain and observe
personal cleanliness.
5. Sanitary living quarters for
employees and the inspection of such
quarters.
6. Disposal of offal in such manner
as to be least offensive to the neigh
borhood
The last item.' said the report.
"refers to the problem most diff
ficult to solve at the present time
because the conditions differ so
much in the various localities that
regulation which may be fair for
one locality would be extremely unfair
for another. have been informed.
however, by the Commissioner of
Fisheries that his bureau hopes to
soon have a plan perfected by which
the offal at a very low cost may
be dchydrated, baled and shipped to
some central point where it can be
processed at any time during the
course of the year. II this hope be
realized the problem will solve it..
self without legislation.
at should be added that in the
formulation of these regulations the
canneries have disclosed a readiness
to cooperate and be of general as
sistance."
Employing Local Labor
A recession of the contract" sys-
tenn of employing labor Is noted in
the report, which, however makes
specific recommendations for legis-
lation "to attenuate some of the
most baneful effects of the unfair
contracts at present habitually re-
quired of employees connected with
the fishing industry"
"Of late years" declared the re-
port, there has been demand at
all canneries for local labor, both
native and white, of both sexes; and
it has become quite custom for
people living in the cities along the
coast of Alaska, and dependent upon
their own labor to spend the sum-
mer working in canneries. This an.
plies to both men and women, and
frequently, to school children, who
spend their summer months assist
ing in canning or packing fish.
am satisfied that the Gamer, as a
rule at least, prefers local labor