Seward daily gateway., 1927-03-02
ATTORNEY GENERAL
 ASKS LEC|SLATU URE
 REGULATE FISH ER|Es
WOULD HAVE TERRITORY FIX TERMS OF CONTRACT FOR
 EMPLoYEs IN cANNERIEs

EMFlOYES LIN CANNEniES In his annual report to the Legis- lature Attorney General John Rust gard asks that steps be taken in the way of legislation to remedy evils he claims exist in connection with the fishing industry, as directed under joint resolution No. 2, enacted at the last session. Features set forth in the bill requested are:
 1. Sanitary methods for handling and treating the fish. 2. Sanitary condition of the boats carrying the fish.
 8. Sanitary condition of the can nery, it's appliances and equipment. 4. Proper facilities for enabling the help to maintain and observe personal cleanliness.
 5. Sanitary living quarters for em- ployes and the inspection of such quarters.
 6. Disposal of the offal in such man. ner as to be least offensive to the neighborhood.
 In support of his recommendations, the Attorney General takes up the question of methods of employment of contract labor and suggests regula- tions for such employment together with laws affecting the substance of the contract under which cannery and saltery employees are engaged. The portion of the report dealing with the fisheries question is as follows:
 The Contract System
 The contract labor system re- ferred to in Joint Senate Resolution No. has been inquired into and on this subject I beg to report as fol- lows:
 As a general rule salmon can- nery makes a contract for the sea- son with some individual to furnish all the labor for performing the work from the time the salmon is landed at the cannery wharf until it is in the cans and the cans labeled and boxed. As a rule, the contractors are Orientals, who engage the very cheapest grade of labor, generally Orientals and Latin Americans. in recent years, as Oriental help has become less plentiful, the contract system has shown a tendency to re- cede and most of the smaller canner- ies are at present having the work done by individuals hired directly by the canner and paid either by the hour, the day or the season. Of late years there has ben a demand at all canneries for local labor, both native and white, of both sexes; and it has become quite custom for people liv- ing in the cities along the coast of Alaska, and dependent upon their OWL ldDOI, CO SpOuU LIIS SuuIueI working in canneries This applies to both men and women, and fre- quently to school children, who spend their summer months assisting in canning or packing fish. I am satis- fled that the canner, as rule at least, prefers local labor whenever 1t can be obtained and is found reas- |onably dependabl
 Where the cannery enters into contract with an individual to fur nish the help and perform the work, the payment is on the basis of a fix ed price per case of salmon packed, the contractor to supply the labor without any responsibility resting upon the canner except to furnish quarters for the men, generally known as China quarters" Under this sys- tenn the canner guarantees a minimum number of cases for the season, but I have found at least one cannery, and it was not small one, where this precaution was omitted. Tn that in stance the work was undertaken by Filipinos, many of whom were stu dents of colleges and who engaged themselves for the summer in order
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