The Daily Alaska empire., 1929-01-28
KETCHIKAN AND THE TARIFF ON
 HALIBUT.

Of considerable interest to every community in Southeastern Alaska well as to the halibut fishermen is the proposal fostered by Ketchikan for legislation defining the status of fresh fish taken by American vessels to Canadian ports sold there packed and iced and shipped to the United States. At present under ruling of the Treasury Department such fish are held to be American goods returned and not imports from foreign country. Under the former classified ton the fish permitted to re-enter the United States duty free Were they classed foreign goods, they would be subject to the same duty charged fish caught by Canadian vessels, prepared for shipment in Canada and then shipped into the United States.
 The business interests of Ketchikan for sevr eral years have sought to get recassifcation from the Tfsasury Department but without sue Those behind the movement present some very logical arguments in support of their posi- ton. It is contended that when halibut is iced and prepared for shipment Canadian soil, the work performed removes the fish from the classification of American products returned when they again transported into the United States. In support of this stand they point to numerous rulings of the Federal authorities other com modites, including canned salmon. Halibut, it is argued, constitute virtually the sole exception to the established rule. American hogs for example. it is pointed out. could not be killed,
 
 pared for marketing as hams, bacon and other pork products and brought back into the Ameri- can markets goods returned and escape duty thereby And other similar instances are cited.
 The fshermen who vitally interested in preserving wide competitive selling market for their fares possible naturally fear that prices will be jeopardized if their access to the Canadian markets is shut off They point to low prices that prevailed before the Prince Rupert market available to prove their uneasiness is based upon something more tangible than mere suspicion. The Ketchikan business interests are however. convinced that such fears are groundless They hold that the Canadian National Railways must have the fish tonnage for the Prince Rupert line and if American fish sold at Prince Rupert became subject to tariff. buyers now located at Prince Rupert would simply be moved to Ket chikan Juneau, Petersburg Wrangell and the marketing would be done in those towns instead of at Prince Rupert at present. Prices they declare, being subject to the same competitive conditions now prevail would suffer nothing by the change. Obviously, if this is true statement of the result of the Ketchikan proposal being carried out. every community in South eastern Alaska would be materially benefited without injury to the men who follow halibut fishing for vlihood.
 Ketchikan has in her favor the circumstance that rectifcation of the Traesury Department ruling by the imposition of tarif the fish that is sold at Prince Rupert and prepared there for reshpment back to the United States would be consistent with our general tariff legislation and regulations It is inconsistent that there should be different regulations for the Prince Rupert halibut business than those which gen. orally obtain every where else for all sorts and conditions of products