The Daily Alaska empire., 1930-12-27

made over and over until it was almost furless pelt In these days a sealskin coat is not so much a mark of wealth as of good taste and discrimination, and whether it is black or brown, it stamps its owner as knowing what is what
 Fur Seal Convention
 The fur seal convention is unique in the annals of international re- lations in demonstrating the prac- ticability of developing a proper system for the conservation and building up of great natural re- source through international agree ment. Such a system may well be applied to other fisheries, such as that for whales or some of the shellfish which are now in grave danger of exhaustion because of their unbridled exploitation.
 In fact, only few years ago, fishermen of the United States and Canada felt grave concern over the future of our great North Pacific halibut fishery. The annual catch had exceeded 50,000,000 pounds year-a level of production main tained by constant reaching out to new grounds as soon as the older banks became depleted. AS a re- suit, the fishery is now prosecuted coastwise along the coasts of Ore gon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska for some 1900 miles, and the opportunities for further expansion are limited. On October 21, 1924, Canada and the United States ratified a convention for international cooperative control over this fishery. This provided fer an International Fisheries Com mission to study the fishery and make recommendations to the two governments as to the action neces- sary to save the fishery.
 RamificatiOns Are Numerous
 If I tried to tell you all the qualifications of scientific research Involved I would have to run a regular Sunday night serial broad cast. can vouch for the fact that some of the research is of the most arduous and dangerous kind imaginable In the winter of 1927 one of the fishing schooners chart cred for this work, was hurled on a reef off the Alaska coast and wrecked in the midst of a high sea and in a blinding snowstorm. By merest chance the scientists and crew were saved through the prompt and courageous action of the captain and crew of a small seine boat. This was the climax to an exceedingly hard winters work during which the halibut investlga- ticnS had been conducted With great ifficulty-virtually between storms. One usually thinks of scien- tists as working long hours in laboratories over dull problems, but our scientists in the fishery work lead the exciting and perilous lives of the most salt-bitten old marin CTS, As a result of the scientific work of the Commission we hope to evolve a plan which will save the halibut fishery from exhaustion, just as was done with the seals, and to insure you of halibut steaks as well as seal coats in the future.
 Another Awaits Identification
 There is another convention which now only awaits ratification by the United States to become ef- fective. refer to the Sockeye Sal mon Convention which has for it's purpose the protection, preservation and extension of the sockeye sal- mon which breed in the Fraser River system in British Columbia. On their way to the spawning grounds in British Columbia these fish pass through Puget Sound which makes them a United States resource as well as Canadian. A rock slide in 1913, which prevented the fish from reaching their spawn ing grounds, nearly wiped out the run of that cycle, and too heavy fishing by Americans and Cana dians has reduced the fishery to dangerously low level. I am hope ful of prompt ratification of this Convention by the United States which will enable the two countries to take steps to rebuild the fishery to one of primary importance.
 Rich Tn Resources
 Alaska was purchased from Rus sia in 1867 for $7,200,000 This country is rich in natural resources fisheries, forests, and minerals, and, last but far from least, some of the most marvellous scenery in the world. Alaska's crop of tour ists grows every year, and it's won ders are becoming the mecca of more and more of our people. Ger tainly no one can be disappointed in its scenic wonders. But the fish, cries are the most important re- source. Only last year the fishery crop was marketed for seven times the original cost to the United