The Alaskan., 1930-10-24


 be done. I agreed to do that, and being employed I drew a bill embodying the very plan which suggested to the Com mittee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries and to the House of Representatives in 1916.
 Herewith I enclose for your in- formation, copy of bill drawn by me. It was submitted by me to MT. Paul, who has taken, as you know, a very great interest in fishery legislation for Alaska and it was published in his pa per, the Alaska Fisherman, on the January number, 1928, ac- companied by a letter of expla- notion signed by myself. There after the bill was discussed by some of the leading cannery- men of Alaska and some minor changes made in it. It was then thought by all of us to be in shape to protect, FIRST, the public interest, second, the trap fishermen and cannerymen from jumping" and THIRD, to bring trap sites and traps under the same plan of control as that adopted in the Act of June 6 1924, as amended by the Act of June IS, 1926.
 The Alexander Bill Still
 Threatens
 It is generally assumed, and possibly the courts will hold, that no legislation has yet been enacted by Congress to control the location and licensing of fish trap sites in Alaska-that this most important of all Alas kan fishing gear is yet an "out- law" to be constructed catch-as- can by the first canneryman who can grab" the site in the spring. Conceding that the sit uation, how long will it be be- fore another effort will be made to put over another Alexander Bill? Who will be the Delegate to Congress from Alaska at that time, and will the Act be better ur worse than the one now sub mitted to your consideration? Certainly every important ele- ment of salmon canning in Alas ka is now admittedly controlled by the Bureau of Fisheries under the Acts of 1924 and 1926 except ing only traps and trap sites. Some bill will pass Congress soon for their control. Why not pass a bill which will fully protect the public interest when it can be done without danger to those interests?
 Trap sites are now owned and , controlled under the law of pri- or possession and occupancy by trap fishermen, who acknoWl- edge no right to the Bureau of
 Fisheries to control or license : them, except the right to pre- vent them from catching fish , If the bill presented to you . should be enacted into law, the !, situation will be far better than l it is now, for then, while the l same trap fishermen may be ir 3 possession of the same traE l sites, that possession will be l limited and controlled by the
 provisions of this bill, and the Q trap site will no longer be ar
 outlaw. The possession will bt I limited by a short term least }. with such limitations as will en' s able the Bureau of Fisheries tt n control it's use. The owner al E so will pay a reasonable fee fo P the fish the trap takes, ant D there will also be peace in re D spect to possession. There cal B be no loss to the United State ) or to the Territory, but a decid !" ed gain both in control and il 1t license fees.
 l. Trap men have owned an' ,t controlled these trap sites fo l. fifty years, without themselve n being limited or controlled I v their possessory rights. The bil
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