The Daily Alaska empire., 1932-08-24
NOME ANXIOUS
 TO ESTA A|BLISH .lc!!R!AlClANNERY 1 ]! l! ] FA "A a 4 % h be
King Island Eskimos Prove Value of Crustacean
 Resource

NOME-For 32 years residents of Nome have eaten fresh scrabs caught in neighboring Boring Sea waters and commented on the de- licious flavor of the crustaceans. but not until' a few weeks ago when King Island Eskimos, on their annual trading trip to town. brought for marketing purposes 100 jars of the sea food that had been packed last spring, did the com mnunity realize the opportunity for turning a rich natural resource into a lucrative industry. Tef
 The King Island natives had put up the crabs under supervision of Father J. La Fortune. Jesuit mis- sionary on the island, and of Miss Frances A. Ross. who spent last winter among the aborigines, in furtherance of her eth O looical studies. Needless to say, the pre- served crabs found ready sale, and the concensus is that they equal in every respect the similar Jap anese and Russian product taken in Northern waters.
 Return Cargoes for Ships The fact that crabs occur in quantities at King Island, Sledee Island. St. Lawrence Island and. off Cape Nome proves that within close proximity of Nome there exists great possibilities for a Gan ming industry with Nome as the natural base, thereby furnishing outgoing steamers return cargoes.
 Japan, recalls the Nome Nugget, discovered the possibilities of a .crao industry more than 10 years ago and by study and experiment has now successfully brought her crab output to more than 50O.OO0 cases valued at more than $I5.oOO.- GOO. Soviet Russia profited by. Iap- ans example and five years later followed in Japan's footsteps. The Russians brought their own crao output to more than 100000 cases valued in excess Of S6.0o0. 900.
 Sell to United States The surprising part of it is that both countries sell more than one. half of their products to the United States. In other words the United States spends yearly more than $ioooo,o0o for crab importa- tiOns ~
 For several years the Japauese have sent their floating crab can neries into Bering Sea oppcsite Nelson Lagoon and have returned to their home shores with full cargoes.
 The Russians on their side. of the Boring Sea maintain several crab canneries successfully.
 Output Is Small
 This year the United States Bu- reau of Fisheries reports that only 97,447 pounds of crab were canned in Southwest Alaska. This vajhed at $39,272 is mere bagetelle- A. aska leads in the production of an other fish products except crab. She can lead in crabs, too, if she wants to.
 The Secretary of the Nome Chamber of Commerce has gut Into communication with the Buresu of Fisheries endeavoring to enlist the Bureau in the work of making preliminary examination.
 Situation Known to Bdfeau
 Commissioner Henry C'MallSS. Of the Bureau. in a communication to the Secretary Of the Chamber, 1tat- ed that the Bureau of Fisherieg is aware of the possibilities Of . crab canning enterprise in northern Fer ing Sea waters and 1t. is felt fhat such an undertaking should be fiv- sn encouragement. However, W is Impossible at this time on account of reduced appropriations to e6m- ply with the Chambers reqnest that a vessel be detailed to Bering Sea for the purpose of determtuing the abundance of crabs in tho