The Daily Alaska empire., 1938-06-30
Whittier Finds Kodiak Showing
 Great Progress
Fishing Fleet Increased Naval Base and Hospital
 Bring New Interest

Kodiak IS showing great progress and is anticipating even further growth with the establishment of a naval base there and probably a hospital according to Assistant Col lector of Customs M. s. Whittier, who returned here on the Haida after a several weeks visit to the Westward on customs matters There has been a big increase in the number of fishing boats in the Kodiak area and several hundred now make up the fleet which bases there, he said. In addition to marked civilian activity, the Navy has a crew boring the floor of the harbor in preparation for extensive naval construction. Already peti- tions are being circulated, aimed toward incorporation
 Need for the proposed hospital is more urgent than ever, he re- ported, and residents of the Kodiak area are looking forward eagerly to construction as virtually no fa- cilities of that nature are avail able at the present time.
 There is new interest in the Kan- atak region, he found, with several major oil companies carrying or development work in the district
 New Cannery
 At King Cove he found the Pa cific American Fisheries building a new six-line model cannery, ac- cording to present plans, MT. Whit tier said, and is expected to be in operation for the 1889 season, but not for this year.
 There has been a falling off o1 the herring pack at Unalaska fol the last two or three years, anc much of the slack in the industry is due to the drop in price, he report ed. However, there is considerable activity in that region in sheep. The Aleutian Livestock Company has about 12,000 head on Chernofsky and Unalaska islands, he said, anC the Western Pacific Livestock Com pany has about 5000 sheep on Ka- shega and Unalaska. Last year the Aleutian company produced 96,00C pounds of wool for which they got an average price of 34 cents pound Although the lamb loss is not high the Customs officials was told, the companies have not yet been able to sell meat on any scale, prob- lem they are trying to correct al this time. The loss among the older sheep is primarily responsible.
 On Umnak Island there are about 1000 reindeer and about $50 or Attu which are entirely for the use of the natives, he found About 75 of the Aleutian islands are pro- ducing foxes.
 "and Aleutians"
 The folks over in the Aleutians facetiously called the officials at- tention to the fact that they are still in Alaska. They pointed out that some of the government re- ports they had been receiving al- ways said Alaska and the Aleutian Islands" leaving the impression that the Aleutians are outside the Territory.
 MT. Whittier had a word of praise for the hospital service being main- tained at Unalaska by the Office of Indian Affairs. For the last year the hospital has been operating on an average of 12 beds over capacity but doing an excellent job, he said under the direction of Dr. Leslie White, physician in charge.
 The official accompanied the court party and while in Bristol Bay noted the close watch the Coast Guard is keeping on the two Japa- nese fishing vessels in that area They rarely get out of the sight of coast guarder, he said, and so fal the cutters report that they have seen no salmon taken by the Japa- nese.
 At Unalaska, Jack Martin, the U. s. Commissioner, has been named Deputy Collector of Customs, suc- ceeding Durrell Finch, who is re- signing after 12 years service, MT Whittier said.