The Daily Alaska empire., 1939-04-22
JOBS IN ALASKA

Imagine the predicament of the man who steps ashore at Juneau after spending his last dime for a steerage ticket to Alaska, place where he has been led to believe there jobs aplenty.
 Ninety mine times out of hundred he won't find a job at Juneau any place else in the Territory He can't support himself for months of job-seeking He cant obtain relief the Board of Public Well fare except cases of dire emergency and then only for limited periods. relief funds being furnished specifically for residents of Alaska that is people who have lived here at least year And he can't get cut of the country without steamship ticket
 It's a bad situation, fully as bad for Alaska as it is for the unfortunate job seeker About all such a person can do is "go the bum or turn to even less admirable pursuits. Many of the men arrested for petty crime here are these disusioned and dis couraged transients
 The fault unfortunately, not lie always with the men who arrive here penniless and without defin- ite prospects They are encouraged to head north by mistaken belief which seems to be prevalent in the States that times are good in Alaska and there plenty of jobs
 Times are good in Alaska They always have been but they are not the kind of times which sprout jobs for large numbers of workers. Not onetenth of the people below realize that Alaska has population of only 6oooo If they did realize it, they would say probably that what Alaska needs therefore is larger population so he Territory should welcome the man.
  season.
 No Alaskan needs to have the fallacy of this reasoning pointed out We are not dealing with Alas kars however. Those who are sending troubles upon us in the form of a job-seekng horde we'll meaning but very n-advised outsiders.
 The salmon canneries. gold mines a quarter mill lion dollar sewer project at Fairbanks similar public works throughout the Westward and our own sewer and paving projects in Juneau total up to what sounds like lots of obs Actually, the canneries are tied up difficult labor negotiations and after those affairs are strengthened out there will be jobs only through the unions, which do not open their ranks to while many of their present members without work: the mines have regular employees who work the job year after year. under Fed eral regulations, local unemployed must be given preference on all public projects and already there Alaska applicants than there will be jobs available this year.
 What does this leave for the hopeful job seekers, between 75 and 100 of whom the basis of what has been happening recently the steamer which left Seattle this morning2 It leaves practically nothing. If the picture could be presented to them at Se- attle of course they would not north Unfortu- natey they do learn how things really stand until they have spent hopeless day two in the Terri tory Then they are eager to get out of Alaska thing which they cannot do without funds.
 The place to head off this migration is in the States. attempt to do that difficult thing is being made at present by the Territorial Department of Pub lie Welfare which with the assistance of the Empire is sending series of articles to newspapers below des cribing just what the Alaska employment situation is This of course will not stop the norhward stream of job seekers If it persuades any at all to give up plan to come to Alaska it will be of some value.
 The Governors office Chamber of Commerce