The Daily Alaska empire., 1940-12-07
Local FIeet TurnsDown
 Fish Treaty
HaIibut Men Peeved About 194O Regulation on
 Single Areas

Juneau halibut fishermen want no part of the proposed treaty which would give the International Fisheries Commission additional power to enforce the voluntary cur tailment program instituted by fish ermen and vessel owners. Harold Aase. Business Agent of the Deep Sea Fishermen's Union here. told members of the Commission at a hearing this morning in the Senate Chambers of the Federal Building here.
 Howard .Stabler. retained by the Union, said Aase spoke for the Ju- neau fleet. both the union and the vessel owners.
 The Commissions 1940 regulation making it illegal for boat to clear for more than one area per trip was largely responsible for Juneau fishermen's fear" of giving more power to the Commission, Stabler said.
 Voluntary Plan Favored
 Aase declared that voluntary cur tailment was working out fine. He said the Juneau fleet, after agreeing on the curtailment program in the spring meeting, had broken it's own agreement to take 200 pounds per man additional because of the Com missions "boner' in issuing the one area regulation.
 Speaking for the Commission, Am erican Member Edward w. Allen, Seattle attorney, said the Commis- sion was not bit anxious to take on the additional work entailed in the proposed treaty, which he re- minded fishermen and vessel own CTS was their baby" having been proposed by the fleet.
 Aase said Canada's law on the subject of controlling fishing to areas docs not work as law" He said it had worked out that "one country can get away with almost anything, and the other as soon as a violation is made gets the book thrown at them"
 Handicap on Juneau
 Stabler said bitter dissension had arisen between various classes of halibut fishermen over the disputed regulation, which Allen said the Commission realized worked great CT hardship on the Juneau fleet than any other.
 Speaking of the lining of two Ju- neau boats $250 apiece for violation of this regulation, Stabler said the fishermen were of the opinion this was lone of those things that's a crime today and okeh tomorrow. Similar ofenses in Canada are pun ished by $25 fine, he said he had been told
 A. J. Whitmore, Canadian Mem Der of the Commission, said ports down the line" felt that unless there is some force of law behind the fishermen's voluntary curtail- ment program it is going to break down
 F. 1T. Bell. Commission technical adviser, warned fishermen that their inability under the voluntary plan to control growing element in the fleet, the part-time boats which in 1940 took three and one quarter million pounds of fish, was going to lead to a shortening of the season.
 Chiseling Alleged
 Bell also told fishermen great amount of "chiseling" was going on within their own group.
 Some of the fishermen and some of the dealers think they are fool ing us" he said. but they're not. We have devious ways of finding out these things"
 Bell said he regretted to ob- serve, but it was fact, that there are forces in this thing which tend to make liars out of you"
 Aase replied that the fishermen had asked the Commission for in- formation on chiseling, so that the problem could be dealt with, but were refused on the basis such in- formation was confidential.
 Stolen Fish?
 Aasc said he won't say the fish buyers are stealing our fish, but lot of it just disappears and we're not paid for it." He suggested that this accounted for the volume. Of