The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1944-02-15
MpW GETS
REPORTS ON
'440UTL00k
Increased En- pIoYmeni
Forecast for Alaska
Salmon Industry

Increased employment in the AL
aska salmon industry for the COM
ing season, as compared with last
year, and decrease in spruce log
production were reported to the
area manpower committee, compos-
ed of management and labor repre-
sentatives, at an open meeting yes
terday afternoon at the Scottish
Rite Temple.
Henry Van Hoevenberg, manager
of the Alaska Salmon Industry
Inc, Seattle, said: with the army
and navy urging the highest pos
sible pack this year we anticipate
the concentration program under
which we are working will recon-
mend an increase of 8 to 10 per-
cent in employment over last year.
Van HOevenberg
! Van Hoevenberg reported that bet
ter operating conditions favor
higher production this year if the
run of fish is reasonably good
Shipping facilities" he said "are
better than last year. We are also
in better shape on floating equip
ment which gave us considerable
concern last season: most of that
equipment has been returned or re-
placed"
! Ike p Taylor, area VINO direc-
tor and chairman of the meeting
explained the procedure under
which men with fishing experience
can be granted limited certificate
of availability and thereby temper
arily released from other employ
ment to work in the fishing indus
try at its seasonal peak.
Spruce Log Program
! In report ON the Alaska Spruce
Log Program, Alva Blackerby, per-
sonnet officer of the Forest Serv-
ice, Juneau, said the requirements
for airplane spruce in the 1914 sea-
son will be less than last year. Nine
contractors, he said, have been
working with the Forest Service on
this project. 1t has been generally
reported that reduction in spruce
output, based on a decision of the
War Production Board, is largely
due to competition from light met
ais, particularly aluminium.
Alaska Labor Pool
Recognizing the Importance of
protecting the Alaska labor pool
the revised area employment stab
ilization program, adopted yester-
day, provides that a worker, hav-
! ing completed his contract or other
wise qualified for an availability
certificate, who returns to his home
in the States shall be considered
as in the Alaska labor pool until
he surrenders his certificate and &C.
cepts work there.
While in the Alaska labor pool a
worker may be hired by his for
mer Alaska employer or by a new
employer in Alaska without refer
ence to the restriction on migrant
workers.
Subject of Wages
When the conference discussion
involved the subject of wages, Will
liam X. Hopkins, regional VINO
director from San Francisco, point
ed out that VINO has no control
over wages, that its main func-
ton is the recruitment of labor for
the war program and the promo
ton of labor sterilization.
IF we find we cannot recruit
workers for an essential industry
and it seems to us that the pre-
vailing wage situation is responsible
for the failure to find workers, we
must, when asked, report what we
believe to be the cause of that fail
ure,' Hopkins said.
Reports to the committee fol-
lowed the showing of a special film
by the War Department, entitled
War Department Report" which
dramatizes the important produc-
ton job confronting American in
dustry. Gov. Ernest K. Gruening IN
a welcoming address complimented
the management and labor repre-
sentatives on their work in effec-
tuating the Alaska employment sta
bilization program