The Wrangell sentinel., 1948-08-20
THROUGH THE SENTINEL PERISCOPE

Southeast to date even with late opening of the season is causing some creased brows, as well it might The fish just aren't showing up and Fish and Wildlife officials closed everything down this week with re-opening set for a. n., next Monday. Actually, the situa- tion is more serious than the weeks closing implies as it can lead to more drastic action in fu- ture years if the run fails to ma terialize. Serious consideration has been given to complete closure for several seasons which would knock the economy of this section of AL aska into a cooked hat. The more reason, of course, every effort should be made to try and get the timber resources of the Southeast developed as a buffer against a stalled fish economy.
 There is controversy over the wisdom of the Fish and Wildlife Service in ordering the general closing this week due to the par ticularly dry season. Many of the streams are so low that the salmon cant go up them for spawning with the result that many will die around the mouths of the stream unless taken for canning. Idea Of closing is to allow adequate es- exponent to the streams However, of there is not sufficient water for the fish to get to their natural spawning grounds the philosophy of escapement at this time becomes a philosophy of waste. Actually. 1t would be far better to put them in the can. A similar situation occur red in 1942. The runs came late, just the closing days of the season, but the fisheries bureau refused toI grant any sort of an extension with the result that millions of pink salmon, which. should have been put in the can damned the streams, far beyond the point of escapement for conservation, and were lost for any use whatsoever. There is too often too much truth in the charge against conseTvationiats that n
  ly practice a philosophy of waste. Whether such a condition prevails this year we aren't prepared to say but we do feel it can stand some very close watching.
 And the gear fight enters into it, particularly with the fish trap referendum on the ballot in Oct ober. Many would eliminate the traps entirely as a means of con servatiOn, and that time may very we'll come, just as it anne to Puget Sound. However it is preponderous of gear of all types which gives fisheries officials qualms in their efforts to conserve the runs. They realize if the great yearly increase in gear continues as it has cen do- ing over the last 10 years there will come a saturatiOn point of diminishing returns for the fisher man as well as sharp curtailment in the salmon runs. In other words put enough fishing gear in the water and pretty soon there will be no fish.
 While the controversy rages on, information from fisheries officials is that the season will resume next Monday morning and continue un- til the closing date, September 5. Whether further extension will be granted after that depends on the showing and on weather cOTdi- tions. If it continues dry and the humpies school at the mouth of the creeks, unable to get up, they might as well be used rather ttan go to waste.
 Wonder what Alaskans will be, come statehood, and we have control of our own fisheries, land game, etc. Whether we'll deterio- rate or progress is something we'd like to have statehood to find out.
 At any rate, we don't get a chance to get stale as long as bills such as Senator Arthur Capper's latest, and last, are introduced III Congress. We lay down our wea- pons of one battle, and up pops an other.
 Capper's measure would establish Admiralty Island as a game re- serve Let's see, it was back in the late 30's that we eft" that fight out with Interior Secretary Ickes who had the same notion. It failed then but just because it failed then is no sign it would fail again. Loo.l at the Lemke bill - it even passed the House.
 Admiralty Island is approxi- mately 100 miles, long and aver ages 25 miles in width. It con- tains about 800, ,O0O acres and S1s BILLION board feet of pulp timher enough, Forest Service figures show, to run a 550-ton-a-day pulp mill for 50 years. Reason for ana packers of Capper's bill seem to be a secret. Last time, 10 years ago, Ioly t1 +n