The Daily Alaska empire., 1950-05-16

action by the Board in the contro- versy now pending before it. so that the salmon fisheries may get under way for the fast approaching an nual season.
 MT Roden pointed out that the salmon fisheries is not only the heaviest taxpayer in the Territory but also the largest employer and that failure to operate this season will greatly affect the financial and economic situation in Alaska at 8 time when it is all important that we demonstrate to the country that we are able financially and econom- ically able to carry the burden we must assume with statehood.
 Acting Governor Talks
 Lew Williams. Acting Governor of Alaska. made this statement on the situation:
 Tn view of the advancing sea- son, I am hopeful an early settle ment may be made. Fishing is SC important to Alaskas welfare. tha any curbing of it's full activity dur. ing the season has disastrous effect on welfare of everyone in the Territory. We recognize the fishing industry as the major source of rev. enue to the Territory. and it pro- vides the livelihood for the majority of our residents. Therefore. I an hopeful it will be quickly settled"
 Mayors Comments
 Seriousness of the situation was expressed by Mayor Waino Hendrick- son who said that jurisdictions! dispute coming at this time vii throw thousands of people out oi work. If this tie-up should develop to the proportions of the Hawaiian strike. it would be disastrous. | should be settled at once"
 Reinholt Brust, assistant area di rector of the Alaska Native Service called attention to the fact that 9t percent of the natives of Southeast Alaska, at least 5000 men, womer and children. are dependent upor the salmon industry. If the can neries don't operate, almost every town in Alaska will suffer. Under the Wheeler-Howard Act, the ANS has loaned money to Native corpo- rationS which in turn have loaned money to individual boat-owner, and if the owners are forced to de- fault, it will be necessary to re. finance many loans. the corpora. tions will have less money in theii revolving funds and it may be neces- sary to go to Congress to increase the money available to the ANS fo1 these loans. In all of Alaska, from the Boring Sea to Southeast Alaska in all cannery areas. total ot more than 5000 native people woulo be affected"
 Glorified COmmie Front
 To Kenneth Bowman, Alasks Organizer for the American Fed eration of Labor, a more sinister side of the struggle presents itself Judging from previous history oi the officers and membership oi former Local 2, it appears that a portion of this group has found its natural home. The labor back ground of the majority of persons sent by the ILWU into Alaska can leave no other conclusion but that the ILWU is a glorified front for the Communist Party. It appears that this organization not only is in- terested in the disruption of Alaskat principal industry, but also in con trolling the docks and shipping lines to the detriment of the defense ot Alaska and the United States"
 J. Simpson MacKinnon. Junear business man: If this thing grows it will be especially serious to the Territory. We have suffered enough in the past as a result of loss oi revenue from our own labor dis putes. If this materializes, we vii be suffering from a purely jurisdic- tional dispute on the part of people foreign to the Territory.
 Thousands of native cannery workers thrown on relief would b6 a tremendous burden on our already depleted treasury. Very little was earned from trapping this year ano fishing is the sole remaining source 1f income to most of our northern natives"
 Neil Moore, Deputy Territoria Auditor: Without the salmon in- dustry, Alaska's treasury will face 8 mounting deficit. The tie-up has to De settled. Add to lack of income the relief of destitution and the prob lem in Alaska will be more serious than anyone realizes"
 T. B. Erickson, executive secre- tary of the Alaska Territorial Fed eration of Labor. like MT. Bowman. sees the tie-up as "an obvious at- tempt by the ILWU to take control of the entire waterfront activity These people are not concerned with the common good. They want Power. They will continue raiding attempts. The AFL is fully aware of this and