Marine Biological Laboratory I-iar. 18. 1942 Given By Dr» H. . Cranpton Columbia University Place, New York Git O5 z. i ru ; ai i CD i m D -72- J -*C. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE BUREAU OF FISHERIES REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS IN 1914 By E. LESTER JONES DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES DECEMBER 31, 1914 WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1915 TABLE OF CONTENTS. Page. 5 6 6 6 6 12 14 20 22 22 22 24 24 25 28 28 3° 32 34 34 36 36 42 48 54 58 58 62 62 66 66 68 68 68 7° 70 72 74 74 74 82 88 88 92 92 98 98 Alien and imported labor 102 Indians and Aleuts .• 102 Education of natives 104 Introduction Salmon industry Federal control of fisheries General methods Trap fishing Trap sites Method of closing traps Purse seining Haul or beach seining Gill netting Other fishing methods Markers at stream mouths Close season districts Weekly close season Waters exempted from weekly closing Methods of canning Government inspection of cannery product . Do-ovcrs Mild curing Power-boat trolling Salmon salteries Closing streams to commercial fishing Obstructions in streams Natural enemies of salmon Halibut industry Codfish industry Herring industry Use of food fish for fertilizer and oil Whaling industry Trout Taxation Collection and use of taxes License tax on gear Districts for patrol system Vessels New vessels required.-. . Pay of officers and crew. Albatross Hatchery work Private hatcheries Government hatcheries. More hatcheries needed. Marked fish Disregard of fisheries laws . . . Enforcement of the laws Labor questions Resident fishermen . . Pollution Utilization of cannery waste Fur-bearing animals Control of fur-bearing animals Protective seasons Effect of existing laws on natives Propagation of fur-bearing animals Fox farms Island fox farms Intensive (corral) fur-farming Illegal fox farming Aleutian Islands Reservation Need of a warden Pribilof Islands Natives Natives' houses Native beer and liquors Schools Wages, supplies, and rations Occupations Official records New offices and salaries Physicians Hospital stewards Need for a temporary dentist Officers' quarters Janitor service Seal meat Foxes Reindeer Possibility of cattle raising Roads for St. George Island Supply ship Aerial cable for unloading ships Lighters for unloading ships Midwinter supply ship Landing regulations Conclusions Addresses to natives Some needs of Alaska Charting and lighting Alaska's coast Are the fishing interests to leave the United States?. Coal and supply base Government wharf Wireless station at Unga Reindeer General summary ...................................... Recommendations ..................................... 104 no 112 1 14 114 1 16 118 121 122 124 124 126 126 126 128 128 130 1.30 130 132 132 132 132 134 134 136 136 136 136 136 138 138 138 138 140 140 146 146 146 148 148 148 1 53 153 153 56416 REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS IN 1914. By E. LESTER JONES, Deputy Commissioner of Fisheries. „ DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, BUREAU OF FISHERIES, Washington, December 31, 1914. SIR : I submit herewith a report on my special investigations in Alaska, for transmittal to the Secretary of Commerce and the President. INTRODUCTION. By direction of the Secretary of Commerce, I was instructed to proceed to Alaska (i) in order to make a thorough survey and investigation of the various fishery industries, (2) to visit the fur-seal fisheries on the Pribilof Islands and make studies in connection therewith for the purpose of formulating a more definite and businesslike policy for the administration of those islands, and (3) to inquire into the status of the minor fur-bearing animals, including both the matter of the protection of the wild stock and the development of the industry of rearing such animals in captivity. In my report submitted herewith it has been my endeavor to avoid more than an occasional and pass- ing reference to matters of a statistical or historical nature, since these features are quite thoroughly covered in various reports already published. Attention has been given primarily to matters which have a material bearing upon the maintenance of those Alaskan industries over which the Department of Commerce exer- cises jurisdiction and which seem to require readjustment in accordance with changed conditions. It has been my constant endeavor to view the situation from a practical and impartial standpoint with the view of suggesting certain changes deemed essential to the public welfare, bearing in mind at the same time the necessity for giving equitable consideration to all private interests which may be affected by such changes. The field work occupied a period of between four and five months, from the latter part of May to the first part of October. Visits were made to about 50 canneries, salteries, and mild-curing establishments in southeastern, central, and western Alaska; numerous fox farms in various regions were inspected; con- siderable time was spent on the Pribilof Islands; and detailed attention was given to administrative matters connected with the recently established Aleutian Islands Reservation. The steamer Albatross, Lieut. L. B. Porterfield, U. S. N., commanding, was placed at my disposal, and I spent practically two months aboard this vessel in central and western Alaska. In southeast Alaska I was aboard the small steamer Osprey for about 60 days. These vessels are owned by the Bureau of Fisheries. Some of the important places visited are quite remote and inaccessible, and had it not been for vessels specially available for the purpose it would have been impossible to reach them during my trip, notwith- standing the fact that I spent more than four months in Alaska. It is my wish to emphasize the point that because of the great distances involved, and as at times there is no service by commercial boats, and when there is it is very unsatisfactory, it becomes urgently necessary in the event of conducting any com- petent investigation of the fisheries of Alaska that a good seagoing vessel be provided. Without the Albatross this past season, the results of my trip would have been anything but satisfactory. It is my desire to make the fullest possible acknowledgment to Lieut. L. B. Porterfield, commanding the Albatross, for the numerous courtesies and the invaluable assistance rendered so freely and pleasantly during the two months I spent aboard that vessel. The officers and crew also rendered efficient assistance. 5 6 REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. The photographic records of fisheries operations, fox ranching, seal life on the Pribilof Islands, and other less important subjects, which show the results of the season's work, were secured partly with the cooperation of Mr. W. H. Burnet, who accompanied me throughout the entire trip. The handicap under which we labored in securing these pictures is shown by the fact that the weather during nearly 80 per cent of the time spent in Alaska was rainy and foggy. SALMON INDUSTRY. FEDERAL CONTROL OF FISHERIES. Any division of authority between the Department of Commerce and officials of the Territory of Alaska in administering the Alaska fisheries laws would be detrimental to the salmon and other fishery industries. It would so confuse conditions that neither the officials of this Department nor the Territory would have adequate authority. What is needed is not divided power, but the concentration of authority under one responsible administrative department. It is my undivided and unbiased belief that a continuation of the present investment of such authority in the Department of Commerce will be fruitful of much more real good to the fisheries of Alaska than any division of authority. The contention of some in Alaska that the Territory can better administer its own fishery affairs is susceptible of adverse criticism because of the strife and friction between the diverse local interests that would almost inevitably follow such efforts to handle the situation. This has been the result in some States, and it is therefore my honest belief that full Federal control of the fisheries of Alaska, as impartially and honestly administered by the Department of Commerce through the Bureau of Fisheries, will result most beneficially to all interests concerned. And, furthermore, owing to the vast amount of practical and scientific knowledge and information acquired and developed during an extended period by men of unusual training and experience in the Bureau of Fisheries, any idea or thought of transferring jurisdiction over this highly important industry to another institution or board of the. National Government should be dismissed at once, as such action would be a serious mistake and would prove a handicap to the greatest development of Alaska's rich fishery resources. GENERAL METHODS. There is probably no part of this great industry that has created more controversy than the methods employed in catching the 60,000,000 salmon which are taken each year from the waters of Alaska. It is an easy matter for those who favor certain forms of fishing apparatus to blame those using other forms for the alleged diminution in the supply of salmon, but it is not easy for a disinterested person to. ascertain the relative effect and place the responsibility for any injury that may result from any abuses of these methods. The four principal methods are trap fishing, purse seining, haul or beach seining, and gill netting. Trolling" for king salmon is placed under another head, as it is so distinctly a separate business and so closely affiliated with mild curing that an independent discussion will prove more helpful than to take it up -with the principal methods used in catching Alaska's enormous production of sockeye, humpback, silver, and chum salmon. I have studied these four methods of fishing from an entirely unprejudiced standpoint, and I have noted the various conditions and have viewed them from every angle. In some parts of Alaska certain conditions obtain, in others they are entirely different. Therefore, I will endeavor in this part of my report, as well as under other heads, to cover all phases of the question, looked at from all sides. One of the things that impressed me most forcibly was the fact that everyone that used any particular kind of fishing gear did so because it suited his conditions best and because it was the best business method and produced the best results. This feature alone is what every business man tries to bring out most clearly in conducting any enterprise. TRAP FISHING. In Alaska to-day there are some 275 traps. Of these, approximately 65 per cent are in southeastern Alaska. The condition of the water, the effect of the tides, and the swiftness of the current, the character of the bottom, and depth of water are all contributing reasons why the traps are used in various places. REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. CANNERY AT SANTA ANA. CANNERY AT CHIGNIK. s REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. Fewer men are required to operate a trap than are needed to operate a haul or a purse seine. Therefore, other things being equal, this is a good reason why the use of traps is proper for the sake of economy in labor. Any successful business concern in the world to-day believes in the most up-to-date methods. For example, if a man hired 50 clerks at a salary of $1,000 a year each and was offered a machine costing $25,000 which would enable him to dispense with 40 of these clerks at a saving of $15,000 a year, not to mention the time saved, I venture to say there is not a business concern but that would install the machine without delay. This is the exact situation in regard to the fish trap. It saves labor and time, and I quite agree that the success of an industry means the turning out of a good article with the least possible expense and in the shortest possible time. The principal advantages of the trap are these: First, the fish remain alive in the pot or spiller, thus permitting their delivery at the cannery in better shape than when taken by any other method of capture in vogue to-day, and second, the trap is stationary and the Government official, or inspector, always knows where to locate it, thus permitting of regulation and control, quite difficult or almost impossible with purse seines and other mobile forms of apparatus. Plan of typical Alaska fish trap. Now as to the objections: First and foremost is the fact that traps catch not only salmon, but other kinds of fish, which under present conditions are not utilized. Second, during the weekly close period the owners of traps say bad weather is the cause for not complying with the law and closing every Saturday night on the hour; but while this may occasionally happen the closing is more often neglected intentionally. A popular objection to the trap is the fact that it fishes day and night, and thus takes too many fish, but this objection is without merit, for the function of a trap is to catch fish, and, as mentioned before, all fish remain alive until ready to be removed from the pot or spiller. I would suggest a curtailment in the activities of traps, on account of the ever increasing fishing and the diminution in some sections of the supply of salmon. It is evident that the leads, which at the present time may be of any length, should be limited. In waters tributary to Bering Sea I would recommend that leads not exceeding 3,000 feet be permitted and that in the rest of Alaska the maximum length should be 2,500 feet. In some cases the large number of traps placed close to the mouths of streams makes it almost impossible for an adequate supply of breeding salmon to escape them and ascend to the spawning grounds. And especially is it important to keep free the entrances to those waters on which hatcheries are being operated. It appears necessary that no trap shall be erected closer than one-half mile to the mouth of any stream and that those already erected within this distance shall be removed. The pro- hibition of traps and other fishing gear within waters less than one-half mile from the mouth of any stream is to my mind the most important feature in reference to the preservation of the future supply of salmon in Alaska. As the law reads to-day, traps must be at least 600 yards apart laterally and 100 yards apart endwise. These distances are inadequate, which is easily proved by the congestion of fishing paraphernalia REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. IMPROPER METHOD OF OPENING HEART WALLS OF TRAP, IMPROPER METHOD OF OPENING HEART WALLS OF TRAP, SHOWING CONDITION AT EXTREME LOW TIDE. MEDIUM STAGE OF TIDE. ABANDONED TRAP OVER 3,000 FEET LONG. IO REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. FLOATING TRAP. INDIAN FISHERMEN UNLOADING SOCKEYE SALMON, SEETUCK RIVER. BRAILING A TRAP. REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. 1 1 INDIANS HAULING BEACH SEINE, SEETUCK RIVER. THE CHIEF OF THE TRIBE IS AT LEFT OF PICTURE. CANNERY AT SITKOH BAY. BEACH SEINING. SEETUCK RIVER. LOADING THE CATCH OF SOCKEYE SALMON. 12 REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. A distance interval of at least 4,000 feet laterally and 1,000 feet endwise that exists in southeastern Alaska, seems fair and necessary. The jigger, concerning which there has been much comment and criticism, should not be prohibited, as it is an effective and proper part of the trap, the same as the heart or the lead, or any other part. I think, however, that its length should be limited to 50 yards TRAP SITES. There has been much controversy regarding trap locations and the plan that they should be sold outright to their present holders and other sites sold to those who make application. The proposal to sell sites does not meet with the approval of all concerned. I do not think it wise myself, but I do believe Sketch of Alaska fish trap. that where the traps on the present sites meet the requirements of the law and as long as they continue to do so it is proper and right for the United States Government to protect their holders. On every trap that is being constructed the name of the owner should be attached in a conspicuous place in the regulation letters required by law, and not placed on it only when the trap is in operation. One very important matter that has forcibly impressed me and others is the desirability of requiring that all old piling be removed from an abandoned trap site. This should of course be done by the concern which occupies the site. There are many fishing boats and passenger boats traveling back and forth over these waters each year, and the old trap piles are a menace and should be removed without delay when they are given up for fishing purposes. There is in southeastern Alaska an abandoned trap which had a lead of over three-fourths of a mile and contained about 200 piles. It is not only a menace and danger to navigation, but a nuisance and trouble to the fishermen and their boats. REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. 1— TOWING CANNERY SHIP TO SEA. WESTERN ALASKA. CANNERY AT YAKUTAT. i4 REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. METHOD OF CLOSING TRAPS. There has been no little agitation and controversy, especially during the past fishing season, regarding the manner of closing traps. The law, as it now stands, specifies clearly that throughout the weekly closed period of 36 hours the gate, mouth, or tunnel of all stationary or floating traps shall be closed and 25 feet of the webbing or net of the heart of such traps on each side next to the pot shall be lifted or lowered in such manner as to permit the free passage of salmon and other fishes. It seems quite clear that an opening of the full width of 25 feet, both at the top and bottom, was intended by this act of Congress. For several seasons past, however, it has been the custom to use shove- Part of Icy Strait region, showing 37 fish traps operated in 1914. downs fastened at the lower end of the pot. These shove-downs have been laid back at an angle, thus causing the opening for the passage of fish to be much narrower at the bottom than the 25 feet prescribed by law; in fact, quite often the shove-downs have been so short that at low tide no opening whatever existed. This is obviously wrong, and notwithstanding previous custom in the enforcement of the law- it is my belief that corrective measures are necessary to prevent further continuation of this unsatisfactory method of closing traps. If, as some cannery men contend, it is impracticable to open the heart walls on each side of the pot for the full width of 25 feet from top to bottom, the law should be revised. My belief is that it is entirely feasible to provide such an opening without working undue hardship upon the fishing interests. I do not think it necessary to. drop the web entirely to the bottom, but feel that if it is lowered to approximately 4 feet below the lowest minus tide all purposes will be served. REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. Improper and proper methods of arranging heart walls of fish traps in Alaska. i6 REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. SCARS ON SALMON RESULTING FROM IMPROPER USE OF FISH PEWS. POWER BOAT FISHING FLEET AT WRANGELL. REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. CHILKOOT INDIAN HOOKING OR GAFFING SOCKEYE SALMON ON CHILKOOT RIVER. CHILKOOT INDIANS IN DUGOUT CANOE ENGAGED IN GAFFING OR HOOKING SALMON. 74025 — 15 2 iS REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. The complaint of some cannery men that hardship will be inflicted by the requirement that 25 feet of the heart walls shall be opened to the passage of fish at low tide as well as high tide does not seem well founded, as a competent and experienced trap man is authority for the statement that it is quite possible tcnso construct traps that it will not be a particularly great hardship to effect closing in this manner. He said that of course at times when the tide is strong or if there is a considerable sea running there may be some trouble in opening up the full width of 25 feet. He further stated that if the 25-foot feature of the law is enforced literally the practice of constructing heart walls of wire netting must necessarily be modified in that the 25-foot section will have to be constructed of trap web rather than of wire. He stated that haul-downs can be attached on the pile next to the pot and the pile 25 feet away from the pot, whereby the web can be drawn down by means of a hand windlass of the type common in raising and lowering the pots. The web section thus lifted or lowered can be attached at each side by means of rings sliding on a piece of cable stretched taut, or on iron pipe. C/orer/V. Cholmondeley Sound, showing 80 purse seines in operation season of 1914. Under the circumstances as recited just above, and taking into account the need of imposing additional restrictions upon trap fishing as conducted at present, I am disposed to recommend that hereafter no exception be made in the requirement that the heart walls of all traps operated in Alaska shall be opened for the full width of 25 feet on each side next to the pot, so as to permit the free passage of salmon and other fishes, both at low stages and high stages of the tide, There has been a tendency in southeast Alaska to use aprons across the mouth of the tunnel for closing purposes. This is a good method if it is honestly applied, but in my judgment it is susceptible of fraud, for it is quite impossible for a Government inspector to determine, except at great expenditure of time, whether the apron extends to the bottom of the trap. This is an important point, since the water is often 50, 60, or even 70 or 80 feet or more in depth at the entrance to the pot, though the pot usually does not extend to the bottom. It is my belief that the law should be made to specify that the mouth of each tunnel shall be closed both by means of an apron and by drawing the tunnel throughout its entire length to one side of the pot. This double precaution will assure a suitable closing. REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. TYPE OF THE KODIAK ALEUTS WHO CONSTITUTE THE ENTIRE WORKING FORCE AT ONE CANNERY. CANNERY ON KODIAK ISLAND, SHOWING NETS DRYING. 2O REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. PURSE SEINING. Purse seines are more numerous in Alaska than traps, and their aggregate catch of salmon exceeds that of traps. Purse seines are used chiefly in southeast Alaska, and there are two neighboring districts where this method of fishing is particularly prevalent, namely, Karta Bay and Cholmondeley Sound, off the eastern shore of Prince of Wales Island. By way of example of the heavy and congested nature of purse- seine operations, it may be said that this past fall in the very limited area of these two waters there were about 150 purse seines fishing at one time. The fishermen use purse seines in certain sections of Alaska because no other kind of gear seems to answer the purpose so well. As already indicated, this principle also applies to trap fishing. HEAD OF KASAAN BAY % CLARENCE STRAIT m K •!'•*» •-.»;.:* i Head of Kasaan Bay, showing 40 purse seines in operation season of 1914. However, purse seining can not be recommended as a desirable method of fishing, particularly for the reason that it does not rank with the trap as a manner in which fresh and wholesome fish are delivered at the canneries. From much personal observation, there is no doubt in my mind but that a fair portion of the fish brought tc the canneries unfit for use have been in this condition on account of the rough treatment they received at the hands of the purse-seine fishermen. Another thing is that a purse seine can be moved wherever the fisherman may wish to take it, thus following the fish into the very stream mouths, a most objectionable practice. As in the case of traps, the operation of purse seines should be curtailed to some extent. Unfortu- nately, there are men engaged in the fishing industry who care little for the law, and in order to put a check on them it is necessary to have such legislation as will insure its observance. It is a common occurrence in southeastern Alaska, when salmon are scarce and they have worked their way up to the spawing grounds, REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. 21 TRANSFERRING SALMON TO CANNERY FROM DOCK WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN DRESSED AND CLEANED. TABLES FOR WASHING SALMON IN CANNERY. 22 REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. for canneries to furnish the fishermen with short seines with which to go up stream and take fish from the spawning grounds. With ordinary facilities it is impossible for officers of the Government to detect and stop all such illegal practices in the taking of fish. Therefore, I would suggest that to remedy this situation it would be well to abolish the use of seines under a minimum length of 100 fathoms, and, further, to make the law stronger, it would be well to make even the possession of any such seine in Alaska under 100 fathoms a violation as much as to be actually caught using it. Also, as with regard to traps, no purse seine should be operated closer than half a mile to the mouth of a stream. This is a most important point in the future protection of the salmon. HAUL OR BEACH SEINING. With the haul seines the same conditions exist to-day as with the purse seines, and the same remedies are suggested. In addition, with reference to purse and haul seining, I was impressed with the fact that fishermen in some instances do not take the short seines up stream, possibly not having any at hand, but they go up the stream to where the fish are ascending or spawning and drive them back into the deeper water, where other fishermen are waiting with their seines to catch them. This is in direct violation of the spirit of the law, and there should be a heavy penalty in all such cases, even though the men are not actually found taking the fish in seines, or by other means. Every effort should be put forth to prevent the capture of salmon after they have succeeded in reaching waters in which to spawn. GILL NETTING. The gill nets really have a small part in the salmon industry so far as southeastern Alaska is concerned, only about 2 per cent of the total catch of salmon being taken in this manner. However, in Bristol Bay, in western Alaska, they are used very extensively. In southeast Alaska gill nets are used chiefly at the mouth of the Stikine River and in Taku Bay. Under the present law, gill nets are required to be 100 yards apart, but on account of the tides which cause these nets to move about, compliance with this law is made quite difficult. However, I feel certain that the fishermen have not done their part in the past, and that they could do more toward complying with the letter of the law by exercising more care and vigilance. It would seem wise to change tire present law so that the distance interval between gill nets will be 200 yards instead of 100 yards. As with the purse and haul seines, gilled fish do not reach their destination at the canneries in as good condition as those furnished by the traps other than perhaps in Bristol Bay, where the fishing grounds are close to the canneries and nets are not in the water for long periods. When a salmon is gilled, it is likely to die soon, and thereafter often remains in the water a number of hours, which causes a certain deterioration. Gilled fish are easy to distinguish by the mark resulting from the net at their gills. A fair number of salmon taken in gill nets are not caug-ht by the gills, but farther back on the body, and they remain alive in the water for hours. All fishing paraphernalia, such as traps, haul seines, purse seines, and gill nets, should be registered before being put to use. A license system will make this obligatory. OTHER FISHING METHODS. Another method of fishing is that practiced by the Chilkat and Chilkoot Indians, of spearing, gaffing, or hooking salmon. It seems unfair to totally deprive these Indians of this ancient method of fishing, for they have certain prior rights that I believe should be recognized, but I think that the practice should be confined to these two tribes and to the Chilkat and Chilkoot Rivers; furthermore, that they should be permitted to continue it only with the understanding that the fish are to be used wholly for domestic purposes and are not to be sold. Still another rather unique method of fishing is practiced in the Copper River above the delta. When the salmon are running up the stream in localities where the water is very swift, they seek the shores, in order to avoid the current, and are easily picked up by hand dip nets. I experienced the sensation of catching them myself, and it is very easy to land many of them in the course of an hour. It strikes me that when these fish have run by the many gill nets in the Copper River delta, they should be permitted to continue uninterruptedly their journey up to the spawning grounds. However, as there are various little REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. FEEDING SALMON INTO IRON CHINK WHICH AUTOMATICALLY REMOVES HEADS, FINS, AND VISCERA. CUTTING MACHINE IN SALMON CANNERY, SHOWING FISH IN ELEVATOR LEADING UP TO REVOLVING KNIVES. 24 REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. settlements along the shore of the many miles of this river, it might create undue hardship to totally prohibit this method of fishing, and it would therefore seem proper to permit their capture for domestic purposes, but no exportation should be allowed in any form, irrespective of whether fresh, smoked, mild cured, canned, or otherwise prepared. And, furthermore, there should be no method of fishing allowed in this stream other than by hook and line or by hand dip nets. MARKERS AT STREAM MOUTHS. For years there has been controversy in Alaska as to what constitutes the mouth of a river. On account of varying conditions, it is rather difficult to apply any general rule as to where the mouth of a stream begins. A recent court decision specifying that stream mouths in Alaska must be fixed at low- water mark seems to afford a good basis upon which to work. It is evident, however, that some definite action must be taken in the near future in the way of monuments or markers to define and locate exactly the mouth of each stream. This is necessary in order that fishing may be regulated properly. In some instances these monuments at low tide might be a considerable distance from the main channel of the stream. But during flood stages of the tide there are in such cases extended areas of shallow water, and it is perhaps only natural for a fisherman to operate therein when no definite evidence exists as to what is considered to be the mouth of the stream. The solution is to place monuments or markers at low water and thus insure the protection of salmon as they loiter about the stream mouths before ascending to spawn. This should be done jointly by officers of the Bureau of Fisheries and the Coast and Geodetic Survey. There should be heavy penalties for the removal or defacement of such monuments or markers. CLOSE SEASON DISTRICTS. That there should be a definite closing date for salmon fishing in Alaska seems necessary, as the end of the season is a trouble maker to the cannery men and a drain on the supply from which the canning interests would no doubt be glad to have relief. The tendency this year, particularly in southeast Alaska, was to continue operations until the very last and take every fish that could possibly be caught in order to fill a few remaining cans. It is- well known that toward the end of the season the deterioration of the Pacific salmons incident to the spawning function makes them quite inferior for canning purposes. After much consideration of this matter, taking into account the opinions of fishermen, cannery men, and other men of experience, it seems proper to stop all salmon fishing in Alaska as follows: August 20: Juneau district, embracing all the waters north of 57° north latitude, or north of a line approximately through the town of Kake, at the north end of Kupreanof Island, and south of Sitka, on Baranof Island, and east of Cape Spencer.. September i: Wrangell district, embracing all the waters in southeastern Alaska between 56° north latitude and 57° north latitude, or with a southern boundary line approximately from Yes Bay hatchery westward to Cape Decision. September 10: Ketchikan district, embracing all the waters in southeastern Alaska from 56° north latitude south to the international boundary line at 54' 40" north latitude. August 10: Stop all salmon fishing in Alaska west of Cape Spencer, except Kodiak Island, where the closing date should be August 25. It was clearly shown to me a number of times during the past summer that the canneries have oper- ated too late in the season. In a certain section in central Alaska, where three canneries operated in the same vicinity and where there was a scarcity of fish, the canneries cooperated by alternating in canning the day's catch. Even then they had hardly enough to keep moderately busy, and the result was that in an effort to make a full pack many of the salmon they used were spent. Although these fish were fresh from the traps and had been out of the water only a few hours, they were quite inferior for food purposes on account of having spawned. According to admissions of the superintendents, this was a losing proposition and the canneries would really have been better off to have discontinued operations. This condition may be corrected by fixing a definite date when all canning must cease each season. REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. 25 WEEKLY CLOSE SEASON. An important matter in providing a good escapement of salmon to the spawning grounds is in con- nection with the lengthening of the weekly close season. It goes without saying that something must be done to safeguard the future of the salmon industry, and it is to the interests of the cannery men and the SOUTHEAST ALASKA PROPOSED DISTRICTS FOR FISHING SEASONS U.S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES I9I4-. or HAUT. HlllfS. 6. to if 3fl

rf^?^apfflar-:««F5'. = "' ' - -ii-v-^v^ %';;f?^sr,.^;^ INDIAN METHOD OF DRYING HERRING SPAWN ON FIR TREES NEAR SITKA. 58 REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. There is a demand for a close season on halibut, but this does not seem feasible for the same reasons that a tax on halibut is not advisable. A close season would work a hardship on American fishermen as compared with Canadian fishermen. It is popularly supposed, especially in the East, that most of the halibut consumed in this country come from the Atlantic. This is not correct, for the records show that Pacific waters supply about 85 per cent of the entire production of halibut. The bulk of this yield is from the banks off the coast of Alaska. The initial preservation of halibut in large cold-storage plants in Alaska, where they are glazed in ice, and the subsequent shipment of them in refrigerator steamers to Pacific coast ports and thence by refrig- erator cars to the eastern centers of distribution at Boston, New York, and elsewhere, insures the consumer a high-grade and wholesome food product. The Alaska halibut industry at present centers at Ketchikan. The principal shipping points are Seattle and Vancouver, but with the completion of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway to Prince Rupert, British Columbia, that port is likely to become soon a most important center of the halibut industry. Prince Rupert is only about 90 miles from Ketchikan, and is 600 miles nearer than rail facilities at Seattle. Thus, halibut shipped by way of Prince Rupert can be laid down in eastern markets in from 24 to 48 hours less time than when shipped from Seattle. It becomes evident that American transportation interests must offer inducements in order to prevent a considerable loss of trade. CODFISH INDUSTRY. The codfish industry is the oldest fishery proper in Alaska, having had its inception more than 50 years ago while the Territory was still under Russian control. It has increased materially since that time and has proved a valuable asset, but there is still much ground that has been untouched; so we are assured of an abundant supply for many years to come. The Alaska codfish is of first-class quality, and not- withstanding occasional adverse reports it is equal in every way to the Atlantic cod. Some of the fishing grounds are still known only in a general way, and the Government should lend its assistance by pointing out more profitable banks, in order that the industry may be developed more extensively. Unga Island, in the Shumagin Group, is the headquarters from which most of the shorii.- station fishing is done. Operations extend as far west as Unimak Island and as far south as Sannak Island, in the Sannak Group. The largest plant is situated on Unga Island, and last summer, upon the occasion of my visit, was entirely filled with salted cod, about 60,000 in number, averaging 4 to 5 pounds each, dressed weight. The fishermen are mostly resident Scandinavians, and they receive $52.50 per thousand for fish over 26 inches long; and under this size they give two for one. They appear to be prosperous and happy, and that they have a comfortable living is evident. Most of the fishing is done from small boats, and the fish are brought to the shore stations, where they are dressed and salted. There is also a fleet of several schooners engaged in the cod fishery in this vicinity and in Bering Sea. The fish are cleaned and salted down in the holds as soon as they come aboard from the dories. When a full cargo has been obtained, the vessels proceed to their home ports, either at San Francisco or on Puget Sound. The product of the shore stations is likewise taken to those ports by transporting vessels engaged solely in this work. Some of the Alaska cod shore stations are in operation throughout the year. The method of curing codfish is clean and whole- some, and there was no part of the fishing industry that pleased me more. HERRING INDUSTRY. One of Alaska's fisheries resources which is yet not fully developed is the herring industry. The her- ring is a valuable fish found in nearly all the waters of Alaska, usually in large schools, some of which cover several square miles of water. At the present time the Alaska herring is not used much for food purposes, largely because the salmon industry has occupied the majority of the fishermen throughout the region. However, in the last year or so there has been a tendency to recognize the real value of the herring. That they are valuable as a food is beyond question, and future years will prove this conclusively. A reason why they are not used more freely for food during certain months of the year, during the sum- mer season, is because of the discoloration of the flesh after death, due to the decomposition within the alimentary tract of a small red crustacean upon which the fish feed. Because of this objectionable feature and on account of market conditions, very few have cared to bother with them, and they are looked upon during these months as useless except for fertilizer or halibut bait; but when it is considered that Norway, whose herring industry is known the world over, has met with this same obstacle and overcome it one can REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. 59 HERRING AND THEIR SPAWN. NOTE THAT THE EGGS WERE DEPOSITED ON BRANCHES THAT HAD FALLEN INTO THE WATER. 6o REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. 61 PURSE-SEINE HAUL OF HERRING. BRAILING HERRING FROM A PURSE SEINE. HERRING AND OTHER FISH AT KILLISNOO REDUCTION WORKS. 62 RKPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. see that it can likewise be overcome in Alaska. The method used is simply to impound the fish for three or four days, thus permitting them to digest and eliminate this so-called "red feed" and the flesh is then as clear and suitable for food purposes as it is at any other season of the year. To-day there is an enormous quantity of herring used for halibut bait; in fact, thousands of barrels are put up each year for this pur- pose. Salt herring, however, are not as suitable for bait as are fresh or frozen herring. It is hard to estimate the potential value of the herring industry from its present undeveloped condi- tion, but it is safe to say that the outlook is bright and that this undeveloped business will be worth thou- sands of dollars each year to Alaska. Beyond question, herring should not be used for fertilizer, oil, or fish meal. The present practice of the Indians in southeast Alaska of taking millions of herring eggs every season and drying them for food should be stopped at once, for this not only means partial destruction of the future supply of herring, but is quite needless, since these Indians have many other ways of obtaining food. USE OF FOOD FISH FOR FERTILIZER AND OIL. For the last 25 years the manufacture of fertilizer and oil has been conducted by one factory located at Killisnoo, on the west coast of Admiralty Island. This industry has created much adverse criticism because of the general claim in Alaska that an edible and valuable fish like the herring should not be used except for food and bait purposes. It has been stated by the management of this plant that the business has not been a financial success, but it is safe to assume that any factory that has operated for a quarter of a century must be a paying proposition, otherwise it would not remain active. The manager of this plant emphasized the fact that they use almost nothing but herring, the only exception being an occasional straggler of other species. This, however, must have been a mistake, for I not only heard that all fish irrespective of species caught in the seines were used, but one evening last summer when a boatload of fish of about 125 tons, representing 875,000 herring, or approximately 1,250 barrels of 700 fish each, were being discharged into a large storage bin at the plant I observed that while most of them were herring there were also numbers of cod, a few halibut, and some flounders scattered all through the cargo. I called the attention of the manager to this condition, and was assured that these other varieties of fish had not been with the herring before, and therefore had not been utilized. A number of the employees, however, assured me that in every boatload there were fish other than herring. While this factory is now the single and isolated case, it seems to me that it should not be allowed to continue operations, but should be permanently closed by the Government. The further operation of this plant not only sets a bad example, but it destroys many thousands of good salable fish and opens the way for the establishment of other such reduction plants. In fact, just now there is a large company anticipating the same use of herring, and they are only waiting to see if the Government disapproves the continuation of the Killisnoo plant. Up to this year the Killisnoo factory has manufactured fertilizer and oil only. It has now partially discontinued the manufacture of fertilizer and is making instead a form of meal which is utilized chiefly for poultry food. WHALING INDUSTRY. The whaling industry in Alaska is confined to two shore stations and to intermittent and now unim- portant efforts of old-time vessels operating on the high seas. In the latter phase of the whale fishery only the oil and whalebone of commerce are used, thus meaning that the carcass of each whale is wasted. At the shore stations, however, nothing is wasted, as every part of the whale is utilized, the products includ- ing various grades of oil, as well as fertilizer and animal meal. The whales handled include humpbacks, finbacks, sulphur bottoms, and sperms. The sperms are less numerous than the others, but they are the most valuable. A good-sized sperm whale is worth about $3,000, consequently it is a prize for any crew and is hunted assiduously. One of the Alaska shore stations is at Akutan, near Unimak Pass, and the other is at Port Armstrong, on Baranof Island, in southeast Alaska. These stations are modern and complete in every respect, and appear to be well conducted. The whales are killed by means of small steamers having a muzzle-loading gun mounted at the bow. There has been much talk of a close season on whales. At the best, whaling stations can be operated only during four or five months of the year. Throughout the remainder of the year the boats are tied REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. ALASKA WHALING VESSEL OPERATING FROM A SHORE STATION. HARPOON GUN IS SHOWN AT BOW. SHOOTING A WHALE. LINE WITH HARPOON ATTACHED MAY BE SEEN AT RIGHT OF PICTURE. 64 REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. SHORE WHALING STATION IN SOUTHEAST ALASKA. FINBACK WHALE JUST KILLED, WESTERN ALASKA. REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. REMOVING BLUBBER FROM A FINBACK WHALE. 74025 — 15 5 CARCASS OF LARGE SPERM WHALE, WITH BLUBBER REMOVED. 66 REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. up and the stations are closed; and even during the active period there are many days when, because of bad weather, it is useless to go out, as it is impossible to shoot a whale when the sea is rough. This in itself acts as an automatic close season. At the present it does not seem that any legislation in the way of a close season on whales is necessary. There has been much discussion concerning the effect the killing of whales might have on the supply of herring and salmon. But there is no reason for believing that the presence of whales has any impor- tant influence upon the run of fish. Whales subsist largely upon small crustaceans and other animal life found in the water, and while they may occasionally steal upon a school of salmon or herring with the result of driving them closer inshore, the total effect of such activities on the part of the whales is in all probability small. TROUT. In addition to the five species of salmon, there are several varieties of trout found in Alaska, among which are the Dolly Varden, steelhead, rainbow, and cutthroat. All these are excellent food fishes, and the Dolly Varden and steelhead are at present utilized to a considerable extent for commercial purposes. There is, however, a decided prejudice against them, amounting in places to a desire for their extermina- tion, owing to their destructive habit of preying upon the eggs and fry of the salmon. In some sections drastic steps are being taken to destroy them. Until more definite information is at hand in regard to the amount of damage caused by these fish, activities in respect to them should take the form of utiliza- tion for economic purposes rather than destroying them. The value of the Dolly Varden trout for food purposes has already been established, but it would hardly seem that the possibilities of its future have been realized. This fish is to all intents and purposes the equal of our eastern brook trout, which brings a price of from 50 cents to $i a pound. With this thought in mind, it would seem that the Alaska Dolly Varden can be shipped in cold storage to markets in the east. Last winter one fisherman of southeast Alaska made a shipment of Dolly Vardens in cold storage to Seattle and netted $500 on the venture. It was not long ago that some of the Pacific Coast States forbade the sale of this fish, which prevented their being brought in from Alaska; but since then the law has been properly interpreted and there is nothing to hinder the broadening and building up of this part of the industry. It is strongly advocated that this work be encouraged, instead of allowing the destruction and total waste of this valuable fish. The canning of Dolly Varden trout, which is the most abundant of the trouts in Alaska, should be encouraged. Several thousand cases of them have already been packed within the last two or three years, principally on Kotzebue Sound, and they have found a ready market. The steelhead is highly prized for freezing purposes at the cold-storage plants in Alaska, but, unfortunately, the number of them obtained is comparatively small. TAXATION. The question of taxation is of vital importance to those engaged in the fishing industry, and while undoubtedly the present rates should be changed, any radical revision would be unfair and unwise. The present rate on canned salmon, all kinds, is 4 cents per case; on mild-cured salmon, 40 cents per tierce; on salt salmon in bulk, 5 cents per 100 pounds; on pickled salmon, 10 cents per barrel; fish oil, 10 cents per barrel; and fertilizer, 20 cents per ton. These rates seem too low, but I do not agree with the agitation for an extremely high tariff on such products, for the price usually received does not warrant it. A just and fair revision of this scale is submitted as follows: On canned salmon, king or spring, and sockeye or red, 8 cents per case; humpback or pink, and coho or silver, 6 cents per case; chum or dog, 4 cents per case; mild-cured salmon, $i per tierce; salt salmon in bulk, 10 cents per 100 pounds; pickled salmon, 20 cents per barrel; salmon bellies, $i per barrel; whale oil, 20 cents per barrel; whalebone meal, 40 cents per ton; whale fertilizer, 50 cents per ton; whale meal, 75 cents per ton. The propriety of revising the scale of taxation upon canned salmon is readily apparent when cognizance is taken of the varying values of the several kinds of salmon. There may be some objection to the seemingly high tax suggested for salmon bellies, but when it is considered that it takes about 200 fish to make one barrel of bellies the tax suggested is not exorbitant. It will be noted that no mention is made of a tax on oil or fertilizer manufactured from fish. This is because it is important that any industry using food fish for that purpose should be restrained from REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. DOLLY VARDEN TROUT FROM STIKINE RIVER, WEIGHT 9 POUNDS 1 OUNCE. A SEINE HAUL OF DOLLY VARDEN TROUT IN KARLUK RIVER. 68 REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. such action, and there would thus be no further necessity for a tax on this article. But as fertilizer will no doubt be made from the offal of canneries, there might be some question as to the advisability of a small tax on this article. The margin of profit must be small in gathering offal from the canneries, and therefore I would not advocate any tax at present on the commodities manufactured from this material. The new scale of taxes suggested for whale products is proper and just. After mature consideration of the question of a tax on cod and halibut, I have come to the conclusion that such a tax is unwise, for the reason that it would handicap American fishermen in competition with Canadian or other foreign vessels. It must be remembered that a large proportion of the cod and halibut taken from the fishery banks off the coast of Alaska are caught on the high seas beyond the 3-mile limit COLLECTION AND USE OF TAXES. The present system of collecting the tax on mild-cured salmon is very poor, and many tierces reach the States without paying any tax. This is due to evasive tactics upon the part of some of those engaged in the industry. At the present time the troller who mild-cures on his power boat brings several tierces to town and disposes of them to a mild-curing establishment. He may leave soon and neglect to pay the tax. The man who buys them says he did not cure or preserve this particular lot of salmon and therefore is not responsible for payment of the tax. It is easy to remedy this situation by holding the shippers responsible for all tierces they handle, and the customs officers should not permit shipment until all taxes have been paid. In this connection, it is suggested that some distinctive mark be placed on every tierce as soon as the tax is collected. It is fair to assume that almost half of the tierces of salmon heretofore packed in Alaska have come out tax free. In order to insure the collection of all taxes on various fisheries products now exported from Alaska, it might be well for the collector of customs to refuse the issuance of clearance manifests until advised by the clerk of the court or other official charged with the collection of such taxes that the prescribed fees have been paid. One other thing in connection with the taxes collected from the fishing industry is that it seems unfair and unbusinesslike that no part of this money is utilized for the protection and propagation of salmon or other food fishes. I would earnestly recommend that 30 per cent of all taxes collected in the future on the fishing industry be applied to the protection and extension of the fishing interests of Alaska. LICENSE TAX ON GEAR. That all fishing gear in Alaska should have a license tax levied on it is just and essential. The following scale is suggested: On traps, $100 per annum; purse seines, $75 per annum; haul seines, $50 per annum; gill nets in Bristol Bay, $3 per annum; in all other localities, $2 per annum. It is further urgently recom- mended that every piece of apparatus on which the license tax has been paid shall be branded, showing the license number. It is further recommended that 30 per cent of the income from this source of taxation shall revert to the propagation of fish and the protection of the fishing industry. DISTRICTS FOR PATROL SYSTEM. A uniform and well-established system of patrol throughout Alaska is one of the most essential matters pertaining to the maintenance of the fisheries industries and the enforcement of the laws pertaining to salmon and other fish. Adequate protection along similar lines should also be afforded the fur-bearing animals. After much thought and consideration, taking into account the enormous territory that has to be covered in order to patrol approximately 600,000 square miles, I am convinced that the only feasible way of doing this work properly and systematically is to divide Alaska into five districts, as follows: District No. i. — From Dixon Entrance to Yakutat, with headquarters at Wrangell. This district requires the greatest amount of vigilance throughout the year, and should have a chief warden at a salary of $2,000, an assistant chief warden at $1,500, and eight wardens at $1,000 each. District No. 2. — West from Yakutat to and including Cook Inlet, and north to 62° north latitude, with headquarters at Cordova. This territory includes the fishing in Prince William Sound, Copper River delta, and the great fishing district of Cook Inlet. There should be a chief warden at $2,000 and four wardens at $1,000 each. REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. 69 District No. j. — From Afognak Island west to Unimak Island, including the southern coast line of the Alaska Peninsula, the Semidi, Shumagin, and Sannak Groups of Islands, also Kodiak and Afognak Islands, with headquarters at Kodiak. This is a section that needs work the year round and is a territory difficult to cover. There should be a chief warden at $2,000 and three wardens at $1,000 each. District No. 4. — To include the waters and territory north of the Alaska Peninsula and Bristol Bay, to 62° north latitude, and west from Unimak, including all the Aleutian Reservation, with headquarters at Unalaska, or, preferably, Dutch Harbor. There should be a chief warden at $2,000 and three wardens at $1,000 each. District No. 5. — To embrace all waters and territory north of 62° north latitude, which includes the Yukon River and tributaries ; headquarters to be at Fairbanks. There should be a chief warden at $2 ,000 and three wardens at $ 1,000 each. MAP OP ALASKA SHOWINO FIVE PROPOSED DISTRICTS FOR USBUREAU Or FISHERIES 1914 Five proposed districts for administering fisheries and fur-bearing animal affairs of Alaska. The duties of these men would be many and diverse. During the salmon season, which varies in different sections and lasts from three to six months, their time would be well taken up with this work. At other periods of the year some of them could assist at hatcheries during certain busy seasons. Also, the fur-bearing animals, as well as the codfish, the herring, and the halibut industries, are to be looked after the year around. At the present time, outside of our meager work in southeastern Alaska, practically the rest of the vast territory has been abandoned so far as inspection work is concerned. It is ridiculous to assume that any one man can properly take care of 5,000 miles of coast line or patrol a territory of 100,000 square miles, as is expected with our present staff. The territory is entirely too large for interlocking the various divisions, and each chief warden should work with his men independent of the other districts and send reports direct to headquarters. 70 REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. VESSELS. A fundamental necessity in the protection of the fisheries of coastal waters is a fleet of vessels of a type fitted for the requirements of the region concerned and numerically proportionate to the extent of the waters to be covered. Alaska has the enormous coast line of approximately 26,000 miles and produces fisheries products each year valued at nearly $20,000,000, yet in the all-important matter of patrol vessels for Alaska the Bureau of Fisheries has only the pitifully inadequate service of a single small steamer. This vessel, the Osprey, is only 72 feet long and of 40 tons measurement, and it is unseaworthy, topheavy, and quite unsuited to the needs of the service. In reference to the unseaworthiness of the Osprey, I feel well qualified to pass judgment, for in my investigations and research this season I lived aboard her for 60 days and found conditions far from satisfactory. Her freeboard amidships is just 12 inches. From the deck to the top of the pilot house the distance is over 14 feet, and with the greater part of her machinery above the water line the vessel is so topheavy that a good breeze renders it dangerous to leave the dock. In an unusual blow last fall, the Osprey without warning turned completely on her side, lying flat on the water long enough for the engine room to be flooded. The officers and crew were penned up in this treacherous boat, and only by an act of Providence did a counter flurry right her in the next few seconds. This is the vessel that is offered to our men to patrol 26,000 miles of coast line in boisterous seas to protect the great fishing industry of Alaska. The decks, pilot house, and many of the beams are rotten, and the boat must be handled with unusual care. The boiler is also defective, having been installed 19 years ago, when the boat was built. However, I talked with men of experience who are familiar with vessels and their construction, and all admit that her hull is strong and sound and agree that this boat if properly refitted and provided with more efficient machinery would prove suitable for certain requirements of the Alaska patrol service. At the present time the Osprey is expensive to operate. With coal at $8.50 a ton, she costs $17 for every hun- dred miles covered and can maintain a speed of only 8 knots. By way of comparison, let me cite the following case: The Osprey, after she had been purchased in 1912, left Elaine, Wash., and on the trip to Ketchikan, a distance of 600 miles, burned about $90 worth of coal. The Warrior, a vessel similar to the Osprey as to size, but equipped with a Diesel type of engine, made the trip from Seattle to Ketchikan, a distance of 690 miles, in less time and at a total cost of only $10.50 for fuel, or about one-tenth of that required for the Osprey. This is a strong argument for taking out the Osprey' 's steam plant and installing a suitable type of gas engine, the estimated cost of which is $12,000. This will make the boat safe and of some value to the Government, and at the same time will effect a saving on fuel of about $15 per hundred miles, the latter figure being based on the average cost of coal in southeast Alaska. The Osprey has been used only part of the time during the last two years in southeastern Alaska, due primarily to two reasons — first, lack of appropriations; and second, because she is unseaworthy and many days unable to leave her dock. NEW VESSELS REQUIRED. It is absolutely necessary to have more boats and funds to carry out the instructions of Congress in regard to the enforcement of the fishery laws of Alaska. Without more vessels and men it is almost as useless to make laws to protect this great fishing industry, worth nearly $20,000,000 per annum, as it would be to lay 200 miles of railroad track in Alaska and then not furnish the money to buy a single car or locomotive for the benefit of the people for whom the railroad was built. In order to conduct properly the patrol work in southeastern Alaska there should be the following: In the first district, a large vessel of about 100 tons and four fast patrol boats, the former to cost in the neighborhood of $30,000 and the latter about $9,000 each; in the second district, two patrol boats costing $10,000 each; in the third district, one vessel costing $20,000 and one patrol boat costing $10,000; in the fourth district, a vessel costing $20,000; and in the fifth district, one patrol boat costing $20,000. The present method of chartering patrol boats is expensive and impracticable, and fails to accomplish the purpose sought. They almost invariably lack speed, which is one of the essentials in detecting violations of the fishery laws. The quarters on chartered boats are unsuitable, and our men are poorly housed and do not have the accommodations or consideration they deserve in performing such arduous and impor- tant work. REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. U. S. FISHERIES STEAMER "OSPREY," AT ZAREMBO ISLAND. U. S. FISHERIES STEAMER "ALBATROSS," AT RESURRECTION BAY. 72 REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. The waters to-day in western Alaska, including the fishing districts of Prince William Sound, Cook Inlet, Kodiak Island, Bristol Bay, and around the shores of the Alaska Peninsula, together with the Shu- magin, Semidi, and Sannak Islands, are practically without any protection, and fishermen operate in any way they care to, without, I may say, even the slightest semblance of investigation or restriction. This is entirely due to the fact that there are no Government vessels to look after these vast and important fields. We have one man stationed at Afognak Island, not only an isolated place, but with the waters surrounding it and Kodiak Island treacherous and dangerous a greater part of the time, and all we have available for his use is an 1 8-foot skiff. In this he is supposed to investigate fishery violations and follow fast-moving tugs and fishing boats. As a result, this Government official has been forced to jeopardize his life by going out in this skiff, or resort to the unfortunate and inexcusable practice of asking a cannery to furnish passage on a boat so that he may investigate the company's own fishery operations. This is the only safe means he has of getting there. The necessity of such a practice is ludicrous and absurd in the performance of official inspection work. To cite one instance which reflects discredit on the Government: One of our chief officials in Alaska requested that a cannery tug take him to a certain fishing ground so that he might see if the law was being violated. The company's superintendent readily acquiesced, and when he was nearing the fishing grounds blew five long blasts. The Government official naturally inquired why this was done, and the answer came back: "I am very sorry, but my instructions from the boss are to warn all the fishermen by five whistles when any of our boats are carrying a United States fisheries official." In other words, they were in the habit of violating the law and this was a warning that they must desist for the time being. It is needless to say that when the official went ashore the plant was all in order and everybody was attending to his duty in the proper way. This explains the whole situation in a very few words, and it is earnestly hoped that it will not be necessary for this practice to continue. Could there be a more unfortunate condition, and can we expect any better results from the meager facilities we now have ? All through this section, and farther beyond, the salmon fishing, the halibut fishing, and the partly developed codfish operations need investigating and looking after the greater part of the year. The Aleutian Reservation, 1,000 miles long, has never had her fisheries investigated, and yet there are certain conditions that should be changed and looked into without delay. This can be done only if there is a boat stationed there the year round. Bristol Bay, one of the greatest salmon sections in Alaska, where two months of the year the water is teeming with the valuable red salmon, can be covered only by accepting the courtesy of boats belonging to the canneries our men are sent to inspect. With the development and expansion of the industry, it is only a question of time when Kotzebue Sound and the adjacent region will be invaded by canneries. To-day there is but one in that section, but to-morrow there will be more, and we need to be there. PAY OF OFFICERS AND CREW. The question of the pay of the officers and crews on the vessels in our service is a very important matter. Having at present only one vessel in our Alaska service, I can cite only one case, but it is enough to illustrate the condition as it now exists. To-day the captain of the Osprey is paid $125 a month, the chief engineer receives $91.66, the firemen $60 each, a seaman $50 a month, and the cook $50, each having to pay his own board. I took this question into consideration for two reasons — first, because of the com- plaints I have heard in Washington ever since I have been connected with this Bureau; and, second, because there was continual trouble in securing a crew during the two months I was on the Osprey. The captain and the engineer, men of knowledge and judgment, have felt that the Government will see this situation in the proper light before long, and they therefore made no general complaint to me that they were underpaid. I consulted owners of boats, both larger and smaller than the Osprey, and found that the following scale of wages prevailed on about all vessels of from 30 to 100 tons in Alaska: Captain, $125 to $150 a month; mate, $100 to $125; chief engineer, $90 to $125; assistant engineer, $75 to $100; firemen, $60 to $75; seamen, $60 to $70 each; and the cook, $65 to $100, all wages including board. The officers of the Osprey to-day are men of integrity and ability, and they afforded me valuable help in carrying on my investigations. The Government can ill afford to lose these men, and with more lucrative positions offered them it is a wonder that the Government has been able to retain their services as long as it has. REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. 73 DECK LOAD OF COAL ON FORWARD DECK OF "ALBATROSS." COAL IN GANGWAY ON DECK OF "ALBATROSS. 74 REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. ALBATROSS. There is an important matter regarding the Albatross, the largest vessel engaged in general deep-sea fisheries work for the Government, that I want to mention. This is in regard to converting the vessel to an oil burner. I was on the Albatross for nearly two months this season and had ample opportunity to study her myself and to listen to the discussions of others who knew her better than I did from the point of experi- ence and actual contact with conditions. This vessel, while rather old, has a hull which is in splendid condition and good for many years. The fact, however, that the Albatross is a coal burner makes her expensive to operate and lessens her efficiency, particularly on account of a reduced steaming radius. On an average day's run at 8 knots an hour, the fuel consumption is now about 12 tons of coal, which, based on prices in western Alaska, costs about $144. If the vessel were converted into an oil burner, at a cost of about $26,000, she would save nearly $2,500 in one month for fuel alone, or approximately $15,000 in a year, based on six months' cruising. The present limited coal-carrying capacity is such that for a trip of any distance a heavy deckload of coal must be carried. Outside of the mere fact that it makes everything dirty and unsightly, it is an extremely dangerous situation, for if the vessel ever met with heavy weather in this condition there would be danger of the upper works being stove in, the ultimate result of which might be to cause the ship to founder. The installation of oil-burning equipment would do away with the chance for any such disaster. HATCHERY WORK. Hatchery work in Alaska, both private and Government, deserves the utmost consideration. There are five private hatcheries in the Territory — one on Karluk River, Kodiak Island, owned by the Alaska Packers Association; one on Heckman Lake, Revillagigedo Island, southeastern Alaska, owned by the Alaska Packers Association; one on Hetta Lake, near the southern end of Prince of Wales Island, owned by the Northwestern Fisheries Co. ; one near Boca de Quadra, at the head of Smith Lake, on Buschmann Creek, in southeastern Alaska, also owned by the Northwestern Fisheries Co.; and one at Klawak, on the west coast of Prince of Wales Island, owned jointly by the North Pacific Trading & Packing Co. and the North Alaska Salmon Co. These private hatcheries have for the past 10 years produced annually an average of 98,000,000 sockeye or red-salmon fry, and since the passage of the act of June 26, 1906, have received from the Government a rebate therefor on their fishery tax at the rate of 40 cents for every thousand red or king salmon fry liberated, which rate is the equivalent of the tax on 10 cases of salmon. The question of whether or not the future supply of this variety of salmon has been benefited is hardly the point to be considered to-day. The fact remains that the Government is granting a rebate that should be discontinued without delay. The United States Bureau of Fisheries is doing excellent work in Alaska, and it is good business to presume that the practice of paying private concerns to carry on this part of what is really the Government's business should cease at once, and in the future all such operations should be conducted by the Government through the proper department. The obligation that the Government must assume when it repeals the present law prohibiting further buying of fry or rebating in connection with the salmon canneries is an open question. In connection with the recommendation that the law allowing rebates on private hatchery output be repealed at once, I would also suggest that the five private hatcheries in Alaska be looked over carefully this coming year by a board of three from the Bureau of Fisheries, to determine whether their operation under Government ownership should be considered. PRIVATE HATCHERIES. The Karluk hatchery has been operated for 19 years. It is situated about a mile and a half from the mouth of the Karluk River. The buildings are in a fair state of preservation. The interior and working part of the plant is also in fair order, but it is evident that the location is very undesirable. Under present conditions, it is necessary to deposit the fry in salt water, which is objectionable and can not possibly produce the desired results. The capacity of this hatchery is about 50,000,000 salmon eggs. The Heckman Lake hatchery, commonly known as the Loring or Fortmann hatchery, has inexpensive buildings, but they are in a fair state of preservation. This place is 8 miles from navigable water, and it is rather inaccessible, in view of the fact that it may be reached only by crossing a lagoon, two portages, REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. 75 YES BAY HATCHERY BUILDINGS. INTAKE OF WATER-SUPPLY FLUME AT YES BAY HATCHERY. REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. ,^t"~ • TRAMWAY FROM YES BAY TO LAKE McDONALD. MAIN HATCHERY BUILDING AND RETAINING RACK, YES BAY STATION. REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. 77 TRAMWAY LEADING FROM SALT WATER TO AFOGNAK HATCHERY, SHOWING ALSO LITNIK RIVER. AFOGNAK HATCHERY. WITH SAWMILL AT EDGE OF WATER. 78 REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. and two lakes. For this reason it is objectionable on account of the difficulty experienced in the trans- portation of supplies. However, with the possibility of broadening the work, and with a splendid water supply at hand, it deserves careful consideration. This hatchery is the largest in the world for the propa- gation of salmon, having a capacity of 1 10,000,000 eggs. It has several good rearing ponds. The Hetta Lake hatchery has carried on its work in a small way. With better protection of the stream where the adult salmon enter the lake, egg collections can be improved, and it seems likely that Sketch of Boca de Quadra hatchery and vicinity. profitable fish-cultural operations can be conducted at this plant. The hatchery was rebuilt two years ago and now has a capacity of about 12,000,000 eggs. Conditions at the Klawak hatchery are in a general way similar to those at Hetta. The average take of red salmon eggs during the last few years at Klawak has been under 5,000,000. This is only about half the maximum capacity of the hatchery. The building is plain, but in good condition. Of the smaller hatcheries the one that most impressed me was that commonly known as the Boca de Quadra hatchery, situated at the head of Smith Lake. The buildings are simple and inexpensive, but not conveniently arranged. This, however, is a condition that can be readily corrected, since the REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. 79 SOME OF BUILDINGS AT AFOGNAK HATCHERY. LITNIK MOUNTAIN FROM AFOGNAK HATCHERY. THE WHITE APPEARANCE OF MOUNTAIN IS DUE TO VOLCANIC ASH RATHER THAN SNOW. 8o REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. WATER-SUPPLY RESERVOIR AT AFOGNAK HATCHERY. INTERIOR OF AFOGNAK HATCHERY. REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. 81 SEINING SOCKEYE SALMON IN CREEK AT AFOGNAK HATCHERY. NG SALMON JU5 T BELOW RACK AT AFOGNAK HATCHERY. NOTE HEAD NETS FOR PRO- TECTION AGAINST MOSQUITOES. 74025 — 15 6 TAKING EGGS FROM SOCKEYE SALMON, AFOGNAK HATCHERY. 82 REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. more important features are well covered. The buildings were new last year, and several fry ponds have been built. Buschmann Creek and also Cobb Creek, another large stream entering Smith Lake, were both teeming with sockeye salmon this fall, assuring an abundant supply of eggs for a much larger hatchery than the one now in use, the capacity of which is about 18,000,000 salmon eggs. There is also good evidence of a sufficient water supply. In connection with this hatchery I would like to speak of a stream 4 miles away known as Humpback Creek, which empties into Mink Arm. This is one of the best humpback salmon streams in southeastern Alaska. Last September the Yes Bay hatchery collected from Humpback Creek 2,600,000 humpback salmon eggs. This stream would be of great assistance in supplying the hatchery already established at Buschmann Creek, provided its capacity were increased. This location and the conditions impressed me most favorably, and its close proximity to the main waters makes it all the more valuable. Vicinity of Yes Hay hatchery, showing traps off month of bay that hamper hatchery work. GOVERNMENT HATCHERIES. There are two Government hatcheries in Alaska, one known as the Yes Bay hatchery, situated at the head of McDonald Lake, on Cleveland Peninsula, in southeastern Alaska, and the other on Litnik Lake, on Afognak Island, a Government reservation between Shelikof Straits and the Gulf of Alaska. I visited these hatcheries and scrutinized every detail carefully. In connection with their operation I have little but favorable comment to make. Both of them were in splendid condition inside and out, and the only suggestion I would offer is that the work be expanded in every possible way in order to keep pace with the ever increasing need for replenishing the supply of salmon. The present normal capacity of each of these stations is about 75,000,000 red-salmon eggs. At Afognak there is great need for erecting a feeding shed to cost about $i ,500. The station is equipped with a sawmill, and spruce timber is close at hand which may be worked up for this purpose. REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. REARING PONDS AT FORTMANN HATCHERY. INTERIOR OF FORTMANN HATCHERY. 84 REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. KARLUK HATCHERY ON KODIAK ISLAND. »4? » . KARLUK HATCHERY SHOWING WATER SUPPLY AND TRAMWAY FOR HANDLING ADULT BREEDING SALMON AND FRY. 86 R1CPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. TAKING SPAWN FROM SOCKEYE SALMON AT KARLUK HATCHERY. ^ . * INTERIOR OF KARLUK HATCHERY. SALMON EGG BASKETS REMOVED FROM TROUGH. REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. TWO MATURE MALE SOCKEYE SALMON, SHOWING CONTRAST IN SIZE, THE LARGER WEIGHING 11 POUNDS AND THE SMALLER IJi POUNDS. SORTING BROOD SOCKEYE SALMON AT KARLUK HATCHERY 88 REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. Afognak still feels the effects of the eruption of Kattnai Volcano in June, 1912. The deposit of ash is still to be seen on the trees and hills and there is so much washed into the streams that the take of eggs is far below the normal. It is likely that conditions from now on will improve rapidly. In regard to the Yes Bay hatchery, there is but little to suggest, except the extension of the feeding pond system. This is a matter of great importance. There is a tramway half a mile long between the land- ing and McDonald Lake. It is in bad repair and should be attended to at once, for an accident to the trestle on which the track is laid might cause the loss of property as well as result in injury to some of the employees. Another needed improvement is the construction of a branch of the present tramway, start- ing at the power house and continuing through to the Yes Bay cannery, a distance of a mile and a half. This would permit safe communication at all times of the year. The fact that there is no trail and that the undergrowth is unusually dense, together with the deep snow, makes it almost impossible to get over this ground, and on account of thin ice it is impossible during three or four weeks in the fall and spring to get down to the cannery at Yes Bay, where the weekly mail boat stops, and if a physician or supplies were needed in an emergency they could not be obtained. The question of the supply of fish at these hatcheries is of the greatest importance, in order to insure a maximum take of eggs at the least possible cost. At the present time and under the existing law, the cannery people have the right to encroach on the territory that should be exclusively reserved for these hatcheries. The work of the hatcheries, both public and private, is so important that there should be nothing to prevent the salmon having full sway in reaching waters where they will be available for use at the hatcheries. The question of raising more humpback or pink salmon in southeastern Alaska is very important, as over 90 per cent of the total pack of this variety is canned in that part of the Territory. In addition to this, I would earnestly recommend that the custom of distributing fry should be modified, and the quantity diminished each year until it is made possible to feed the entire output of hatchery fish to the fingerling stage, so that when placed in the water they will have some real future value. The more I see of fish- cultural work the more I am impressed with the fact that the fewer fry distributed and the greater the number of fingerlings the more pronounced will be the practical results in the way of increased runs of salmon. MORE HATCHERIES NEEDED. Beyond question there should be a number of new Government hatcheries. This is a valuable work, if conducted along proper lines, and upon it will depend in no little measure the future supply of salmon in Alaska. This matter should have immediate consideration, and the following locations are suggested as suitable for these new hatcheries : Redoubt or Deep Lake. — This lake is 15 miles south of Sitka. The water supply is excellent, and about 55,000 sockeyes were taken there last year. Eyak Lake. — This lake is close to the town of Cordova and at the present time is protected by a closing order of the Secretary of Commerce. This order should continue in force, and on account of the good run of red salmon, the accessibility of the lake, and the fact that a splendid water supply is available, a hatchery should be established on the lake. Chignik Lake. — This body of water is in central Alaska. Canning operations have been carried on here extensively for years and the supply of salmon is growing less. There is great need for a hatchery here. Chignik Lake was surveyed by the Bureau of Fisheries three years ago, having this purpose in view, and favorable recommendations were made. There was no place in Alaska that appealed to me more as a proper place for fish-cultural work. Chilkat Lake. — This lake is situated near the northern part of Lynn Canal and in the past has received some consideration as a hatchery prospect. It is an admirable place for another Government hatchery and reservation. MARKED FISH. Another interesting feature in connection with the hatchery work is the branding of salmon. At Chignik a large number of sockeyes with a distinct V-shaped mark in the tail were taken. Another time, at Boca de Quadra, a number of sockeyes with a V-shaped mark in the ventral fin were taken, and while it is impossible to determine at present where they originated it is possible that they were marked at some hatchery. REPORT OK ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. 89 SORTING SOCKEYE SALMON, KARLUK HATCHERY. MOUTH OF GLACIER CREEK, TRIBUTARY TO EYAK LAKE. SOCKEYE SALMON IN WATER. 9° REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. HATCHERY BUILDING, BOCA DE QUADRA. SMITH LAKE, BOCA DE QUADRA. REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. MOUTH OF BUSCHMANN CREEK, BOCA DE QUADRA HATCHERY. REARING PONDS AT BOCA DE QUADRA HATCHERY. POLES ARE PLACED ACROSS TO SUSTAIN NETTING WHICH PREVENTS DEPREDATIONS OF BIRDS. 92 REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. DISREGARD OF FISHERIES LAWS. It is an unfortunate fact that efforts are made by some of the cannery interests in Alaska to conceal violations of the law, and I think it is only proper to cite several cases which show the necessity for a better patrol system in order to curtail this disregard of the law. In one instance, when a certain cannery in Alaska was advised that I was close by but could not reach their fishing grounds immediately, the superintendent hastily sent a messenger across the country to warn the fishermen of my approach and stop illegal fishing. About two hours later, when I reached there, the first thing that greeted my ears was the talk among the native fishermen as to what all the disturbance was about. It was very evident to me that the superintendent had started something which they did not understand. At another time, when coming into an important fishing section, a fog obscured our vessel until we were almost upon a seine outfit. The fog suddenly lifted and showed the fishing gear being hauled by powerful tugs directly across the mouth of the stream. Of course, upon seeing us they stopped as soon as possible. When I later called the attention of the superintendent of the cannery to the matter, he laughed it off with a remark to the effect that you know we do the best we can. But I learned afterwards that this was a common occurrence. We have practically no patrol in either of these regions. In another place, where one of our officers had recently taken a cannery to task for allowing its fisher- men to violate the law, the superintendent resented his interference. I happened to be in that country later and heard threats against this official that they would "get him" and "would see that he did not remain long in the service." Another case was in respect to three fishing boats that ran into a bay at night without any lights, running as far as they could to the headwaters, then launching their boats and hauling their short seines in shallow water and making their escape before daylight. These are only a few of many cases, and the only way to stop such flagrant and intentional violations is to have a sufficient number of vessels and an adequate force of men to patrol effectively all the fishing grounds. It is only fair to say, however, that there are some cannery men in Alaska who have every regard for the fisheries laws and who are doing their utmost to observe faithfully all regulations and require- ments. It sometimes happens, however, that irresponsible subordinates are a source of much annoyance to such conscientious cannery men who are trying to fulfill both the spirit and the letter of the law. ENFORCEMENT OF THE LAWS. The enforcement of the fisheries laws of Alaska is, of course, an important feature in the preservation of the supply of iish. The few officials connected with the Bureau of Fisheries have done and are doing their utmost; but the fact that they have met with much opposition has handicapped them in obtaining convictions. I am advised by reliable authority that up to this year there had not been a single con- viction by a jury in Alaska for violation of the fishery laws. I am glad to say that there has been a change of sentiment and feeling against those who do not regard the laws as serious, and recently the juries in two courts have brought in verdicts against those who had disobeyed the law. In the past, not only have our officials received small support from the majority of the United States commissioners and some of the deputy marshals in Alaska, but they have actually been opposed by some of them in carrying on their duties. In one instance the commissioner and deputy marshal and deputy clerk of the court were actually interested in a cannery and did everything in their power to see that their private interests were not molested and that their company was not prosecuted after it had been found violating the law. This is a deplorable condition, and until rectified there is small chance of bringing to justice those who violate the law. Government officials in Alaska should not be interested in any of the local industries. The United States commissioners to-day receive paltry fees, which fact accounts in a large measure for the perpet- uation of the existing conditions. It is imperative that this condition be changed without delay. These men should receive substantial and fixed salaries from the Government, and the offices should be filled with reliable and responsible men. It is hard to realize the antagonism and the influences brought to bear by these men on other officials of the United States Government who are trying to live up to their oaths and enforce the fisheries laws. REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. 93 HUMPBACK CREEK, MINK ARM, WHICH POSSESSES SPLENDID POSSIBILITIES FOR HATCHERY WORK. LIVING QUARTERS, BOCA DE QUADRA HATCHERY. 94 REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. LU - I o - IE O < I- O a at O o REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. 95 HETTA LAKE HATCHERY. INTERIOR OF HETTA LAKE HATCHERY. 96 REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. 97 SEVERAL HUNDRED SALMON WERE CAUGHT AT CHIGNIK LAST SEASON WITH FINS NOTCHED AS ABOVE. IT IS POPULARLY CLAIMED THAT SUCH FISH HAVE BEEN MARKED. A NUMBER OF SOCKEYE SALMON WITH FINS AS ABOVE WERE TAKEN AT BOCA DE QUADRA. POSSIBLY THESE FISH WERE MARKED AT A PRIVATE HATCHERY. 74025—10 7 98 REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. In September, upon invitation, I addressed the grand jury at Juneau, and the gist of my talk was that not only was it a fact that no jury in Alaska had ever returned a verdict against the fishing interests, but it was almost impossible to find a United States commissioner or deputy marshal who was in sympathy with the prosecutions. It was placed before them clearly that until there is a change in the sentiment in the jury room regarding these interests when they violate the laws there is very little use in trying to protect the valuable fisheries of Alaska. I was asked by this jury to write a letter stating briefly what I would recommend for the betterment of these conditions, and the following is a copy of my communi- cation : JUNEAU, ALASKA, August 24, 11)14. To the FOREMAN OF THE GRAND JURY, Juneau, Alaska. At the suggestion of your honorable body, based on my address before you this afternoon, I respectfully offer the following brief suggestions for the protection and preservation of the great fishing industry of Alaska: First. The appropriation by Congress of sufficient money to build at least nine adequate and modern boats for the patrol of all the waters of Alaska. Second. The appropriation of sufficient money to provide an adequate personnel of not less than 25 competent men, as wardens, inspectors, etc., who will be able to cover properly the coast and inland waters of Alaska at all times and be assured sufficient funds for their traveling expenses and subsistence. Third. The appropriation of sufficient funds to provide for at least four new hatcheries and their maintenance where the artificial propagation of salmon can be conducted along sound business principles. Fourth. At least part of the money collected for tax on fish and fishing interests should be used for the protection and maintenance of the fisheries of Alaska. To-day the tax on fish exceeds the amount appropriated by Congress for the maintenance of the Alaskan fisheries, still no part of that revenue reverts to the protection of its point of origin. At all events it is obvious that the great industry is on the wane, and radical steps should be taken to protect it before it is too late. If the foregoing suggestions are clearly and fully carried out, I have no apprehension of the failure on the part of the United States Fish Commission to protect the fisheries of Alaska, thereby assuring the future of this vast industry. Necessary changes of the laws are imperative, but these will no doubt be properly acted upon on the receipt of my report. Very respectfully, E. LESTER JONES, United Stales Deputy Commissioner of Fisheries. LABOR QUESTIONS. Alaska is such a vast territory, and its various enterprises are growing so rapidly, that the labor question is becoming an important one. As yet the country is sparsely settled and must depend largely on imported labor during the busy season. This has created a business complication which has not as yet been satisfac- torily solved. Resident fishermen. — In southeast Alaska this element composes a considerable proportion of those engaged in taking salmon for the various canneries. The past season there were many idle men in southeast Alaska, and upon inquiry I learned that most of them were fishermen. Their idleness was attributable to two causes — first, they were refused employment by certain canneries which preferred imported and alien labor; and second, because of the fact that they had listened to agitators and trouble makers, who did not have their interest at heart but who simply desired to create trouble for the canneries. Instead of accepting regular employment and making use of the opportunity to earn good wages during the fishing season, they spent their time in saloons and around the town creating dissension and bad feeling against the fishing interests in general. From the standpoint of the fisherman, there are instances where the canneries show utter disregard of fairness, illustrating pretty clearly at times the attitude toward resident labor. As an example, an incident at one town may be cited where, during the first large run of sockeyes, all the white fishermen were warned that there was little use of their fishing, for if they did the fish would be wasted, as they would not be bought by the cannery. This was quite an unfortunate situation, for these men, some of them with families, who live in Alaska, were compelled to sit idle and watch imported labor take their living away from them at the time of year when the greatest amount of money could be earned. While I have looked at the situation from all angles and realize thoroughly that in some instances the fisherman is to blame because of his unjust demands and his general lack of reliability, I think that in cases where resident fishermen are available they should be given every opportunity to engage in this or any other part of the industry for which they are fitted, and thus be allowed to earn a livelihood. In other words, the resident fishermen should always have the preference over alien or imported fishermen. This applies also to the Indians and the Aleuts. REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. 99 YAKUTAT INDIANS IN COSTUME FOR POTLATCH FESTIVAL. THEIR ENTIRE SEASON'S EARNINGS OF $4,800 AT THE CANNERY WERE SPENT IN TWO DAYS AT THESE FESTIVITIES. AKUTAN ALEUTS STANDING BEFORE A BARABARA OR SOD HUT. JOO REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. VILLAGE, WESTERN ALASKA, SHOWING OBSCURITY OF NATIVE BARABARAS OR SOD HOUSES. INDIAN FISHING VILLAGE, SOUTHEASTERN ALASKA. REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. 101 OLDEST CHILKOOT INDIAN FISHERMAN IN FRONT OF HIS FISHING CAMP ON CHIUKOOT RIVER. CHILKOOT RIVER, SHOWING PLATFORMS FROM WHICH INDIANS HOOK OR GAFF SALMON. 102 REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. Alien and imported labor. — This class of labor causes much disturbance because of the opposition to it by people who live in Alaska throughout the year. On account of the scarcity of white and Indian and Aleut labor in many places where canneries are operated, imported labor is absolutely indispensable, and there is no just argument that can possibly be made to forbid the continuance of this practice. A pro- hibition of this sort would not only work a great hardship and injustice to a number of the canneries, but it would mean practically the closing of their business. Then again, the unreliability of the Indian and Aleut makes it necessary for a business concern to have assurance that there will be no possible chance for hindrance or curtailment of its operations during the short canning season. On the other hand, I per- sonally investigated localities and cases where the alien and imported laborers were detrimental to the Indians, Aleuts, and white residents. As a protection to fishermen living in Alaska, it appeals to me as wise and necessary to revise the law so that no aliens imported for inside labor at the canneries may engage lawfully in actual fishing operations. This would also forbid aliens from line fishing or trolling for commercial purposes, which, in view of a recent court decision, is now possible. INDIANS AND ALEUTS. Nothing in Alaska interested me more or appealed to me more than the Indians and the Aleuts, from the fact that their lives, surrounded by conditions new and distasteful to them, are being made more unfortunate each day. The white man has come into their territory, in many cases infringing on their prior and just rights. The home of the Thlinket Indians is in southeastern Alaska, from Yakutat to Ketchikan, and, while their ancestors were no doubt like the Aleuts, to-day in looks, language, and habit they are vastly different. The Aleuts live on the islands in southwestern Alaska, along the coast of the Alaska Peninsula, and as far north as the Pribilof Islands and Bristol Bay. Owing to the fact that for generations they have made an easy living with no one to molest them, they are to-day, as a class, independent, lazy, and unreliable. Their condition can be accounted for partly by their past environment. The white man has done little to encourage their uplift and is largely to blame for the demoralized condition of mind and body of the native to-day. Naturally, these people were physically and mentally strong, but the influences that have surrounded them for the past 50 years have lowered their standard, until in many cases and in many localities they are on a very low plane. The saloon prevails wherever the white man settles, and has had more to do with the undoing and ruination of the Indian and the Aleut than all other causes put together; and where saloons are not to be found liquor reaches them in the guise of pay and bribes. The white man's lack of care and regard for the sanctity of the native's home is the crime of Alaska. In many sections the wife and daughters are dishonored, and any resistance from the husband and father or brother is overcome by threats and bribes and liquor, until even the men have all their best impulses and senses deadened and seem to be unmanned. With all this unfortunate condition true, there are localities where a good influence has been felt. On one island in central Alaska a cannery is operated entirely by these natives (with the exception of the bookkeeper and the superintendent) , and it was a pleasure to note the condition of the place and the generally gratifying appearance of the natives. This example showed me conclusively that with the right influences the Indian and the Aleut can be brought to a higher standard of efficiency, reliability, and honor. There are other canneries that encourage this native labor and are earnestly trying to help these unfortunate people. In southeastern Alaska the canneries have been of much benefit to the Indians. Their income has largely been derived from their work in connection with the fishing industry, and to-day some of them own their own fishing boats and gear. At another cannery quite a different condition was noticeable. A large portion of the help was Indians and they made more or less trouble all the time. The true reason for this was hard to tell. No doubt they were not entirely to blame. About the time I visited this establishment there were many thousands of salmon lying on the floor, and concentrated effort was needed to take care of them at once. With this state of affairs evident, the superintendent was notified one morning of the absence of 1 1 of the Indian women who cleaned the fish, and found that they were going off in a party for four or five days' vacation. It took the greatest persuasion and even some bribing to keep these women in their places and prevent the loss of the fish. REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. 103 CHIEF KA-SHAKES, OF THE THLINKET INDIANS, WRANGELL. INDIAN FISHERMEN IN DUGOUT CANOE. NEAR HAINES. ALEUTS IN TWO-HATCH BIDARKAS AT UNALASKA. I 104 REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. In some localities I observed that the Indian was willing and anxious to earn the $5 to $8 a day often paid him during the fishing season; but his mind was filled with discontent by agitators, who not only demanded his money for the support of their unwise doctrines, but used their bad influences in suggesting to the men, who at heart wanted to work, that they were being treated unjustly by the white men, and pleaded with them not to work for the cannery men. This season there were about 4,000 Indians and Aleuts employed in the canning and fishing industry of Alaska. This is about one-third of the total number of natives living on the coast of Alaska, or about one-eighth of the entire number in the whole Territory. EDUCATION OF NATIVES. I can not speak too highly of the work done by the Bureau of Education of the Interior Department. The men who have charge of this work in Alaska are to be commended. I had the opportunity to become well acquainted with some of those in charge, and with much of their work, which undoubtedly is along right lines. If the natives could all have a certain amount of education, not necessarily from books, they would become better citizens of this country, and their condition of mind and body would be much im- proved. It seems to me, however, that it is to matters of health and sanitation that attention should be directed primarily, at least at present, rather than to more academic phases. The lack of money for this purpose is unfortunate, and the Government could well afford to appro- priate more each year than the $200,000 at present appropriated, which is insufficient. POLLUTION. Owing to the fact that Alaska is sparsely settled and the settlements are relatively small, the question of sanitation has not yet appealed with much force to the various communities. I was disappointed to find that in the majority of the towns in southeastern Alaska practically no attention was paid to cleanliness or to the presence of debris and offal and the effect upon the community. In one town I noticed two conspicuous signs: WARNING! Any person or persons who shall throw, deposit or leave any garbage, rubbish or any other substance in or around his or her dwelling or premises under their control, which is calculated to or likely to or which may endanger the public health; or who shall refuse or neglect to remove the same, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and shall upon conviction thereof before the muni- cipal magistrate be punished by a fine of not less than one dollar nor more than fifty dollars. By order of the City Council. HELP ! ! ! Help make — — a clean and healthy city by observing the following " don'ts. " Don't spit on floors or sidewalks. To do so spreads disease. Don't throw out your garbage. Burn it. Garbage breeds flies and rats, and flics and rats breed disease. This is a step in the right direction, but it came to me as a matter for comment that a municipality should pass an ordinance making it a misdemeanor for residents to allow refuse or garbage to remain around their premises, yet not only sewage and other matter was permitted to run directly under the houses and be deposited within the town, but canneries were allowed to dump all their refuse underneath the docks, which really are part of the town. In fact, some of the towns are built in part on planking over the water. 1 spoke of this to a number of residents of the place and their comment to me was, "Well, we can not hurt the canneries; they dominate the town." Yet some poor fellow who was guilty of a lesser offense might be brought before a municipal magistrate and fined from $i to $50. The effect of this wholesale dumping of refuse into the water is not only insanitary but criminal. At low tide a black muck is exposed, and during these hours the stench is sickening, and I know from actual observation that even the upper works of a vessel tied to one of these docks at low tide is in a few hours covered with a dark coating, a collection from the fumes rising from this mass. Climatic conditions alone save these towns from a scourge or an epidemic. With the increasing population and the congestion that is already showing itself in some sections, it seems that nothing short of an object lesson will teach the harmfulness of the existing conditions. Another form of pollution is from the mills that deposit all their sawdust and refuse in the waters of Alaska. While this is a well-known injury to young fish and is a direct violation of the Territorial law which forbids the dumping of sawdust into the waters of the Territory, it is being done in some of the towns and under the very eyes of the local officials. At every cannery in Alaska the refuse is dumped off or under the docks. The mass of decaying and decayed fish is both an eyesore and the cause of most unhealthful, insanitary, and unpleasant conditions. REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. 105 MAIN STREET OF SITKA, SHOWING TENTS WHERE WIVES OF INDIAN FISHERMEN SELL CURIOS. CHILKOOT INDIAN WOMAN MAKING BASKET. io6 REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. ROAD HOUSE RUN BY NATIVES AT KLUCK-TOO, CHILKAT RIVER. AKUTAN ALEUT MOTHER AND 8 CHILDREN IN FRONT OF BARABKI, OR SMALL TYPE OF SOD HUT. THE FATHER IS EMPLOYED AT A NEAR-BY WHALING STATION. DRYING NATIVE GRASSES FOR BASKET WORK, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS. ALSO SHOWING SEA LION BLADDER USED FOR RETAINING FRESH WATER. REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. 107 CHILKOOT INDIAN CHIEF AND WIFE. INDIAN FUNERAL ON CHILKOOT RIVER. i'o8 REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. PLANT AT WARDS COVE FOR MANUFACTURE OF OIL AND FERTILIZER FROM CANNERY WASTE. OIL FILTERING TANKS ARE SHOWN AT RIGHT. OIL SEPARATING TANKS AT WARDS COVE REDUCTION PLANT. REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. 109 WARDS COVE REDUCTION PLANT. PRESS ROOM WHERE COOKED OFFAL IS SUBMITTED TO PRESSURE OF 8.000 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH TO REMOVE LIQUIDS. DISCHARGE END OF DRIERS AT WARDS COVE REDUCTION WORKS. no REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. The canneries should take steps at once to either burn this offal or utilize it in making fertilizer and oil This is one of the conditions that makes the surroundings at a cannery insanitary and creates an unwhole- some atmosphere for the men and women who are employed there. It is a good thing for southeastern Alaska that a plant for utilizing the fish-cannery waste has been established recently, and those interested in canneries should cooperate heartily with its promoters and assist them in every way to remove the offal from their canneries. The towns, too, should take some speedy and decisive action that will put an end to the practice of some canneries along this line which is injurious from every standpoint. UTILIZATION OF CANNERY WASTE. No enterprise yet launched in Alaska means more in certain ways to the Territory than that under- taken last spring at a plant at Wards Cove for the purpose of converting cannery waste into oil and fertil- izer. In addition to the utilization of cannery waste, the plant will also use sharks and nonedible fishes. Operations were carried on for a period of about 60 days in the past season and the results were encourag- ing. Several vessels were employed in collecting cannery waste. The owners of a number of canneries signed contracts disposing of such waste at very reasonable figures, extending over periods of from one to five years. Others, however, refused to sell the refuse, in spite of the fact that the oil and fertilizer concern offered a fair price and was willing to build receptacles for the stuff at the canneries and call for it. Inasmuch as the accumulation of this waste material at the canneries causes inconvenience as well as insanitary surroundings, it strikes me that every cannery should be glad to give away this offal that has hitherto been polluting the waters of Alaska. Now that an opportunity has presented itself for relieving the settlements and towns of the filth that has surrounded them, it is hoped that in another year the managers of all places within reach, where fish are being utilized, will cooperate with this new enterprise and do everything they can to make it a success. It is understood that the company operating the plant at Wards Cove is contemplating the erection of several more plants of a similar character in Alaska, two in southeast Alaska and one or more to the west- ward. I had thought seriously of recommending a plan for individual fertilizer plants at each cannery, but they would not be necessary if the waste were utilized elsewhere. The operation of a small fertilizer and oil reduction plant in connection with each cannery is much less likely to be productive of satisfactory results than the operation of a large establishment devoted wholly to this work and employing skilled and experienced operatives. FUR-BEARING ANIMALS. Alaska is the last frontier region of this country and much of it is so isolated and difficult of access that it is as yet largely unexplored by the white man ; but the tendency is increasing each year to work back into this vast area and secure the valuable skins of the various fur-bearing animals. So far, this tendency has been confined mostly to those who spend their time trapping and hunting, killing everything and any- thing at any time of the year, regardless of any law or of how little value the fur may have at the time. This short-sightedness, and I may say wholesale killing, which has been conducted in some sections, is producing its results, and now it is necessary to reach back into less accessible places in order to keep up the supply of furs. The fact that Congress has made provision for but seven wardens to patrol, for the protection of fur-bearing animals, the nearly 600,000 square miles of Alaskan territory indicates that they have had almost no protection at all. It would take many times that number of wardens to secure adequate protection for them. The present law makes it a misdemeanor to kill fur-bearing animals except during such open seasons as may be prescribed by the Secretary of Commerce. The law, however, forbids only the actual killing of those animals, and it does not enable the Department to enforce effectively prohibitions upon certain other acts which are readily recognized as being as detrimental to their conservation as the actual killing. If the fur-bearing animals of Alaska are to be preserved, there must be a law broad enough to cover every detail, so that there will be no possible chance for offenders to go free, as they do now under the existing imperfect act. And, furthermore, the Secretary of Commerce should have the right to make such regula- tions as he deems proper from time to time, based on the reports of men who understand the varying condi- tions, which are so radically different in various parts of the Territory. REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. 1 1 1 GENERAL VIEW OF FOX RANCH NEAR CHILKAT LAKE. INSIDE OF FOX RANCH, SHOWING ROW OF BREEDING PENS ON ONE SIDE. ii2 REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. CONTROL OF FUR-BEARING ANIMALS. The question of the Department of Commerce retaining jurisdiction over the fur-bearing animals of Alaska through the Bureau of Fisheries has been given much thought and consideration. Until recently the system of protection for these animals in Alaska has been in a more or less confused condition. Through intelligent investigations and operations extending over a period of several years, this Department has worked out quite definite plans, and now, after its officials have acquired much valuable knowledge and experience at no little expense to the Government, there is talk of transferring jurisdiction over these animals to another department. I can not agree with such a step. If this is done, it will take many years for the practical knowledge that has been gathered in the Department of Commerce through the Bureau of Fisheries to be acquired by new people in charge; in other words, a new start will have to be made, which would mean much confusion during the time of readjustment. Before I made my trip to Alaska, I was rather doubtful as to the desirability of such a change ; but after seeing the actual conditions and studying the various important phases of the question on the ground, I formed the opinion, based on facts as I saw them, that it would be unwise and unprogressive to allow the control of the fur-bearing animals to pass from the Department of Commerce to another department of the Federal Government or to the Territory of Alaska. With the help that Congress can provide in the way of more wardens to look after the work, there is no apparent reason why the matter of protecting the Alaska fur-bearing animals will not be better attended to and even more advantageously handled if the authority is kept where it now is; and from an economical and business standpoint it will be better, as our wardens can assist with the fishing industry in summer and look after the fur-bearing animals in winter, thereby saving a double patrol system. PROTECTIVE SEASONS. The majority of fur-bearing animals in Alaska should be afforded protection during certain seasons. There are, however, at least three exceptions — certain bears, the wolf, and the wolverine. It seems very shortsighted to give protection to the bears other than the polar bears at any time of the year. Through the greater part of Alaska bears are very abundant and are shot regardless of seasons. To-day there is a law which prohibits in certain seasons the killing of the great brown bear of Kodiak Island, which is the single species of bear, and of fur-bearing animals, under the care of the Department of Agriculture. Because this law is misunderstood, all brown bears, regardless of species or shade of color, are included in this restriction. This confusion not only works a hardship on those who trap for a living, but is a serious hin- drance to the enforcement of the laws and regulations applying to the bears in general. The brown bear is as clearly a fur-bearing animal as the other bears, and all species should come under the jurisdiction of the Department of Commerce. It is earnestly hoped that this inconsistency will be remedied so as to remove the state of embarrassment and confusion that now exists in Alaska among the trappers, mer- chants who deal in bear skins, Federal and Territorial wardens, and customhouse officials. There may come a time when there should be a close season on some bears in certain parts of the Territory in addi- tion to that provided for the polar bears, but it is not now necessary, and is certainly unwise. The wolves are the most destructive wild animals that roam the woods of the Territory. This espe- cially applies to southeastern Alaska. They frequent many of the islands in packs and are ever hunting for food. The Department of Agriculture, through the Biological Survey, is now making an effort to protect the deer in southeastern Alaska, to make up for the years of wanton slaughter. This effort is admirable, but unless the wolf, which is increasing as a menace, is eliminated to some extent there will be no further use for prescribing protection to deer, as they are rapidly disappearing on many of the islands. I observed a number of instances where the wolves had killed deer, and in others I saw specimens of deer that were thin because of the ceaseless chasing they had had by those animals. It is a serious matter, and I would strongly recommend that Congress provide a bounty of $5 on wolves in southeastern Alaska, to take effect at once. I consider them the greatest menace in this section to deer and game birds. EFFECT OF EXISTING LAWS ON NATIVES. The natives in different parts of Alaska that are affected by the laws prohibiting the killing of certain fur-bearing animals feel that a great injustice has been done them and that they should be accorded certain privileges not now allowed. They are generally satisfied with the open and close season on the small REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. FIVE ISLAND SILVER GRAY FOXES. PLAYFUL ANTICS OF A PAIR OF VALUABLE BLACK FOXES. 74025—15 8 n4 REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. fur-bearing animals; but in coast towns and in the western part of Alaska, Bristol Bay, and in the waters around the Aleutian Islands Reservation they feel keenly the fact that they are forbidden to hunt sea otter and are restricted in respect to the taking of fur seals for their own livelihood. There are two or three instances that are worthy of being cited in this report. The Sitka Indians feel keenly the injustice of the present seal law, and they appealed to me. Since prohibitions were placed upon their shooting fur seals, they felt they should have been reimbursed for the boats and guns they had bought just before and which are now practically of no value to them. The Aleuts on Akutan Island are suffering because of laws that have been made, not through their fault, but on account of the white man's exploitation of the natural resources. These people for gener- ations have made their living by hunting the sea lion, the walrus, the sea otter, and other fur-bearing animals. To-day the stricter laws that are in force have largely deprived them of their only trade and occupation. A case in Bristol Bay deserves sympathy as well as thought. Last winter natives in this region killed three sea otters and took the pelts to a near-by town in order to sell them. This in itself indicates that they were absolutely innocent of any knowledge of wrongdoing. When they arrived, the United States commissioner, very fortunately for them, was absent, but there were enough people around town to frighten them badly by telling them that they had violated the law and would be thrown into jail. They returned to their homes immediately, tied rocks to these valuable skins, went out in the bay, and sank them. It is a pity that such laws are deemed necessary. It would seem far better if conditions had been such that these men could have been allowed to exchange these skins for food and clothing; and it is a question of much seriousness to me whether, strictly speaking, this kind of killing by these natives under the supervision of an agent of the Government would not be wise and commendable. There was another instance. Several natives living on one of the Aleutian Islands killed a number of seals. These skins were brought into Unalaska for sale. The commercial agent refused them on account of their having bullet holes in them. They were later disposed of in some manner and taken to some ship that happened to be in or near the harbor. It strikes me most forcibly that the Aleuts and Indians have a certain just and prior right to the natural resources in the country that they inhabited before the advent of the white man, and surely the scarcity of sea otter and other animals is not due to them but to the greed of the newcomer. Something should be done under Government supervision to allow definite privileges to the Indians and Aleuts. They might be allowed to take a certain number of these animals which are necessary for their comfort and well-being, even though it is against the law for a white man to kill them. This question deserves the utmost thought: Is it wise to make laws which take away from these natives their principal means of livelihood, until they have learned other work, or until other methods of earning their daily bread can be brought to them? In other words, we have taken certain necessities from them, and have not provided ample and proper substitutes. PROPAGATION OF FUR-BEARING ANIMALS. FOX FARMS. A new industry in Alaska, the raising of fur-bearing animals in corrals or on island ranches, has created more than ordinary interest. Owing to the fact that few of the men who have engaged in this business have sufficient knowledge of the conditions necessary to raise foxes in captivity successfully, there have been many failures and few successes. Because live black or silver-gray foxes have brought exorbitant prices, men have been misled into thinking that all they had to do was to purchase a few foxes and soon begin to reap the benefits by receiving large sums for their sale. The prices obtained by many who are carrying on the business in Canada and elsewhere on the continent do not indicate a healthy condition. In fact, the prices that are asked and actually received in many cases do not represent the real commercial value of these animals as a fox-farm business propo- sition. It is a good deal like a man who has a prize-winning dog; some wealthy person conies along and pays him $5,000 for it because it has won some special prize at a celebrated show. Other people immediately think that dog raising is a profitable business, if they bring such enormous prices, and want to jump into it without further knowledge. With foxes as with other things, an unnatural condition like this only brings disaster and can not possibly work any good. REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. n6 REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. To undertake the business of fox ranching in Alaska a man must, in the first place, be industrious and willing to endure hardship. In the second place, he must study to some extent the habits of foxes and the kind of country or soil necessary for their welfare. And, third, he must have sufficient capital to buy his first installment of breeding stock, with ample capital in reserve for ordinary losses, and to provide against the fact that it will be necessary to operate the farm for probably four years -without any returns. When he has done these things, the reasons seem remote why he should not succeed. Unfortunately, to date there are very few who have taken hold in the proper manner, yet their misfortune and reverses have enabled others to profit by their experience, and I look for better and more settled conditions relative to the propagation of fur-bearing animals in Alaska. Those who are now beginning realize that it is a business to be worked out practically and scientifically, and that haphazard methods will not suffice. ISLAND FOX FARMS. By Executive order dated February 2, 1904, authority to lease certain islands in central and western Alaska for the purpose of fox raising was transferred from the Secretary of the Treasury to the Secretary of Commerce. On paper the minimum lease price of $200 per annum for these islands seemed fair, and without any knowledge of what these islands were, assuming that they were adapted to such purposes, the offer made by the Government seemed to be an inducement that should be readily taken up. But as time went on there were only four of them that were actually leased for from $200 to $250 per annum, the leases to run five years. This seemed strange to me, but since my visit to a number of the islands and after looking into other conditions relative to fox farming the atmosphere has cleared and I understand a great many things that I did not know before. Two hundred dollars per annum does not seem much to people when they hear of foxes being sold for from $5,000 to $10,000 a pair; but as I have already stated, these unnatural and artificial prices can not possibly apply to the islands situated in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Alaska. The quality of the fur from these islands is not as good as that from inland areas farther north. The man who goes out to that isolated country to carry on this work alone has a hard row to hoe. With a capital of, say, $3,000, he must lay aside $800 to pay for his lease for the first four years, as he must not expect any return from his initial stock before the end of that time. Then he has to buy his foxes for a starter, and supposing he bought half a dozen blue foxes, the cost would be in the neighborhood of $i ,200. There is $2,000 gone already. And the balance will be well utilized in feeding himself and his stock and in paying other expenses. In figuring this, I have not allowed anything for corrals, for in most cases on these islands the foxes do better to run at large ; but it must be understood that on many of the islands in western Alaska, including some of those offered by the Government for leasing, there is not enough natural food to take care of what would ordinarily constitute a fair number of foxes for such an area. Therefore, a man must provide food at more or less cost the year round. If he does his own work he has no income for the first four years. If he is fortunate enough to have a good position and still more fortunate in securing a reliable man to look after things for these four years, the chances are that matters will be in pretty good shape at the expira- tion of his lease. Then what is going to happen? Some other man may outbid him, and his time, labor, and buildings are all gone. The Government, if opening a reservation in one of our Western States, would permit the land to be acquired free, under certain restrictions; and I can not understand just why any man who is reliable and industrious and willing to go out and help to develop that far-away frontier country of Alaska should not be encouraged by the same privileges instead of being hampered and disheartened at the start. If it seems wise to lease these islands for $200 per annum, or thereabouts, I should certainly be in favor of arranging it so that after the first five years a man would either receive a rebate of perhaps half of the leasing price paid by him when he has proved his good faith ; or I would suggest a sliding scale for leasing these islands at $50, for example, for the first five years, and then a stationary price for the next ten years with the privilege of renewal, if desired, for another ten years, and so on. Under the present leasing system, at the end of five years a man may lose the island where his money and efforts were spent during the life of the lease. I would suggest that the men who have already leased these islands should be advised at once that the Government extends the right to the leasing of their islands to ten years, with the privilege of renewal for ten more. This would be highly satisfactory, and would create confidence and satisfaction, which does not exist to-day among those who have leased islands or are contemplating such a step. REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. A PAIR OF CROSS FOXES AT RANCH NEAR CHILKAT LAKE. NOTE OPEN CONSTRUCTION OF UPPER PART OF KENNEL TO GIVE GOOD CIRCULATION OF AIR. INTERIOR OF A CORRAL. SHOWING BLACK AND CROSS FOXES. n8 REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. The fact that these comparatively few islands have not been readily taken up by men who are anxious to go into the fox business has shown me conclusively that something is wrong. I attribute it to three things — first, the price is too high for the average poor man to pay; second, the lease is for too short a time; and third, a number of the islands are not adapted to fox raising. There is another phase of the leasing system that I have looked into which works a hardship and is apparently unjust as shown by the following example: Mr. J. C. Smith in 1907 moved to Simeonof Island, one of the extreme outer islands of the Shumagin Group. He was a poor man and had to work hard, occupying himself in tilling the soil and in general farming. He has raised a large family — nine children, I understand — and it has been difficult for him to get along. Then after 1 7 years of hard work the Gov- ernment interfered and this island on which he lives and to which he certainly has some prior right was offered to anyone in the country who wanted to lease it for fox-farming purposes. The result was that, to protect what little he had, Mr. Smith was forced to bid for the island, running the risk of losing it, and then begin raising foxes, whether he wanted to or not. For the next five years he must pay a total rent of $i ,250, and at the end of that time again run the risk of losing his home. As already indicated, I think that, as a pioneer and one who has opened up a section of a vast territory, he deserves a present of the island instead of being saddled with a rental of $250 per annum. The present situation does not seem right or just. The poor man without means is the one who should be encouraged to take up these islands and should be assisted in undertaking this work; he should have the support of the Government, and not be handicapped or held back by having some hardship imposed upon him. There are a few men engaged in fox farming who are doing it along proper lines, understanding their business and making a success of it. The following instances are cited from among those I know: Samuel Applegate, who has a fox ranch on Samalga Island, has made a success of raising foxes, but, as he admits himself, he was most fortunate in securing an island that was specially adapted to that sort of work, and so he has succeeded. He has made some money from the sale of blue fox pelts in the last few years. Andrew Grosvold, who lives on Popof Island, is another man who is successful. He is far-sighted and realizes all the peculiarities of these animals. Mr. Grosvold has a thriving trader's post at Sand Point, on Popof Island, and reliable men to look after his fox farms. He is able to furnish the money to conduct operations properly until they are on a paying basis. Therein lies one of the secrets of his success. At the present time he controls six islands and has about the following number of foxes on each: Dlue foxes. Caton Island, of the Sannak Group 500 Bird Island, of the Shumagin Group 100 Chernabura Island, of the Shumagin Group 75 Chernabura Islet, of the Sandman Reefs 30 Big Goose Island , of the Shumagin Group 20 Little Koniuji Island, of the Shumagin Group. (Number uncertain as he has only recently leased this island.) James York, on Sumdum Island, is an industrious, hard-working man who 14 years ago started with 20 pairs of blue foxes; to-day he has between 70 and roo blue foxes. He feels that the stock he owns is the same as a man's cattle and that he should have freedom in disposing of them when the opportunity offers, without communicating with Washington each time. The fact that he has settled and made use of this otherwise useless island should give him a right that no other man should molest. INTENSIVE (CORRAL) FUR-FARMING. The men just referred to are raising foxes on islands. On the mainland a different method is in vogue, namely, the confinement of the animals in corrals constructed especially for this purpose. I noticed in my travels a number of permanent structures built for the purpose of raising foxes, mink, and marten, but in only two cases did I see any evidences of success, and in most cases those engaged had become thoroughly discouraged. In the Chilkat River region I had the pleasure of seeing what was possibly the most ideally situated corral for foxes of any in Alaska. The owners, T. D. Lahey and C. M. Handley, know their business. They are both hard workers, and understand thoroughly the habits of a fox. They selected their site with a view to finding a situation where the soil was agreeable and best for the fox, and where a second REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. 119 CORRAL FOX FARM, SHOWING A YOUNG AND VIGOROUS PAIR OF RED FOXES. PEN IN FOX CORRAL SHOWING A BLACK FOX, THE MOST VALUABLE AND HIGHLY PRIZED VARIETY OF FOX. I2O REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. essential, a supply of good running water, was available from one of the watersheds of Chilkat Lake. A fox delights in scratching and digging, and if the dirt is not soft and pliable but is filled with rocks and stones his feet become sore, which sooner or later will result in his death. The corrals were built with rare judgment — large, each one containing a comfortable house of two stories, the lower part compact and tight, and the upper part open at both ends, where the foxes might lie in good weather and sleep with plenty of air and sun. The yards contain plenty of green grass, which is essential to their welfare, and furthermore the running water that I referred to passes through the wire of each separate corral. The foxes digging around the sides of the pens create a natural basin for the water, in which they like to bathe. When necessary the supply of water can be diverted. 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