A record of taxes collected from Bristol Bay area for years 1932 to 1936, inclusive Mr. DIMOND. Just one question there. Senator Walker, from these statements and from your general knowledge of the situation, what proportion of the salmon taxes paid to the Territory is derived from the salmon pack of Bristol Bay? As a matter of fact, is it not between 40 and 50 percent? Mr. WALKER. Yes; between 40 and 50 percent. I gave that in my statement. Mr. CULKIN. Did you state what the pack in Bristol Bay was the annual value of it? Mr. DIMOND. Yes. Mr. WALKER. I have the revenue that we collect from Bristol Bay. Mr. CULKIN. That would not prove anything. The CHAIRMAN. I think Mr. Dimond stated that, did you not, in your statement? Mr. DIMOND. Yes; and Mr. Bell stated it, I think, as $12,000,000 a year. Mr. BELL. That is the estimate the Bureau placed on it. Mr. DIMOND. And that is in harmony with my estimates and those of others. Mr. WALKER. $12,472,410. Mr. DIMOND. Now you have something else? Mr. WALKER. I would like to incorporate in the record how we compute the taxes on the fish. The CHAIRMAN. Without objection, it is so ordered. (The paper above referred to is as follows:) TERRITORY OF ALASKA RETURN ON BUSINESS AND INCOME LICENSE TAX Return of actual business done during the year ended December 31, 19............. by (Name of person, firms, or corporation and address of principal office) prosecuting the business of at Alaska, under authority of provisional license No. (FILL IN ALL SCHEDULES, WRITING IN THE WORD "NONE" OR CIPHERS WHERE NO AMOUNT IS TO BE ENTERED) 1. Number of cases of kings and reds or sockeye salmon packed. 2. Number of cases of medium reds, cohoes and pink salmon packed. 3. Number of cases of chum salmon packed. 4. Number of cases of clams packed.. 5. Number of pounds of red king salmon mild cured. 6. Number of pounds of white king salmon mild cured.. 7. Number of pounds of codfish salted. 8. Number of pounds of all other fish salted or mild cured. 9. Number of fathoms of gill nets and stake nets used or operated. 10. Number of seines 150 fathoms each used or operated.. Number of seines of fathoms each used or operated (Interline or attach insert if space provided is insufficient) 11. Number of barrels (50 gallons each) of fish oil manufactured.. 12. Number of tons of fertilizer or fish meal manufactured. 13. Number of barrels (50 gallons each) of whale oil manufactured. 14. Number of tons of whale fertilizer manufactured.. $ $. (Rate of tax is $10.00 for the first 150 fathoms and $5.00 additional for each additional 25 fathoms or fraction thereof. If space provided is insufficient interline or attach insert.) Fish oil manufactured, amount due on ...... bbls. of 50 gals. each, @ .40c per bbl. Fish meal and fertilizer manufactured, amount due on Whale oil manufactured, amount due on Whale fertilizer manufactured, amount due on Total tax due under license for the year beginning January 1st, and ending December 31st, 19, and remitted herewith... tons, @.40c per ton. bbls. of 50 gal. each, @ .50c per bbl. tons, @.50c per ton. Mr. WALKER. I would also like to put in the record a memorial passed by the last Territorial legislature. The CHAIRMAN. Without objection, it is so ordered. Mr. DIMOND. What is the nature of that memorial, Senator Walker? Mr. WALKER. It is a memorial to Congress to take congressional action to prohibit the encroachment of the Japanese fishermen on the waters of Bristol Bay. Mr. DIMOND. And what was the vote in the legislature upon that? Mr. WALKER. All those present voted for it. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TERRITORY OF ALASKA Office of secretary for the Territory I, Edward W. Griffin, secretary of the Territory of Alaska and custodian of the great seal of said Territory, do hereby certify that I have compared the annexed copy of House Joint Memorial No. 9 of the Alaska Territorial Legislature, 1937, with the original thereof and that the same is a full, true, and correct copy of said original now on file in my office. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed hereto the seal of the Territory of Alaska, at Juneau, the capital, this 4th day of March, A. D. 1937. To the Congress of the United States, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Commerce, and to the Honorable Anthony J. Dimond, Delegate to Congress from Alaska: Whereas a permanent population of nearly 2,000 people reside in that section of Alaska known as Bristol Bay, and adjacent thereto, which population is engaged in the business of fishing for a livelihood; and in addition thereto a seasonal population of many thousands more come from the States to put up the salmon pack each summer; and Whereas the fishing industry is of untold value to the above-mentioned fishing and transient population of Alaska, and to the United States as an industry; and Whereas there is a gradual, but a continuous, and increasing encroachment of Japanese fishermen and fishing vessels upon the waters of said Bristol Bay and the Bering Sea; and Whereas said Japanese fishermen, working on a low wage scale, and such Japanese fishing vessels operating beyond the jurisdiction of the United States Bureau of Fisheries, and not bound by, or observing, the rules and regulations of said Bureau, are able to pack and sell their fish products at reduced prices; and Whereas such encroachment and methods constitute a serious menace to the Alaska fish supply, and to the fishing industry, and the domestic fish market of the United States; and Whereas said fishing industry is of untold value to Alaska, and to the United States, and should be fostered, protected, and encouraged: Now, therefore, your memorialist prays that the matter of this encroachment of Japanese fishermen upon the waters of Bristol Bay and the Bering Sea receive the consideration of Congress, so that either congressional action be taken, or an appropriate agreement be made to adjust the matter. And your memorialist will ever pray. Attest: Passed by the Senate February 24, 1937. Attest: Approved by the Governor March 3, 1937. JOE GREEN, MARGARET O. GRISHAM, JESTA M. TIMMERMAN, ALASKA TERRITORIAL LEGISLATURE (Thirteenth session) House Joint Memorial No. 9, by Mr. Coffee, memorializing Congress to take congressional action on treaty to prohibit encroachment of Japanese fishermen on waters of Bristol Bay. Introduced in the House Jan. 26, 1937. HISTORY IN THE HOUSE, 1937 January 26: Read first time and referred to Committee on fisheries, fish, game, and agriculture. February 6: Reported back with recommendation that it do pass with amend ments. February 8: Read second time and amended, ordered engrossed February 10: Reported correctly engrossed. February 11: Read third time and passed-yeas, 15; nays, 0; absent, 1. February 11: Signed by Speaker. February 12: Sent to Senate. MARGARET O. GRISHAM, Chief Clerk of the House. HISTORY IN THE SENATE, 1937 February 12: Read first time and referred to committee on fisheries. February 20: Read second time and continued second reading until 23d and rules suspended. Febrary 24: Reported correctly engrossed. February 24: Read third time and passed-yeas, 7; nays, 0; not present, 1. February 24: Signed by President. February 24: Returned to House. HISTORY IN THE HOUSE, 1937 February 25: Received from Senate as amended; House concurred. February 27: Reported correctly enrolled. March 3: Sent to Governor. March 3: Copy filed with Secretary. March 3: Approved by Governor. The CHAIRMAN. Is there anything further? Mr. WALKER. In conclusion, I would like to say I regard the situation in Bering Sea as an economic blockade of a great American resource, and its continuation should be regarded as a hostile act against the Government of the United States, and I hope this bill passes. Mr. DIMOND. Senator Walker, have you had occasion to make a particular study of the finances of the Territory and the dependence of the Territorial revenues upon the salmon tax? Mr. WALKER. I have been a member of the finance committee in the senate in two sessions. The CHAIRMAN. Who is your next witness? Mr. DIMOND. Mr. Carlson. STATEMENT OF C. CHESTER CARLSON, REPRESENTING THE ALASKA FISHERMEN'S UNION This is dated Mr. DIMOND. Your full name is C. Chester Carlson? Mr. CARLSON. Yes. I will first read you a telegram. San Francisco, Calif., January 22, 1938. It is addressed to C. Chester Carlson, 86 Seneca Street, Seattle, Wash., and reads: Our membership last night in our special meeting elected you as representative to testify at the hearing on the Dimond bill and suggest that you rally all possible support in favor of passage of this bill. Also suggest that you get in touch with Ralph Emerson, legislative representative, National Maritime Union, located at 1627 K Street NW., Washington, D. C. That is signed "Andrew Vigen, secretary-treasurer, Alaska Fishermen's Union." I represent the Alaska Fishermen's Union, and I have resided in the Territory for 22 years, not counting the time I was in the Navy during the World War. For the last 18 consecutive years I have fished in one part of the Territory or another, at different kinds of fishing, different categories. In Bristol Bay, last year, through the efforts of Mr. Friele, I was an eyewitness on this airplane trip. We left Nakeen, that is the cannery, in an airplane, cruised over Naknek and passed over Egegik, and from there laid offshore. We passed over a codfish schooner, the Sophie Christianson, and after traveling for an interval of time we sighted this unit of Japanese fishing vessels that consisted of one large ship and three smaller ones. Now the large ship was a vessel of possibly five or six thousand tons, and the thing we observed at first, after we circled, we naturally came down, and we noticed there was an amount of gear that was draped over her sides, and all over the cargo booms and every place, and it seemed that every available space on that ship was occupied with fishing gear of the floating type or variety. What I mean by that is that the corks were distributed on the cork line at certain intervals, which would enable it to float and be of value in surface fishing. Mr. SIROVICH. How high were you above the ship in the airplane? Mr. CARLSON. Well we just dodged the mast of the larger one, and the smaller ones we were within 50 or 100 feet of the deck. Mr. SIROVICH. Did she carry the Japanese flag? She Mr. CARLSON. I do not remember, but the Japanese name was on the stern and we saw the Japanese personnel on her; so there is no question in my mind that she was a Japanese ship. Now that is as to the large ship. Then we circled the smaller ones. There was one small one possibly 120 or 130 feet in length; anyhow, it was larger than the largest purse seiners that we have on the Pacific coast. was equipped with two masts, radio equipment, and they were steel vessels. She had a large power roller on her on the stern-and in all of my years of fishing I never saw a more orderly pile of gear than was piled on the stern of that boat. It seemed to be all piled in a symmetrical fashion, with all of the corks laid in a way so as to facilitate the speedy letting go of this gear. Then we circled the other two. One was similar to this one I have described, although she had no visible fishing gear on her. Now the other one, the one that had the fish on her, she was considerably larger than these other two, and in the bin boards on deck we estimated there ought to be around 20,000 freshly caught salmon. The CHAIRMAN. Well, where was she with reference to that map behind you there? Mr. CARLSON. Here is Ugashik; she was about 28 miles southwest, right off in here [indicating]. You will probably think it is funny that we could estimate them to be 20,000, but an estimate of that kind is very easily accomplished, on account of years of experience. There are men who will testify after me who can tell you how many fish there are in a school, or on a boat. They have been tallied a number of times and they know just by judging, the same as a farmer would estimate how much wheat or how many bushels per acre he is going to receive off of a piece of ground. |