The commanding general, Army of Cuban Pacification, in forwarding the reports from the several posts of his commands remarks as follows:

"No schools are maintained at Government expense in this army. Parents are doing the best they can at their own expense to meet the obligation of educating their children. In the United States post schools are maintained under the auspices of the Government, but, as this island is not United States territory, it is not believed that the within applies."

The reports submitted show that at 18 stations of United States troops there are no children and the question of schools has not been considered. A few reports indicate that children belonging to the posts could attend the municipal schools in the vicinity. At 3 posts children are taught by their parents. At 6 posts children attend private schools, the tuition, which varies considerably, being paid by the parents. At some posts there are no school facilities.

Reports have not yet been received from posts in the Philippine Islands and Alaska, nor from Fort Huachuca, Ariz., and the 3 recruit depots, viz, Fort Slocum, N. Y., Columbus Barracks, and Jefferson Barracks.

O

INVESTIGATION OF CONDITIONS IN THIRD JUDICIAL DIVISION OF ALASKA.

Mr. NELSON presented the following

FINAL REPORT OF THE GRAND JURY IN THE UNITED STATES COURT, THIRD DIVISION, ALASKA, AT VALDEZ, ALASKA.

MARCH 2, 1908.-Referred to the Committee on Territories and ordered to be printed.

Hon. SILAS H. REID,

Judge of the United States District Court for the

Territory of Alaska, Third Division, at Valdes, Alaska. We, the grand jury, having been in session since January 20, 1908, and having finished our labors, respectfully report as follows:

A number of cases have been presented to us for our consideration, and we have examined approximately ninety witnesses and returned to your honorable court eighteen indictments indorsed as "A true bill" and three reports indorsed as "Not a true bill." We have also investigated various other matters that have occurred in this judicial division.

THE EXISTING FISHERIES LAW.

Your grand jury find that the new law relating to the rebate of license money to the canneries operating hatcheries provides for a rebate for 10 cases of salmon, equal to 40 cents for each thousand of red salmon fry liberated from such hatchery. The law places the duty upon the clerk of the court of issuing certificates, which are redeemable in money for the payment of the former license. In other license matters, which are not of such importance as this, the court is called upon to pass upon them; in this case, the most important in many ways to the interest of the Territory, the court has no voice whatever. The first year of the operation of this law the Alaska Packers' Association alone shows the release of about 90,000,000 fry. For the past year this same company shows, through its paid agents, the liberation of 80,680,000 for the first and third divisions, and under the law the clerk was compelled to issue certificates at 40 cents for each thousand of red fry liberated to the fishing company. These certificates are then turned into the clerk's office in lieu of cash in payment of their license tax on their output of canned salmon. The amount of their

tax for the past year, according to their sworn statement of their output, was $32,272.32. Of this amount certificates were turned into the clerk of the court for the entire amount, with the exception of 32 cents.

The facts stated plainly are that last year the Alaska Packers' Association alone took over 800,000 cases of salmon from the waters of the third judicial division; that they paid into the clerk's office the sum of 32 cents in currency and certificates to the amount of $32,272 for an alleged amount of fry liberated, of which no adequate proof has been made that any court would admit as sufficient evidence of the fact.

The clerk of the court has no authority or opportunity to investigate these statements as to the liberation of salmon fry and no check on the production of these private hatcheries is provided for. Thus the Alaska fund that was formerly received from the canneries for the maintenance of schools, care of the insane, and the construction and maintenance of roads for the benefit of the people of Alaska, is reduced by thousands of dollars, to wit, over $30,000 for the year 1907 and about $40,000 for the previous year.

The governor of the Territory is at the head of the public school system, and there is no way he can be advised of the amount of funds to be expected as available at any time, as the clerk can not estimate the income at all until affidavits of the canneries have been received. These affidavits of the cannerymen stand unquestioned, as no appeal is provided for.

Your grand jury, therefore, urgently request that the attention of Congress be called to this matter, and that our Delegate in Congress be requested to work for the repeal as soon as possible of this law, so that the funds heretofore received from the tax on salmon may be available for schools, care of the insane, and the construction and maintenance of roads in the Territory.

We further recommend that fish hatcheries be established in Alaska and maintained and supported by the Government.

FISH TRAPS.

We find upon investigation that on many of the streams and rivers where salmon canneries are situated, that the laws in regard to placing fish traps at the mouths of the various rivers and streams are being constantly violated. These fish traps are so constructed that but very few fish can ascend to their spawning grounds. In consequence each year fish in these streams of Alaska are becoming scarcer, and in many places the native Indians of Alaska, who almost wholly subsist upon salmon, are in a half starved and destitute condition.

We therefore recommend and urge that our Delegate in Congress endeavor to have a law passed making it unlawful to use fish traps, nets, or any other obstruction that will prevent fish from ascending streams and rivers to their spawning grounds, in any of the waters of Alaska.

We also most earnestly recommend that a fish commissioner, or other officer endowed with the proper power to enforce the fishing laws, be stationed each year, during the fishing season, at the principal rivers where a cannery or saltery is located.