Show reindeer herds are growing cr in alaska more than animals receiving care the reindeer herds of alaska now contain more than animals owned by about 3 persons ac cording to a recent estimate of the department of the interior the federal goern government ment through its reindeer service staffed by seven employees supervises these herds over a vast area from bristol bay to po nt barrow on the mainland and also on several islands in addition to exercising gerral supervision over the reindeer herds the interior department service as fists in keeping ownership records caches eaches care and management and where possible helps to establish new herds the supervisory person nel consists of one general super visor and five unit managers with a clerk stenographer at head the work is such as to require much traveling over long dis by airplane dog sled boat and afoot reindeer herds are a valuable native industry they provide food and some cash for many native alaskans on account of tran tation and other difficulties and the competition of meat products in the united states reindeer meat has not yet won more than a minor place in the american market ter rit atonal orial officials are hopeful however that with the development of the herds and better transportation the opportunities in the americal Amerl Ame car market will be considerably en barged A heavier demand for rein deer is reported from other parts of alaska than those in which rein deer herds are now maintained the aleutian islanders too want rein deer to supplement their meager resources few natives can pay the costs of transportation of reinder r herds so the territorial govern ment when it has the bonev avail able seeks a wider distribution of the reindeer herds |