HYDER - FIRST ALASKA TOWN THAT CAN BE REACHED BY PACIFK-YWKON-ALASKA HIGHWAY
SPECIALIZING IN
MINING NEWS OF THE
PORTLAND CANAL
DISTRICT
V
■■■ "* ’
SUBSCRIPTIONS
83.00 PER YEAR
IN ADVANCE
_ J
VOLUME 9, NUMBER 20.
HYDER, ALASKA, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1933.
SINGLE COPIES 10 CENTS
ACTION ON SILVER
IN NEXT SESSION
By a vote of 9 to 3, the House ;
Coinage committee voted last j
week to table all bills before it j
providing for the free coinage i
of silver on a ratio of 16 to 1,
but appointed a special com
mittee to draft a measure pro
viding for the auxiliary use of
silver as a monetary reserve,
according to Washington re
ports. The vote killing the
free coinage bills included the
so-called Wheeler bill, which
was recently rejected by the
Senate in connection with the
Glass banking bill.
The action of the committe
was taken after a long series
of hearings on the silver quest
ion, which included testimony
by Senators Wheeler and Pitt
man; the sponsors of a large
number of House measures for
utilization of silver, Francis H. j
Brownell, noted silver advo
cate, John H. Janney, presi
dent of the American Society
of Practical Economists, also a
silver advocate, and others
prominent in economic and fi
nancial circles.
Discussing the situation fol
lowing the appointment of the
special committee to draft a
bill for auxiliary use of silver,
chairman Somers, said the
principal points to be worked
out by the subcommittee will
be means of regulating silver
deposits with the treasury and
protecting the treasury from
dumping.
The plans of the committee
as tentatively worked out are
to have a bill which would
provide for the purchase of a
limited amount of silver at the
market price and the issuance
against this silver of certifi
cates redeemable in silver in
an amount equal to the gold
price of silver at the time of
redemption. This method is
designed to prevent increase or
decrease in the value of silver
currency with the fluctuations
in the price of silver and is
said to be aimed to avoid the
difficulty inherent in a pro
posed bimetallic base wherein
the public tends to use the
cheaper money and hoard the
dearer money. The plan is also
intended to stabilize silver
rather than to raise its price.
Chairman Somers said he
was certain there were enough
votes in his committee to ap
prove a bill to make silver a
monetary reserve for legal ten
der. Somers believes that un
der a measure of the suggested
character silver in the first
three months would command
40 cents an ounce; in the next
three months, 50 cents; in the
next three months 60 cents
and from that on there would
be an increase of one-half or 1
New Alaska Election
Date In Prospect
Discussing the effects of the
“lame duck” amendment to the
Constitution, the Juneau Em
pire notes that the provision
requiring the new Congress to
convene January 3 instead of
on March 4, may necessitate a
change in Alaskan election
dates. A f|t
The journal points out that
under the 1931 election code
canvass of the election returns
is not required to be completed
until as late as February 20,
in order to permit ample time
for receipt of returns from the
more remote precincts. But
when Congress shall meet in
the first week in January the
Alaska delegate to Congress
cannot under the present Terri
torial statute, take his seat un
i til as long as two months after
Congress has convened,. In
other words, until the Territor
ial canvass *'as been completed
and election certificates are is
sued by the Canvassing Board.
This would mean that the
Territory would be two months
without representation and at
a time when Congress is form
j ulating appropriations for the
i ermury.
The Empire points out two
ways in which the difficulty
can be remedied. The first is by
requiring the Canvassing
Board to complete its work
long enoug1' before January 1
to permit the delegate to reach
Washington in time for the
convening session. This, how
ever, would require at times
chat the Board act before the
results of the election were def
initely determined and to
risk having to reverse its de
cision in the event of very close
i elections. The second method
| suggested by the Empire would
be to advance the date of the
election from the first Tuesday
in November to the first Tues
day in September, thus giving
ample time for returns to be
received by the middle of De
cember. Either of these chang
es can be made by the Terri
torial Legislature.
cent a month until it reaches
$1.29 an ounce.
Rainey Predicts Passage of
Silver Bill In Special Session
Representative Rainey of Ill
inois, democratic floor leader,
has predicted that Congress
will pass a silver bill along the
: lines of the Somers measure
during the special session in
: April, and expressed doubt
: that the present Congress will
, enact silver legislation. Rainey
t favors use of silver for auxili
ary coinage.
OFFICIAL CHANGES
START MARCH FIRST
The sweeping out of Alaska
political offices resulting from
the November elections will
start next Wednesday, March
1 and will continue until virtu
ally all present office holders
are succeeded by Democratic
successors.
The first of the new officers
to commence their official dut
ies will be Attorney General
James Truitt, Commissioner of
Education A. E. Karnes, and
Highway Engineer Wm. A.
Hesse; the latter being the on
ly one on the list of incoming
officials to succeed himself.
On March 4 Delegate-elect
A. J. Diamond will commence
his new duties in Washington.
D. C., and two days later, on
March 6, the newly elected
members of the Legislature
will take the oath of office
when that body convenes.
Four of the five new senators
will serve four years, the fifth
two years. The new House
members will Serve two years
but will attend only one session
of the Legislature.
The next Territorial official
to take office will be Territor
ial Auditor Frank A. Boyle,
who will tackle his new job on
April 1.
The Legislature will be com
posed of the following mem
bers :
First Division
Senators
N. R. Walker, D., Ketchikan
Allan Shattuck, D., Juneau
Representatives
J. F. Baronovich, D., Ketchikan
| Joe Green, D., Hyder
jThos. B. Hudson, D., Juneau
! J. W. Kehoe, D., Ketchikan
Second Division
Senators
James Frawley, D., Nome
Alfred J. Lomen, R., Nome
Representatives
Nels Swanberg, R. Nome
Tolbert Scott, D., Nome
A. G. Blake, R., Nome
Geo. Hellerich, R., Nome
Third Division
Senators
J. R. Campbell, D., Anchoragt
R. S. Bragaw, R„ Anchoragt
Representatives
Warren A. Taylor, D., Cordov;
H. H. McCutcheon, D., Anchor
1 age.
. Jas. Patterson, D., Valde;
J. G. Hoffman, D., Sewart
> Fourth Division
! Senators
: Luther J. Hess, D., Fairbank
i; Thos. J. DeVave, D., Rub;
Representatives
1 Joe McDonald, D., Fairbank
r Alton J. Nordale, D., Fairbank
- George A. Lingo, D., McKinle;
Andrew Nerland, R., Fairbank
Prohibition Repeal Is
Approved By Congress
By a vote of 289 to 121, the
House of Representatives ap
proved repeal of the 18th
Amendment, it was announced
Monday in radio reports.
The repeal resolution was
passed by the Senate last week
and the action of the House
sends the prohibition question
back to the states for ratifica
tion or rejection of repeal.
Presidential approval is not re
quired. However, the repeal
proposal must be ratified by
three-fourths (36) of the forty
eight states before it becomes
effective. Conventions sum
moned by each state must pass
on the resolution, instead of
the state legislatures.
Thirten states can block rati
fication, either by adverse vote
or failure to act.
—I-o
Ore Shipments Resumed
Ore shipments from the Pre
mier mine to the Granby smelt
er at Anyox were resumed dur
ing the past week, indicating
an early resumption of activi
ties suspended by the recent
strike of miners. The steamer
Griffco left Monday with a
load of low grade and a barge
| load in tow.
rv
Church Officials Due Today
Rev. George H. Wilson, D. D.,
Captain, the Rev. R. C. S.
superintendent of missions in
British Columbia for the Unit
ed Church of Canada, Rev. R.
C. Scott, of the same service,
and Rev. Frank Bushfield,
pastor of the Hyder M. E.
and United Church of Stewart,
are expected to arrive here
| from Prince Rupert this after
! noon on board the mission boat
J Thomas Crosby.
The visiting church dignitar
ies will officiate at services in
the United Church, Stewart,
commencing at 8 p. m. this
evening. Services will also be
held in Hyder at 11 a. m. Sun
i day morning and at Premier
i Sunday evening, starting at 7 :
i 30 p. m.
The public will be welcomed
! at all services.
Silver Moves Up Again
5 Spot silver advanced three
r quarters of a cent to 27 cents
'on the New York market early
5 i this week. The rise was at
3 tributed to the Chinese situ
/ ation and speculative buying in
s I the Orient.
HELLENTHAL ENDORSED
FOR DISTRICT JUDGE
3. Hellenthal, Juneau attorney
and member of the law firm of
Hellenthal & Hellenthal, was
endorsed for federal judge of
the First Division at a three
day meeting in Juneau of the
Democratic divisional c o m
mittee.
The committe also endorsed
William A. Holzheimer, former
federal judge of the Second Di
vision and present city clerk
and magistrate for Ketchikan,
for the position of United
States Attorney, and William
T. Mahoney, of Ketchikan, for
United States Marshal for this
division. The endorsements
in each case were unanimous.
Judge Holzheimer was a con
tender for the judgeship, but
yielded to Mr. Hellenthal in the
interest of harmony. Mr Ma
honey was opposed by James
McCloskey, of Juneau.
The committee also endorsed
John W. Troy for governor and
J. J. Connors for Collector of
Customs.
o
j “Princess Sophia” Claims
Rejected By Supreme Court
What is probably the final
j chapter in the famous Princess
i Sophia claims case was written
in Washington last week when
the Supreme Court refused to
review a lower court decision
under which relatives of 200
passengers lost in the sinking
of the steamer Princess Sophia
in Lynn Canal in 1918 were
barred from collecting damag
es. The ship sank with 294
passengers and 61 crew after
striking a reef. Damage claims
instituted totaled two million
dollars but the courts disal
lowed all but 13 claims and
granted the Canadian Pacific
steamship company a limited
liability.
-o
Paul Sues Marshal White
William L. Paul, who has
instituted a legal action against
federal judge J. W. Harding,
asking $100,000 for alleged
damages growing out a con
tempt of court action in which
Paul was fined by the court,
has now filed suit against U. S.
Marshal Albert White and C.
V. Brown, deputy marshal at
Petersburg, asking $5,000
damages, in connection with
the attachment last fall by the
marshal of the Petersburg
Alaskan newspaper plant,
, which Paul claims was wrong
, fully done.
-o
■ J Premier shares went up 3
i ! points to 72 on the Vancouver
j Stock Exchange Monday.