r—— ■ — 1 — ■— ^
SPECIALIZING IN
MINING NEWS OF THE
PORTLAND CANAL
DISTRICT
>■ J
YDER WEEKLY HERALD
DEVOTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALASKA AND THE PORTLAND CANAL MINING DISTRICT.
... »1
SUBSCRIPTIONS
$3.00 PER YEAR
IN ADVANCE
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VOL 7, NO. 28
HYDER, ALASKA, SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 1931.
PRICE TEN CENTS
INITIAL POWER
DEVELOPMENT TO
BE 17,000 H. P
Power development plans of
the Portland Canal Power
Company on Davis River call
for an initial development of
17,000 electric horse power,
according to Washington, P.
C. press reports announcing
the authorization of the big
local project by the Federal
Power Commission.
The ultimate total develop
ment contemplated in the per
mit, however, is 50,000 horse
power, the reports state.
As is usual in the granting of
power development permits,
the Federal Power Commis
sion has designated the amount
to be expended on the initial
installation and has allowed
the sum of $144 765 as the
cost of constructing a 400
foot dam and power house of
the contemplated 17,000 horse
power capacity. No further de
tails of the company’s plans
are available at this time a> d
will probably not t *<• n o
known until the return of Mr.
Willis T. Batcheller, president
of the company, from the East.
In a letter to J. A. Hall,
president of the Bank of Hy
der, Baylev Hipkins, emin
ent construction engineer v* o
investigated the project last
fall and is now associated with
the company, the granting < f
the permit in such a short time
after application is not only a
tribute to the merits of the
project, but to the manner in
which Mr. Batcheller develop
ed and presented the company
application. He says:
“It affords me great pleasure
to inform you that on April 8,
1931, the Federal Power Com
mission at Washington, D. C.
granted a license to the Port
land Canal Power Co. for con
structing a hydro-electric pow
er plant on the Portland Canal
twelve miles south of Hyder,
Alaska.
“The action of the Commis
sion, so shortly after the ap
lication had been formally
submitted on December 27.
1931. is not only a tribute to
the merits of the project, but
to the masterful and thorough
manner in which Mr. Willis T.
Batcheller developed and pre
sented his application.
“I dare «ay there is not a
parallel in the history of hy
dro-electric development ap
lications, and it behooves all
of us to get behind Mr. Bat
cheller in an united effort to
interest the prospective pur
chasers of power and have
them prepare for extending
their mining operations for the
year 1932, and thereafter.
“I would suggest that you
have those in whom you are
interested make their appli
cations to us for power re
quirements as soon as possible,
in order that we may deter
mine the magnitude of the in
itial installation for them.
Otherwise they may be delay
ed, for it stands to reason that
the applicants must be served
in chronological order.
As the senior member of the
Hyder contingent, who re
ceived me so cordially during
my visit, I am adressing this
communication to you with
£ ays Highway Be Built
Within Few Years
The Alaska-Yukon Highway
' will be an aceompolished fact
within a few years. Premier
Tolmie predicted to the Leg
islature after A. G. Kergan,
of Atlin, B. C. wanted to
know what progress had been
made with proposals and if
the route would connect up
the north country through the
i Stewart country, according to
i Victoria press reports.
Premier Tolmie replied that
I negotiations for an investiga
tion as to the feasibility of the
J road will be carried forward
this summer, when the Inter
! national body will go over the
ground.
The Premier said this com
mittee will have representa
tives from the United States,
Ottawa, Yukon Territory and
! British Columbia.
Private offers have been re
ceived by the Province for the
1 constructing of some sections
of tlie road in return for con
cessions to recover the cost of
I construction. The offers, the
Premier said, could not be
entertained at this stage.
Premier Tolmie declared the
; Alaska Route was feasible be- i
yond all doubt.
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New Rad-j System for Alaska
Three main radio telegraph
stations, at Seattle, Ketchikan
and Anchorage, will soon com
prise the U. S. Signal Corps
j communication system be
:t tween Alaska and Seattle, ac-!
cording to a recent issue of ;
Seattle’s Business. The Seattle
transmitting station, located at
Tigeon Point in West Seattle,
is partially completed and is
being fitted with transmitters;
| of varying power, one to trans
mit messages to Ketchikan, I
another to Anchorage and one
for communication with San
; Francisco. Messages from j
Alaska will be received at
1 Fort Lawton, where a receiv
ing station with modern equip
ment is being installed. Both '
receiving and transmitting sta
tions will be operated by re
mote control from the Signal t
Corps offices in Seattle. The
new system is expected to be
completed by July 1.
A reindeer council, compos
ed of five members with com-1
plete authority to administer
, the industry, will be establish
ed in the immediate future by j
Secretary Wilbur, as a result
of hearings in Washington, D.
C., regarding the administra
, tion of the Alaska reindeer 1
: industry.
The council is to be compos-'
ed of Governor Parks, the j
i chief of the Alaska division
of the bureau of Indian Af
fairs. the superintendent of
i Reindeer in Alaska, one repre
Jsentative of the Eskimo deer
! owners and one representative
of the Lomen interests.
The council will be instruct-j
ed to formulate range rules,
i develop market outlets, ap
point government-paid super
, visors and order an early
roundup of the reindeer on the j
I Seward Peninsula.
! the request that the contentsj
i be shown to Mr. Sandford and
Mr. Hill.
“Looking forward to an early
renewal of my visit to you. and
with kind regards to all.”
WORLD MUST FIND
NEW COST LEVELS
Expressing the view that new
levels of costs must be found
before economic condition will
adjust themselves, Sir Josiah
Stamp, famous British econo
mist, does not believe that
any immediate ecomom
ic improvement is yet in sight.
Sir Josiah arrived in New
York the other day on a mis
sion to Ottawa and voiced the
opinion that everyone is look
ing to this side of the Atlantic
to lead the way back to bet
ter times. The underyling
causes of the depression are
the same here as abroad, he
said.
The basis causes of the de
pression, he said, are enor
mously complicated, but gen
erally speaking, the chief
trouble is the fact that the
money situation is “out of
gear” with production and con
sumption. New levels of costs
must be found, he said.
Sir Josiah said he does not
think any immediate economic
improvement is yet in sight.
Probably by the end of this
year, he said, there will be a
beginning of the upturn in
trade. Britain is hoping for a
gradual increase in foreign
market business to prepare
the way for an improvement
in home industry, he shid.'
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Premier Shares Show Gains
A new upward movement in
the price of Premier Gold Min
ing Company shares in recent
days is attributed by Van
couver journals to reports of!
promising ore finds on the1
company’s Tough Oaks prop-1
ertv in Northern Ontario,
which promises to become a
valuable mine.
The price of Premier shares i
has advanced from around 75 ;
cents last month to upward ;
of 90 cents at present and ap-1
pears likely to advance even
higher. Steady accumulation
of shares in New York and
Eastern Canada is reported.
Railroad Money Split
The impression prevails that
the appropriation passed by
Congress for the Alaska Rail
road was cut from $1,000,000
to $500,000. As a matter of
fact the act making appropri
ations for the Department of
the Interior for the fiscal year
ending June 30. 1932, and
which was approved Feb. 14.
1931, carries an item of $1,
000,000 for the Railroad, the
same aggregate sum that was
contained in the act passed a
year ago, according to a Wash
ington, D. C. report. But there
is the difference that in the re
cent act there is the provision
“that not to exceed $250,000 of
ths fund shall be available for
continuation of the investiga
tion of mineral and other re
sources of Alaska to ascertain
the potential resouces available j
which will affect railroad ton
nage.” There is the further dif
ference that a year ago $200,
000 of the fund was made
available for “capital expen
ditures,” while this year the
amount named for that pur
pose is $250,000.
FOSTER PROPOSES
DOUBLE POLL TAX
Creation of a special indi
gent relief fund to finance the
constantly increasing cost of
Territorial pensions and indi
gency relief is proposed in a
bill introduced in the Alaska
legislature by Representative
Foster.
The measure provides for a
tax of $5 per year, corrcspontl
j ing to the present school tax
j law and appliceable to the
! same persons, according to Ju
neau reports. Passage of the
bill would, therefore, double
the amount now paid by those
subject to school poll tax.
Other measures of general
interest introduced since the
Herald’s last report include
the following:
By Sundquist, to have a
general primary election re
place the party primary syst
em now in effect. The bill pro
vides for placing names and
paity designation of all candi
dates on ballots, the two re
ceiving the highest votes to be
declared the nominees, regard
less of party affiliation. Also
provides that any candi
date receiving 60
per cent or more of total vote;
cast for the office sought, j
shall be the only one to get his
name on the official genera!
election ballot. This does not
prevent writing in of other
names by voters.
By Sundquist, providing for
special primary election of
party officers, including na
tional committeemen and na
tional convention delegates.
By Ziegler, empowering may
ors of first class cities to ap
point city clerk and magis
trat , treasurers, police chief j
and other municipal employ-i
ees, with the advice and con- {
sent of city councils. Also for;
removal of such employees for
cause.
By Lomen, providing for com-1
mon law marriages where \
parties concerned reside more
than 50 miles from the nearest j
U. S. Commissioner. Such mar
riages. are required to be wit
nessed by two persons, and
contracting parties are re
quired to sign and forward to
the nearest commissioner a
statement acknowledging the 1
marriage.
By Donnelly, authorizing the
Attorney General to investi
gate the possibilities and pre
pare a Territorial income tax
law for the 1933 legislature.
By Burgh, making the unlaw
ful issuance of checks and
drafts a larceny.
I
l
u
Makes Alaska Flight Record
Robt. E. Ellis, Alaska-Wash
ington Airways pilot, who
visited Hyder a few days ago,
recently flew from Seattle to
Juneau with 5 passengers in 7 j
hours and 40 minutes, setting a
new speed record for the
flight and averaging 125 miles i
per hour. The former record
was 8:10 and held by Anscel
Eckman.
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M. M. O.Brien, mines man
ager for the Consolidated Min
ing and Smelting Company,
left for the south Monday after
inspecting- operations at the
Big Missouri.
Alaska Commerce Reaches
Record Low Mark-March
--
Outgoing Alaska commerce
in March reached record low
figures with a total of only
$678,230. Of the indicated
total $134,759 represented
the value of products of the
United States returned, leav
ing the actual value of Alas
ka commodities exported at
$543,471.
So far as available records
show, this was the lowest fig
ure reached by Alaska exports
in any month since before the
Klondyke gold rush days and
reflects the effect of the cur
rent depression on Territorial
production. March exports
last year totaled $2,047,035,
exclusive of gold and silver.
Following is the complete
list of exports, as shown in the
monthly statement of Customs
Collector J. C. McBride.
1,000
KA'K
959
Blue foxes .
Other animals .
Curios .
Fish: fresh and frozen
(except shell-fish)
Halibut . 128,329
Salmon . 118,193
957
467
12
178
8
578
3,404
25,517
All other .
Canned: (except
shell-fish)
Salmon . 67,271
Cured or preserved
(except shell-fish)
Cod .
Herring .
Salmon .
All other .
Shell-fish:
Clams .
Crabs .
Shrimps.
Furs and fur-skins:
Blue fox .
Silver or black fox
Red fox .
White fox .
Mink .
Muskrat ..
Beaver .
All other .
Manufactured furs .
Ore, matte, regulus:
Copper .
Lead .
Stone, marble, etc.
Trophies, specimans.
Wood: Timber etc...
All other articles ....
12,890
550
14,330
785
11,241
60 J
6,347
9,552
35'1
20,665
13,187
3,172
2,000
ISO
191
Total value of products
of Alaska. 5 - 3,471
Products of the Unit
ed States returned . .. 13a,759
Total value of shipments
of merchandise. 678,230
Moose Hold
Splendid Memorial
The annual memorial ser
vices of the Moose lodge, hale
in Pioneer Hall last Saturday
evening, were probably the!
most impressive and beautiful |
ever held in the district am/
were attended by a large
gathering from both sides of
the boundary line.
The resident clergymen of
every denomination represent
ed in the district participated
in the program. Rev. Father
Emil LeRay, O. M. I., deliver
ed an eloquent and impressive
oration in memory of the de
parted members of the order
and a splendid program of
vocal and instrumental num
bers interspersed the beauti
ful ritualistic ceremonies of
the Moose order.
MI CELEBRATION
I), S,-CANADIAN
HOLIDAYS PLANNED
Tentative plans for a big
international celebration by
Hyder, Stewart and Premier
of Dominion Day and Indepen
dence Day were formed at a
meeting of representatives of
the leading interests of the
three camps in Stewart Thurs
day evening.
The meeting was attended by
thirty or more persons, prin
cipally representatives of the
business interests, and marked
enthusiasm prevailed through
out. H. P. Gibson, president oi
the Stewart Board of Commis
sioners, presided.
Following extended discus
sion of numerous proposals
submitted, it was decided to
elect an executive committee
composed of two representa
tives from each camp to work
out definite plans for a joint
three-day celebration to be
held July 18th, 19th, and 20th
in Hyder and Stewart. Mr.
Gibson was chosen as perman
ent chairman, and the follow
ing local committeemen were
named, with power to appoint
such local assistants as they
may deem necessary:
Hyder — E. D. Haddon,
Oren F. Hill.
Stewart — W S. Orr, T. Ap
plewhaite.
Premier — T. Mackay, Sam
Coulter.
1 he celebration is planned
not only as an observance of
the American and Canadian
national holidays, but also as
a means of securing a large
amount of publicity for the
district. In pursuance of lat
ter object it is proposed to in
duce the Canadian National
Steamship company to hold a
special excursion from Prince
Rupert and Ketchikan. An ef
fort is also to be made to have
an American and British war
ship visit the district during
the celebration period and
steps will be taken to have the
participants in the annual
Seattle-Alaska yacht race visit
the port. Plans were also dis
cussed for holding a contest
between the several British
Columbia Indian bands for a
trophy to further enliven the
proceedings and provide ample
music for the celebration.
Plans were also discussed
for having an airplane or two
visit the camp and provide
sight seeing flights over the
district for those who wish to
witness the maiwelous moun
ain scenery from the air. Num
erous other diversions and
entertainments were also con
sidered, including auto trips
to the mines and Texas Creek,
sports and contests in Hyder
and Stewart and a grand ball.
Plans were also discussed
for holding a big sweepstakes
in Stewart.
In addition to tendering full
support and assistance toward
making the celebration a suc
cess, representatives of the
Premier proposed that the
mine would be shut down dur
ing the celebration period to
permit the entire crew to par
ticipate. It is believed that the
Big Missouri will probably
adopt a similar course of pro
Continued on Page 4