HYDER - FIRST ALASKA TOWN THAT CAN BE REACHED BY PAC1FIC-YUKON-ALASKA HIGHWAY
SPECIALIZING IN
MINING NEWS OF THE
PORTLAND CANAL
DISTRICT
SUBSCRIPTIONS
*3.00 PER YEAR
IN ADVANCE
J
VOLUME 10, NUMBER 29.
HYDER, ALASKA, SATURDAY, APRIL 7, 1934.
SINGLE COPIES 10 CENTS
SENATE SILVER
SUPPORTERS WILL
CONTINUE FIGHT
That silver supporters in the
Senate do not intend to lessen
their efforts for silver remon
etization during the present
session despite administration
opposition, is indicated in
Washington reports stating
thas Senator Wheeler and oth
er leaders will attempt to
amend the Dies bill by includ
ing the 16-to-l issue and will
also attempt to secure a vote on
the Fiesinger silver purchase
bill, withdrawn in the House
by request of the President.
Senator Wheeler will seek a
hearing on the Dies bill, which
recently passed the House with
more than a two-thirds major
ity, with the hope iof adding
his own silver program.
Nearly 100 House members
signed a petition last week to
bring the Feisinger bill before
the House for a vo^te.
The bill provides for purchase
of silver by the government un
til such time as the parity be
tween gold and silver reestab
lishes the 1926 price level.
Leading silver exponents ex
pressed hope that the outcome
of both efforts for silver would
be successful.
■o
President Roosevelt Endorses
Unemployment Insurance
Formal endorsement of pend
ing unemployment insurance
legislation was given recently
by President Roosevelt, accord
ing 'to Washington reports.
The President expressed the
hope that the Wagner-Lewis
bill, providing for a tax 'on em
ployers’ payrolls to be collected
and administered by the states,
would be passed by Congress
at the present session.
-o
Houte Bill Would Aid
Alaska Fishermen
A bill that would make fisher
men in Alaska waters eligible
for treatment at the marine
hospital in San Francisco has
been introduced in the House
of Representatives by Repre
sentative Welch of California.
The measure would broaden
the term “seaman” in legisla
tion pertaining to the public
health service to include *. ar
sons employed on vessels en
gaged in fishing under the
maritime and navigation laws,
according to the reports.
-o
Quakes Shake Anchorage
Two earthquake shocks were
felt at Anchorage March 30,
but did no damage. Both last
ed several seconds.
PREMIER WAGE
SCALE INCREASED
Employees of the Premier
Gold Mining Company are re
joicing in the announcement of
a 10 percent increase in wages
at the Premier mine, commenc
ing the first of the present,
month.
The increase applies ifco all
classes of labor employed and
restores the wage scale to the
former level by offsetting a 10
percent reduction made in
1932. Miners now receive
$5.50 per day, muckers $5.
Wages of the ore tram employ
ees are increased in equal pro
portion.
-o
Repeal Bill Still Delayed
Repeal ,of prohibition in Al
aska still lingers in the
lap of the Senate, owing to the
unfortunate inclusion of what
is believed to be an unconstitu
tional provision in the rrmasure
as passed by the Senate and
House. The provision in pies
tion would give to the go\ernor
of Alaska power to pardon
those convicted under the Al
aska prohibition law.
To remedy this defect, the
j measure has been recalled to
Congress and Senator Tydings
i of Maryland has introduced a
concurrent resolution in the
Senate providing for the elim
ination of the provision.
Senator McNary, republican
leader, objected to imn edi ite
consideration and the resrlu
tion was forced to lay over for
later consideration.
o
Alaskan Measures Approved
Alaskan measures providing
for increased cooperation be
tween the executive depart
ments of the Territory and var
ious federal bureaus, and for
the sale lof government .owned
houses and land at Anchorage,
have been approved by the
House committee on territories,
according to Washington re
ports.
The main object of the first
measure is to authorize the
Territorial executive depart
ments to receive funds ap
propriated by the Legislature
for activities in Alaska which
come under the jurisdiction of
the commerce, interior, agri
culture and war departments;
of the federal government.
-o
Junior Legion Concert
The Junior branch of the j
Canadian Legion, B. E. S. L., j
will hold a concert in Legion
Hall, Stewart, the evening of
April 14.
C. W. A. PROGRAM TO
CLOSE HERE APRIL 23
The local CVVA activities,
which have been the mainstay
of Hyder’s unemployed during
most of the winter season, will
terminate April 26, in keeping
with the national program, ac
cording to instructions received
by the local employment board
board Tuesday, from the Ter
ritorial CWA authorities.
The message of instruction
gives the following schedule as
tto the number of men to be em
ployed during the remainder
of the work period :
For the week beginning
April 6, employment is to be
limited to 12 men, net includ
ing the foreman. For the week
commencing April 13 the num
ber is to be reduced to 9 men.
and for the concluding week,
starting April 20, employment
will be confined to six men.
In apportioning the work un
der the required schedule the
employment board has been
confronted with a difficult
problem, owing to the reduct
ion in the number to be ern
ployed each week, alter caring
for those who were on govern
ment relief prior to the inaug
uration of the CWA work.
Under the regulations the lat
ter must be retained on the
payroll to the fullest extent
possible.
As the number cf men on the
eligible list exceeds the
number of jobs available, it
was found necessary to lay off
permanently a number whose
situation or future outlook is
more promising than those of
the others and the balance of
the w'ork was apportioned as
nearly equally as possible
among the remaining men.
-o
Mine Supplies Arrive
Seventy odd tons of supplies
for the United Empire mine ar
rived from the south Thursday.
The consignment consisted
principally cf lumber, of which
30,000 odd fee,', were received.
Total cargo carried by the
vessel amounted to 108 ton-,
and was the largest arriving
in the district in a long period.
--o
Cuba To Mint Silver
Increased use of silver in
currency by Cuba is indicated
in Havana reports stating tiiat
the Cuban government has ac
cepted tentatively a $10,000.
000 silver credit from the Cuba
Export and Import Bank of
Washington. The silver will
be minted into silver dollar;
and be drawn on in sums of
$2,000,000 as needed, a gov
ernment spokesman said.
I FURTHER CUT IN
DOLLAR SUGGESTED
That a futrher reduction in
the value of the dollar is con
templated by the administra
tion is indicated in a report
from Washington that feelers
are being thrown out officially
to sound out public opinion on
the subject.
The first cut reduced the
dollar value to 59 cents, put
ting gold to $35 an ounce. It
also netted the government a
gold profit of around three bil
lions. The suggested new cut
would reduce 'the gold value of
the dollar to 50 cents and raise
geld to $41 an ounce.
The failure of the first cut to
achieve its primary object of
raising commodity prices,
which have remained level for
a month or more, is ascribed as
the reason for effecting a fur
ther cut.
-o
Dimond Bill Gives
Land To Veterans
The unmatched industry of
Alaska Delegate A. J. Dimond
in behalf <of the Territory and
its residents was again ex
amplified last week when the
Delegate introduced in the
House a bill providing for the
giving of 160 acres of land of
their own choosing in the Ter
ritory to each World War vet
eran of Alaska or their widows
or children.
The grants would be limited
to veterans or their survivor
dependents who were residents
of the Territory when they en
ered the service.
Persons receiving such lands
would not be required to settle
upon, cultivate or work them
to obtain rights, as required by
the homestead laws.
--o
Mahoney Confirmed
| William T. Mahoney was con
firmed last week by the Senate
as United States Marshal for
the First Judicial Division of
Alaska.
Mr. Mahoney was given a re
cess appointment by President
; Roosevelt in December and
i took over the office from Al
bert White 'on January 15.
Mahoney went to Washing
ton recently Do appear before
the Senate judiciary commttee
in connection with his appoint
ment, which is said to have
been opposed by certain Alas
kans of his 'own political party.
-o
Memorial Postponed
The Mcose Memorial, sched
uled for Sunday in Pioneer
! Hall, has been postponed until
further notice owing to the
present bad state of the heads.
j
DIMOND SEEKING
MILITARY DEFENSES
FOR ALASKA
Adequate defense measures
for Alaska, particularly with
respect to air bases, will be
asked by Alaska Delegate A.
J. Dimond in a bill which he
will introduce in the House in
the near future.
The measure will specifically
pave the way for the establish
ment of air stations in the Ter
I ritory.
| The need for defense bases
in Alaska was stressed recently
I by the Delegate in a speech in
! the House, which centered
I Washington interest on the
| problem. The topic is aso en
gaging national interest and
(was recently the subject iof an
article in Liberty magazine by
Senator Robinson. The New
! York Times also printed a
•special dispatch from its Wash
ington bureau on the subject.
-o
Two Alaskans Perish
In Break Up of Ice
I
Mr. and Mrs. William E.
Sullivan lost their lives by
| breaking through the ice on
Naknek River a few days ago
while crossing the river in a
dog team to visit the Naknek
post Office, according to word
received in Anchorage. Their
sled broke through thin ice a
hundred feet or so from shore.
No one witnessed the accident.
The bodies were not recovered.
Mr. Sullivan was an employee
of ithe bureau of fisheries.
-o
Georgia River Shareholders
Seek Discussion OF Transfer
Report comes from Vancou
ver this week that J. C. Gavi
gan .of that city has been auth
orized by a meeting of Georgia
River Gold shareholders called
by Mr. Gavigan to appoint a
committee of three to meet the
directors of Helena Gold Mines
Ltd., to discuss details of the
deal whereby the assets of the
Georgia River company were
acquired for 800,000 shares of
Helena Gold.
The meeting was attended by
ahout 100 persons, of whom 47
represented 178,000 shares of
stock.
The committee will also 'nter
view the liquidator of Georgia
River Gold.
-o
Gus Rudolph Passes
Gus Rudolph, former Pre
mier mine foreman, who left
recently for the south owing
to ill health, died a few days
agio in Vanvouver, according to
reports from the south.