The Hyder Weekly Herald
Established -1924
Published Saturday at the Her
ald Building in Hyder, Alaska.
Chas. F. Sandford
Owner and Publisher
Entered as second-class matter
at the postoffice at Hyder,
Alaska, under the act of March
3, 1879.
Subscription price $3.00 per
year in advance by mail or
carrier.
Advertising Rates
on application
An Independent Newspaper
Why Not Aid Silver Mining?
Although the silver issue ap
pears to have fallen somewhat
into the background of public
affairs, silver exponents are
still active and pressing for
recognition, despite the ab
sence of the newspaper public
ity heretofore given their ef
forts.
Just the other day a big meet
ing of silver men was held in
Colorado and urged that the
government do something to
aid the silver mining industry
in connection with its program
for assisting other industries.
It was pointed out that the
government is paying bonuses
to the farmers and other lines
of industry but is leaving the
silver industry to get along as
best it can—-which in effect
means not at all, as long as sil
ver prices remain over 40 per
cent below normal and the cost
of virtually everything is going
up under the spur of govern
mental uplifting processes.
Their attitude is a just one
and entitled to receive full
consideration by the adminis
tration. Silver mining is in
many respects one of the most
important industries on the en
tire list of American mineral
production activities under nor
mal conditions and gives em
ployment to many thousands
of workers, in addition to pro
viding employment in numer
ous associated industries.
As a result of the decadence
of silver prices during the past
four years, the industry, as a
direct business, is virtually at
a standstill. Unable to oper
ate profitably, fully 95 per
cent of the nation’s silver mines \
have been forced to close, with
resultant disaster to the labor
ing and business elements de
pending upon them for exist
ence. Thousands of mine work-j
ers have been thrown out of
employment and in Idaho and
other silver-producing states
whole towns have been virtual
ly depopulated as their inhabi-'
tants were forced to seek other
fields of activity. The eco
nomic loss to the nation has
been incalculable. The worst
feature of the situation is that
the activities of the govern
ment in price raising are daily
making it more difficult for the
industry to recover, owing to
steady increase in operating
costs. It is true that there has
been an advance of a few cents
in the price of silver in recent
months, but not enough to ben
efit the industry in any appre
ciable degree. Few, if any,
silver mines have resumed pro
duction and no more than an
exceedingly small number are
likely to do so as long ; s the
market price of their product
remains as low as it is, while
the production costs increase
through the advance in other
j commodity prices resulting
[from governmental price boost
ing.
Meanwhile the government is
giving subsidies to farmers,
cotton growers and other pro
ducers to help them to make a
reasonable profit on their prod
uct. It has helped the gold in
dustry by going off the gold
1 standard and establishing
gold prices in excess of the
world market price of the met
al. Holding out a helping
hand, directly or indirectly, to
every other industry, its activi
ties have only increased the
burdens of the silver industry
and forced it still closer to com
plete annihilation as a distinct
industry.
Yet the saving and resusci
tation of the industry is a sim
ple matter and, unlike the
“saving” of the farmers, which
is eating up millions of dollars
of the public’s money, need
cost no one a cent.
The government need only
to fix a price for domestic
mined silver based on the aver
age market price of prede
pression years and purchase
silver offerings at the price
fixed by means of silver certif
icates backed by the silver so
purchased, as proposed in sev
eral measures introduced in
Congress at various times in the
past three years. This process
not only would save the silver
industry from virtual extinct
ion as a distinct industry, pro
vide work for many thousands,
and revive the prosperity of
numerous communities but
would also assist the govern
ment’s efforts at economic re
habilitation by increasing the
volume of sound money in cir
culation.
Just for Fun
-o
When Uncle Sam goes into a
European conference he should
take a two-pants suit.
We hope the tax on 3.2 beer
will be sufficient to pay the in
spectors who prevent brewers
fudging to 3.3 per cent.
Tramp: “Have you a piece of
cake, lady, to give a poor man
who hasn’t had a bite for two
days?’’
“Cake! Isn’t bread good
enough for you?’’
Tramp: “Ordinarily, yes,
ma’am, but this is my birth
day.”
TEN YEARS OR SO AGO
From the Hyder, Alaska, Miner
February 29, 1924.
-o
Sam Frye and Harold Comer
caught two 40-pound salmon
with a troll last Wednesday.
The pussy willows are bud
ding, though surounded by
five or six feet of snow. The
ground is not frozen.
E. D. and Mrs. Haddon, nee
Miss Irene Hall, arrived from
Brittania Beach, where they
have resided since their mar
riage last October.
About 40 tons of machinery
for the Riverside mine, includ
ing a semi-diesel engine and
compressor, arrived on the
freighter Oduna and is now be
ing installed at the mine.
Dr. C. D. Carter, who spent
most of the winter Outside on
mining business, will resume
his dental practice here next
week.
The Lakeview proper t y,
owned by -James McKay and
Charles Bibeau, of Stewart,
has been bonded, to Victoria
interests. The ground is locat
ed on the north bank of Glac
ier creek, about 2 Y> miles
north of Stewart.
In spite of deep snow and an
unbroken trail, Pat McBride,
Hugh Gillis and Bill Fillier
left on Wednesday for the In
dependence property with a a ,
loaded double-ender of sup
plies. Six tons of supplies left
Stewart this week to carry the
present development oper
ations over until spring.
MENTAL NUTS
Can You Crack Them?
A man sold a horse for $90,
bought him back for $80, and
resold him for $100. What
did he make on the transact
ion?
A hunter sees a squirrel on
the trunk of a tree and tries to
shoot it. But as fast as he
moves around, the squirrel
moves also, and always keeps
the tree between himself and
the hunter. The hunter walked
around the tree, but did he go
around the squirrel?
(Answers next week)
Answers to last problems
The Man and his Money -
15 cents.
The Wine Casks —
Fill the 5 out of the 8 and the
3 out of the 5; empty the 3 in
to the 8; pour the 2 in the n
nto the 3; fill the 5 out of!
the 8, then from the 5 fill the 1
3, which requires 1 gallon,!
eaving 4 gallons in the5;j
impty the 3 into the 8 and j
lave 4 gallons each in 5 and 8.1
FRANK A. METCALF
CIVIL & MINING ENGINEER
U. S. MINERAL SURVEYOR
JUNEAU ALASKA
******** m *
* Hyder
Methodist Episcopal
* Church
* Rev. F. Bushfield, Pastor.
* Hyder Methodist Episcopal Church
* Sunday School at 10:30 a. m.
* Evening Service at 7:30 p. m.
' Everyone is cordially invited to
* the services.
PORTLAND CANAL LODGE
1218
LOYAL ORDER OF MOOSE
D. J. McLean, Dictator
P. S. Jack, Secretary
Meets Second and Fourth Thursdays
Second Thursday in Hyder
Fourth Thursday in Stewart
CHAS ,F, SWORD
NOTARY PUBLIC
HERALD OFFICE
HYPER F*I JRT- i A >
DEALERS IN
WOOD, COAL, HAY and GRAIN
GIANT POWDER AND EVERYTHING NECESSARY
t-§ FOR BLASTING §-t
Hauling and Storage —o— General Dock Agents
PREMIER AVE. NEAR FIRST
Edgar Provinse
-X§v~
A^hln, Gcncfsl Merchandise
“Quality
and
Service”
S3
THE HERALD
JOBPRINTING
DEPARTMENT
BUSINESS STATIONERY
CARDS, LETTER HEADS, BILL HEADS,
STATEMENTS, ENVELOPES, INVOICES,
SHIPPING TAGS, SPECIAL BLANKS,
TICKETS, ETC.
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Mining And Business Purposes.
(We Print Unit Certificates, Stock Certificates, Sub
scription Forms, Unit Agreements -and all forms re
quired in the organization of Syndicates and Stock
Companies. Get our prices before sending Outside.
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