HYDER - FIRST ALASKA TOWN THAT CAN BE REACHED BY PAC1FIC-YUKON-ALASKA HIGHWAY
SPECIALIZING IN
MINING NEWS OF THE
PORTLAND CANAL
DISTRICT
HYDER WEEKLY HERALD
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VOLUME 10, NUMBER 13.
HYDER, ALASKA, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1933.
SINGLE COPIES 10 CENTS
DEVELOPMENTS IN
SILVER SITUATION
Distinct improvement in the
outlook for silver remonetiza
tion appears in late reports
relative to the administration’s
financial activities. The move
ment toward remonetization is
growing steadily and there ap
pears little doubt that decisive
action will be taken in that
direction during the coming
Congressional session.
Radio broadcasts last Sunday
reported that Representative
Henry T. Rainey, speaker of
the House of Representatives,
has announced himself in favor
of 16 to 1 remonetization and
believes it can be accomplished
in the next session.
Senator Borah has issued a
vigorous new demand for re
monetization of silver, follow
ing disclosure that the govern
ment has used only a fraction
of the $50,000,000 gold buying
fund during a month’s opera
tion j
Senator Pittman, who has
been charged with being op
posed to actual remonetization
of silver, although seeking to
aid the silver-mining industry
by price increase, is now re
ported advocating free coin
age of U. S. mined silver by
government mints at a ratio
of 16 to 1 of gold. This will
affect silver only in the United
States.
Recent checking of the gov
ernments daily advances in the
price of gold is causing wide
speculation and is believed to
indicate that only a m l.-rate
future use of the purchas
ing policy in harmony with
commodity price trends will be
exercised.
The Roosevelt dollar vas
propounced the “soundest
money on earth, now or at any
other time,’’ by General John
son, head of the NRA, in a pub-;
lie statement, but H. I. Harri
man, president of the United
States Chamber of Commerce,
urged a prompt return to gold
exchange stabilization and re
moval of NRA “burdens’’ upon
small businesses. He did not i
l'avwr a return of the dollar to
the old basis, however, but
asserted that dollars o>f “vary
ing gold content” would bring
confusion and uncertainty.
Warning that President Roos- j
evelt’s monetary policy is mov-1
ing toward inflation “of alarm- J
ing proportions,” eleven social i
■science professors of Swarth
more College urged immediate
return to the gold standard,
“although not necessarily with
a dollar of the former gold
content.” Their statement was
asserted to be not “issued on
behalf of Wall Street,” but on
behalf of “small income re
ceivers,” and declared that the
Splendid Performance
By Church Players
The Portland Canal district
has never witnessed a more
finished and artistically pre
sented theatrical performance
than was displayed in the pro
duction of the three-act com
edy-drama, “Aunt Fanny's
Visit,” presented in Stewart
last Friday and Saturday eve
nings under the auspices of the
Women’s Association of the
United Church.
Although presented by ama
teurs, the various characters
were portrayed with such con
summate skill and artistry that
it was truly difficult for those
in the audience to realize that
the performers were indeed
their own neighbors and
friends and not members1 of
some professional organization.
And not alone were the indi
vidual performances of a qual
ity far above the ordinary ama
teur concept, but the product
as a whole was distinguished
by a smoothness of movement
and subtility of action seldom
seen off the professional stage.
The • play, with its wealth of
serio-comic situations, provided
a splendid vehicle for the tal
ents of the cast; a majority of
whom are veterans of num
erous stage productions. Wor
thy of especial mention was
the work of Ua MacNeill, as
the maid; P. S. Jack, as the
policeman; and S. G. Lawrence
as the crook. Others in the
cast were Muriel Esselmont,
W. D. Smith, Betty Rochfort,
E. T. Applewhaite, Gwen. Mor
rice and Edith Behnson.
New Library Books
Librarian B. B. Smith an
nounces receipt of the follow
ing- new bocks at the Hyder
Public Library:
The Outsider, McDonald;
Preciou,s Jeopardy, Douglas;
Thirteen at Dinner, Christie;
Miss Bishop, Aldrich; Capt.
Blood Returns, Sabatini.
“chief danger” of present de
velopments is that they “point
toward too much spending of
a highly dangeious sort.”
“People who get a dollar may
come to feel that they must
spend it immediately for fear it
will be worthless tomorrow,”
they declared.
Banker denunciation of the
president’s monetary policy
continues in various quarters
but William Randolph Hearst,
vigorously defending the pres
ident, declared he is “striving
to get the country away from
the blood money of the “Shy
lock’s, away from the hard
money of hard men.”
“Those here and abroad who
know about finances declare
Roosevelt isonthe right track,”
he said.
DIMOND SEEKING FUNDS
FOR INTL. HIGHWAY
Alaska Delegate A. J. Di
mond will ask for an approp
riation of $1,970,000 for the
construction of the Alaska sec
tion of the proposed Pacific
Yukon - Alaska international
highway.
Delegate Dim-ond declared the
project an ideal public works
enterprise, as much of the 174
mites of construction would be
hand work and a great portion
of the $1,970,000 would go for
day labor, the remainder for
bridges, culverts, and engin
eering. The usefulness of the
Alaska section depends in no
way on the Canadian portion
of the highway and will open
up thousands of acres of virgin
timber lands, and mining sites
heretofore scarcely touched,
the delegate said.
o
Hesse Writes Of New
Pioneers’ Home Plans
The Pioneers’ Home Building
Commission hopes to get start
ed with the construction of the
new $225,000 Pioneer.?’ Home
at Sitka by April and hopes to
have a building that will be a
credit to the Territory and a
source of comfort to those who
may be obliged to live in it, ac
cording to William A. Hesse,
Territorial Highway Engineer
and chairman of the commis
sion.
In a letter to the Herald, Mr.
Hesse states that tentative
plans for the new home con
template a buildign about 200
feet across the front, three
stories, with a “daylight” base
ment, with the hospital occu
pying the entire third floor,
and served by an automatic
elevator. Construction is to be
of reinforced concrete and
Clasts A. The board expects
to make the home one of the
most beautiful spot in the Ter
ritory, and it can be done, Mr.
Hesse states.
“One of our big problems
here,” the letter says, “is the
question of burial and I believe
that we should resort to cre
mation and get away from thi.s
cemetery foolishness. We
now have over 400 pioneers
buried here in three cemeteries
and to say that it is a mess is
putting it mildly. Of course,
no surveys have ever been
made and the records are bad.
but we hope to straighten it
out and get started right; and
continue so. until some differ
ent method is adopted. We
have had six deaths so far this
month (November)', which em
phasizes the necessity of burial
grounds which we are now un
dertaking to provide.
! Hyder Is Allbtted
Civil Works Funds
Hyder unemployed will part
icipate to the extent o-f about
$500 in the allotment of ap
proximately $175,000 granted
'.o the Territory of Alaska by
the CiVyl Works Administra
tion, PresidentRoosevelt’s new
est agency for relieving unem
ployment. This became known
Sunday when Territorial Rep
sentative J. K. Green was auth
orized by telegram from the
Alaska Road Commission to
employ four men to work on
the Salmon River flood protec
tion project until February 15.
The message, which is self
explanatory, follows:
“The governer’s office has
given general supervision of
Civil Works Administration
jobs to the Alaska Read Com
mission. Four jobs, limited
to 30 hours a week, have been
allotted to Hyder. Rate of pay
is 62 cents per hour but one
of the four can act as foreman
at 75 cents.
“The primary object of the
funds is to take all able-bodied
men off any kind of relief and
this1 class is to be given first
consideration.
“Our engineer will be down
that way within the next two
weeks but in the meantime,
will appreciate it if you would
organize and put men to work.
You are undoubtedly familiar
with dam project. Forms cov
ering work will be forwarded
first opportunity but work can
commence now so long as you
keep account of the men’s time.
Advise this office when work
is started.
“All work ends the night of
February 15 and nothing
should be started which can
not be left in a state of useful
ness by that time with the al
lotted workers. The money is
for labor only and all tools and
materials must be furnished by
town.’’
Later, at the request of Mr.
Green, the above instructions
were modified to permit the
employment of additional men
who are in imperative need of
assistance by dividing the
work. This proceedure will
increase the actual number of
work hours to 42 per week,
instead of the 30 hours origin
ally stipulated, in addition to
increasing the number of
“jobs” made available.
A subsequent telegram re
ceived by Mr. Green indicated
that no C. W. A. work could
be done on private property, as
this is strictly against the law,
even though such work would
be beneficial to the municipal
ity or other government sub
divisions.
It was stipulated that the fore
Conttnued on Page 4
NOVEMBER EXPORT
TRADE $2,246,307
With gold and silver exports
totaling $1,498, 140 and mer
chandise shipments amounting
to a total of $748,167, the out
borne commerce iotf Alaska in
November attained a total val
ue of $2,246,307, according to
the monthly rtport of Collect
or of Customs J. J. Connors.
In the merchandise list,
canned salmon formed the
most important item with ship
ments valued at $256,472. Hal
ibut exports were second with
$186,253. All fish and fi h
products were valued at $615
559. Fur exports totaled $5,
556 and lead and platinum
shipments amounted to $12,
978. The full list of exports
follows:
Animals . $ 615
Curios .. 886
Fre.«h and frozen
Halibut. 186,253
Salmon . 30,755
All other . 90
Canned:
Salmon. 256,472
Cured or preserved
Cod . 4,561
Herring .r 27,867
Salmon . 52,637
Shell fish
Clams . 6,584
Crabs . 11,970
Shrimps . 11,220
Other fish products:
Meal . 9,258
Oil . 11,120
AM other fish and
fish products . 6,690
Furs and fur-skins
Blue fox . 285
Red fox . 497
White fox . 975
Mink . 591
Muskrat . 193
Beaver . 400
All other . 1,321
Manufactured furs .. 1,334
Ore, matte, regulus
Lead . 10,985
Platinum . 1,993
Reindeer meat . 23,598
Trophies, specimens.. 2,945
Wood, timber . 13,197
All other articles .... 7,546
Total value tof prod
ucts of Alaska . $682,798
Products of United
States returned . 65,369
Total value of ship
ments merchandise $748,167
Gold.•.$1,492,342
Silver . 5,798
Grand total . $2,246,307
-o
S. Embleton of the Premier
office force, left Monday on a
vacation in California, where
Mrs. Embleton is now visiting.