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VOLUME 9. NUMBER 25.
HYDER, ALASKA, SATUR DAY, APRIL 1, 1933.
SINGLE COPIES 10 CENTS
HYDER FLOOD CONTROL
BILL ASKS FOR $12,300
Representative Joe Green of
Hyder has introduced a bill in
the lower house of the Alaska
Legislature asking an appro
priation of $12,000 for flood
control work on Salmon River
at Hyder, according to reports
from Juneau this week.
The measure provides that
$5,000 of the amount asked for
is to be made available for im
mediate use in saving the work
already done by the Territory
through the construction of ex
tensive diversion works two
years ago at a cost of $7,500.
The remaining $7,000 is
asked as a contingent allow
ance to cover a local contribut
ion of that amount demanded
in connection with the $53,000
federal flood control project
recommended by the United
States Engineer’s office in 19
81.
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Discussion Of Silver With
Pres. Roosevelt Planned
Plans for a discussion of the
silver question with President
Roosevelt are being pushed by
silver advocates in Washing
ton, according to late reports.
Representative Bankhead of
Alabama called at the WThite
House last week to arrange for
a conference with the president
on silver remonetization.
In a late statement Senator
Pittman said he \Vas optimistic
over the prospects of raising
•silver prices through remone
tization.
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Diamond Bill Repeals Dry Law
Repeal of the Alaska Bone
Dry Law, the law limiting the
location of placer mining
claims in Alaska, and the
amendment of Section 6 of the
Alaska fisheries law by abol
ishing summary seizure of
boats and other fishing equip
ment employed in alleged illeg
al fishing operations until af
ter the conviction of the own
ers, are sought in bills intro
duced in the lower House of
Congress by Alaska Delegate
A. J. Diamond.
The dry law repeal bill pro
vides that notwithstanding
such repeal, no spirituous or in
toxicating liquors shall be man
ufactured or sold in Alaska,
except under regulations and
restrictions provided by the
Territorial Legislature. The
measure also provides for con
tinuance of prosecutions for
liquor law violations under the
National Prohibition Act in the
event of the repeal of the Bone
Dry act.
DEVELOPMENTS IN THE
SILVER CAMPAIGN
Late reports indicate that
silver advocates both in and out
of Congress are vigorously re
newing their efforts to restore
the white metal to monetary
use.
All of the more important
silver bills developing during
the last session of Congress
have been reintroduced, in
cluding the Wheeler bill for re
monetization at the ratio of 16
to 1, and the Pittman bill, pro
viding for government purch
ases of silver for currency pur
poses. Pittman has also intro
duced another bill authorizing
the treasury to purchase $250,
000,000 worth of silver in the
open market, with a view to re
moving the existing surplus
and permitting the price to rise
through the usual operation of
economic laws. The measure
fixes a top price of $1.29 per
ounce.
Representative O. H. Cross of
Texas recently told the House
that inadequacy of the metallic
base of currency was one of the
causes of the depression and
ui-ged the adoption of silver.
Cross said the western hem
isphere produces about 82 per
cent of the world’s silver and
only 28 per cent of gold, add
ing, “yet we throw aside silver
and grip ourselves to the cur
rency controlled by the Bi-itish
empire.’’
A sharp change of sentiment
by bankei's regarding silver is
noted in various reports. Wil
liam F. Rogers, president of the
Colorado Bankers’ Association,
recently urged Colorado sena
tors and congressmen to sup
port constructive legislation for
the remonetization of silver.
“Any sane legislation favOr-1
ing silver would bring world
wide trade benefits in addition
to helping the silver pi’oducing
districts,” he declared, adding
that broadening of the money
base by more extensive use of
silver would also help thaw out
the frozen credit structure.
o
Alaska Included in Roosevelt
Reforestation Proposals
Alaska will be included in
the forest improvement plans
proposed by President Roose
velt as a means of solving the
unemployment problem, ac
cording to Washington, D. C.,
reports.
Sites for the numerous camps
to be established for housing
workers are now being selected
by the forest service, it was
said, but none of the sites had
been designated.
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Born—Monday, to the wife
of John Meneghello, a daught
er.
DEVELOPMENTS IN THE
ALASKA LEGISLATURE
New bills introduced since
last report included the follow
ing::
House bill by Green, Hyder,
for flood control of Salmon
river at Hyder. Details of this
measure are presented else
where in this issue.
House bill by Judson, Jun
eau, proposes a Community
property law.
Senate bll by Walker, Ketch
ikan, penalizes Contributing to
child delinquency.
Senate bill by Judiciary com
mittee repeals Prospector Aid
Act.
House resolution by Taylor,
Cordova, urges war and navy
departments to establish air
bases in Alaska. Another Tay
lor resolution urges the estab
lishment of hospital for Alaska
insane in the Territory.
House bill by Patterson, Val
dez, amends law governing the
drawing of juries.
Senate bill by Hess, Fair
banks, changes manner of
bringing abatement proceed
ings against bawdy houses.
Senate bill by DeVane, Ruby,
prohibits deputy marshals from
appearing as prosecutors in
criminal actions in Commiss
ioner’s courts.
The Green memorial urging
Congress to remonetize silver
at 16 to 1 was unanimously
recommended by the commitfe
for passage.
The House passed the Blake
bills advancing date of general
elections to second Tuesday in
September and to set the sec
ond Monday in January for
convening of Legislature.
A committee amendment to
the Nordale school tax bill
would include “gainfully em
ployed” women among those
subject to tax. Also recom
mends an age limit of 60 years.
Swanberg bill waiving publi
cation of delinquent tax notices
and substituting posting of
same was passed by House.
Shattuck bill to reorganize
the department of education
passed the Senate.
New Assessment Suspension
Bill Introduced for 1933-34
Senator Edward P. Costigan,
of Colorado, has introduced a
bill in the Senate providing for
the suspension of annual ass
essment work on mining claims
for the 1933-34 assessment
year, according to late Wash
ington, D. C., reports.
The measure provides that
those who wish to take advan
tage of its provisions must file '
a notice of their intention by
December 31 of the present!
year.
BIG SLASH IN ALASKA
BUDGET BY BOARD
Drastic reductions in appro
priations for all governmental
departments and the eliminat
ion of many important items
were recommended in the bi
ennial budget presented by the
Territorial Budget Board to the
Alaska Legislature last. week.
The total recommended for
the coming biennial period was
$1,563,927, or 32 i/ss per cent
less than for the preceding
two-year period.
Every department of govern
mental activity shared in the
slashing of operative costs and
a number of long established
items were stricken entirely
from the estimates in order to
keep within the present and
anticipated Territorial reve
nues. In practically every item
the amounts recommended by
the Board were at least 20 per
cent below the sums requested
by the various departments, the
reports say.
Road appropriations were re
duced to $100,000 from the
$210,000 asked for his depart
ment by Highway Engineer W.
A. Hesse. This is $200,000 less
than was appropriated by 'the
1931 legislature. The allow
ance for shelter cabin3 was
also cut down from $15,000 to
$2,000.
The Board also recommend
ed a straight reduction of 8 1-3
per cent in salaries of all Terr
itorial officers and also in
school teachers’ salaries.
A total of $703,924.20 was
recommended for maintenance
of the public school system.
This is $126,575.80 less than
was asked by the Commissioner
of Education and $251,076 be
low the 1931 budget appropri
ation.
The Alaska Agricultural Col
lege and School of Mines was
allowed the sum cf $113,690,
$17,500 less than was asked by
the board of trustees and $20,
730 below the appropriation
made in 1931. A reduction of
10 per cent in the salaries of
the College teaching staff was
also recommended.
Reductions totaling $7,500,!
over half of it for salaries, was
leccmmended for the Pioneers’
Home and the Territorial Li
brary and Museum estimates
were slashed $2,950. The
Territorial Health department
estimates also came in for a
generous pruning down both in
salaries and administrative ex
penses.
Prospectors’ Aid, for which
$20,000 had been asked, was
eliminated entirely and appro
priations for agi'icultural and
industrial, fairs, wolf, coyote
eagle and seal bounties, and
for prevention and suppression
of forest fires were also strick
ALASKA RECEIVES
HISTORIC FLAG
The first United States flag to
be raised over Alaska soil is
now in the possession of the
Territory and will be added to
the historic relics in the Terri
torial Museum in Juneau.
The flag is the identical one
raised on Castle Hill at Sitka
at the time of the formal trans
fer of the Territory from Rus
sia to the United States on Oct
ober 18, 1867.
The flag was received a few
days ago by Governor Parks
from the secretary of state.
The historic emblem has been
in the library of the state de
partment since 1867.
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Claimed Brush Piles
Are Fire Menses /
Complaints are reaching the
authorities that brush piles left
by wood cutters along the hill
side east of the resident'al
district constitute a fire men
ace. It is claimed that in dry
weather the resinous brush
heaps will become as inflam
able as tinder and may catch
fire from sparks blown from
nearby chimneys and start a
timber fire that would endan
ger or destroy a large part of
the town.
In view of this undesirable
prospect, those who cut timber
in /the indicated area should
take care to burn the brush
residues from their operations,
thereby obviating the danger.
Brush heaps left from earlier
wood cutting should also be de
stroyed before the woods be
come dried out and more in
flamable than at present.
Cars Running To Stewart
Automobile traffic between
Hyder and Stewart was re
sumed this week. A car driven
by Ernie McMillan of Stewart
made the first through trip
Monday, although under se
vere difficulties incident to a
treacherous layer of ice on the
road. Several who tried it lat
er are said to have had narrow
escapes from going over the
precipitous embankment as a
result of skidding on the icy
residue of winter’s snows.
en.
A probable decline 'of $300,
000 -or more in the territorial
revenues as compared with the
preceding biennium was given
by the Board as the underlying
reason for the drastic cuts pro
posed. The report also indi
cated a lack of unanimity on
the recommendations by the in
clusion of a statement by Aud
itor Cash Cole to the effect that
he was not in agreement with
the report and did not think
the Legislature can appropri
ate the amount indicated.