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VOLUME 9, NUMBER 30.
HYDER, ALASKA, SATURDAY, MAY 6, 1933.
SINGLE COPIES 10 CENTS
LEGISLATURE PASSES
HYDER FLOOD BILL
The Green bill for flood con
trol of Salmon River at Hyder,
carrying an appropriation of
$12,000, passed the Alaska
Legislature last week and at
last reports was awaiting only
the signature of Governor Troy
to become a law.
Of the total $12,000 appro
priated, $5,000 is to become
immediately available for im
proving and extending the
present flood control system,
on which approximately $30,
000 has been already expend
ed by private interest; and the
Territory of Alaska. The re
maining $7,000 is in the nature
of a contingent fund to be em
ployed as a local cooperative
contribution toward the con
struction of extensive iperma
nent flood control works by the
federal government at an esti
mated cost of $53,000. Plans
for the latter project have been
approved by the War Depart
ment engineers and are now
awaiting action by Congress.
Under the provisions of the
measure, sponsored by Repre
sentative J. K. Green of Hyder,
the $5,000 Territorial appro
priation would be expended
under the direction of the Ter
ritorial Highway Engineer,
The enactment as drawn per
mits the expenditure cf the en
tire $5,000 allotment in the;
present year if necessary but '
it is probable that a substan- j
tial portion will be reserved for
maintenance work next year,
as no further appropriation
can be obtained until the Leg- I
islature meets again in March,
1935.
In the absence of virtually
all avenues of employment for
local labor, incident to the de
cadence of silver mining during
the past three years, the pro- j
ject will be of inestimable ben- j
efit to the community by pro
viding work for a considerable
number of men during the !
summer season. Considerable j
expenditures for supplies and ;
materials are also anticipated, j
•o
Report Unverified
A rumor circulated during
the past week to the effect that
$8,000,000 of the Administrat
ion unemployment relief fund
had been allotted to Alaska
could not be substantiated.
The Chamber of Commerce
wired Tuesday to Represent
ative Joe Green at Juneau,
where the report was said to
have (Originated, asking for in
formation as to what action
was necessary to secure a por
tion of the reported allotment
for unemployment in Hyder,
but no answer had been re
ceived up to this (Saturday)
morning.
Delegate Asks Vital Changes
In Alaska Organic Act
Vitally important changes in
the Alaska Organic Act are
sought by Delegate A. J. Dim
! ond in bills introduced in the
House of Representatives in
! Washington last week.
One measure proposes trans
fer to the Alaska Legislature
| the right to enact all laws af
j fecting fish, game and fur
I bearing animals. The other
would authorize the Governor
of Alaska to call a special ses
sion of the Legislature to en
act legislation covering control
of fisheries other than the fur
seal and sea otter fisheries.
It also provides for paying to
the Territory one-half of the
proceeds from the sale of seal
skins to defray the cost of en
forcing the regulations and
turns over to the Territory all
equipment of the U. S. Bureau
of Fisheries used in Alaska.
-o
Moose Memorial Sunday
The annual Memorial serv
ices of the Moose lodge in
memory of deceased members
will be held in the Legion Hall,
Stewart, Sunday evening, com
mencing at 7:30 p. m. The
services are open to the public
and everyone is invited to at
tend, The program will in
clude the beautiful ritualistic
ceremonies of the Moose order
and special music, in addition
to a memorial address by Rev.
Frank Bushfield of Hyder.
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Picneer3 Hold Whist Social
A good sized gathering par
ticipated in an enjoyable whist
social held in Pioneer Hall Fri
day evening under the joint
auspices of the Pioneers of
Alaska and Friendship Club.
The prizes were won by Mrs.
Ray Snyder and Louis Watkins.
The last contest of the series is
scheduled to be held on May
19, when the grand prizes will
also be awarded.
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Govt. Edit Don’t Apply
A government notice, warn
ing citizens who have above
$100 in gold or gold cer
tificates to turn it in to the gov
ernment, was displayed in the
postoffice this week and
caused much amusement
among the local hoi polloi, few
of whom have seen anything in
the shape of money for many
moons, aside from the Canad
ian currency which circulates
here in far greater volume than
American funds, and to which
the gold edict does not apply.
DEVELOPMENTS IN THE
ALASKA LEGISLATURE
The much debated beer bill,
after underging divers amend
ments by both houses of the
Territorial Legislature, was
finally whipped into shape in
conference and was ratified by
the House and Senate last Sat
urday. The bill was then sent
to the governor for his signa
ture. The last report received
by this paper indicated that de
tails of the measure would not
be available until the Govern
or had appended his signature.
During consideration of the
bill by the House, Represent
ative Green of Hyder made a
second determined attempt to
have the licensing authority
transferred to Territorial offi
cers instead of being vested in
District Court clerks and judg
es, but wras unsuccessful.
New bills of general inter
est introduced in the Legislat
ure during the week following
the last published report in
cluded the following meas
ures:
Senate bill requiring notice
to be given to delinquent claim
owner of assessment work ar
rearages.
Senate bill by Shattuck cre
ating Pioneer’s Home Building
Commission to have charge of
construction of new Home at
Sitka at cost of $225,000.
House bill prohibiting Terri
torial employees receiving sal
ary of $2,000 or more from ac
cepting outside employment or
engaging in private business or
occupation.
Bills passed by both houses
included:
Taylor bill repealing Teach
ers’ pension act, effective June
30.
General Appropriation Bill,
carrying Territorial appropri
ations totaling $1,823,939.
This is much below the budget
estimates. Includes $100,000
for roads; also predatory ani
mal, seal and eagle bounties.
Senate bill designating sec
ond Monday in January in odd
numbered years as day for
holding general elections and
asking validation by Congress.
Senate memorial listing a
large number of projects to be
included in the federal emer
gency relief program; includes
Hyder flood control project.
Bills defeated included:
Bill establishing 3-cent tax on
gasoline.
Bill to establish sanitary reg
ulations for barber shops.
Nerland bill doing away with
1906 limitating in connection
with old-age pension allow
ances. |
House memorial to permit
Alaska Legislature to increase,!
reduce or annul federal license
taxes on business, trade and in- [
I Details of M. S. Anacortes
Destruction By Fire
Details of the burning of the
Hyder-Ketchikan mail boat in
Portland Canal last week dis
close that the fire started from
a backfire of the auxiliary en
gine at 5 a. m. and the vessel
was almost immediately filled
w'ith flames. The accident oc
curred while the motorship was
about two miles north of Astro
nomical Point, about 56 miles
south of Hyder. The single
life boat was launched at once
but sank immediately, owing, it
was reported, to a faulty plug.
Capt. S. Stenberg then headed
the City of Anacortes for shore
and succeeded in getting with
in about 10 yards of the beach.
j ne iwo passengers, ivirs
Gertrude Smith and Mrs. Dor
othy Hoffman, both of Hyder,
then swam ashore and were
later followed by the crew of
four men, after the latter had
rescued the mail and a trunk
belonging to one of the passen
gers. The only other cargo on
board was five barrels of Can
adian beer consigned to the
Blue Fox Cafe in Ketchikan.
This and everything else on
board was lost.
The flame-enveloped vessel
burned for hours to the water’s
edge and is believed to be a
total loss.
The six survivors were ma
rooned on the beach for 36
hours before being picked up
by a Coast Guard vessel sent
out from Ketchikan when the
Anacortes failed to appear
there on time on her return
trip from Hyder. The party
subsisted on a few cans of food
■alvaged from the burning ves
sel and had only a single can
of soup left when the rescue
Grip appeared. In making hei
escape from the burning ship,
Mrs. Hoffman sustained a few
bruises and scratches but none
of the others were any the
worse for their perilous experi
ence.
The Anacortes was 58 feet
long, 26 tons burden and was
built in 1909. The vessel was
operated in the local trade by
the Noyes Boat Company of
Ketchikan for several years.
The vessel is said to have been
insured for $6,000.
du-try.
Kehoe bill providing for
mortgage moratorium.
Green-Lingo industi'ial insur
ance commission bill.
Campbell bill for $5 a year
road tax.
Bragaw bill for tax of $2,50
on all radio receivers in use.
Hess bill for general sales
tax.
Hess bill changing compen
sation provisions of present
Workmtn’s Compensation Act.
INFLATION AMENDMENT
PASSES LOWER HOUSE
Radio reports Wednesday an
nounced that the inflation
amendments to the Farm Relief
bill, giving the President au
thority to reduce the quantity
of gold in the dollar, remone
tize silver and accept $200,
000,000 in payment of war
debts,had been passed by the
House of Representatives by a
vote of 308 to 76.
The amendment has now
been approved by both senate
and house but its enactment in
to law still awaits passage of
the farm relief bill by the low
er house. If the farm bill does
not pass the inflation bill will
be lost. Prospects are, howev
er, that the measure will pass
within a few days, although
some of the farm relief provis
ions as passed by the senate
are attracting much opposition
by House members.
o
Heavy Earthquake Shocks
Felt At Anchorage
Severe earthquake shocks
were felt at Anchorage a few
days ago; one of them lasting
two or three minutes. Plate
glass windows in several stores
were broken, goods were
thrown from shelves, and elec
tric light connections were
broken in stores and homes.
A volcanic eruption is also re
ported to have occurred on
Augustine Island at the en
trance to Cook Inlet and about
160 miles from Anchorage.
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Packers to Aid Unemployment
The Alaska salmon packers
have announced their intention
to assist the Territory in meet
ing the unemployment situation
by opening a labor registration
office in Ketchikan, Anchorage
and Juneau, at which Alaskan
residents only will be listed for
employment in canneries and
fisheries.
o
Steamer Fares Reduced
With the withdrawal of the
Pacific Steamship Company
from the Alaska trade, the
Alaska Steamship Company
and Northland Transpiration
Company have greatly reduced
passenger fares between Seat
tle and Alaska ports. The for
mer has reduced the first class
rate from Seattle to Juneau
from $46 to $38 and second
class from $41 to $34.
New fares on the Northland
are $23 to Ketchikan and $33
to Juneau on the Northland
and to $20 and $26 for the
same trips on the Norco. Inter
mediate rates have also been
considerably reduced on both
lines.