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VOLUME 10, NUMBER 26
HYDER, ALASKA, SATURDAY, MARCH 17, 1934
SINGLE COPIES 10 CENTS
ADMINISTRATION
REFUSES FURTHER
AID FOR SILVER
Hopes of silver supporters
for further administration aid
to increase the price of silver
were given an unexpected set
back Thursday when Secretary
of the Treasury Morgenthau
announced that nothing more
will be done for the white met
al through administration ef
forts.
The reason given by the sec
retary was that there is no fur
ther need for increasing silver
price? and also that it has been
found that national legislators
who have been insisting on fur
ther silver action have been
found to be interested in silver
speculation, according to radio
broadcasts.
Coming after repeated evi
dences that President Roose
velt was much interested in sil
ver rehabilitation, if not in
actual remonetization, .the an
nouncement was a severe blow
to silver supporters and partic
ularly to adherents of bimet
allism, many of whom had late
ly come to believe that actual
remonetization was definitely
on the way.
The disappointment created
in the United States by the an
nouncement was reflected in
an immediate drop of nearly a
cent in the world silver market
and a sharp decline in the mar
ket value .of silver m'ning
shares, both in the United
States and Canada. Shares in
the local Premier mine, which
had advanced up to $1.72 dur
ing the first days of the week,
slumped to $1.48 per share.
All other local stock? also suf
fered declines of varying pro
portions.
The administration dictum,
although disappointing in the
degree that it removes all pros
pect of further assistance for
silver by the President, does
net in the leas militate against
further silver aid by Congress.
Two measures designed to
give further aid to silver have
been approved by the House
coinage committee in recent
days.
One provides for the accept
ance of silver in payment for
surplus agricultural products
exported to foreign countries,
which .should increase exports
and also increase silver prices
on the world market.
Another measure would
authorize the Treasury to pur
chase up to 1,500 million ounc
es of silver in the open (world)
market at the prevailing price.
Twenty million ounces a month
would be bought over a period
of six months and ten million
monthly thereafter until com
modity prices attained the 1926
Early Repeal of Alaska
Liquor Laws Expected
Delegate Dinvond is bending
every effort to hasten approval
of his bill bo repeal the liquor
laws in Alaska, according to
Washington reports.
Already through the Senate
as a result of intensive spade
work performed by Mr. Di
mond on the opposite side of
the Capitol, it has been hang
ing fire in the House committee
because of delay in receiving
reports from interested depart
ments. They are now in and
passage of the bill should be
an event of the near future.
The Attorney General has
approved the principle of the
act transferring control over
alcoholic beverages 'to the Ter
ritory of Alaska, the report
states.
Two minor amendments sug
gested by the Attorney General
relating to shipments of de
natured and tax-free alcohol to
the Territory, and 'to the dis
position of pending cases in
volving violations of the Na
tional Prohibition Act will be
included in amendments to the
act.
!
Dry Law Repeal
Win* Further Approval
_
Repeal of prohibition laws in
Alaska and Hawaii has been
given another move forward
with the return of a favorable
report on the Dimond repeal
bill by the House Committee on
Territories a few days ago.
Return of the committee re
port was delayed for a time by
opposition by Representative
Sterling P. Strong of Texas,
who objected to repeal of the
dry laws in the territories.
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CWA Crew Ordered Reduced
A reduction of two in the
number of men employed on
the local CWA crew was or
dered Tuesday by A. F. Ghig
lione, engineer in charge of
operations in 'the southeastern
Alaska district.
The order will bring the num
ber employed to 20, including
the supervisor, Rep. J. K.
Green.
The message, received by Mr.
Green, gave no reasons for the
action, and is believed tot pre
sage a gradual reduction of
the number employed which
will continue until the close of
the CWA work program on
April 1.
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Dr. J. H. Carson, former Pre
! mier mine physician, now of
j Prince Rupert, was a visitor for
I several days this week.
ASSELTINE FAVORS
GOVT. MILLS
AS MINING AID
Establishment of low cost
government concentrating mill
at some of the smaller mining
camps in British Columbia as
an aid to the mining industry
is proposed by W. J. Asseltine.
of Premier, representative of
the Atlin district in the B. C.
Legislature, according to re
ports from Victoria this week.
Mr. Asseltine intimated that
he would introduce the matter
to the mining committee. The
cost of installing such plants
would not be more than $10,
000 or $12,000, Mr. Asseltine
said.
The establishment of these
plants, it was said, would re
lieve the small operators of the
cost of shipping ore direct to
smelters.
The mines committee is ad
vocating a regularly organized
system of state assistance to
mining, ueing existing machin
ery of the Mines Department
The object is to take men off
relief and put them at work on
something in wjh;c.h they have
an interest. It is pointed out
that 75 per cent of the money
now spent on relief work is
thrown away because the men
have no real incentive to use
any more energy than they
have to.
Proposals are also to be con
sidered looking to fianncial as
! sistance by the government in
the development of prospect?
which appeared good, the
funds advanced to be secured
by lien on the ground. The
Mines Committee has decided
to recommend that prospectors
come under Workmen’s Com
pensation, the reports said.
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Govt. Purchase of Silver Urged
The Slocan district Board of
Trade at Nelson B. C., has
joined in the increasing de
mand in British Columbia for
Dominion purchase of domestic
mined silver and issuance of
silver certificates in payment.
Resolutions passed by the
body late last week urged for
mal ratification of the London
silver agreement by the Domin
ion parliament; purchase of
60,000,000 ounces of newly
mined silver at a gradually in
creasing price over a period of
four years, starting at
cents an ounce; payment for
such silver with silver certifi
cates of various denominations:
and action by the Dominion
government to assist other na
tions in restoring silver to its
proper ratio with gold, “thus
giving the world a broader and
truer value upon which trade
and commerce can rely.”
I Bill Provides $350,000 for
Alaska Forest Highways
The Agriculture Department
supply bill passed the House
recently carrying a provision
that not to exceed $350,000
may be spent on national for
est highways in Alaska.
As on'y $1,500,000 is approp
riated for forest highways
throughout the country, Alaska
under the regular apportion
ment would receive only $150,
000. The remaining $200,000
will come from funds hertofore
appropriated and not expend
ed. After subtracting $200,000
from unexpended funds there
will remain in that category
$206,000.
-o
House Passes Election Bill
The bill introduced by Dele
gate A. J. Dimond providing
for the holding of general
elections in Alaska on the
second Tuesday in September
passed the House of Represent
atives in Washington last week
and is now in the Senate.
In addition to moving up the
election from November, the
bill provides that the Territor
ial legislature shall convene on
the second Monday in January.
, Election Bill Further Approved
The Dimond bill providing
for advancement of the date of
Alaska general elections from
November to the second Tues
day in September has received
the approval of the Senate ter
! ritories committee, according
j to reports this week.
The measure has already
j passed the House and needs
only Senate approval to be
come effective.
Primary Election
Primary nominations this
I year will be confined to select
ion of party candidates for only
five offices; delegate to Con
gress, Territorial Treasurer,
Territorial Senator, Territorial
representatives and divisional
road commissioners.
: level. The purchase of silver
would be used as a base for
silver certificate?.
Speaker Rainey has predict
ed the passage of both meas
ures by the House and ex
j pressed the view that they will
i not be opposed by the White
House.
Senator Wheeler has also
' prepared a measure providing
for silver purchases and issu
ance of silver certificates; pur
chases to continue until the
metal reaches a parity with
gold of 16-to-l.
ALASKA COMMERCE
IN FEBRUARY SHOWS
SUBSTANTIAL GAIN
Shipments of Alaska pro
duces to the United States in
February attained a total value
of $1,363,775, of which $717.
912 was gold and silver, ac
cording to the monthly state
ment of Customs Collector
James J. Connors. This was
considerably greater than ex
port values in February, 1933.
Fish exports aggregated
$451,875, and furs contributed
an additional $123,241. Fol
lowing is the statement:
Animals.$ 400
Curios . 513
Fish: Fresh and frozen
Halibut. 82,860
I Salmon . 69,938
Canned :
Salmon . 284,940
Cured or preserved:
Cod . 120
Herring . 5
Salmon . 442
Shell-fish :
! Clams . 36
! Crabs . 1,488
! Shrimps . 12,046
Furs and fur-skins :
i Blue fox . 42,491
’ Silver or black fox .. 1,410
Red fox . 15,228
White fox . 570
j Mink . 50,594
Muskrat . 199
Beaver . 3,584
All other . 9,165
Lead . 5,650
Trophies, specimens .. 50
! All other articles. 351
i _
Total value products
of Alaska . $582,080
Products of United
States returned . 63,783
j Total value of ship
ments merchandise $645,863
Gold . 713,576
Silver . 4,336
I Grand Total . $1,363,775
Alaska Fisheries Bill
Is Reported Favorably
! The House committee which
conducted hearings on the
measure has voted to report
favorably the Diamond bill per
mitting commercial fishing for
king salmon on the Yukon and
Kuskokwim Rivers.
Under the terms of the bill
the fishing privilege would be
restricted to natives and bona
fide white settlers. A limita
tion on the toital catch will be
fixed by the Bureau of Fish
eries.
E. E. “Blondie” Charleton
left Thursday on a trip to the
] south which may extend as far
as his family home in Virginia,
which he has ndt visited in
some years,
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