HYDER - FIRST ALASKA TOWN THAT CAN BE REACHED BY THE PACIFIC - YUKON - ALASKA HIGHWAY
f' '
SPECIALIZING IN
MINING NEWS OF THE
PORTLAND CANAL
DISTRICT
HYDER WEEKLY HERALD
t ' ' "— ' ..^
SUBSCRIPTIONS
*3.00 PER YEAR
IN ADVANCE
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VOL. 8, NO. 13
HYDER, ALASKA, JANUARY 9, 1932
BY THE YEAR $3.0<
EXPECTS II, S, MAY
LEAVE GOLD STANDARD
Repeated expression* of
opinion in the Outside press
indicate a growing belief that
the United States will be
forced by economic pressure to
abandon the gold standard.
A Ivan T. Simonds, president
of the Simonds Saw and Steel
company, voiced the convict
ion in an address a few days
ago that this country may be
compelled to suspend the gold
standard.
Referring to the revision of
monetary values by Russia.
Germany, France, and more
recently England and Japan,
Mr. Simonds, who forecasted
the current depression three
years ago, said that under
pressure, the United States
would be forced off the gold
standard. If it is maintained,
he said, wages will be cut not
10 but 50 per cent, and added:
“In attempting to put into
effect government economies
to balance the budget, Presi
dent Hoover faces the same
situation as did Ramsey Mc
Donald. And he will have to
do exactly as Mr. McDonald
did,” Mr. Simonds said, add
ing:
“Congress will be subject
to the same pressure that was
exerted after the Civil war.
Some method of inflation will
have to be sought. And if
congress is forced to inflate,
the gold standard will have to
be suspended. However, it is
not such a ‘sacred animal' that
we need to tear it.
In opposition to this expres
sion by Mr. Simonds come re
ports from Washington stating
that administration officials
belittle suggestions that the
United States might abandon
the gold standard.
This country could not do so
even if it wanted to, it was
emphasized in one high source.
The reason given was that
nearly all securities and gov
ernment obligations are pay
able in gold dolars, with the
fineness of the gold specified.
-o
Hospital Deficit Cleared Up
Receipts from the New
Year’s eve benefit dance, com
bined with a number of sub
stantial donations, will enable
the hospital board to pay all
debts against the Stewart Hos
pital, with some left over, il
was announced by the board
this week. Receipts from the
dance, including admissions
refreshments and cake auc
tion amounted to $96.10. The
table cover raffle and draw
ing produced in the case 01
the former $38, while the
drawing yielded $83, makinf
total receipts of $217.10. Ex
penses totaled $40.15, leavinj
a net balance of $176.95. Thi
with donations in December o'
$10 from the Bank of Montre
al, from Peck McSwain, $2
anonymous $10 and $5.50 fron
counter boxes, brought the to
tal receipts to $204.45. In ad
dition Burns and Company
Campbell and Duke, and oth
ers donated a variety of Christ
mas luxuries.
--o
The motorship Zapora i
scheduled to arrive from Se
*ttle sometime Tuesday.
Silver Question
To Be Big Issue
The present outlook is that
during 1932 the world will
give increasing attention to
the all-important problem of
monetary systems and wheth
er world gold production can
meet the increasing monetary
demands of all nations, if
solely on a gold basis without
the use of silver, is to be ser
iously questioned, according
to F. H. Brownell, chairman of
the American Smelting and
Refining Company.
Mr. Brownell declared in a
recent press statement that
even if the adequacy of pro
duction is assumed, present
distribution of gold stocks is
such as to make difficult, if
not impossible, the use of gold
alone.
Much greater attention thru
out the world has been given
to the status of silver as mon
ey since Great Britain went off
the gold standard, he said, and
since most of the remaining
nations of the world (except
France and the United States)'
began to weaken in maintain
ing their monetary system at
theoretical parity.
“Revival of trade demands
stabilized currencies through
out the world,” he declared,
“and as the question of the
moneys of so many nations re
ceives attention, the status of
silver will become one of grow
ing importance.”
Seeks To Stabilize
Canadian—U. S. Funds
An effort to establish a
stable value for American and
Canadian currency was an
| nounced this week in Wash
| ington, D. C., press reports
; stating that Senator Hamilton
j F. Kean, of New Jersey, has
: introduced a resolution in the
upper house suggesting a
! treaty to make Canadian and
! American currency of constant
value and to provide for the
appointment of a Canadian to
the Federal Reserve Board.
The resolution has been re
ferred to the Senate foreign
relations committee.
o
Court Term Starts Next Week
The district court for the
I First Division will convene in
[Ketchikan next Tuesday, Jan
uary 12, according to official
advices received by deputy U.
;3. marshal Warren S. Hard
ing.
Alex B. Taylor of Hyder
has been called for the petit
jury panel, which was drawn
; December 21, but no other lo
• cal residents are so far known
; i to have been drawn on either
i ! the petit or grand juries.
, ! Mrs. Dale Receives
1 I Testimonial Gifl
,! As a testimonial of thanks
- for the excellent services rend
- ered by her as secretary of tin
organization during the pas
tyear, the Hyder Public Li
s i brary board presented thii
- week to Mrs. E. L. Dale j
i handsome silver bonbon dish
BILL PROVIDES FOR
TERRITORMHTROL,
FISHERIES AND ERRS
A bill to authorize the legis
lature of Alaska to take over
the control of the salmon and
other fisheries within the Ter
ritorial waters and also have
jurisdiction over all fur bear
ing annimals and wild birds,
was introduced in the lower
house of Congress this week
by Alaska Delegate James
Wickersham. The measure,
however, does not provide for
Territorial control of the fur
seal.
Under the terms of the bill,
the legislature would have
authority to control fish ban
ning and to pass laws for the
protection, conservation, con
trol and regulation of the tak
ing of wild animals and birds
in Alaska, and the domestica
tion, possession, sale and hunt
ing of such animals and birds.
The Legislature would not
exercise any control over fur
seals, nor interfere in any way
with the provisions of th^ ex
isting treaties between4 the
UnitedN States and foreign
countries for the protection of
migratory birds or other wild !
life. Nothing in the Act shall
abrogate or curtail the pow
ers granted the Legislature to
impose other and additional
taxes or license, nor limit or
curtail any powers granted to
the Legislature by the Organic
Act.
o
Congressional Directory
Is Received
A bound copy of the Con
cessional Directory, covering
the personnel of the 72nd Con
gress and also of the various
i government departments has
been received by the Herald
through the kindness of del
egate Wickersham. The vol
ume presents biographies of
all Congressmen, in addition
to showing the various state
delegations, terms of service,
j committees of the Senate and
| House, terms of Congress from
, 1789 , votes cast for senators
I and representatives, officers
; of the Senate and House and
I much interesting information
! regarding the consular service,
the capitol and government
activities.
!
Pioneer Installation Postponed
j Owing to the absence of sev
1 eral officers, the annual in
! stallation of Hyder Igloo No.
20, Pioneers of Alaska, sched
j uled this week, has been post
poned until next Tuesday.
--o
The annual meeting of the
; Hyder General Hospital As
sociation will be held nexl
Tuesday in the Chamber oi
1 Commerce building, starting
' at 8:30 p. m.
• Overcome by the weight of the re
. cent heavy snows, the ramshackh
: cabin of Harry Hogan on First Ave
> uue went down with a crash ontc
, the tide flat early this week. Th«
’ ■ building has been unoccupied foi
■ ! some t4»»
GAMECOMMN.FAVORS
EXEMPTION OF ALASKA
FROM SHORT SEASON
The Alaska Game Commis
sion, at its recent annual meet
ing in Juneau, recommended
that Alaska be excepted from
any further curtailment of mi
gratory wild fowl hunting, ac
cording to Juneau reports.
The commission pointed out
to the secretary of agriculture
that the wild fowl of Alaska
is of great importance as a
source of food supply for res
idents of isolated communi
ties and declared that the sup
ply of birds is increasing. The
commission also declared that
the present methods of reg
ulation is unsuited to Alaska
conditions and asked that in
the event that the Territory
is not excepted, that the hunt
ing season in Alaska be divid
ed so that the season in the
northern sections be from Sept.
1 to Sept. 30, and along the
coast from Sept. 20 to Oc
tober 20.
-o
Plan Start On Fish Creek
Sidney Anderson and Wm.
McGrew started this week to
break trail into their Fish
Creek holdings preparatory to
commencing active develop
ment operations.
Wolfle Trial Next Week
—
The trial of Conrad Wolfle,
Northwest mining man, on
charges growing out of alleg
ed irregularities in the pro
motion of the local Cantu
group, will take place in Se
attle next wek.
Wolfle, who was indicted
two years ago on charges of j
using the mails to defraud,
was recently refused another
continuance of the case on
claims he is suffering injuries
received in an automobile ac- i
cident several months ago, ac
cording to press reports. His
claims were resisted by postal j
inspectors and the U. S. At
torney’s office at Spokane,
and they had their own phys
icians examine him, with the
result that Federal Judge i
Cushman ordered him brought
to Seattle for trial.
Wolfle succeded under var
ious pleas in having the case!
continued three times during
the past year. Four local wit-;
nesses were supoenaed in the j
case and left for Seattle dur-j
ing the past week.
_o
Heavy Snows Block Road
Heavy snows during the
week caused a complete sus
pension of traffic to Premier
for several days, sleights being
totally unable to get through.
As a result persons leaving
Premier to catch the Thurs
day boat were compelled to
come down on the ore tram.
Mr. D. L. Pitt and his daugh
ter, Miss Elizabeth, made the
I journey on timber hooks and
1 Mr. Bert Smith made the 18
mile trip in an ore bucket.
Says Premier Good
For Several Years
That the Premier is the only
! mine in British Columbia that
has consistently paid dividends
and earned them, and at the
same time has not yet reduced
wages, is the statement attrib
uted to D. L. Pitt, Premier
Company manager, in an Out
side mining journal.
Mr. Pitt is further quoted ar.
saying that production is be
ing kept up, some 500 tons of
j ore being concentrated daily
at the mill to 50 tons of con
| centrates, and that the mine
could continue to ship for
several years yet.
-o
Nome Gold Shipments
Over Million For Season
The gold output of the Nome
district during the past sea
son was well up to the average
of recent years and totaled to
November 16, $1,055,383, ac
cording to an interesting re- :
port on Nome commerce sent
to the Herald by Col. E. Pv.
Stivers, former local customs
collector, who is now deputy
customs collector at Nome.
Col. Stivers’ report shows a
total of 57,390 ounces of gold
shipped to the states through
the customs house and post-'
office during the navigation
season of 1931.
The report presents much
other interesting data concern
ing the commerce of the far
northern gold camp. General
merchandise received from U.
S. ports totaled 11.546 tons;
coal, 407!) tons; lumber 783,
155 feet, board measure; fuel
oil 2,082 tons; diesel oil, 3,115
tons; live stock 47 head.
Freight shipped to U. S. ports
included 1,144 tons of merch
andise; reindeer meat, 989,
598 pounds; fresh edible rein
deer offal, 17,399 pounds;
reindeer hides, 61,911 pounds;
whalebone, 1,000 pounds; iv
ory,' 7.000 pounds; salt her
ring, 193,075. pounds; salt
salmon, 3,250 pounds; live
reindeer, 182. Total value of
exported merchandise was $1,
479. A total of 507 persons ar
rived from U. S. ports during
the season, in addition to 22
from foreign ports, while the
number departing for U. S.
ports totaled 480.
i-o
Annual Meeting Postponed
_
Owing to two of the officers
being absent, the adjourned
meeting of the Hyder Public
! Library, has been postponed
J until Friday next week.
More Laws
I
! Over 5,000 bills were intro
! duced in Congress during the
' first week of the present ses
sion, according to Washington
advices.
-o
Yael Rozenstain, local mer
chant, left Monday enroute to
'■ California, where he will visil
with his family for a month
j or two. The Rozenstain store
will be closed and in charge
of Chas. Fehring during the
owpers* absence.
CHAMBER COMMERCE
HOLDS SESSION
Discussion of a proposal to
urge a one-year suspension of
annual assesment work on
mining claims formed the
principle topic of discussion at
the monthly dinner meeting of
the Hyder Chamber of Com
merce, held at the Silver Grill
Wednesday evening.
The proposal was submitted
by S. P. Fitzgerald, who con
tended that inability to secure
employment during the past
year has created a bad situa
:iun for the prospector, bur
lening him with debt and mak
ng the maintenance of his es
sessment work extremely dif
ficult. A suspension of annual
'abor, Mr. Fitzgerald said,
would permit him to earn
enough during the working
season to pay his bills. This
in turn would be beneficial to
the business houses who had
carried him during the period
of his unemployment. During
his argument Mr. Fitzgerald
cited the suspension of annual
assessment during the war per
iod and declared that insofar
as the prospector is concerned
the present need for suspen
sion was fully as great as at
that time.
The proposal was energeti
cally opposed by B. B. Smith,
who declared that such sus
pension would stop every min
ing activity in the camp and
would keep the considerable
amount paid for annual labor
by outside interests out of the
camp, thereby harming both
labor and business. In conclu
sion Mr. Smith, who is himself
a large holder of mining prop
erties, declared that if the
prospector cannot find a way
to take care of his property,
he shold step out and let some
one else do it.
After wide and interesting
discussion of the question it
was decided to appoint a com
mittee to investigate the situ
ation and report at the next
meeting on the advisability of
endorsing the proposal. The
committee named included
Mr. Smith, Mr. Fitzgerald and
Mr. Blue, with the latter as
chairman.
I Owing to the prevailing bad
j weather, attendance at the
meeting was considerably
j smaller than usual, only 14,
I members and two visitors be
I ing present when the meeting
i was called to order by Chas.
|F. Sandford, president of the
board of directors. The visitors
were Donald G. Esselmont, of
Stewart, and J. K. Green, of
Ilyder.
Reporting a special meeting
of the board held Tuesday, the
chairman announced that
authorization has been given
for the purchase of a quantity
of fire extinguisher chemicals
to return quantities borrowed
jfrom Hyder Lead Mines, Inc.,
! and to refill hand extinguish
! ers owned by the Chamber of
j Commerce,
The board also reported fav
orably on a suggestion by Mr.
Blue that the fire protection
I committee make an inventory
of the character and location
of all available hand extin
guishers in the town and see
that they are in proper work
Cpatimied on Page 4