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HYDER - FIRST ALASKA TOWN THAT CAN BE REACHED BY THE PACIFIC - YUKON - ALASKA HIGHWAY
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SPECIALIZING IN
MINING NEWS OF THE
PORTLAND CANAL
DISTRICT
h_
HYDER WEEKLY HERALD
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SUBSCRIPTIONS
$3.00 PER YEAR
IN ADVANCE
V
VOLUME NO. 8, NO. 34.
HYDER, ALASKA, SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 1932.
BY THE YEAR $3.00
DEVELOPMENTS IN
HR SITUATION
That the silver issue is fast
becoming a dominant question
in world affairs is disclosed
with increasing assurance in
the late reports on that sub
ject.
A London report says that
the Financial Times leams
from Toronto that propsoals
will be put forward at the Ot
tawa Imperial Council for im
proving currency under which
banks of the British empire
would carry a minimum of 10
per cent of their metallic re
serves in silver and debased sil
ver currencies would be called
in and replaced by coinage of
pre-war fineness.
Senator Thomas of Idaho in
serted in the Congressional
Record a dispatch to the New
York Times from Paris saying
the new French government
will support the international
bimetallic standard and quot
ing Raymond Patenotre, who
accompanied Laval to Wash
ington, as saying they tried to
win over Piesident Hoover to
this view and had tried to in
duce the president to call an
international silver conference.
Senator Wheeler, of Montana,
announced that he would de
mand a vote before Congress
adjourns on his bill for the free
coinage of silver at the rate of
16 to 1 with gold.
Senator Reed Smoot predict
ed that the Senate Banking
committee would report favor
ably on the Pittman bill to have
the government purchase the
domestic silver production.
Wheeler declared that some
thing has got to be done to
bring the commodity price lev
el back to the 1926 level.
“Either we must adopt bimet
allism or go off the gold stand
ard. It would be much safer to
resort to bimetallism,” he de
clared.
An added factor an forcing
the silver question to the front
is revealed in an editorial in
the London Financial News
stating that “the treasuries of
the world are in the throes of
one of the most setrious prob
lems they have ever had to deal
With in connection with their
currencies, owing to forgeries.
The arts of printing and pho
tography have been perfected
to such extent in recent years
that forgeries of securities and
notes have been developed or
an international scale hitherto
undreampt of. Partly in con
sequence of extensive forger
ies of notes of small denomi
nation last year, Germany ha;
reverted to the issue of silvei
coins to a considerable extern
and in 1931 was the larges1
European buyer of silver foi
coinage purposes, using 25,
000,000 ounces, and there hav<
been substantial subsequen
purchases.
“The authorities believe,’
the Times continues, “that th<
The Cold Standard Debacle
Declaring under the above
caption that a commercial and
financial cataclysm is ap
pioaching so rapidly that it is
probable that the United States
will be forced to abandon the
gold standard in the near fut
ure, the Wallace (Idaho)
Press-Times say:
Further confirmation of the
collapse of the single gold
standard is afforded by the
news that two more nations,
Siam and Peru, have suc
cumbed to the pressure tof ne
i cessity and abandoned the gold
standard. This totals around
30 nations, great and small,
which have been forced to this
proceedure.
It is now quite probable that
the United States will be
forced to follow suit and aban
don the gold standard in the
; near future. Discussions to
: this effect are now going on in
official and political circles in
Washington. The news is be
ing fed to the public in the
form of denials that this will
be done. Nevertheless, it is
safe to anticipate that the
! country will be off the gold
standaid by January 1, 1933.
The repercussion from this
situation is markedly in favor
of silver as a money metal. It
i is impossible for the United
jStates and the balance of the
| commercial world to avoid
| postponing recognition of sil
I ver much longer.
Commercial and imancial
cataclysm is approaching so
rapidly that even the most self
ish, hide bound, and stupid
people will be forced to accept
the facts.
The only question is upon
what basis will silver be re
stored.
The Plunder Bund will fight
desperately for as low a ratio,
and as limited recognition, as
! they can get. It is now the
Iduty and the light of the advo
I cates of bimetallism to stand
solidly for the restoration of
silver at the constitutional and
! statutory ratio of J6-to-l which
experience has shown is a fair
and reasonable ione.
The gold standard has failed
dismally over an experience
! period of 60 years. The argu
ments of the gold standard ad
! vocates have been entirely ov
jerthrown by the logic of events.
The advocates of bimetallism
| should refuse to longer be in
! timidated by them.
Stewart Restaurants Merge
The Exchange Grill and
Quick Lunch in Stewart have
amalgamated under the joint
| p. >pi ietorship of Jack Cough
' lan and W. R. Tooth. The bus
| iness is being carried on in the
! Quick Lunch.
,!
, fear of forgery in connectior
| with note issues will drive
! many countries back to silvei
currency, although it will be
only as token coinage. Thej
’ predict within a few years £
• boom in silver.”
BROWNELL SILVER
RELIEF PROPOSALS
STATEMENT OF A PLAN FOR PUR
CHASE OF CURRENT SILVER PRO
DUCTION OF UNITED STATES,
CANADA, AUSTRALIA AND MEXI
CO, PENDING AN INTERNATIONAL
CONFERENCE ON THE SUBJECT
OF SILVER.
By Francis H. Brownell
The principal countries inter
ested in the production of sil
ver are Mexico, the United
States, Canada and Australia.
All four countries are not only
interested in silver, but all four
are n o w struggling with a
| shortage of currency (mean
ing money of all kinds for pur
poses of circulation). The
United States has recently
passed the Glass-Steagall bill
on that account. This bill per
mits an increase of currency to
a considerable extent for a lim
ited period of time.
But the question remains as to
whether an increased amount
| of currency to some extent is
i not permanently desirable.
All four countries are also in
terested in the price of silver
because of its importance in
trade with the Orient, Mexico
i and South America.
! To assist in solving such prob
lems, a plan has been, or will
be, presented to the legislative
; bodies of the four countries,
! which would (a) increase cur
rency in circulation, and, (b)
j increase the price of silver,
j The plan, in brief, is that each
i country shall offer to buy its
jown current mine production
i of silver (silver mined in other
I countries or mined in the past
1 being carefulyy excluded un
der the terms of the law) at
market price, to the extent that
: it may be offered, within spec
ified limits, by its own nation
als to the government. The
I silver thus bought may be eith
er (1) coined and issued,
i which would probably be done
in Mexico; or (2) coined in
whole ior in pari, and silver cer
tificates issued against that
coined, as would probably be
done in the United States, Can
ada, and possibly Australia.
| In accordance with this general plan,
j Senator Pittman introduced in the
! Senate on February 11, 1932. a bill
j (S. 3600). The bill proposes that the
| government buy so much of the silver
! produced currently in the United
; States as may he tendered at the
j market price, pay for it by the (ssu
' ance of silver certificates, and that
' lhe silver so purchased shall he re
j tamed in the Treasury for coinage in
I to standard silver dollars and stibsid
: iary coins and as security for the cer
| tificates; that such silver certificates
ion presentation and demand shall he
I redeemable in such silver dollars or
coins at the option of the holder; that
! the amount of the silver so purchas
! able shall not exceed 5,000.000 ounces
per month; that the certificates shall
! be receivable for customs, taxes anti
i all public dues, and lie legal tender in
1 payment of all debts except where
Ictherwlso stipulated in the contract,
'and that the certificates when held by
any national hanking association or
■ Federal reserve bank may be counted
, 1 as part of its lawful reserve,
j I'!or a fuller description of the pro
j posal. reference is made to the at
| tached excerpt from the Congression
I al Record, which contains a copy of
[ the bill, pertinent information rela
j live to coinage in the United States
i from the beginning of the govern
! inent, and a short history of the issu
I ance of silver certificates; also the
, the accompanying memorandum of
Senator.Pittman, in which the purpos
SILVERADO MAKING
HIGHGRADE SHIPMENT
A shipment of approximately
forty tons of high grade silver
lead ore from the Silverado
property will leave for the Ta
coma smelter on the next trip
of the freighter Griff.The
shipment is the first to be made
by John Haati and associates,
who recently leased the prop
erty. The ore is being packed
down from the mine by the
Stewait Cartage Company.
-U
Want* Some Good
Placer Diggings
Robt. A Heavenston, of Port
land, Ore., writes to the Hyder
Chamber of Commerce asking
if there are “any streams not
less than 5 miles from Hyder
that show good results with
placer mining, by hand meth
ods or sluicing.”
He also wants to know if it
“would be profitable to dig
straight down to the bedrock
on the possibility of finding a |
good quartz ‘vain.’ ”
Anyone knowing of a nice j
piece of idle placer ground j
showing “good results,” etc., j
on which the chechaclco gent- j
Ionian can exercise his vigor '
will kindly advise him.
Thirty Liquor Violations—April
Liquor violations totalled 30
in the First Division in April,
according to a report issued by
the U. S. Marshal’s .office in
Juneau. Ketchikan led in total
violations with 16. Wrangell
was next with five cases re
poited. Twenty six of the de
fendants pleaded guilty, four
not guilty and one was convict
ed by jury trial.
Four violators were arrested
at Juneau; 2 at Hoonah; 2 at
Petersburg, and 1 at Sitka.
Fines assessed totaled $2,750.
Jail sentences aggregated 3
years, 1 month, and 10 days.
Suspended sentences included
a $300 fine and 10 days in jail.
Gardening Popular
Spring gardening is an unus
ually popular occupation this
spring. Some say the unwont
ed interest is not due so much
to desire for outdoor exercise
and diversion as to the pros
pect that prosperity will con
tinue to linger “just around the \
corner” for a while. At any j
rate, most of our more thrifty
minded citizens are putting in
a garden, in some instances on
vacant lots, and some nice
looking garden patches may
' be seen in the residence dist
rict.
es in view and the benefits anticipat
ed are very clearly and briefly set
. torth.
| The current production of silver for
some time to come will almost certain
ly not greatly exceed the production
tor 1931, shown in the following table,
because about 75 per cent of the sil
ver comes out with copper, lead and
zinc, in all of which metals unprece
1 dentedly low prices prevail and large
accumulations of unsold stock exist.
Hence, their production must be at a
low level for quite a while.
( Continued Next Week)
Public School Presents
Fine Closing Program
Closing exercises of the Hy
der public school were held in
Pioneer Hall Friday evening
and proved to be a decidedly
pleasing entertainment. The
young folks were assisted in
their presentation by the Ry
der Glee Club with a splendid
ly rendered program of vocal
numbers that was greatly ap
preciated by the audience,
which included nearly every
one in the community.
In keeping with the Wash
ington bi-centennial observ
ance this year, the school pro
gram presented a Colonial mot
if, with many of the juvenile
contributors garbed in the pict
uresqe and colorful habil
iments of Revolutionary days.
The opening number was an
excellently rendered piano du
et by Jewel Rice and Peggy
Reid and was followed by a
reading by Jewel, who present
ed a pleasing picture in the
quaint costume of a colonial
dame.
The Glee Club chorus of 14
voices then gave an excellent
rendition of “Jaunita” under
the leadership of Mrs. Harold
Johnson, with Mrs. E. D. Had
don at the piano, followed by
the sweet cadences of that old
time refrain, “In the Gloam
ing. • l
Sarah Finlayson and Eric Lin
degaard next presented a
charming playlet descriptive of i
the origin of the United States
flag in excellent manner.
The succeeding number was
a splendid rendition of “Love’s
Old Sweet Song” by a quartet
of Glee Club members, includ
ing Mesdames II. W. Thomas
and W. R. Reid and Messrs. H.
R. Cross and H. Bonzel.
Betty Blue and Thelma
Legge, two of the school’s most
diminutive pupils, next pre
sented a vocal duet entitled
“Buttercups” in a manner that
won them much well merited
applause.
Marjorie Haddon, Frances
Sandford, Peggy Reid, Sarah
Finlayson and Jacqueline Croz
ier then presented a humorous
costume play entitled “The
Sick Child,” in which they dis
played marked histrionic tal
ent and the aplomb of profess
ional actors.
This was followed by two
highly pleasing numbers by
the Glee Club; “Sweet and
Low.” and “Church in the
Wildwood.”
Little Kenneth and Thelma
Legge then presented a quaint
Colonial song and dance num
ber in costume and acquitted
themselves in excellent man
ner. The succeeding number,
“All Through the Night,” by a
Glee Club quartet composed of
Mesdames. Thomas and John
son and Messrs. R. Wirth and
John Nighel and directed by
Mrs. W. R. Reid, was one of
the outstanding offerings of
the program.
Following a humorous red
AOIO TRANSFER
PROTESTS UNHEEDED
The House Committe on Terr
itordes has decided to report
favorably the bill to transfer
the road construction activities
of the Alaska Road Commissi
ion to the Interior Department,
despite vigorous protests by the
Alaska Chamber of Commerce
and other organizations and in
dividuals, according to advices
from Delegate Wickersham re
ceived in Juneau. As a result
the proposed change will prob
ably be effected. Some mem
bers of the committe are said
to have favored the wiping out
of all scheduled appropriat
ions for road work under the
Commission.
-o
Senate Committe Favors
Assessment Suspension Bill
The Senate Committee on
Mines and Mining decided on
May 16 by unanimous vote to
favorably report the House
Joint Resolution providing for
the suspension of annual ass
essment work on mining claims
in the United States and Alas
ka for the 1932 assessment
year, according to advices
from Washington.
The resolution was passed by
the House of Representatives
on May 11 and is now awaiting
final action by the Senate.
Proponents of the measure
feel that it will become a law
before Congress adjourns, in
which event annual labor in
Alaska will be suspended for
one year.
However, unless action is
taken quickly by the Senate,
the suspension will not benefit
those claim owners whose an
nual work must be completed
by July 1.
-o
Chamber of Commerce
Dinner Meeting Wednesday
The monthly dinner meeting
of the Hyder Chamber of Com
merce will be held in Pioneer
Hall next Wednesday evening,
June 8th, commencing at 6 p.
m. The dinner will be served
by the ladies of the Friendship
Club, as usual, and everyone
is welcome. Those desiring to
participate will kindly advise
Mr. Cross, Mr. Haddon or Mr
Sandford, in order that ade
preparations may be made.
tation, “Youthful Washington”
by Tommy Jadroe, the pro
gram closed with “America,
[The Beautiful” by the Glee
Club and school.
The school program was di
rected by Miss Isobel Thoma,
teacher in charge of the school.
The Glee Club chorus consisted
of 14 voices and included Mes
dames H. Johnson, H. Thomas,
E. Blue, and W. R. Reid; Miss
es L.. Stewart, C. Finlayson,
and E. Olson; Messrs. H. R.
Cross, J. A. Hall, Jr., R. Wirth,
E. Finlayson, E. D. Haddon, H.
Bonzel and J. Naghel.