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VOL 7, NO. 18
HYDER, ALASKA, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7,1931.
PRICE TEN CENTS
BROWNELL OFFERS
NEW SILVER PLAN
A new plan for improving
woild trade conditions by in
formally stabilizing silver at
no fixed ration with gold was
made public recently by F. H.
Biownell, chairman , of the
American Smelting and Refin
ing Company.
Believing that the fall in the
price of silver to record low
levels has been due, not tu
overproduction, but to large
sales by governments of silver
formerly used as money, Mr.
Brownell proposes an informal
understanding among the Unit
ed States, England, (including
India) France (including Indo
china), and as many other
governments as possible, tha
no sales will be made for :
stated period, or until further
notice, of any silver owned bj
each government at less than i
fixed price—for example
cents an ounce.
Second, an understanding
that the governments will pur
chase the amount of silver flier
are now authorized to aequir;
for subsidiary coinage when
ever the market price is unde:
the figure agreed on.
Third, an agreement that the
governments , particulary In
dia, may sell government own
cd silver only when the marker
price is more than the accepter
quotation.
me pjan proposed, jyu
Brownell asserts, a commereia
union, formed'much as in time
of panic when leading bank:
and banking houses unite t
protect the security market
It will test, he believes, the
theory that eastern trade i,
materially influenced by the
price of silver ; it will tend t
hold silver steady until presen
commercial crisis has passed
and until the future ability o:
gold to* do the money work o
the world has been studied
and it will also “postpone or
mitigate” gold withdrawals b\
the East from Europe.
---o
Alaska Volcanoes Active
Alaska volcanoes on the Al
eutian Islands aie showing un
usual activity at present, ac
cording to reports reaching
Seward.
Capt. Anderson of the steam
er Starr recently reported the
Mount Shisaldin, near Uni mat
Pass, was hurling sheets o:
flame and dense masses o
smoke at five minute interval
and Mt. Cleveland, heretofore
known as crater island of four
mountains, is a smoking fur
nace.
Mt. Goske and Mt. Martin
were recently in eiuption but
l ave subsided and Mount Ku
kak has apparenty died down
for the time being.
Numerous earthquakes in the
Aleutian district have been re
ported by seismographs re
cently and the heaviest quake
in more than 10 years struck
Seward January 27. The shock
lasted 25 seconds and cracked
a few walls. Anchorage also
repotted one of the most se
vere shocks in the history of
the town on the same day.
-o
Dale L. Pitt, Premier mana
ger, left Thursday morning on
a trip south.
Game Bill Passed
Cver Alaska Pretests
A bill amending the Alaska
| Game Law and providing for
search without warrant of
boats, camps and camp outfits,
in addition to the other chang
| as in present ganme regula
I lions, lias been passed by the
! Mouse of Representatives in
spite of objections by practi
| rally every Chamber of Com
; meree in Alaska, according to
! press reports.
| The protests in every case
: were directed against the pro
vision for unrestricted search
es without warrant. The bill,
introduced in the House last
: April, provides that any' offic
' ■ -r empowered to enforce the
.ict shall have authority “with
j out warrant” to search any
•amp, camp outfit, pack or
! Lack animals, automobile,
i wagon or other vehicle, sled or
i my boat, vessel or other craft
a the Territorial waters of the
I United States, when such oi'fi
i o.er cr employee has reason
tble cause to believe that such
' amp, etc., has any of the ani
; 01 a is or birds protected by the
1 Alaska Game Law, taken pos
; cssed, sold, intended for sale
; or transported contrary to law.
The measure also authorizes
! a combined $2 hunting and
: rapping license for residents
j if Alaska, in addition to other
changing in existing license
| regulations.
| struggle over Alasla
Appclnlmsnts Indicated
That a grand battle over
\laska political appointments
. • going on behind the scenes
n Washington is apparently
'ndscaled by the fact that but
me of the several nominations
or important offices so far
nade by the president has been
confirmed and in several cases
no nominations have as yet
been made, in spite of the fact
that the terms of present in
cumbents have long since ter
minated.
Up to the present, nomina
tions have been made for one
judge and two United States
marshals. These include Judge
Lornen for the Second division,
ncumbent and Marshals,
Sullivan and Lynn Smith of the
Third and Fourth divisions,
respectively. Marshal Smith
in the only one of these to be
confirmed, although the nom
mations of ail were made
weeks ago.
The present term of Albeit
White, U. S. Marshal in this
division, expired in May but so
i far there has been no nomina
| lion for the position. It is re
; ported that there are four or
. live applicants for the job.
One other major appointment
[is, also pending; that of judge
! for the Fourth division, now
held by Judge Cecil Cjegg. So
i far no nomination has been
(offered.
-o
A large Japanese crab
caught by Ed. Sshneider in the
lower regions of the Portland
Canal, is on display in the show
window of the Boundary Gift
Shop.
The creature, sometimes
! known as the spider crab, is
I about 30 inches wide across
; the widest part.
-o
Mrs. T. H. Evans, who has
(been visiting in the south for
several months, returned home
Thursday.
COAST GUARD HOLDS
LOCAL INVESTIGATION
Complaints of alleged ink
conduct on the part of mem
bers of the crew of the Coa'st
Guard cutter Cygan while vis
iling at this port during tin’
past two years were investigat
ed this week by the officers of
the Coast Guard cutter Talla
posa, which arrived direct
from Seattle .Tuesday evening
for the express purpose of
holding an investigation.
The investigation was the re
! suit of complaints made to U.
j 8. Marshal Albert White by
1 his local deputy Donald E.
| Mai tin. and Char-. F. Sandford
I United States Commissioner
for the precinct, following a
I recent visit of the Cygan. Dur
j ing this visit a member of the
j Cygan crew named Robt. E.
i McCarthy, after imbibing lib
| erally of Canadian red-eye in
llyder, B. C., invaded the com
missioner’s office by smashing
in a window without warning,
afterward attempting to as
sault the commissioner. Mc
Carthy also smashed a window
i in the federal jail following hi;-,
arrest for drunkeness by Mar
shal Martin.
Testimony offered by wit
nesses at the hearing alleged
that quite a number of the Gy
gan crew were drunk and act
ing in a disorderly manner in
Hyder, B. C. during the same
visit. Charges of attempted
theft of a barrel of beer from i
the Fraser Hotel in Hyder, B.
C. and of threats to“smoke up1
i.hose who ventured to disagree
with the disorderly reveler :
were also made at the hear
ing,' according to witnesses.
Several other witnesses also
alleged instances of" intoxica
tion, window breaking and!
ether forms of disorderly con
duct on the part of Cygan men ,
during earlies visits of the ship
at this port.
The hearing was held or.
board the Tallaposa and test
imony was presented by post
master Orc-n F. Hill, Alex |
Frazer, Edgar Province, Hub
ert Thomas, James Jackson, j
Geo. Divine, Marshal Martin ;
and Commissioner Sandford.
Officers and members of the i
Cygan crew against whom al
legations were laid also ap-:
ppeared at the hearing,which ;
continued during most of 1 ues ,
day night and until Wednesday j
afternoon.
Both the Cygan and Talla
posa remained here until
Thursday morning befor sail
ing for Ketchikan and Jun
eau, respectively.
-o
Alaska Involved in
Oil land Frauds
The government is reported
j investigating alleged fraudu
lent sales of oil land leases,
some of which are said to in
: volve Alaska oil and gas lands.
It is said that promoters are
offering to purchase leases for
i clients at $2 per acre, where
I as the government’s top fee
| for any amount of acreage
| under such leases is $32, thc
| difference giving the promot
ers a tidy profit.
Promoters are said to prom
ise “great opportunities for
securing large returns.”
CHAMBER COMMERCE
HOLDS SOPPED MEET
The Hyder Chamber of Com
merce dinner meeting at the
Ideal Cafe Thursday was a
most successful and interesting
affair and was attended by
more than twenty-five mem
bers of the organization. This
number included several prom
inent business men from Stew
art and Hyder, B. C., who late
ly became members of the lo
cal organization and are dis
playing keen interest in its ef
forts and activities. The meet
ing was the first of the pro
jected aeries of monthly din
ner meetings to be held in the
future with the object of mak
ing the monthly sessions more
attractive by relieving the cus
tomary dry business aspect:
and thereby encouraging in
creasedattendance and interest
in the Chamber’s affairs. Pres
ident E. D. Haddon presided.
Following an excellent five
course dinner, President Had
don announced that 15 Arev.
members had been enrolled
since the first of the year, j
These included W. C. Blanton.
R. Doggett, Gus Erickson, F.
W. Fisher, W. -W. Metcalf, I
naipn roung, m. vv. i noma; i
and B. B. Smith, of Hyder;
Dava Allen, Alex. Frazer and I
Wra. R. Reid, of Hyder, B. C.,
C. L. Hibbard of Seattle; H. P.
Gibson and the Bank of Mon
treal, of Stewart, and the Port
land Canal Power Company of i
Seattle. Receipts from due-l
and donations daring the'
month amounted to $229.50. j
Expenditures during the same |
period totaled 98.70, leaving |
a surplus of $140.31 in the!
treasury.
Included among the more
important matters upon which
action was had was the ap
pointment of a cbmmitte con
siding of Oi’en F. Hill, N. M.
Travel sy and Edgar Province
to feither investigate the pos
sibilities of a new type of auto
mobile fire engine. The cast of
this apparatus is low and from
the data at hand it appears
to offer an economic means
for efficient fire protection.
The Chamber also decided to
secure a two-color map cut
showing a portion of the pro
posed Pacific-Aiaska. Highway
and the close proximity of Hy
der and Stewart to the pro
jected right of way of the
great thoroughfare. This is to
bo piinted on the backs of
Chamber of Commerce envel
opes to advertise Hyder’s claim !
of being the first town in Alas- j
ka that can be reached by a !
short branch road from the J
Highway. The Chamber also j
voted to permit the use of the j
cut by others who wish the I
map on their stationery.
President Haddon announced
that the Chamber will soon in
stall a “Suggestion Box” ai
Chamber of Commerce Hall,
in which suggestions bearing
upon the improvement of local,
industry or conditions, civic
improvements and other mat-;;
ters of public welfare may be |
placed. Such communications'
must be signed by the propos-j
er and when so endorsed will
be given all possible consider-,
ation by the Chamber.
A telegram from Alaska del
egate Sutherland relative to
Official Vote In
Last Election Announced
With four precincts missing,
Judge James Wiclcersham, re
publican, had a majority of
248 over Geo. B. Grigsby,
democrat, for delegate to Con
gress on the official returns,
according to Canvassing Board
figures printed in the Juneau
Empii e.
The total vote canvassed
showed 11,188 votes were cast
last November, with the First
Division easting almost 50 per
cent of the total, with 5,291.
The Third polled 2,899, the
Fourth 2,180, and the Second
Division 818 votes.
Only one race ir. .'-till un
certain. This is in the Third
with three precincts unreport
ed. where, Frank il. Foster ha- I
a lead of 26 votes over L. D
'ioach. Both are republicans.
The delegate contest was the
closest in 10 years. In 1919
the Empire states, the result,
of the contest between Charles
A. Sulzer and Judge Wicker
sham resulted in a contest ir
which the latter was seated |
According to the offieia !
count,, Keller beat Karnes b;. !
392 voter, for Education Coni i
mDsioner. Cole defeated Gaff
ney for Auditor by 991, and
Smith bested Hardcaatle ■ foi
Treasurer by 1,053 votes, re
ceiving the largest vote.
me democrats rareu ratnes
badly in the contest, Hess
candidate for Highway on gin
eer, being the only candidate
of that party to bring home the
bacon; with a plmality of 70c
over Ulmer, republican, John
-•on, independent, for the earn;
office, received 1,110 votes
although his name was left, of;
the ballot in the Third Divi !
sion.
the Chamber’s recent move foi
local unemployment relief
mid under the date of Jan.26
Mr. McDonald chief of the Bu
reau of Public Roads wa.
working on the Hyder propos
al but seemed to have eoith
doubt as to his authority tc j
perform the proposed work oi j
flood control.
McDonald intended to dis- j
cuss the matter with the Wa:
Department engineers, how
ever, and Mr. Sutherland hop
ed to send further advices j
-hortly.
Attorney Ernest Blue report
cd on behalf of the recently
appointed Hydes General Hos
pital Association committee j
that the committee had eom-J
pleted its work and war, ready j
to report, and President Had
don announced receipt of a tel
egram from the Secretary of
Alaska advising that the
ai tides of incorporation of the
association were filed Feby.2.
Mr. Hill, on behalf of the com
mittee, and Mr. Haddon, urged
everyone to join the association j
and Mr. Hill was named to re- j
ceive membership suscriptions.
A dozen or more wore received
before the close of the session.
President Haddon also called
a special meeting this (Satur
day) evening to hear the re
port cf the committee.
A letter from Willis T.
Batcheller, head of the Port
land Canal Power Co., engaged
on the Davis River Power de
velopment project, said the
company’s plans are now be
fore the Federal Power Com
mission and the license to pro
P.S.S. CO. SEEKS LOCAL
FREIGHT TRAFFIC
A plan of the Pacific Steam
ship Company and Noyes Boat
Company, of Ketchikan to
undertake freight traffic be
tween Seattle and Hyder on
the basis of through traffic
charges and weekly service
was presented to Hyder ship
pers this week by Mr. W. J.
Manahan, Ketchikan agent of
the Admiral Line, who came
over from Ketchikan Tuesday.
Under the proposal advanced
by Mr. Manahan, shipments
ordered by mail from Seattle
one week would be delivered
t Hyder early the following
week by the Noyes Company
f routed to Ketchikan on Ad
miral Line steamers.
Freight charges for this rapid
service, Mr. Manahan said,
would at least not exceed pres
ent charges on through freight
shipments from Seattle to this
nort.
The sei'vice, in addition to
overcoming the present neces
ity for waiting for extended
periods in order to secure the
advantages of through rates
would also guarantee safe de
livery of commodities.
■O
If there is anything to the
ancient saw about the ground
hog, winter will last another
,'ix weeks. For the ground-hog
assuredly saw his shadow if
he emerged from his winter
?iesta last Monday morning.
Peculiarly enough, the day
was the first really clear day
in weeks and one of the few
bright days of the entire win
_er season.
However, science says the
ground-hog story is all hooey
ind besides, all other indica
ions point to an early spring,
not only here but all over
Alaska, where the winter has
oeen of record mildness.
;eed would probably be grant
'd about March 1. If this de
velops, active construction
work should then start by Ap
ril 1, about 30 days being re
quired for assembling crew
md equipment, Mr. Batchelier
said. This was received with
considerable applause.
N. M. Traversy offered a
timely and purposeful sugges
tion that the Hyder Chamber
of Commerce and Stewart
Board of Trade hold joint
meetings occassionally, point
ing out that both bodies are
concerned with many identic
al projects, which could be
furthered more effectively by
joint action of the two bodies.
This suggestion was warmly
indorsed by Messrs. W. D.
Smith and R. E. Haack, both
members of the Stewart body,
and others. Mr. Traversy also
suggested that a special meet
ing of the Chamber be held on
the arrival of Mr. Batchelier
of the Portland Canal Power
Co., by way 'of greeting and to
demonstrate local regard for
the importance of that great
project to the town and dist
rict.
-After discussion of various
other matters, the Chamber
adjourned and will hold its
next meeting at the Silver
Grill on the evening of March
4th.