VOLUME NO. 5.
PETERSBURG, ALASKA. APRIL 10 1931
NO. 38
Commercial Club Seeks More
Information Fibre Box Tax
At the meeting of the Peters
burg Commercial Club Wednee
'lay evening, a request fron Mr.
Eldon E. Daly, manager o[ the
Ketchikan Spruce Mills wa- pre
sented by Chairman Ohmen The
request was that the Club urge
the Legislature to pass “reason
able and sufficient legislation to
assist the box factories and saw •
mills of Alaska.” Inasmuch as
no definite plan was presented
to the Club for relief of th • oox
factories, it was deemed best to
ask Mr. Daly to *tate the ?\
cific purport of his plan, after
which the Executive Commi -f
will decide what cou.se th.* Club
will take and so neb ise the 1 e -
gislature. It appears to some
that endorsement of si”’ a
broad, all-inclusive request
might be unwise Since the
the Territory has .wo industries
now in distress, there migh- !
other ways to revive the lumber
Industry tha nby penalizing toe
canneries.
Propose City Park
To help make the city beauti
ful. Dr. Rude suggested creation
•>l a city park out of the bit of
woodland immediately below
and in front of the schoolhouse
A. B. Holt reported that he had
tested the land with an iron bar1
and found 18 to 30 inches of
muskeg but declared the land
suitable for park purposes if it
Vista Avenue
Before Council
-x
At the regular meeting of of
the City Council Monday even
ing, a protest against the pro
posed improvement of Vista Av
enue, representing more than 5.0
per cent of the property affected
by the improvement was pre
. ented. This improvement be
ing ordered twice and each time
protested by the property own
ers, it was the opinion of the
Council that it would be useless
to further revise the plans or to
re-advertise. It was decided af
<ev the discussion to obtain ar
estimate of the cost of construc
ting a gravel road to replace the
present planked street.
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1 KILLER” BURKE ARRESTED
-x
The man police call “gang
land’s most dangerous killer”
—Fred Burke arrested, will at
tempt to fight his case in court.
He is alleged to have partici
pated in the “Bugs” Moran kill
ng, Chicago, to have slain po
liceman Skelly and taken part in
many other killings. His trial
will probably take place in May.
-x
O’MALLEY RETURNS
WITH FISH STORY
Joe O’Malley, widely-known
Seattle businessman, sportsman
and raconteur, recently return
ed to Seattle from Los Angeles.
Agua Caliente and way points
and now gives reasons for nam
ing a certain species of salmon
“humpbacks.”
“California sportsmen do not
know what it is to have a stream
full of water like we have in
Washington,” he declared
“Down there in California
they’ve named their salmon
“humpback” ’cause they’re try
ing to keep their heads and tail;
in the water at the same time.’
Smart boy that!
-x
Albert Jorgenson was on the
-ocal market Thursday with ov
er a thousand pounds of trou1
l’om Farragut Bay.
Marshal C. V. Brown was call
ed Juneau on account of vacan
ties in the marshal’s office.
i
-X
could be secured. The property
belongs to the P. A. F. Co., so i<
\vas decided to enter into nego
iations with Manager Archie
Shields to determine whether or
not a concession can be secured
tt was recognized that it would
i.e difficult to raise any large
im of money in view of efforts
now being made to raise funds
for a gymnasium i
West Petersburg Road Held Up!
Mr. Ohmer reported that it isj
r.uite possible that the West Pe
tersburg highway project would
be lost. The roadway is survey
ed and would pass through pa
tented lands owned by W. H
Royden (“Wabish Bill”), who
states in a letter that he has
borne considerable expense ir
the way of private surveys and
feels that he should be reimburs
ed if the roadway passes through
his land. Others along the pro
posed roadway feel that Mr
Royden would not be damaged
■Hit would rather benefit by the
construction of the highway
Communications with Mr. Roy
den have brought no response
to date. Bids submitted by con
tractors for the construction
work were to be opened yester
day but the results were not to J
be published until the right-of
way matter had been settled.
N. Y. to Germany Tried
Television Successfully
-x
Television across the Atlantic
Ocean became a fact last wee!'
when Professor Karolus, radio
and television expert of the Uni
versity of Leipsic standing be
fore a televisor in the General
Electric Company’s laboratory at
Schenectady, N. Y., was recog
nized by friends in Germany. I*
was not a very clear image o:
the professor that his friends
saw overseas, but they were able
to distinguish the fact that he
was wearing glasses.
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Bowles and Woman Face
Morals Charge
-x
Nelson Bowles and his para
mour, Irma Loucks, who were
acquitted of the murder of Mrs.
Bowles must stand trial on a
morals charge according to an
nouncement of district attorney
L. Langley of Portland.
The state will ask the maxi
mum penalty of six months in
Jail and a fine of $500.
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KIDS WILL BE OPEN FOR TWO
ALASKA PROJECTS
-X
Bids will be open for removal
of 40,000 yards of fill from the
Petersburg Bar and 120,000
yards from Seward harbor. The
work on Tongas Basin, Ketchi
kan, is said to be more than one
in ird completed.
-x
.. Robert Emmet Jordan, former
U.. S. Marshal, Nome,, dropped
dead on a. street, car, Seattle
last week.. He is survived by h?s
widow.
-x
H. H. Waller was a passenger
'in the Queen to Juneau afte1'
looking over the West Peters
; ourg Highway proposition. It is
understood that he will submit
a bid for the job.
-x
“ Wm. B. Metz took passage for
Cordova.
--—x
C. C. Mundy, Baxter Felch, K.
O. Scribner and Don Don Mc
■ Donald tookm passage on the
Norco to Wrangell
Rhetorical Contest
Is Called Off
—x—
One of the most oopular inter
scholastic events of former years
sterns to have fallen by the way
side this year. The rhctohical
contest scheduled to have been
l eld in Petersburg, April 14th
was definitely called off yester
day. After a series of prelimin
ary contests had been held in
the various highschools in thi=:
Division, it transpires that for
different reasons, only Ketchi
lan would compete against Pe
tersburg this year. If this event
is revived next year, it will be
in Petersburg under the rules
At the preliminary contest held
at the Coliseum Theatre, las'
Caturday afternoon, the judges
chose Loren Johnson to uphold
the honor of Petersburg High
School and Miss Ronde Molvev
v as designated as alternate.
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Local Elections
Quiet Affair
At the municipal election l cld
Tuesday, April 7th the following
candidates were elected:
Mayor, E. N. Ohmer.
Council: R. M. Allen, Charles
Greenaa and A. B Holt.
School Board: Forest Fryer.
No one hiled for School Peart1
but a large number of names
were written in on the ballots
Of these, Mr. Fryer received 13
Mrs. Lee 11, Frederick Nelson 10
Ed Locken 5, William H. Gribble
5 and 15 others received one or
two votes each.
Juneau
Mayor, Judson; Council, Krau^
Blomgren and Green.. Bothwell.
running idependent was defeat
ed.
The proposed ordinance to
keep dogs from running loose on
the streets was defeated
Ketchikan
Mayor N, R. Walker,, elected
mayor of Ketchikan, receiving
'•00 votes. For council (three to
be elected) Lem McKay, 377; J.
H Davies* 349; Percy Charles
324; A. C. Erskine. 3J9; E W
Brown, 305; B. R. Liebe, 282.
For School Board, one year, W
Dibbrell, three years, R. G.
Hall, both unopposed. Registra -
lion 942.
Wrangell
Mayor, Kirtland. For Council,
-ampbell, Coulter and Nolan’
• or School Board. B. Y. Grant
~>nd Mrs. Johnson.
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Lone Star State Lead'
In Sulphur II rrng
-x
Figures on sulphur prod ciicn
in the United States issued by
the U. S. department of com
merce, show 2,439,378 long tons
of “brimstone,” as it once was
known to have been taken out in
1929. It is valued al $36,527,469
at the mines. Tex-1" as usual, pro
duced mr "•'-.'A 90 per cent of
the com try’s total Some came
from Ne ada and Utah.
The / me mean production of
sulphur by this report is shown
| to be more than double that of
! ten years ago when the produc
tion was 1,190,573 tons.
FLU HITS NOME
A mild form of influenza ha1
nit Nome so that 40 per cent ol
the inhabitants v/ere affected
All public gatherings were can
celled as a precautionary meas
ure to prevent further spread o
of the sickness.
The Edward Schenk is in por
jer a load of lumber from th«
Scow Bay Mills.
Would Define
Fishing. Gear;
The Ziegler memorial to Cong
ress asking it to bestow author
ty on the Alaska legislature to
proscribe and define apparatus
and methods to be used in tak
ing salmon passed the House
i last Friday by a vote of 13 to 2;
Frosius and Foster opposing.
Foster’s effort to amend the bill
, oy striking out reference to “ap-1
paratus and methods” and in
serting clause asking that thei
legislature be given authority to
a dminister the whole of the
Alaskan fisheries was defeated
when Ziegler took the floor
against it, and declared that
such action would have the ef
iect of killing the memorial.
The stage is all set for the
legislative inquiry to be made
into the conduct of Alaskan ter
ritorial offices.. Winn, Donnelly
Hellerich and Murray comprise
Ihe House committee and Sen- ■
ators Hess, Lomen and Benja
min represent the Senate on the
committee.
Hearings on Fibre Box Tax
The Ways and Means Commit- ,
tee is holding hearings on the x
Ziegler fibre box tax for the pro- (
tection of the Alaska lumber in
dustry, and Jchnston’s measure ,
boosting rates in net incomes
from mining operations.
Legalize Common Law Marriages
A measure which will have a
tendency to raise question as to ,
moral conduct was introduced
ny Senator Lomen This meas- ^
are provides common law marri- <
.•ges where persons concerned x
reside more than 50 miles from (
rhe U. S. Commissioner. Two
witnesses are required and con- 1
•rac-ting parties sign a statement
cknowledging the marriage and (
this acknowledgment is to be (
.ent forward to the nearest
* ommissioner.
-x
Radio Station
Fund Released
-x
Funds for the completion of a
°yotem of radio communication
oetween Seattle and Alaska
were last week made immediate
ly available Congress appro
priated $200,000 for the Alaska
radio system to replace the pre
sent cable to the north, but $100,
000 of this had been impounded
by the federal director of the
| budget. Through the efforts of
1 Delegate Wickersham, Senator
| W. L. Jones, Washington, ard J.
T. Underwood, Seattle Chamber
of Commerce, the impounded
! $100,000 was released.
The radio system will include
three stations, Seattle, Ketchi
kan and Anchorage.
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DOLLAR VALUE IS REDUCED
BY SILVER DECLINE
Sharp declines in the price of!
silver have reduced the intrinsic;
value of the silver dollar to a!
new low record.
The silver dollar of the United
States contains less than an
ounce of real silver, which at
present prices is worth only 26
cents. Although worth less than
a third of its face value, the sil
ver dollar passes everywhere for
par because it has the full credit
of the United States behind it. *
Mr. Joe Isom, manager of the
Northern Seafood Company’s
crab plant at Cordova, returned |
■ to the Copper Citv after visiting
■ his brothers here for some time.
t Mr. and Mrs. Garfield Bailey
went to Juneau this week.
t Andrew Wanamaker, Presby
1 terian Layworker at Klawock i°.
making a brief vicit in town.
J
Halibut Fares Sold
On Local Marts
—x—
The following fares have been
hipped from Petersburg dur
ing the wepk:
Lun, 1,000* Northpole, 3 000:
Pegge, 8,000; Bravo, 8,000; Gypsy
3,000; Rambler, 4,500; Castle, 3,
000; Gjoa 2,000.
The Gjoa had trouble this trip
v/ith a broken gas tank and was
forced in after only two days
fishing. She returned to the
fishing banks immediately after
repairs were made
Sale of the fares were made bv
'he Rambler and Castle to E. N
Ohmer; the Lun and Northpole
,o Andrew Engstrom and the
balance was shipped to the Unit
ed Pacific in Seattle. The Gher
man passed through this por1
vith a fare of 18,000 pounds, and
;he Augusta and Kennebec each
lad 10,000 pounds
P. T. A. Presents
Excellent Program
At the high school auditorium
Wednesday evening, was held
he regular monthly meeting of
he P. T. A. A musical comedv
■ntitled “Cynthia’s Strategy,”!
vith a cast of four principal i
jlayers and a supnorting chonr
>f eighteen voices proved very
mtertaining. Two excellent vo
:al solos by Aubrey Shaquanic
vere well received
At the business meeting, +he
reasurer reported a balance of
‘231 in the P. T. A. gymnasium
und. This is in addition to sev
eral other funds now beinr’
•aised by other organizations fo"
he same purpose.
Mrs. Harold Lee and Mrs
Charles Anderson were chosen
Jelegates to the Territorial P T
\. meetings to be held in Ket
chikan, April 14th
The following officers were
'hosen for the coming year'
Mrs. Charles Anderson, Preru
lent; Mrs. Harold Lee, Vic
-‘resident; Miss Mable Ottness
. ecretary-Treasurer.
A luncheon was served follow
ng the meeting.
—X
luinault Fishing Season
To Remain Unchanged
-x
There will be no change in
the fishing season on the Quin
lult River. This was the deci
sion reached this week at a
tribal meeting of the Quinault,
Quillayute, Queets and Hoh In
dians at Taholah. The season
eow opens April 15 and some of
the tribesmen favored an earlier
opening. After considerable dis
cussion the tribes decided to ad
here to the present opening.
-x
Mrs. Harold Lee and Mrs. Chas
Anderson plan to leave on the
Northland tomorrow for Ketchi
kan. They will repreesnt the
Petersburg P. T. A. at the Ket
chikan meeting of the organiza
tion which convenes in the First
City on the 14th.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Wayne
Walther at the Petersburg Hos
pital Tuesday evening, a daught
er. Mother and babe were doing
nicely and the cigars were fine
The Dubrovnik, C’apt. Georgf
Peratrovtich. arrived in Peters
burg, Wednesday night.
-x
Through a misunderstanding
as to the itinerary of the mis
iion boat Princeton, Mrs. Wil
liam Tamaree, Presbyterian La5
Worker, missed connections anc
failed to atten dthe Presbytery
now in session at. Sitka.
The Juneau mailboat nov
sails north from Petersburg oi
Friday noons. Not so good
Juneau Mill Man Pictures
Conditions in Lumber Industry
-X
In response to a request for a
statement relative to the prob
•ems and conditions confronting
the logging ad lumbering indus
try of Alaska, Mr. Roy Ruther
ford makes the following state
ment:
“Inroads made by fibreboarci
'containers in the Alaska salmon
packers’ trade have put not only
the Juneau Lumber Mills in a
hazardous position, but every
other similar enterprise in South
east Alaska and has greatly re
duced logging operations. We
carried over at the end of last
season some 155,000 box shooks
At a greatly reduced price, in
i fact for less than the cost or
j oroduction, we sold 100,000 of
i these for delivery this spring.
I The remainder will have to stav
n our warehouse since there is
no market for them anywhere.
“Our salmon trade, apparently
has been captured by the fibre
board carton manufacturers. Of
course, some of the Alaska pack
ers are still using wooden cases
but Alaska mills have not been
able :o interest them in their
product despite the fact that we
have offered to meet prices and
make deliveries at convenientj
points.”
The present situation results J
m plans to operate the Juneau \
mills for about one month in- j
^tead of the usual ten months.
Not over 50 men will be employ
ed as against 100 used last seo
on from April to November.
It goes without saving that log
ging operations will be cut to
the bone and only a small cut of
imbev made. Ketchikan Spruce
Mills is operating on a five-day
*eek schedule and it has not op
ened its box factory. The Wran
gell Mill is defunct beyond re
demption.
Washington Gas Tax
Boosts Prices Up
Retail gasoline prices in the
, state of Washington went up two
| cents last week though the gas
war is still on. The raise in
! price is the result of the addi
tional tax of two cents placed
by the state legislature.
| The additional 2 cents brought
the total tax in the state to 5
! ”ents a gallon. V/hen a motor
11st paid 11 Vz cents a gallon, on
ly 6V2 cents of the price repre
sented the retail cost of the
! eomodity. At this figure the tax
amounted to 77 per cent as
I eomodity. At this figure the tav
■ he service station.
The price of gasoline at the
oil stations in Alaska is now 13
cents—with the Hess tax, it
would add one cent further.
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ALASKA FARMER DEAD
-x
I
Dr. Charles Georgeson, fam
ous Alaskan agriculturist, died
I in his home, Seattle, last week
I Funeral services and intermen*
in Seattle.
i Professor Georgeson under
[the Department of Agriculture.
! at Sitka made some very useful
contributions to the study o*
j agriculture and plant life during
this many years in Sitka. A fine
sturdy, lovable character. _Hh.
departure from Alaska was a
yreat loss and his death a severe
blow.
-x
The “Dixie” now renamed, is
enroute to Juneau. She is the
Seventh Day Adventist hospital
and missionary boat.
-x
r “Doc” Johnson was defeated
i by Frank Peratrovitch in the
j K lawoek mayoralty contest.
j In 1925 Juneau Mills cut 550,
000 boxes and has maintained
! that cut since except in 1927 it
1 cut 750,000. This was a pre-po
litical season when the canners
were seeking support of the nr1'
interests to defeat former Dele
gate Sutherland. Since which
time the canners dumped the lo
cal mill men overboard to sink
or swim as best they could.
To relieve the situation, Re
presentative Ziegler proposed ti
save the logging industry by pro
posing a tax of 5 cents per bo .
on salmon shipped in fibre con
tainers but will relieve the ear -
ners from such a tax in event
they use local made containers.
We Do Not Change Our Position
We are not making effort t >
create any hardship on the mill
men nor are we compromising
our postion with the cannery
when we declare the fibre box
tax wrong in principle. The
mills are entitled to help—and
immediate relief; the canners
need relief because of the pre
sent market conditions. The so
lution to the problem is not thru
taxation but through removal of
the restrictive, discriminatory
regulations which compell mills
to puchase logs which average
25 per cent unmerchantable—
but the cutting expense of which
is not reduced in any manner.
The proper course for the Le
gislature to follow is to secure
through Congress relief from
the oppressive rules of the For
est Department; to permit ex
port of round timber to take care
of hemlock and such timber as
the foreign market demands.
Then both the canners and mill
fiien can operate with hope of
profit.
W ould Revive
Local Rand
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Mr. Ed Beruttu. band leader
in Anchorage for the past If
years, arrived in town this week
end hopes to locate here perma
nently. Mr. Beruttu was former
leader of a 30-piece band in
Douglas before the Treadwell
mine cave-in and he also serv
ed as a U. S Army band leader.
As soon as a residence can be es
fablished here, he hopes to or
ganize a class of musicians In
structions will be offered on °nv
kind of band instruments and
also on the piano and accordion
-x
HERE THEY COME
Alaska can’t get along with •
’lit its spring migrations—the
first of approximately 1,000 go
ing to Pacific American canner
es in the Bristol Bay area, left
on the North King from Seattle
last week.. Others will follow. .
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DEVIGHNE NAMED HEALTH
JOB
-x
Dr. H. C. DeVighne was reap
pointed Territorial Health Of
ficer by Governor Parks.
--x
FISHING SCHOONER SAVES 15
PIGEONS
-X
The fishing schooner L. A.
Dunton docked recently with the
story of how fifteen pigeons had
been saved from death by being
blown onto the craft when it was
300 miles at sea. The birds were
swept seaward by a terrific wind.
When the vessel reached shore
the pigeons refused to leave
j They will be allowed to remain
i aboard.