I- --OP
VOL. 4.
PETERSBURG, ALASKA, JULY, 26, 1929
NO 2
Ii/der Wants Compensation
Law Changed, As Unfair
With Reference to the Alaska
Compensation Act
Whereas, the employer of five
o mo e employees in any busi
n 3 or industry in the Territory
o Ua :ka, excepting domestic
so /ice, agriculture, dairying and
ti operation of railroads as
ct imon carriers, under Chapter
2 of the Alaska Session Laws of
1! 3, commonly known as the
C< VTPENSATION ACT, as well
as his employees, are directly
and adversely affected thereby;
and,
Win mas, the Compensation
Act nc .v in force in Alaska pro
vides t.iat the family of a mar
ried e iployee, in case of death
from injuries received in the
course of his employment, can
receive up to a possible sum of
$9,000.00; the relatives of an un
married employee up to a pos
sible $9,000.00; married alien
employees’ families up to 60 per
cent of any amount obtainable
by the family of a married citi
zen of the United States; and the
relatives of an unmarried alien
employee 50 per cent of any
amount obtainable by the rela
tives of an unmarried citizen of
the United States—all of these
amounts being payable by the
employer; and,
Whereas, for total disability
a married employee can receive
up to a possible $9,0000.00, and
an unmarried employee, citizen
or alien, can receive up to a pos
s i b 1 e $9,000.00—all of these
amounts being chargeable
against the employer; and
Whereas, the schedules for
partial disability and particular
injuries are likewise directly
chargeable against the employ
er; and,
Whereas, for a payment of
$2.50 per month, payable by
each employee, the employer is
chargeable for all medical and
hospital costs of an employee for
a possible period of one year;
and,
Whereas, a discrimination
against married and unmarried
employees, who are citizens of
the United States, in favor of
alien employees, is an actual
and necessary result of the
schedules in said Compensation
Act set out; and
Whereas, working men and
employees of all kinds, as well as
corporations and business men
Df both large and small capital,
are adversely affected thereby,
the Act taking no note of the
prosperity or lack of prosperity
Df such corporations or business
men; and,
Whereas, there is now no in
Continued on Page 3
Bureau Teachers Cleared
Of Criminal charges ?
-o
. .A not-true bill was returned
by the grand jury at Seward .re
cently in the case of U. S. vs.
Mrs. Horace 'Caldwell, matron
at Dilligham of the orphanage
there.
Mrs. Caldwell was charged
with having caused the death of
Ann Woods, Indian girl, who lost
her life early in the morning of
December 22. 1928 when a fire
resulted from the explosion of a
lamp.
Murder charges against Mrs.
Caldwell followed incarceration
of her husband, government
teacher in charge of the orphan
age, indicted by a jury for al
leged attacks on a number of
orphange girls.
The charge of murder against
Mrs. Caldwell was a matter of
deduction on the part of auth
orities who believed Mrs. Cald
well planned the firing of the
institution in order to destroy
evidence. The findings of the
jury exonerated.
The salient facts brought out
were: On the morning of the
22nd of December, last, Ann
woods filled an oil lamp with
what she believed to be kero
sene, but was presumably a li
quid explosive, probably gaso
line. It was presumed that this
liquid was placed in the room
that night. On purely circum
stantial evidence Mrs. Caldwell
Continued on Page 4
OIL MAN VISITED IN ALASKA
Col. R. W. Stewart, former
chairman passed thru Ketchi
kan last week from Seward. He
had completed an extended trip
on pleasure bent through the
Territory.
Capt. Hoyt attempting a New
Yedk-Nome record crashed at
Alberta. Bad gas and weather.
ALASKA PULP FIRM GETS AN
INCREASE IN CAPITAL
-X
A $20,000 increase of capital
of the Alaska Pulp and Paper
Company was recently ordered
recently in California.
The company is a close cor
poration operating a pulp and
paper mill in Alaska and has a
captilization of $500,000 and sets
forth that its net worth at this
time is $532,901.
A new member of the company
it was announced has developed
an original process for the man
ufacture of paper plates and
other products from wood pulp.
C. W. Callaghan is president of
this California corporation.
GETS A DUCKING
-x
Is travelling from Seward to
New York, one A1 Voight, in a
canoe—kyak—after the model
of the Eskimo means of loco
motion. He passed thru Peters
burg a short time since as was
reported in a previous iisue. He
paddled his way down the Nar
rows and out into Clarence
Straits on his way to Ketchikon
and was encompassed by a little
summer blow. He fared-not too
well as he was forced to give up
his trip owing to some busted
ribs or do-dads in his skin-can
ivas craft. He put his private
; yacht on board a steamer at the
| First City and took passage for
the Sound expecting to contin
ue his trip to New York via the
Panama Canal in the freak craft
he started in.
There are some practical men,
boat men, who believe Voight
should be under medical obser
vation to find out whether or
not there is not a screw, or
several, in his thinking appara
tus. If he can’t make the trip
safely down Clarence Straits
during summer months, what
can he do off the Columbia Riv
er Bar or the stretch down the
Oregon-California coast in the
stormy Fall season.
Congressmen Will
Be Here August 1
-x
The House Appropriations sub
committee on Agriculture is
leaving Seattle Sunday the 28th
for various points in Alaska.
The party should arrive in Pe
tersburg about the 1st of Aug
ust on the Coast Guard Cutter
Tahoe. The party will arrive in
Ketchikan the 31st of July, and
after a short visit there will
proceed north with short stops
at Wrangell and Petersburg.The
party will go from Juneau to
Sitka and from there to Cordo
va, Valdez and Keystone Canyon
and Seward.
They will make the railroad
route through the farm belt and
come south by Richardson
Highway, re-embarking on the
Tahoe at Cordova for the re
turn to Seattle.
NEW TEACHER FOR AGASSIZ
o j
Mr. Geddes M. Niles of Ames, '
Iowa, has accepted the school
at Point Aggassiz for the com
ing year. Mr. Niles is a married
man and Mrs. Niles and two
children will accompany him to
the Point. Both are coming
well recommended and the com
munity is looking forward to a
successful school year.
American Boat Ordered
Sold in B. C,
The Catherine B. one of sev
eral American trollers before
Canadian courts for illegal fish
ing Canadian waters, was or
dered sold. The vessel was two
and a half miles oc shore when
caught fishing off Rose Spit,Dix
on Entrance though the owner
Ludwig Thermodstater, of Seat
tle claimed he was outside of
the three-mile limit.
This craft was sent down the
shipways late in April of this
year and was on her first fishing
trip when seized.
Five of seven American ves
sels seized for illegal fishing in
Canadian waters were released,
two, the Catherine B. and the
No. 557-GA, condemned and for
feited and ordered sold.
-x
NO KING SALMON
The king salmon just refuse to
be caught in spite of the high
prices offered by Ketchikan fish
buyers. The prices offered the
fore part of the week were 19
to 22 cents for large reds; 9 to
10 cents for small and 5-6 cents
for whites. Cohoes at Sitka are
bringing 30 cents each on the
grounds.
Lots of Blanks
The seiners are running all
over the country and hardly ev
en get wet trying to catch a few
salmon; the trollers are hard
put to even catch enough fish
to pay for oil and grub; the trap
system still holds well.
By next winter many a busi
ness man will be holding an em
pty sack.
STRONG—BOBBIN S
-x
Miss Jeanne Robbins and Wil
liam Strong of Juneau were re
cently married by the Rev. Ga
briel Menager.
Mrs. Strong was employed as
nurse at the St. Ann Hospital.
Billy Strong has been operat
ing a river boat on the Taku for
quite a number of years. Be
fore going on the Taku, Strong
operated boats on the Stikine.
Fishing Employs Large
Number in U. S.
According to recent govern
ment statistics, the fisheries of
the various geographical sec
tions of the United States and
Alaska, employ approximately
118,000 commercial fishermen
and 4,300 persons on transport
ing vessels. The annual land
ings of fishery products amounts
to nearly 2,500,000,000 pounds,
valued at $103,000,000 to the
fishermen. The question asked
is if the fishery products are
one hundred three millions of
dollars to the fishermen, what is
it worth to the broker?
O'Malley Snubs
Fishermen
When Henry O’Malley, United
States Fish Commissioner was
in Ketchikan recently, before he
left for the Westward section,
representatives of the seiners
of Ketchikan requested him to
meet v/ith them to discuss the
fisheries situation and regula
tions. He refused to meet with
them on the ground that he was
leaving port at one o’clock and
their meeting was not schedul
ed until two o’clock. And fur
thermore said “If you are going
to talk with me about the hook
off, it is no use because I won’t
change that rule.”
Holding “Hooks” Illegal
Czar has ruled that holding
“hooks” from the shore line is
illegal so far as seines or gill
nets are concerned. Any set so
made will be in violation of the
regulations set forth.
The rule is to apply only to
movable hand gear and not to
apply to floating or pile traps,
all of which have leads “hooks”
from shore line to deep water.
It is this discrimination which
O’Malley refuses to discuss and
which he refuses to even con
sider.
Private Reports Not So
Good as Bureau's
-o
The reports by representatives
of the Bureau of Fisheries rela
tive to the salmon pack of the
Bristol Bay area are much more
optomistic than reports given
out by fish brokers and packers’
representatives.
Says a recent report in the
Seattle press: Cabled advices
from Alaska to the Oceanic
Sales Company, brokers and
packer’s representatives esti
mate that the Red pack of can
ned salmon will be considerably
below that of 1928. There is just
a few days’ fishing remaining
in the Bristol Bay district, which
produces the bulk of the Red
pack, according to P. J. An
drea of the Seattle Company.
Fishing Spotted
The central Alaska district
which comes next in order of
production, reports fishing some
what spotted but the run has
been good in one or two dis
tricts. In others the run is so
poor that the Bureau of Fish
eries’ officials have already tak
en steps, shutting down all fish
ing until there has been suffi
cient escapement to stock
streams, Andrea says.
Larger than ’27
“While it is too early to ex
press a definite opinion as to the
Parks Returning Refuses
Discuss His Reappointment
*---*
Canadians Drive Sea
To Alaska
-x
The Canadian machine gun
ners on their patrol boats under
direction of the Canadian Bu
reau of Fisheries have killed to
date 1,259 sea lions.
Sea lions are becoming more
scarce in Canadian waters and
heap plenty in Alaska where the
United State Fishery overlords
and irish-lords protect the same
sea lion which is a known de
stroyer of salmon.
YACHT BE JUNKED
-o
The flagship of the Navy, the
President’s yacht the Mayflower
has been stricken from the role
of the Navy. She will be dis
mantled at the Philadelphia
Navy Yard and will in a short
while be advertised for sale.
She will make a good halibut
vessel.
International Salmon
Treaty jyjot Ratified
-x
The ratification of the sock
eye treaty between the United
States and Canada, according to
the press went glimmering when •
Premier MacKenzie of Canada'
decided not to bring the conven
tion up for ratification at the
present session.
Rather than blame the Cana
dians one should blame the Am
erican Senate and those lob
byists who oppose the treaty.
The Senate failed to ratify this
treaty before its adjournment as
it failed to ratify two other pro
posed treaties in the past. The
Premier made his decision to
hold up the ratification pending
the action of the United States
Senate.
In the meantime the deple
tion of the salmon fisheries of
the Fraser River Basin, which
includes the Washington and
Columbia River areas, and Alas
ka, continues.
U. S. Hatchery Bunk
The Federal Fish hatcheries
last year furnished 7,000,000,000 j
baby fish for stocking coastal
ocean waters, the lakes and the
streams of the United States.
Of the total, as reported by
the Commerce Department, 5,- i
750.000. 000 were cod, haddock
and flounders—food fish for
North Atlantic waters. Another
500.000. 000 went to the Great
Lakes, while 35,000,000 Pacific
salmon fry were released. The
remainder consisted of the vari
ous varieties of fish released m
streams to maintain the supply
f< r sportsmen.
Canada has virtually gi'en up
the unnatural method of trying
! propogate salmon fry under the
fish warden’s beds, in wj >asheds
1 and backyards. They find it an
expensive method of trying to
fool the government.
pack, indications point to a to
tal slightly larger pack than
when opening prices were $3.10
for tails, $3.25 for flats and $2.15
to $2.25 for halves,“ Andrea said.
1927 * *”
i
Governor George A. Parks re
turning from Washington, D. G\,
when asked about his reappoint
ment declared he could not dis
cuss the matter.
It is believed that were he to
receive reappointment, it would
have been made before adjourn
ment of Congress.
Dame Rumor hath it that Doc
Holmes of Amerillo, Texas, a
former resident of Nome has the
solid backing of the Texas de
legation and other Republican
leaders and is in direct line for
appointment.
Old Guard Dies Hard
The recent visit of corporation
attorneys R. E. Robertson and
H. L. Faulkner to Ketchikan is
being given political signifi
cance. It is said that J. C. Bar
ber, former president of the
Ketchikan Water and Power
Company, is an active candidate
for that office and has the sup
port of the Old Guard of the
Pepublo-Demo Federal Brigade.
Just how far his candidacy will
go is a question. Not very far
if the rank and file of the ter
ritory have any voice.
Perjury Charge Filed
In Trap Case
-o
Last week was filed in Astoria
Oregon charges of wilful per
jury against Master Fish Ward
en Hoy and Jonas Peterson, said
to be a citizen of Washington, in
a civil action filed in the circuit
court by G. S. Brecke and oth
ers against H. J. Barbey and
Hoy.
The action was brought by
a group of fishermen seeking
to obtain a restraining order
against the erection of a fish
trap in what is known as the
Westport Channel in the Colum
bia River. The complaint al
leges that an application for a
license to erect a fish trap was
made in April of this year by
Peterson, and that despite affi
davits filed by the present
plaintics to the effect that Pe
terson was not a citizen of the
i state of Oregon, it was averred
that Hoy as master fish warden
granted the license and swore
to the fact that Peterson was a
citizen of Oregon, while know
ing him to be a citizen of Wash
ington.
The license was later trans
ferred to the Barbey Packing
Company. A temporary injunc
tion was granted by the trial
judge.
WASHINGTON-ALASKA CABLE
REPORTS GAIN
A revenue gain of $60,000 over
the preceding year in the opera
tion of the Washington-Alaska
Military Cable and Telegraph
sstem pppp ppp pp ppppu s r d
system was reported recently to
the War Department by the offi
cer in charge of the system.
. -x..
SENATOR IMPROVES
Senator Wesley M. Jones of
Washington is staging a hard
fight for a come-back to health
after an operation recently. He
required two blood transfusions
last week. This week he seem
ed strong enough to receive vis
] itors.