VOLUME NO. 5.
PETERSBURG, ALASKA, March G, 1931
No. 33
Churchmen Form
Pardon Committee
A National Church Committee
on Mooney and Billings has been
formed in New York, the purpose
of which is to secure pardons for
the two men serving life im
prisonment terms for alleged
complicity in the Preparedness
Parade at San Francisco, in 1916
More than one hundred pro
minent clergymen and laymen
of the Protestant, Catholic and
Jewish denominations are in the
new organization with a long
list of names which include
Bishop Francis J. McConnel of
the Methodist Church, chairman
of the committee; Rev. Father
John A. Ryan and Rabbi Stephan
S. Wise.
The committee declares that it
is too late for either mercy oi
justice for the two men but adc
that “It is not too late to retreive
some shattered remnant of the
se'f-respect of the American
people.”
Sidney Sutherland, famous
writer now contributing to the
Liberty Magazine recently de
clared that he was going to hook
up connections of espionage acts
of German war spies with the
alleged bombing by Moonej and
Billings. The series of article;
has now passed its third install
ment and is a revelation in war
activities ' of the Fatherland
immediately prior to and during
the war. A recent article Looker
ip various sabotage acts in Se
attle with the activity of the
German war group and if there
is any truth to the statements
and proof offered, it will throw
a new light on the patriotic acts
of the men who convicted and
railroaded Mooney and Billings
Sheriff Says “The
Poor Bootlegger”
-X
"The average bootlegger is nov.
so poor he can only pay part oi
his fine, and has to serve oat the
rest. The result is the jail fill
ed up with bootleggers, lying a
round cooped up, while the li
quor fund is so low we have to
lay off deputies.” So speeks
Claude R. Bannick, sheriff of
King County, Seattle.
He revealed this condition
recently after ordering his de
puties to go out and clean up on
the “big” fellows so that the
funds may be increased whereby
he will not be required to fire
his deputies.
-x
“PICKLES”
Tonight is being staged at the
Coliseum theatre, “Pickles” a
piping comedy, by students of
the High School and all net pro
ceeds will be for the benefit of
tht new gymnasium which is be
ing planned for construction at
an early date.
An American in the midst of
a Vienna carnival and it is a
carnival that you will both un
derstand and enjoy. There are
thirteen in the cast along with
the chorus and dancing numbers.
The students have been pre
paring the show for the past
two months and a very good en
tertainment is promised.
-x
CONGRESS OVERRIDES -
PRESIDENTIAL VETO
OF BONUS BILL
As predicted, President Hoov
er vetoed the veterans bonus bill
which provides that loans may
be made on compensation certi
ficates. The veto was overridden
by large majorities in both
houses of Congres.
The first loan granted was tc
v. soldier in Virginia who applied
for a loan in order that a surgi
cal operation might be perform
ed on his daughter.
Gasoline Price
War in Calif.
Drastic drops in gasoline prices
are expected in San FFrancisco
rt any time according to the
San Francisco station dealers
association which has been mak
ing an effort for the past two
years to stabilize the retail mar-,
et in California. Prices were on;
.he verge of a collapse the fore
part of the week as a result of
the present gas war. If the as-;
ociation is wrecked, price cut-j
ters are expected to utterly de-i
moralize the market for a timej
at least.
Reports from Sacremento in
dicate that a sweeping investi
gation by the state legislature
nto the gasoline price war will
■e made. A resolution was intro
duced asking for the appoint
ment of a joint committee of
we of. the senate and assemb
y to make an immediate inquiry.
The major oil companies
launched a new and drastic at
tack against the independents
n Los Angeles as the “gas war”
ook definite shape with the pro
spect of spreading throughout •
he state. Meeting the “bootleg”
producers on their own ground,
"he Standard Oil Company an
nounced a four cent slash in
mice in the southern city. This
°nt follows another reduction of!
two cents a gallon last week and
brought the retail price down to j
AV2 cents per gallon.
-x
Inquiry into Movie
Star’s Disappearance
-X
Police officials were investi
•ating the mysterious disappear
ance of Edna May Cooper, beau
tiful blonde co-holder of the
women’s world endurance flight
ecord, who was found dazed
nd bruised, in a hospital in.
Monterey, California. Miss Coop- j
er had been missing from her!
T,os Angeles home for more than j
a week. How she reached Mont- j
erey has not been ascertained, j
I thought I was in Santa Moni- j
~a. That’s where I started for .
when I left my home in Lost
Angeles,” she declared.
CANADIAN DRUG BODY
ORDERED DISSOLVED
-X
The Proprietary Articles Trade
Association, a nation-wide or
ganization of wholesale and re
tail druggists, has been dissolv
ed, following the decision of the
Privy Council, Toronto, Ont., up
holding the trusts and combines
investigation act—Canada’s an
ti-trust law.
The druggists sought to fix
prices and the fight to prevent
what the government alleged
was an attempt to set up a mo
nopoly was carried to the high
est tribunal in the dominion j
I -x
STEAMBOAT REGULATIONS
The board of supervising ship
ping inspectors has decreed that
all vessels operating on the
ocean, coastal waters, the Great
Lakes, and American bays and
sounds, shall be equipped with
fire resisting bulkheads and fire
screens after July 1st, 1931. The
new equipment must be able to
withstand a flame of 1500 de
grees Fahreinheit for at least
one hour.
-x
CALLS NAMES
-x
Under a state board, “medici
nal tonics” could be classified as
intoxicating liquor, in Washing
ton, if that bill is allowed to pass
which was presented in the
| Washington legislature last
iweefc _,
O'Malley Praises
Halibut Treaty
-X
I Under the neW halibut treaty
just ratified by the United States
Senate, the halibut fisher'es of
the Pacific Northwest waters
may be saved from depletion,
according to Henry O’Malley,
United States Commissioner of
Fisheries.
i
“Under the new rules of the
treaty,” Mr. O’Malley said, “The
Commission hopes to save this
valuable fishery from exhaus
tion without unduly interfering
with the prosecution of the fish -
ery and endangering capital in
vested in the enterprise.”
About G5 per cent of the world
^ateh, amounting to some 50,
000,000 pounds, is taken in wat-l
ers of Eastern North Pacific on
fishing banks from Oregon up
along the coast of British Co ■
lumbia and Alaska, out alonrt*
the Alaska peninsula, and even,
into the Bering Sea
-x
Idaho Will Try Out
New Primary Law
-X
The Idaho State Senate pass- j
r'd a bill last week amending the
newly enacted primary law by a
vote of 24 to 20. The amend
ments set, the platform conven
tion ahead of the primary, and.
require candidates for each of
fice to get 35 per cent or more of
the vote to be nominated in the
primary.
If the candidate fails to do
fbat, the person to run for fho
office will be selected by thr
state central committee, which
In turn is elected at the primary
A number of states will make
an effort to do away with the
primary laws and the voters are
being warned by LABOR na
tional labor organization publi
cation of Washington, D. C. In
the past, efforts have been made
to do away with this system in
Alaska and there is no doubt but
that efforts will be made to do so
again in the present legislature
In event such an effort is made,
it might not be a bad idea to
give the Idaho system considera
tion.
X
Doctors and Druggists
In Toils of Law
-X
Or.e thousand physicians and
400 druggists of New York are
under the scrutiny of federal of
ficials as violators of the liquor
prescription laws. Raids were
staged simultaneously on drug
stores, office buildings and hotels
and more than 30 men were ar
rested and signed prescriptions
totaling 1,432 were seized in one
apartment.
Eleven prisioners were taken
at the headquarters of the syn
dicate in Union Square. Twelve
druggists and employees were
| arrested at their stores in Man
hattan. the Bronx, and Brook -
i
j lyn. Small quantities of liquor
' were confiscated at each place.
The complaints named 47 physi
! cians as conspirators and ad
\ ditional names of physicians and
druggists will go to the f°deral
(grand jury. It was indicated that
!the syndicate had transacted a
| business of $3,600,000 a year for
khe past six years by diverting
11 liquor through the illegal use of
' prescriptions.
I
I -x
The house of representatives
■last week passed a bill granting
| women equal franchise rights
I with men in elections for city
(town and village autonomous as
semblies. The bill now goes tc
^ the house of peers.
Delegate-Elect
Hits Rail Rates
While in Seattle, last week,
Delegate-Elect, Judge James
Wickersham declared that “Un
cle Sam will be^killing a goose
that has laid many golden eggs
and is capable of laying many,
many more if the proposed in
crease in rates on the govern
ment railway in Alaska are put
over. “The people of Alaska are
already required to pay the
highest rates that prevail any
where under the American flag
’I’o increase them would be put
Ung an unfair handicap both on
the road and the territory as a
whole,” He declared.
Since the United States ac
quired Alaska, in 1867, the terri
tory has exported $1,762,968,486
worth of fish, fur and minerals
and has imported, largely from
Seattle, Portland and San Fran
cisco, $907,873,941 worth of pro
duct* during that period.
“This makes Alaska’s total
trade with merchants and manu
facturers in the United States
more than two and a half billion
dollars- a huge sum to be taken
from an inhospitable wilderness
by a few 'thousand pioneers.
“But this is a mere trickle to
the great stream of wealth
which will flow into the markets
of the United States from Alas
ka if the developments the ter
ritory is not impeded by such
tens as the proposed increase in
rates.”
Judge Wickersham will have
no congressional duties until
next December unless a special
’emien should be ordered. He de
-inreq tno territory’s needs so
:mrernfive that he will spend
the summer in Washington.
In lnf!9. Judge Wickersham
was first elected to represent
Alaska at the national capital
and served for twelve years in
that capacity, in spite of a poli
tical machine which attempted
on two occasions to steal his
seat from him by crooked de
vices.
During his terms in Washing
ton. Judge Wickersham was re
cognized as being the superior!
in every way of most of the re
nresentatives in congress and in
spite of the handicaps under
which Alaska’s representative
must labor, accomplished manv
things for the territory. Mellow
ed somewhat by years, the Judge
’s still reckoned as a big man in
the national congress and his
previous contacts and friend
ships will mean the accomolish
ment of much good for the Ter
ritory.
-—x
DANGEROUvS SHOALS AHEAD
FOR PHILADELPHIA
-x
“Unemployment has become
so serious in Philadelphia that
unless the city “meets its obli
gations to jobless workers ” it
may be necessary to declare
martial law and call out troops
to preserve order. Mayor Harry
A. Mackey told citizens last week.
“I am not an alarmist,” he said,
“and am not overemphasizing
what I know to be facts.” The
mavor estimated that at least
250,000 persons, including 50,
1000 children were without the
rare necessities of life.
i -x
WANTED RAN ON CIDER
MAKING
In the closing days of Con
gress, Senator Sheppard, Demo
crat from Texas, author of th<
18th Amendment, introduced £
bill in the senate to prevent thi
manufacture of intoxicatini
cider and fruit juices in privati
I homes. Now just who woul<
that be aimed at?
Tentative Work
Planned, Juneau
-X
Effort will again be made at
tne present legislature to repeal
tne Alaska Bone Dry Law. This
ia'w was repealed by the last le
gislature but vetoed by Govern
or George A. Parks.
Effort will be centered on re
peal of the party primary law.
In previous legislatures efforts
to repeal this law were not suc
c essful as the plan was to return
the elections to the old conven
tion system. There is general be
lief that the system in Alaska
should be changed but not to the
old convention system. It is not
improbable that the Idaho plan
of primary elections will be fol
lowed—the plan as adopted at
the state legislature this year.
With the economic situation
in Alaska in anything but a
healthy condition, the cry is to
reduce taxes. In order to do
which less will have to be ap
propriated.
Mr. Breuer, late commissioner
of education, has recommended
that the elective system of se
lecting men for that office be
ibolished and that a board shall
appoint men to that office It is
not improbable that effort will
be made to throw that office
back into the control of the fed
eral interests which for many
years has dominated that office.
-x
Three Women Go
Out of Congress ,
x
Three of the nine women in!
congress will go out of office J
when it adjourns. They are Ruth!
Hanna McCormack, Republican!
from Illinois who ran for the se- j
oate and was defeated by James!
Hamilton Lewis, Democrat; i
T30ori Pe^n Oldfield, Democrat!
cf Arkansas, who is retiring!
voluntarily, and Katherine Lang-1
ley, Republican, Kentucky, de
feated for reelection by a Demo
crat. The remainder of the femi
nine house contigent will return
for the next session.
congressman ines
Congressman Henry Allen
Cooper of Wisconsin, who had
served eighteen terms in the
House, died at his hotel in Wash
ington, of heart disease.
-x
OREGON’S SIGN OF SPRING
Only a rise of water on th
Sandy River bar was holding
back the annual run of Columbia
River smelt according to press
reports. Schools of the fish were
seen swimming in the Columbia
River but the extent could not
be determined.
This is a sure sign that spring
is hitting the Portland section
The smelt, (oolligan) hit the Sti
keen River along about the first
week of May but hits into the
Naas River about the middle of
April.
GEESE WINGING WAY NORTH
A press dispatch from Golden -
dale, Wash, states that wild
geese have been flying over that
{town in the past week and have
been stopping in the Kbckitat
Valley wheat belt to feed.
Which reminds us that the
geese (wild and tame) will be in
our midst before many more
moons.
-x
EGGS
--x
Eggs were- selling at 15 cent;
per dozen at West Frankfort, 111.
last February. It is reported tha
this is the lowest price for egg:
reached in this town in 75 years
;'One grocer is reported as an
! nouncing that he intended t<
[ give 500 dozen eggs to his cus
' tomers just to stimulate business
71st Congress
Stands Adjourned
The 71st Congress died un
mourned by certain interests
and at noon of Wednesday pass
ed into history after a full, tu
multuous life. The expiring short,
session of the winter has furn
ished a fitting climax to a bit
terly controversial record, which
began shortly after President
Hoover’s inauguration in a spe
cial session summoned for limit
ed tariff. revision.
The Progressive Republican,"
c f the Senate have made consid
erable advances in their effort
to retain to the people rights
and resources that were being
usurped by special interests
Republican senate leader
Watson announced that the^e
would be no special session of
Congress after the 4th of March.
-x
Six Months Given
Gangster for Contempt
-X
A1 Capone, racketeer and li
quor king of Chicago was sen
tenced to serve six months in
jail for contempt of court and
an order was issued for deport
ation of his right-hand men. The
officials are making an effort to
re:l the finis of this man who
holds government and courts
equally in contempt.
‘‘Scarface” A1 Capone, faces
the probability of indictment on
another and more serious gov
ernment charge. It is intimated
that he will be brought to trial
on a charge of income-tax eva
sion after it became known that,
two of his former employees had
been questioned by a grand jury.
The agencies of law and order
are pressing with renewed vigor
their flight on racketeering
gangs of Chicago and they be
Move that with the sentencing of
Capone for six months on the
contempt charge, that they have
reached the turning point in
their battle against gangland
Capone had never been convicted
before in his home courts.
—x
Seattle Cannery Fleet
Shining Up Brass
-X
Seattle’s 1931 cannery fleet
\vill scon begin to load for the
salmon plants along the coast
of Alaska. There will be some
curtailment this year in opera
tion due to the condition of the
I salmon market but preparations
(shew that considerable activity
in the industry is anticipated.
The steamer Denali of the
Alaska Steamship Company
leaves Seattle on the 10th for
Southwestern Alaska, Kodiak
Island and Cook Inlet. She will
he followed by the Latouche of
the same line on the 21st for
False Pass and the Lakina fol
lows her on the 11th of April for
the same district.
The Perry L. Smithers of the
Northwestern Fisheries Co., sails
from Seattle on April 7 for Orca,
Uyak and Kenai and on the 12th
of May for Naknek and Nusha
gak with cannery crews and
supplies.
Libby, McNeil and Libby will
operate the steamer Oswego.
Gen, W. C. Gorgas and the motor
ship Libby Maine. The Oswegc
I sails on April 11 for George In
| let, Taku Inlet, Yakutat and Ke
nai and on May 20 for Kvichak
Bristol Bay. The Gorgas sails or
, May 12 for Nushagak and the
’i Libby Maine on May 14 foi
! Egigik
; -x
The Bureau of Labor Statistic;
■ report a decline of 4.2 per cen
) in employment during Januar;
-1 and a drop of 8.2 per cent ii
J payroll totals.
Legislature Is
In Working Garb
Grover C. Winn was nominat
ed and elected Speaker of the
House of Representatives of the
10th biennial session of the
Alaska legislature. Joseph H.
Murray of McCarthy was ap
pointed temporary speaker until
the permanent speaker was
elected.
The result of this election was
secured after a caucus of three
days in which the representa
tives made every effort to settle
their differences. Representative
Prank Foster, Cordova had nine
votes pledged but after some
discussion released all of his
supports from any pledge, ex
pressed or implied. After the
balloting had developed a tie
between Harry Donnelly and
Foster a compromise was effect
'd by the selection of Winn who
was elected by unanimous vote.
The Senate
Not much is hoped for from
the Senate as the control of that
tody is in the “non-partizans”
01 which the Democrats are in
control. They elected Luther C.
Hess of Fairbanks as President
of that body
In forming of committees,
Speaker Winn appointed J. E.
Johnson, Ketchikan, Henry
Burgh, Nome, Andrew Nerland,
Fairbanks as the committee on
committees with request that it
make its report this week.
Judge Fox, former United
States commissioner at Juneau
"Tns elected secretary of the Se
nate and Lawrence Kerr unani
mous choice for chief clerk of
the House.
-x
Saviuge and Loan
Prexy Out on Bail
Wearing a cheerful smile,
Adolph Linden, former president
of the Puget Sound Savings and
Loan Association, who is charged
with having embezzled $250,000
from the institution, returned to
Seattle last week from New York
and was immediately placed in
the King County jail. He was re
leased shortly there after when
a bail in the sum of $15,000 was
posted by friends.
Linden promises to make it
light interesting when he ap
rears in court to defend him
self on the charges and it is
generally understood that he will
implicate others. Linden had
been out of that companies af
fairs for about three years.
-x
STOCK GAMBLING
-x
Trading on the New York
Stock Exchange in February
reached 64,145,320 shares which
represents the largest record
since last October. The trend of
prices is steadily upward. Twenty
groups of stocks have advanced
more than two billion dollars in
value. With every drop, there is
ja rebound—for the other fellow.
LThe fellow who loses in the drop
■does not as a rule have the
I wherewithall to make a come
| back—not for a long time, if
; ever.
A. N. B, BENEFIT SOCIAL
-X
The A. N. B. is giving a bene
fit social Saturday, March 7, at
the Presbyterian Church. The
proceeds of this social will be
used to help defray the ex
pense of sending Johnny John
son down to Seattle, where he
is to undergo an operation to
try and regain his eyesight.
; Every blue blooded member of
t the A. N. B. is asked to attend as
i this is for the benefit of one of
l its members, who is certainly in
need of the help.