VOLUME NO. 5.
PETERSBURG, ALASKA. MARCH 13, 1931
__ %
NO. 34
Webfooters Plan
Alaska Trip
Complete itinerary of the C. P.
R. steamer Princess Charlotte
which will take a party of Port
land excursionists to Alaska this
summer has been announced.
The vessel will leave Vancouver
B. C., on June 24 at 9 p. m., and
will touch at Alert Bay, prince
Rupert, Ketchikan. Wrangell,
Taku Glacier, Juneau and ‘t.kag
way. At Skagway the passengers
V'ill transfer to train for a tup
to Lake Bennett.
Oregonians taking the trip will
go from Portland to Vancouver,
F*. C., by the C. P. R. steamer
Princess Norah which leaves
Portland on June 22nd. The re
turn trip will be by special train
from Vancouver which will ar
rive in the Rose Citr on July 4th.
This excursion is being spon
sored by the trade and commerce
department of the Chamber of
Commerce of Portland in co
operation with the American Ex
press Company.
- —x
Demo Leader
Asks State Rum\
John J. Raskob, Democratic i
National Chairman has asked hir
party to consider a proposal for
an additional amendment to the
Constitution permitting state* to
manufacture, transport and ^ellj
liquor within their borders.
Immediately following hiv pro
posal, Mr. Raskob was most sev
erely criticised by Senator Rob
inson. Democratic nominee for
vice president in the last elec
tion.
KETCHIKAN TO HAVE
NEW DAILY
The Ketchikan Tribune which
has been in the news publishing
field in Ketchikan for the past
year, now announces that begin-1
ning about the first of April it
will enter the daily news field
with “more than mere columns
of type.” Following their an
nouncement, “The Tribune
strives to be a strong force in
furthering community enter
prises and public welfare. It will
be truly successful only to the
extent that it achieves these
ends.”
It promises to continue its
liberal policy in a fair, unbiased
and energetic public service
“with malice toward none and
charity toward all,” and will be
progressive and constructive al
ways.”
Following along these plans
there is no doubt that the Tri
bune will continue successfully
as the biggest and best paper,
printing all the news that is fit
to print in the First City of
Alaska.
-x-—
PRESIDENT MAY VISIT
WEST COAST
-x
Announcement has been made
from Washington, D. C., to the
effect that President Hoover
plans to go out to meet the pub
lic some time in June. His itin
erary may take him across the
continent to Palo Alto, Cal. In
which case he would probably
return by the southern route,
thus affording him to visit at
least half of the 48 states.
--x
CHEAP BREAD IN
BUENOS AIRES
j
-x
In futherance of a campaign
to reduce the cost of living, the
municipality of Buenos Aires be
gan selling bread in public mar
kets at 15 centavos a kilogram
(more than two pounds for five
cents. )
McDonald Fights
Removal to Alaska
i x
i Bert McDonald, charged in a
removal complaint with having
'murdered George P. Marshall,
fish buyer, near Point Higgins
■ last October 20th, indicated that
I he would fight removal to Alas
ka from Portland. His attorney,
Joseph G. Helgerson indicated
he will require the government
to bring witnesses from Alaska
lo Portland to testify.
McDonald was arrested in a
veteran’s hospital Portland re
cently on a first degree murder
charge filed by the department
f justice. He is said to be one
of a party who robbed and then
i mrdered McDonald last fall
•-x
Petersburg Has 1st
Woman Ruling Eider
Mrs. Tillie Paul Tamaree for
more than fifty years connected
with the Presbyterian Mission
■ ork in Alaska, was elected a
ruling elder in the Presbyterian
hurch cf Wrangell. She is the
first woman ruling elder elected
iy the Presbyterian Church in
the United States.
In 1879 she entered the Mc
Farland Home, Wrangell and was
' nmecUately used by “Mother
McFarland” in school and
church work. After her marriage
o Louis Paul, in 1887 she and
husband were commissioned
field workers at Kiukwa.n. After,
the tragic death of her husband'
hy drowning near Metlakatla
he was appointed field worker j
in the “Sitka Industrial Train
ing School” at Sitka where she
remained until 1906 when she
was called to assist in the work
at Wrangell. She has been sta
tioned at Kake, Sitka and Pe
tersburg since that time.
More than any other one per- i
^on she has contributed to the
development of the Alaska Na
tive by her character life and
teachings and is generally
known among the native people
as “Mother.”
Election as a ruling elder in
the Presbyterian Church is a
fitting recognition of her work
^nd service in the Presbyterian
fields of Alaska.
Club Talks N. T.
Co. Mail Contract
-x
The Chamber of Commerce in
its Wednesday evening meetine
had a telegram from Delegate
Vickersham advising that the.
Postal Department would in al1
probability discontinue the mail
contract let to the Northland
Transportation Company. A mes
jsage relative to the subject mat
ter was sent to Delegate Wick
jersham and copies of it along
(with other correspondence was
sent to William Semar, Ketchi
kan, manager of the company in
order that he might be fully ad
wised as to the position of the
| organization. Through Mr. Se
| mar, it is expected that this
matter will be presented to all
cf the Chambers of Commerce
in Southeast Alaska for endorse
ment. The contract which was
let for a period of six months is
now about to expire. The boats
may continue to carry first class
mail at the low freight rates but
it is hardly probable that this
will be done and the service
rendered by this company dis
continued unless favorable ac
tion is taken by the postal de
partment.
-x
Gasoline dropped to a low o!
12 y2 cents in Seattle last week
A
U. S. Bureau of Fisheries Report Stirs Mexican
Government to Protest Slavery in Alaska Fisheries
-x
Virtual slavery in the Alaskar
salmon canning factories, witl
men working 14 hours a day, i:
revealed by information securec
at the Bureau of Fisheries re
cently, and corroborated by in
quiries at the State Department
( Nearly 30,000 laborers are re
quired in Alaska during the
salmon season, and about l.?0C
of these are Mexicans. Nearly all
are rounded up by employment
companies in San Francisco,
chiefly by the Chinese Kwong
Sang Wo Company.
Each Mexican worker is re
quired to sign a contract far
more stringent than even the
“Yellow Dog” contract of the
'•cal mines. Part of this contract
reads as follows:
A Unique Contract
“I agree to work Sunday and
holidays whenever required so
to do by said foreman or boss in
authority.
“I ag^ee not to do any cooking
personally either on board ship
or at the cannery.
“I agree to faithfully and
honestly attend to my work at
all times when requested to do
so by the foreman.
“I agree not to leave said
cannery during the time I am
employed and to render faithful
service when thus employed.
“I agree to work faithfully and
sincerely at all times, including
Sundays and holidays, as my|
i'employers may require, and es
l pecially during the big run o
i salmon when filling machine:
J will run early and late, to be or
I hand and work when requester
so to do.
Bosses Get Fines
j “I agree that in case of refusa:
to work when able to do so $1(
i shall be deducted from my wage?
| for each offense committed
| “I agree that in ca^e I should
(leave without permission said
joenne~y and seek employment
(elsewhere, to forfeit the sum of
i $50.
“I agree to take such food as
is supplied and cook by a cninese
cook, and not to cause any
troub'e at the table or throw
any of the cooked food away,
and should I break this rule T
agree to forfeit $5 for each of
fense.
Strikes Are Barred
“I agree not to go on strike
durir™ the canning season and
if the canning company, through
me. has r.av loss or damage done
them, and hold Kwong Sang Wo
Company responsible for said
loss, I agree to forfeit all of my
wages to said Kwong Sang Wo
Company.”
When it is remembered that
the Alaskan canneries are far
away from civilization, on lonely
coasts where the canning com
pany owns everything in sight
Ziegler Bill Taxing Fibre Boxes
“Not for Revenue” Says Author
Representative A. H. Ziegler
has introduced a bill taxing fibre
containers used in the canning
hidustry. Under the provisions of
the bill the canners may elect to
use Alaska made boxes at a low
er tax rate or pay a higher rate
and use the fibre container.
While the bill, it is claimed has
merit, still question' is being
raised as to the power of the
legislature to legislate interstate
commerce, under which the bill
;s said to come. “It is not strictly
a revenue measure.”
Community Property Bill
Presented l
A community property law;
following the Washington state
law on the same subject has been
introduced by Speaker Grover C. i
v'inn. The law has real merit
and the support of public opin-'
ion.
Old Age Insurance Commission
Representative McDonald of,
Fairbanks introduced u bill
which would create a commis
sion to investigate the adviseabi
lity and feasibility of instituting
an old age insurance system and
'o recommend to the next legis
lature a general old-age pension
TOO MANY SPUDS
-x——
A large surplus of Clark Coun
v. Wn., potatoes are still in the
hands of growers, with poor
prospects cf cleaning up the
crop, farmers state. Despite low
prices, consumption has fallen
' ff and the local demand is light.
Demand for seed potatoes from
outside points has been light
and few have been shipped.
Onions also are a drug on the
market and the price offered is
below the cost of production.
-x
Kayhi basketball team has
called off its Fairbanks trip on
account of flu in the northern
city.
-x
Charley Greenaa, proprietor
of the Sanitary Market, is laid
up with a strained back.
law.
Wo’.f Bounty
Representative Fred B. John
ston of Fairbanks introduced a
bill which would raise the boun
ty on wolves from ten to fifteen
collars.
“9-7” Combination
By a vote of nine to seven, the
reactionaries of the House re
fused the recommendation of
the Committee on Committees
and named Frank Boyle of Ju
neau in place of J E. Johnson,
committee nominee. The revolt
of the reactionaries was led by
Representative Ziegler and plac
ed the committee entirely in the
1 ands of the pro-cannery crowd.
The fishermen are watching the
moves of the various representa
tives closely as it is expected
chat the record of the repre
sentatives in this legislature will
make or break political futures.
Would Resume Fish Hatcheries
Representative Johnson intro
duced a bill to reopen the Ket
chikan fish hatchery wdiich was
closed a couple of years ago. The
measure carries an appropria
tion of $20,000 for operation
purposes.
COST OF HIGH LIVING
-x
The most that can be said of
any living these days is “high
living.” But according to a re
cent report of the Bureau of
Statistics of the Labor Dapart
ment, based on a survey made in
b2 cities in the United States
i there was a drop of 6.2 per cenl
between December 1929. anc
December 1930. Food prices
showed the biggest decline. Witt
the present economic upheaval:
in the United States we conic
stand several more drops in th(
! cost of living.
- —x
Don George, national ‘rasselin
champion got one fall out o
Malkowicz last night in Seattli
in one of the best matches eve
staged in the Queen City.
- it is clear that the worker who
f signs one of these contracts has
5 forfeited all his rights,
i: ' For example, the company
[ need only employ a few bruisers
to pick rows, in order to be plac
ed in a position to claim forfeit
cf the entire wages of their
I workers.
i
Work Long Hours
Officials at the Bureau of Fish
eries said that men often worked
14 hours a day at the peak of the
season.
The clause with relation to
food was put in apparently be
cause some Mexicans tried to
escape in a boat on account of
the vile “grub” served them
They were captured, and charg
ed with stealing the boat. One
of them was badly beaten.
While contracts with all la
borers except Chinese and Jap
anese are said to be the same,
the bargains driven wTith Mexi
cans were first to become public.
Mexico formerly protested
strongly against such treatment
of her citizens; but the new gov
ernment of the southern repub
lic does not seem to be so much
concerned about the human
element.
Fditorial Note;— Associated
Press dispatches released this i
story under title “5,000 Mexican
Slaves in Alaska.” The basis of
this story is furnished by the U
S. Bureau of Fisheries.
Local Fishermen
In Agreement
-X
Word was received this week
by the local fishermen from the
officers of the Fishermen’s Union,
Seattle, advising them that inas
much as the local vessel owners
were offering terms equal to or <
better than those demanded by
the fishermen’s union, they could
go out fishing at any time So
the crews were outfitting and
rushing yesterday preparing to
leave for the fishing grounds.
The vessel owners of Peters
burg have always been more lib
eral than the terms of the agree
i ments between the two organiza
I tions and in the present contro
versy have held out more as a
| matter of principle in a spirit of
loyalty to the organizations The
attitude of the Unions in view
of the local situation is a very,
commendable one.
A new development to the lo
cal situation is the fact that a
number of boat owners are now
on the grounds fishing in several
l oats. The fishermen are ready
to go out now but it appears that
the owners wish to wait for an
other ten days until all the own- ,
ers return from the grounds and j
then all would have an even!
' start for the flat fish. While this
has created considerable lot of
talk, it does not appear at this
writing that it will have any
serious development.
I "Ketchikan is much incensed at
the turn of affairs here. Inas
much as the organizations are
striking for a principle and that
nrinciple has not been won, they
feel that the Petersburg fisher
1 men should remain in status quo
until the breaks were made all
; along the line and the questions
[ settled to the satisfaction of all.
(i -x
j Mr. and Mrs. Charles Zim
! merman returned to Petersburg
,' this morning after several weeks
visit in the states.
f. -x
i Mr. Frank Herman was a pas
* senger for Juneau on the North
land, this morning.
The Mills of the
Gods Grind Slowly
The mills of the gods grind
slowly but they grind exceeding
ly small is an old axiom. In the
case of the Daugherty’s of Pre
sident Harding’s cabinet the
grinding has been slow but the
grinding has continued.
A jury last week adjudged
Mai Daugherty, brother of Pre
sident Harding’s attorney gen
eral, guilty of violation of the
Ohio state banking laws on five
counts. Each of which count
carries a penalty of from onp to
thirty years imprisonment ar.J a
maximum fine of $10,000.
Convicted of misusing bank
funds, attorneys for Daugherty
prepared to seek a new trial for
their client.
-x
Saxman Natives
Refuse Land Deeds
The Natives of Saxman were
recently informed by the United
States Land Office that they
wo.uld receive deeds to their pro
perty immediately upon appli
cation. They investigated the
subject and upon the advice of ,
William L. Paul, Ketchikan, no- ’
ifed the Land Office that they (
were not in accord with the kind
of deeds that will be issued
The town was first laid out by T
-heldon Jackson in the early
90’s with the idea that they ,
-ould incorporate their town
but this was never completed Aj,
few years ago. these people ap
plied for patent to their town
site and deeds to their property
with the result as outlined above
Prior to incorporation of the ,
L->wn of Saxman the members of
he community had a poll tax
snd the money thus raised was ,
used to conduct the business of|
the city. Since incorporation of
the city the trustees have been
working under an ordinance in
conformity with the law of 1929
enacted by the legislature which
rrovides that the trustees may
tax possessory rights and this is '
the first year that the town has $
so functioned.
Under the present laws, James f
A. Ramsey, representing the (
Land Office, notified the resi
dents of Saxman that the office
was ready to issue regular deeds •
allowed by law to all who apoli
ed for them. The deeds contain
a provision which makes them
tax-free for a period of twenty
five years but if the original .
grantee disposes of his property,
then the lands become subject
to taxation. Further, a proviso (
is made that sale of any such
deeded land must be referred to
the Land Office Trustee for ap
proval of the Secretary of the
Interior.
Oppose Special Privilege
The Indians do not wish to ac
cept these deeds with the taxa
tion exemption clause and they
ask for unlimited deeds. They
feel that they are able to handle
their own affairs and wish to be
able to manage their own affairs
( n a business basis and the only
possible way this can be done
would be to have the power to
tax the residents and apply
said taxes on expenses incidont
to the management of the town.
At present the Indians are
quit claiming deeds to their
property and feel that super
vision by a trustee after the
[deeds are issued will prevent
’ transfers of their property.
In the interest of eliminating
vexatious questions that may
arise in the future when such
lands are transferred, these peo
ple are asking the interested
citizens of Alaska to bear their
influence on the Indian Depart
} he 58th Variety
All as Promised
-x——
Heinze may have “57 Varieties
of Pickles” but it took the stu
dents of the Petersburg High
School to display the 58th vari
tty at the Coliseum Theatre last
Monday evening.
The effort of the students to
put on a first-class show for the
f ast two months came to a con
clusion when they took the stage
Monday night and carried out
;n a delightful manner the vari
ous sequences of a comedy dra
ma named “Pickles.” Every cha
racter presention was carried out
in a very able manner and the
?oaches and those taking part in
‘he play are to be commended
[or their very fine entertain
ment.
The play netted over $120.00
'or the fund, thus bringing the
ymnasium another long step
:loser.
-x
Commission for
Muscle Shoals
x
The long drawn out battle be
ween Senator Norris of Nebias
:? and the power interests was
uccessfully terminated when
Congress passed his bill in the
losing days of the last Congress.
Jut, whe’i President Hoover
etoed the bill, it threw7 it back
nto Congress for another long
>attle between the progressive
onators and the power inter
‘StS.
Now President Hoover is plan
ing to appoint a non-salaried
ommission to study his recently
nnounced project for the dis
,osal of Muscle Shoals. The pre
sent is understood to believe
hat such a commission might be
ibJe to agree upon a basic ar
angement for presentation to
Congress when it next convenes.
-x
BUYS BACK LOOT
-x
The Grand National Bank of
>t. Louis, Mo. recently paid
140,000 for $822,000 in bonds
tolen from safe deposit boxes
>n May 25, 1930. When is such a
leal not a crime?
-x
Hollywood Girls’
Band Here
-x
Tuesday and Wednesday even
ng the Coliseum added an extra
Mature to their usual programs
vhen the Stanley Hollywood
jirls entertained the patrons of
he Theatre by presenting songs,
lances and instrumental music.
The troupe of six with their
manager arrived in Petersburg.
Monday, on the Taku from Ket
rhikan where they had played
before fine crowds in the Coli
;eum Theatre of that City. Their
promise of a good entertainment
was well kept and enjoyed by a
very large crowd of local people.
It is said that this troupe will
be travelling back and forth this
spring and summer giving other
entertainments in the Coliseum
chain of Theatres. If they con
tinue presenting a varied pro
gram that is as entertaining as
their performances here this
week, they will continue to play
to capacity houses.
-x
,. Have you registered. for. the
City elections? Why not now?
ment and the Land Office in or
der that special privilege may
be done away with and that the
Indian may function in the dis
position of his property as does
any other citizen or even non
citizen of Alaska.