Published every Friday by the A N B. Publishing Co., Petersburg
Entered in the Post Office in Petersburg as Second Class Matter
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The Alaskan, six months... $2.50
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A. N. B, PUBLISHING COMPANY
Louis F. Paul. Editor and Manager.
I'
HYDRO POWER BRING
FACTORIES TO TORONTO
“Toronto is predominantly
a manufacturing center and
cheap, dependable power, fur
nished by Hydro, has contribut
ed in no small part to the great
strides this city has made.”
This “boost” for public owner
ship comes from A. B. Cooper,
retiring chairman of the local
section of the Canadian Manu
facturers’ Association.
He emphasized that the city’s
credit was high in the money
markets of the world. This de
spite that fact that practically
all utilities here are publicly
owned and operated.
THE VALUATION SCHEME
Is there a citizen of Peters
burg who knows what methods
were used to derive the valua
tion of the public utilities which
the Foshay interests offer to pur
chase.
They sent in their appraisers
and then make an offer. BUT in
the franchise winch they pre
sent th City Council, they pro
vide that the Council shall ap
point an appraiser, the Foshay
Company appoint another and
these two shall appoint a third.
The findings of this board of ap
praisers shall govern the re-sale
price to the city.
The Company makes original
appraisals and is willing the
City shall use those figures. Why
should they not be willing to ac
cept the appraisal of engineers
hired by the city. What is sauce
for the goose is sauce for the
gander.
-x
‘ PICKING THE POCKET”
The “valuation” of the city’s
utilities, insofar as the Foshay
Company is concerned is a meth
od used to pick the pockets of
the tax payers of the town.
Justice Brandeis showed in a
case, the Southwestern Bell Tel
ephone case, the proper valua
tion or rate base, for a public
utility is the actual amount pru
dently and honestly invested in
the property, vbgkqj cmfwy cmf
the property. We have Foshay’s
word as to what they think the
investment, less depreciation, is
in Petersburg. Can anyone state
definitely what the actual in
vestment is?
-x
CRITICISMS OF SEATTLE
PUBLIC UTILITIES
■-o
Enemies of publicly owned
utilities in Seattle, recently have
been waging a campaign against
public ownership down that way.
The reply by Capt. Norwood W.
Brockett, director of Public Re
lations in defense of the govern
ment owned utilities is worth
a second thought for the same
problem presents at Petersburg.
“I take it that there are three
fundamental policies upon
which we must be in agreement:
First, that the expenditure of
all public moneys must be sub
jected at all times to public scru
tiny.
“Second that the people of Se
attle have a right to know the
the true financial condition of
their public utilities.
“Third, that when the state
ments concerningg the expendi
tures of public moneys are ques
tioned, it is the duty of public
Investigations of the Light De
officials to make a satisfactory
explanation.
-o——
CITY-OWNED PLANTS PAYING
HUGE PROFIT
Municipally owned water and
electric plants have yielded pro
fits of $1,500,000 since they were
purchased by the city of Mani
towoc 18 and 15 years ago, re
spectively.
Not only that, but public own
ership has made possible THREE
REDUCTIONS in electric rates
and one cut in water rate.
In net profits alone the plants
have returned more than three
times their purchase prices to
the city.
The original cost for the elec
tric plant was $150,000. It was
bought in 1924 and has netted
the city $984,897—mort than six
times its cost. The water plant
has turned over $496,824, or
about twice its purchase price.
Extensive improvements and
enlargements, which the private
owners claimed could not be
made, have been accomplished.
The residence lighting rate is
8 cents a kilowatt-hour for the
first 20, and ranges downward
to 3 cents for all in excess of 100
£..w.h a month. Power rates run
from 41/2 cents to 1 cent. The
heating and cooking rate is 2
cents.
\ iiv_. uuyc jjuu liavt
immicipal ownership to the resi -
dents of Mi nitowo'> The tax
payers and consume s are thor j
ly sold on the proportion and
th-^y are startingg a movement
ior the purchase of the local gas
works.—LAB DR.
-x
FOSHAY LOST OUT
-x
Early in March of this year
was reported in LAB-.R, Wash
ington, D. C., the foil wing:
-‘ Hydro has won another skirm
ish in the Battle of B.uce Coun
; v ” It is ready a stn ggle to de
i ermine whether die Power
-i.ust or public ownership shah
dominate that part of the pro
vince.
The Foshay interops of Min
neapolis represent the trust.
They have been endeavoring to
grab electric light plants thru
out Bruce County. Last week’s
fight was at Southampton and
the people decided by a vote of
228 to 194, decided to purchase
the local plant for $33,000 and
become a part of Hydro.
The trust immediately ap
pealed to the courts, but Hydro’s
supporters are confident they
will not be able to reverse the
people’s decision.
With Southampton in its fold,
Hydro seems assured of suprem
acy throuut Bruce County.
-x
SALE OF HYDRO NOT LEGAL
Sale of the local hydro plant
to the Foshay interests is not
legal.
The law which passed Con
gress proviaed that the City
could bond itself in a certain
sum to permit building and op
eration of the hyro. BUT it pro
vides that the plant shall be se
curity for said bonds.
The brokers who sold the
bonds made no provision for re
demption of the bonds prior to
date of maturity. They did pro
vide for redemption of the lo
cal school bonds.
Now comes attorney for Fo
-v interests and for the city
who declare that in order to le
galize sale and transfer of the
hydro a bill will have to be in
troduced in Congress authoriz
ing the sale.
The tax payers will be asked to
vote for sale of the utilities be
fore permission to sell has been
granted. ’Tis putting the cart |
before the horse. Insofar as ]
Congress permitted the bonding |
of the town before it was done j
and makes no provision for sale
of the utilities, it would only be
proper to go before Congress
with request for permission to
sell before completion of the
transaction.
The ALASKAN makes the as
sertion that at this time Foshay
would not go before Congress to
secure permission to purchase
the utilities. They know perfect
ly well that permission would
not be granted.
WHAT VALUE UTILITIES
-x
Mr. Van Orsdel, speaking be
fore the Council asserted that
if his company purchases the
municipally owned utilities, it
would pay approximately $900.
on taxable properties that are in
the city.
Forty-five thousand dollars for
the old power plant, poles, wires
and water mains. Their main
assets are without the city.
If the least valued of the city
properties are worth $45,000 to
the Power Trust at this time,
what IS the real value of the hy
dro plant and the water dam.
WHAT ARE THEY BUYING?
The Power Trust offers to buy
the hydro plant and water works
for the flat sum of $200,000 and
give free water for fire protec
tion and flushing the streets
This is for the visible and tangi
ble assets of the utilities.
What are they paying for the
dam and power site? Where
else in the United States or Can
ada can the Power Trust have
two public utilities given them
tor a cheap song and a muiion
dollar water power thrown in for
good measure?
-x
WHO IS HE
With a few exceptions who
battled down all the line till out
voted and silenced our legisla
tors are shining examples of
nothing else but. It would be a
good idea to abolish our Terri
toryial Legislature and leave ev
erything in the hands of
square-shooting Alas k a n. He
need not make any more laws
but should be endowed thru God
and a jury of angels to interpret
the laws already made.—Seward
Gateway.
We suppose the Gateway has i
ijust such a man in view.
*—x
GOVERNMENTS AND MEN
-o
‘“Any form of government,”
says a western mayor, “is only
as good as the men who admin
ister it.”
That statement ought to go
alongside the other hoary myths
That people get as good govern
ment as they deserve; and that
the way to abolish a bad law is
to enforce it.
There isn’t any truth in any
one of these statements, but
they are continually being re
said by people who don’t think.
As a mater of fact, the Ameri
can constitution and bill of
rights lay down principles of
government which, if followed
would do away with much of the
present criticism of govern
mental methods.
The American form of govern
ment, the best yet humanly pro
duced, is so far and away ahead
of the men who administerer it
that there’s no argument.”Ex.
The trouble is that the funda
mental principles of our Con- j
stitution and the Bill of Rights j
are being lost sight of making a !
sad joke of our government..
Every great and commanding
movement in the annals of the
world is the triumph of enthus
iasm.—Emerson.
-x—
When a friend asks there is no
tomorrow.
. .It takes a wise man to discover;
a wise man.—Diogenes. ^
SOUND AMERICAN DOCTRINE
“NOT A WHITE RUSSIA”
-x
.. By Hill Billy in Seattle Star ..
I am an internationalist, and
full of love for the entire human
family, but if I were congress I
would pass just one law and j
then adjourn, and the title of
the law nould read: “An act
Abolishing All Newspapers, Mag
azines and Tracts Published in a
Foreign Language.
I don’t hold with Mussolini,
bot I admire the fundamental
wisdom of the Duce. His notion
is this: “We are heirs of the im
perial Romans and nobody not a
Roman can do business in our
country.” i admire the South
of Ireland iellows; their stamps
are Gaelic. Righto; he who
taketh not care of his own fam
ily is worse than an infidel.
I am an American citizen; my
forefathers and my foremothers
fought the wilderness and cre
ated this pleasant land from
the tears and blood of them;
they didn’t sneer, nor did they
try to set up a little Paris, and
while grabbing off the fat, re
fuse to enter into the spirit of
the land.
I am international-m i n cl c d
and I love everybody, but I know
what is in the hearts of the edit
ors and the readers of many of
if I were congress, I’d pass just
these foreign publications, and
one law and these “mother-lov
ing” bimbos would get back
where they belonged, or begin
to read United States.
In no other country can be
found such wide circulation of
foreign newspapers and maga
zines as in this country; this is
a melting pot that doesn't melt;
most of our grief comes from the
“guests” within gut* gates, who
nyiwutr .tvilOVV wxxao it IS cl II ilOOUO
nor care.
This is not Prussia, Bavaria,
Latvia, Jerusalem or Tia Juana.
This is plain United States of
America, founded on the blood
of men and the tears of women
who laid their all on the alter
and who worshipped God and
net Lenine; not that I have any
thing against Lenine; he is
doubtless a better god than the
lecherous monk who brought the
czarina to her pitiful death, but
you want to worship Lenine get
this is the United States, and if
to hell outta here.
If this nation doesn’t get
smart and doesn’t quit this fool
sympathy for every scheming
foreign editor this country is go
ing to wake up some bright
morning and go to work for
folks who arc nationally-mind
led and racially-minded and effi
cient.
WE GIVE PROMPT ATTENTION
TO MAIL ORDERS
ON JOB PRINTING
THE ALASKAN
|DRS. C. M. & R. L CARLSON |
Optometmte and Opticians
218 -T9 Commercial Building p
KETCHIKAN, ALASKA |
p
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Home Service Mending
of Laundered Goods
We give full value for your
money.
H. OYAMA, PRO.
e9lfA\ILLWORK^
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ATTENTION! \
Boat Owners
We can take care of general repair in wood and caulking
and all the blacksmith work on any boat up to 100 feet in
length at
Petersburg Marine W ays
J, C. Helton & Ed. Walwick
$
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Petersburg, Alaska
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