I NEWS ITEMS FROM OTHER ALASKAN TOWNS |
o Gathered From Our Territorial Exchanges •
\la-ka Leads in Purchases—
Washington's 1336 exports to Al
aska and foreign coutries totalled
$61,390,364 or 24 per cent more than
the previous vear. The states im
ports -were $37,262,526. Alaska was
Washington’s best customer, the
Territory haying $35,124,554 worth.
Janan was next, having purchased
$14,001,000 in r2w and manufactured
products.
Sakow Case in Third Trial—
Evidence was taken recently before
Judge Hary E. Pratt and a jury in
the United" States district __ court in
Fairbanks in the case of Waiter Sa
kew against the Hiley Investment
Ccifcnany, Harm Donnelly and Harry
Sheppard. The action,, which is in
:s third trial, involves rrrning
g_- -ad in the Fiat district. The two
rrevious tria’s resulted in disagree
•_nt of the juries.
’nfrodnces Fishing Bill—
Delegate A. J. Dimoraj'introduced
1 n the house recently to limit
r.; fishing by stake nets in Bristol
ay to residents of the region. "The
people are being crowded out of the
y by commercial fishermen.” the
rate caid. Another bill asked
/.at half an acre of land deeded a
;ar ago as a.-part of the site of-the
i ioneers Home be returned to the
S.tka Cold Storage Company which
nas buildings on the property.
Colonist Quit?. But Will Retrain—
Frank Swa.nd<c. . withdrew from
membership. in the -Malaruska colony
recently and said be would go to In
terior Alaska where he could “earn
better money." Swanda said he has
arattred to send his wife and two
-hiidren tack to Pine County. Minn,
the r former home. While the col—
..n . a:d not say where he was goiDg
to am better money,’' it is t-elieved
at Jias ohtair ed- employment at some
interior mine—
Coal M'ne Receives Big Orders—
Operations at th» Evan Jones Coal
Mine in the Matasuska valley, will
proceed at top soetd with a full force
->f men employed during April to fill
three large orders, received recently
ULibby McNeil and Libby, the Al
tska Pack* s Association at_d Charles
Go fall, Cordova coal dealer, total
ing approximately 3,000 tons. About
bo cr i j men will be employed at the
mine during the spring. The large
• orders wifi be ready for.. shipment
about April -2.
Business Increases—
J. G. McDougall.of the Nome Drug
store. reports a 30 per cent increase
in business f r 1936 over that of
1935. It is a. "skullcracking" job
for a pharmacist to anticipate the
needs :n the drug line for a whole
town full J people and f$e surround
ing •'-■■'••-.“try t r 200 miles and to or
der enough supplies to last the seven
months fretn November to the open
ing of navigation in June. Founded
in 1900 by Dr. E. E. Hill, the Nome
Drug Store dates front the discovery
of 'gold in the Seward Peninsula.
Intelligent Workers—
Every morning last summer before
breakfast. Mr. and Mrs. William
Casler. colonists at Palmer, made five
gallons of ice cream. They owned
three cows and used all he milk and
cream for regular ice cream custom
ers. In addition to this and other
farm work, the family canned 40
quarts of peas, 60 quarts of raspber
ries and other home grown vege
tables. Between times they went
fishing on the Knik River, smoked
50 salmon, canned 60 others, and also
canned all wild fowl which came
within range of their shot. Bill Cas
lerl is a strong advocate of fall
ploughing and is ready far the 1937
season.
Mining Firm Asks_Tax Refund—
Because the J. E. Riley Investment
C r.-pary. a mining company with
ueadqaarters at Flat, Alaska, failed
to take off allowable deductions on
its income tax returns for the yean
1934, it'was forced recently to appeal
to the Board of Tax Appeals for a
deduction of $13,600.57 allowed' un
der the income tax laws. Under the
tax law of 1934, mining companies
are permitted to take a depletion de
duction of 15 per cent of the gross
inceme in drawing up their tax re
turns. However, the ’ Aaskan com
pany. in reporting its $99,711.56 in
come-ior 1934, had not been told of
the rew provision and did not re
• quest-the deduction. The commis
sioner-of Internal Revenue, taking
the stand that the original return did
not ask. for -for the 15 per cent de
pletion deduction, asserts that the de
duction ca.not be claimed after the re
turn has ben filed. A ruling on the
case by the hoard is not expected for
tarjea- aL months
LAND CLEARING GOING
AHEAD VERY RAPIDLY
More than twice as much land *is
, !esred by the colonists during the
first month cf the work-credit sys
tem than during the prercdl*nr two
, and one-half month-. Russ L. Shoe'y.
manager, has reported to the board
of directors of the col ny corpora
tion.
Pronouncing the system for par
ing the colonists for work acomplish
! ed as the greatest development dur
ing the past year. Mr. Sheely sa d
that if the system continues to work
j as successfully there will be sufficient
! ’and cleared and under cultivation to
ring in a good income after the
: next crop and place the project on
a paying basis.
Nearly 400 Acres
Mr. Sheely reported that the col
onists cleared 396.52 acres during the
first month of the work-credit system
from January 15 to February 15 For
this work the corporation paid out
$124*96.50, or an average of less than
$33 an acre.
When a survey of the valley was
made preparatory to inaugurating
the work-credit system it was found
that only 140.5 acres had been clear
ed during the two and one-half
month period from October 1 to Jan
•uary 15.
"The work-credit system has done
more to raise and strengthen the
morale of the colonists than anything
else that has happened in the past
year. Mr. Sheely told the directors.
"1 believe the rate of pay is equit
able and fair and do not think it
should be lowered, but should stand
as it is for the present." Mr. Sheely
said. "If funds are still available
after September 1. I believe the rate
might be cut at least in half. That
adjustment cannot be determied,
however, until the operation of the
system has been observed longer.”
About half of the colonists engag
ed exclusively in land clearing, av
eraging more than two acres each
and receiving an average payment of
$76 for the month's work.
At the end of the first month un
der the work-credit system, the col
ony had a total of 537 acres clearea
and ready for cultivation. This fig
ure does not include plowed aregs
It, represents only the clearing of
virgin forests.
Encourages Industry
When the work-credit system was
first inaugurated a large number i
colonists hired men to help with the"
slashing. This activity defeated the
pupose of the plan—to make limited
funds support the colonists for as
long as possible
However, in getting the program
under way, this practice was not
halted. The main objective was to
get the land cleared. The colonists
apparently are now realizing that
hiring others to do their work defeats
the purpose of the system, they are
voluntarily halting the practice.
Officials have allotted a lump sum
to each tract in the colony. Before
the entire sum has been paid to the
colonist residing on that tract, it is
hoped that the farm will be on a
self-sustaining basis.
When the lump sum has been paid
out by the corporation whether to the
colonists or a hired helper, no more
funds are expected As a result of
this, most of the colonists have laid
oS their helpers and are doing the
work themselves.
Of the $124*96.50 paid for clearing
during the first month. $5,886.95
were to hired helpers of the colon
ists.
Home Loans May Be Extended—
Delegate Dimond introduced a 1*111
in the house of representatives this
month to amend the Federal Home
Owners’ Loan Act with respect to
the Territory- of Alaska The act
makes provision for 4 he organisation
of fedCTal uavmgs and 1 >nn ass cta
tions, and reee.vly one such associa
tion. the At>- Aa "Federal Sav rps
i nd Loan Assx *u on cf Juneau, was
organized in Alaska with its heme
office being located ii Juneau- How
ever, the present act also provides
that any such organization may lend
its funds only upon security of first
liens upon homes or combination
homes or business property within
fifty miles of its home office. This
limitation of distance is entirely sat
isfactory in thickly settled communi
ties but is deeme: unsuitable for Al
aska. After a careful canvas it has
not ben found possible to organize
more than one such association in
the Territory; the act is necessarily
limited in its scope for Alaska. Ac
cordingly, the amendment new pro
posed by the elegate's hill will per
mit such an association, withir. the
discretion of the home loan bank
board, to loan money upon the se
, cirrity of homes and business prop
erty anywhere in Alaska.
Scientist Back From Nunivak—
Dr. Hans Himmelheber. German
ethnologist, rettBwed-to Bethel by
plane from Nunivak.Island recently
where he spent five morths. the only
white man among 200 natives. He.
said he obtained a complete ipoao
, ra, :: cf Nunivak culture and a vol
ur.:b of folklore. Nunivak is the last
a.-, a where Eskimos stilt live as they
did b fore white men came to Alaska.
' hey use the old type igloo which is
half underground. Another of their
.. :nt cU'-tonss is hitching their dogs
to the sides of the sleds instead- of
n front.
Wolves Show increase—
Wolves are ove.'Tinning the • Tal
keeina district nort- of Anchorage.
Oscar Vogel, a trapper from Die
area, declared recently in Anchorage.
Vogel aserted that there are three
times as many wolves this year, as
there were last year, and that they
are slaughtering manj m oantain
sheep. He said that he trapped six
wolves and that four o4 them escap
ed. One of the animals that escaped
pulled a 12-inch stake ut> and then
went to a trap where another wolf
was caught and broke the trap. Vo
gel a = sorted trapping generally was
■••or because of too muck snow.
Details Mining Tax Law Given—
Details f the bill passed at the re
cent regular sessi n of the Alaska
Legislature show that a tax of 3 per
cent is levied on the gross outputs
of gold, platinum, vanadium, irra
d;um, palladium, or any other metals
c.r minerals belingmg to the platin-'
urn or palladium group amounting to i
over $10,000 annually. Upon 2II ;
other metals, marketable earths or
stone, or minerals, is assessed a li
cense in the form of a net tax. grad
uated as follows: Not over SlOyOOO.
three-quarter.- per cent; over $20,000
and not over $100,000, IV per cent;
over $100,000 end not over $150,000.
3 per cent; over $150,00? and not
over $25 .000, four per cent; over
$250,000 and not over $500,000, five
per cent; over $500,000. not over
§750,.:0,, six per cent; over $750,000
not over $1,000,000 T1~» per cent: over
$1,000,000, eight pei cent. By net
income is meant the cash value of
the output of the m;ne less actual
operating expenses, repairs, royalty
paid, and depreciation. Depreciation
is described as being 10 per cent of
the actual cost of permanent im
provements actualy made during the
calendar year, provided that 10 per
cent depreciation may be taken, not
only during the calendar year in
■wliich the improvements .re made,
but also during the nine years fol
lowing until a total of 100 per cent
depreciation, at the rate of ten per
cent depreciation per calendar year,
is taken for improvements.
Iditarod Qld'ircer Succumbs—
Charles F. Hood, age 70. died rt
St. Joseph's Hospital, Tv-on.2 .
in February. As a child he came to
the Territory of Washington w:.>
his parents, who settled at Olymp
ia. He joined t-'<v rid rush to Al
aska in 1897 and pioneered in Daw
son. Y. T.. the Iditarod, Ruby and
Fairbanks, finally going to KrGrr.Jt
where he livel a number of years.
His sister’s death about three years
ago brought him to Tacoma, where
be has since resided.
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