THE KUSKO TIMES
A. X. Grant, Publisher, Sols
Owner and Editor.
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Entered as secona-ciass matter Au
gust. 29th, 1923, at the postoffice at
Tokotna, Alaska, unde? the Act of
March S, 13119.
Takotna, Aaska, August IS, 1932.
PETERSBURG PAPER SLAMS
JUDGE JUSTIN W. HARDING
JUDGE OF FIRST DIVISION
The action of District. Judge Hard
ing of Juneau in sending the chief
deputy marshal of the First division
t.o^jail in connection with the con
tempt proceedings growing out of a
letter which the deputy wrote to the
judge, is criticised bly the editor of
The Alaskan, officitl pubication of
the Alaska Native Brotherhood, pub
lished at Petersburg. Under the cap
tion “Contempt Cases,” the editor of
The Alaskan writes:
We have been told that our editorial
on Justin W. Harding might be con
sidered “in contempt of court” be
cause we review a “pending case.”
We had no sucji thought. We are
merely protesting against what
seems to be the unworthy practices of
a man who for the present sits as a
If it be a contempt to say that Mr.
Statter was not accorded his full
rights and to wish therefore that our
judges were amenable to the voters
of,Alaska then we would have to face
the issue and et a jury decide
whethe rour utterances came within
the rule of “fair comment” or not.
Our readers can, decide for them
selves, the facts being as follows as
we have learned them:
Mr, Statter is the chief deputy U.
5. .Marshal of this division and under
a §2,000 bond as a disbursing officer.
Judge Justin W. Harding made a rul
ing that requisitions must be ap
proved by him before money could
be expended from “Fund C” of the
court’s funds (built up almost entirely
bv. the Marshal’s office). Mr. Statter
wrote.a letter to.the Judge, showing
that this procedure was sometimes
impossibe and cited this case—sup
pose the .judge was on one of his nu
merous bear hunts and the “toiets
flooded,” would the matter have to
wait until the judge got back?
This the judge said was “con
tumacious.”
When Statter appeared in court,
hi& attorney handed the judge a letter
denying the intent charged, but the
judge slapped on a lino of $50. At
torney • Foster motssted that there
was no “confession” of guilt and
moved to “quash” the-charge of con
tempt. Harding overruled this. Then
Foster answered by denying the
charge and demanding a jury trial.
The demand for a jury was denied,
and Judge Harding adjudged Statter
guilty of contempt, and this time
fined Statter $100. Attorney Foster
gave notice of appeal and asked that
bail he set, but the judge from Ohio
refused to set bail until the appeal
was perfected. This was completed
hy 5:30 p. m.. but the judge had gone,
home and “could not” do anything.
So Mr. Statter went to jail for one
night.
In any other court in the United
States the district attorney would
have moved that the chief deputy U.
S. marshal be allowed his liberty on
his own recognizance. If the district
attorney failed to so move, any other
judge but Harding would have made
th eorder himself. The injustice done
to Mr. Statter touches the liberties of
every other citizen who might come
before Mr. Harding. Even as we pro
test against this practice, we might
be the very next.
We are publishing an independent
newspaper devoted to the pubic in
terest. Shall we sit silent for one
or two years before registering our
protest? It might be that a thousand
citizens, could be jailed as Mr. Statter
was if the public submitted to. .what
is going on in the court of the.'United
States at Juneau. We are willing to
run the risk as a duty which vve owe
the free-born citizens of the United
States.
Nepotism. ...
juufie naming, district juuge, oiu,
000 year.
Mrs. Ben Mendoza, coyrt repoorter,
sister-in-law of Mr. Harding, -33,‘000
year.
Mrs. Ann Gayner, clerk district at
torney’s office, sister-m-law of Mr.
Harding, $2,400 year.
Total one family, $15,400.
We wish to commend the example
of Justin W. Harding in his tender
regard for his “in-aws.” Too many
peope under tin-, -same conditions
■would have no thought for those
needy relatives who haye a claim on
them. In Mr. Harding’s case he fired
John Newman, a mighty fine man and
competent reporter, family dependent
upon him, who also left a fine busi
ness in Seattle to work for the court
here. But even so it is is not hard
to see that Mr. Harding must love
his family very much .when he can.
disregard all this and throw -out New
man’s family of three to scratch for
themseves. Mrs. Mendoza also’ ha's
needs, and if Judge Harding did not
get her on the payroll he might, have
to give her something frdm his $10,
000 salary that might not continue
long because many people believe
that Mr. Harding expects to get back
to Ohio next February.
In some places nepotism (to hire
one’s nephews or relatives in the
public service) is considered wicked
during these har dtimes, but this pre
cedent is not yet recognized in Mr.
Harding’s court, and so it is legal all
right, even though hard on John New
man.
Bizet—Loss of sleep is driving me
crazy; if I don’t get a loan of $3,000
by next Monday i am bankrupt.
Mann—Why in the world didn’t
you let me know about this sooner ?
Bizet—I never thought you could
let me have the money.
Mann—I couldn’t, but I know a
good remedy for insomnia.
FIRE INSURANCE
> You should carry a liberal amount of fire insurance
the sake of your credit and your peace of mind,
Needless to say this insurance should be of the very
highest quality.
That’s the Kind Written By .
Alaska Insurance Agency
FAIRBANKS. ALASKA
, y Inquire of Kusko Times.
* — .. . .. -
CHECKING PACTS FOR THE
INTERNATIONAL HIGHWAY
(Fairbanks News-Miner.)
The past six months have witnessed
an intensive campaign to secure facts
which wil accelerate commencement
I of construction of the International
j Highway, according to Ernest Walker
j Sawyer, of the Department of the In
terior, who was in Fairbanks yester
j day.
Most of the work has devolved upon
him. as .\lr. Rice, of Detroit, has been
j busy as head of community chest
work in that city, and Major Mal
' colni Elliott has been ill a good part
of the time.
“We are gathering information as;
| to the. number- of .people who would;
trave over the highway and how much
i money they will spend, so as to jus
j tify construction, of the highway,”
i said Mr. Sawyer. “We nave collected'
literally hundreds of pages of data.
“British '•1 iohimhia’s direct revenue
from tourist travel last year was over
seven million dollars. The tide of
tourists which the Internationa.highr?
'way would bring would measurably
i increase that, revenue.” "
[ Mr. Sawyer explained that Western.
| Canada has just completed two major
i road projects which have been in
| course of construction for many years,
I which leads to the, belief that this is
i an excellent time to embark upon the
I buildin gof the; International High
! way. His- remarks indicated that lit
t tie or no trouble wil be, experienced
! in obtaining funds, for American sec
! tions of the highway, but the Cana
] ilians do not like to set out upon
I major projects of this character with
out proof that they will, benefit.
This proof is being supplied. There
are agencies available for breaking
down into detailed figures +he man
ner in which every industry benefits
from tourist travel. In this connec
tion he showed daa drawn up by
Southern California organizations,
disclosing rte part tourists clay in
increasing profits of a long list of
| industries.
various experts, says uai . .oawjf.cu
make various estimates as to the num
ber of tourist cars which will come
through to Fairbanks the first year
the road is open. One authority, by
means of graphs and curves, sts the
humber at from, 3,500 to 5,000. The
chief of the Canadian national parks
puts his estimate at from 5.000 to j
8,000. He believes the amount of
traffic will increase at a 60-degree
angle. Chief. Engineer East ,of the
Southern California Automobile Club,
described by Mr. Sawyer as the great
est authority in. the world in matters
of this kind, says 10,000 cars will
come through to Fairbanks the first
year.
“My original guess,” said Mr. Saw
yer, “was that by the fifth year we
woud have at least 10,000 people a
year, but these fellows are way be
yond my figures, and they know more
about it than I.”
From long years of experience it
is known that on th eaverage three
and a half people travel in every car
and spend from $7 to $15 each per
person per day, depending upon the
facilities for spending.
“I realized,” said Mr. Sawyer, “that
promotion of the highway has to be
carried on by an organization, and I
finally arranged with the Washington
State Good Roads Association to
have one committee work exclusively
on the project. A commitee of twenty
members was appointed, with Ashe
Curtis, Seattle photographer and one
of the leading good roads boosters in
the West,. *as., chair man. The Wash
ington State Good Roads Association
arranged a caravan to Southern
British Columbia this summer to. keep
the idea .pf. the International High
way alive in the minds of the people.”
It will he remembered that the Con
gress prior to the one which recently
adjourned appropriated $10,000 for
the International Highwaf Commis
sion. Little of that money was spent.
To his consternation, Mr. Sawyer dis
covered just before Congress ad-1
journed last month that no provision
had been made for renewing the ap
propriation. Told that he had no.
chance of getting action at such a
late date, with, members of Congress
eager to concude th e session, Mr.
Sawyer went ahea danyway. He went
to President Hoover, secured a mem
orandum and then appeared before
the Senate committee on appropria
tions and carried his point, with the
resut that the money was made»
available.
Are you a Kusko Times snbscriber?
Why not join the happy throng ?
Cop—What in the world are yon
looking for? *
Man-Pm looking for my pocket
nikfe which lost down the street there. ,
Cop—Thhn why don't you go backs
and look for it where you lost it ?
Man. —Because there’s more light .
here.
Father—Can you give my daughter
the luxuries to which she has beeir »
accustomed? V
Suitor—Not much longer. . That’s
why I want to get married.:
Are <yau>a Xusko Times subscriber?
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Best of Meals and Rooms
Where Everything Is Homelike aiwh<
Where Yeu Are Cordially Welcomed
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STATION: PACE VIEW, INNOKO RIVER..
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