VOLUME XIV. VALDEZ, ALASKA, TUESDAY, MARC H 13, 1917 NUMBER CM)
MEMBERS HOUSE
GETTING BUST
B».\Y I N'TKOHl't’LS KlllST BILL
Wir I’ermanent Tax <’ommission—
Hills Also Intr<atiired for I'niforin
School System and Light-Hour Hay
for I'liderground Workers.
JUNEAU. March 13.—The lower
• louse ot' the Territorial Legislature
net at 10 o’clock this morning,
louse Bill No. 1 providing for a per
manent tax commission, was introduc
ed by Representative Day of Valdez,
’ate yesterday afternoon. House Bill
No. 2 was introduced this morning by
Representative Burns of Fairbanks,
and provides for a uniform school
system throughout the territory. Bill
No. 3 was introduced by Representa
tive Snow of Ruby and fixes the hours
of labor for underground work at 8
hours per day. Representative Jos.
Vl. Murray of McCarthy, arrived yes
terday and took his seat. The House
i;djourned until tomorrow to permit
the committees to get to work.
JUNEAU. March 13.—The Senate
this afternoon debated for two hours
ever the question of appointments
and it was decided to draw all officers
7iy lot. A recess for caucus was taken
antil 3 o’clock. This procedure was
adopted to break the deadlock now
existing in the senate for choice of
president.
BRITISH VICTORY
. CRUSES SURPRISE
THOUGHT TUKKS INVINCIBLE
c.erman and Austrian Officials Great
ly Surprised Over Defeat of Turks
in Mesopotamia and Evacuation of
City of Bagdad.
GENEVA, Switzerland, March 13—
:t is reported here that Germany and
Austria are completely surprised at
he British victory in Mesopotamia
and the evacuation of Bagdad by the
Turks. The Teuton officials believed
hat the strongly reinforced Turkish
army in that region was invincible,
and would be able to hold the British
in check indefinitely.
IIOTIilS BUT WAD
GIB STOP STRIKE
»H OPINION IN THE CAPITAL
Believed That Meeting On Thursday
Between Brotherhood Officials and
Railway Presidents Will Be Wltli
out Avail.
WASHINGTON, D. C., March 13.—
It is the opinion here that nothing
I’hort of war with Germany can avert
the threatened railroad strike. The
Brotherhood officials and the presi
dents of the various railroads will
meet in New York on Thursday, but
it is believed that no compromise
will be reached and that the strike
will take place on Saturday as sched
j, tiled.
•Jackson Found Not Guilty.
The trial of Thomas Jackson,
«-harged with assault and battery upon
the person of Joe Anderson at Ella
mar, took place this morning in the
eommissioner’s court before a jury,
^ter hearing all the evidence in the
'•ase the jury returned a verdict of not
guilty and the prisoner was released.
Henry Wolking. a well known con
tractor at Cordova, is In town attend
ng court.
MAN POWER AEROPLANE “MADE IN GERMANY"
Tilts strange aeroplane is now being reared In Germany. It has no motor, lieing operated euiirely by tbe flier.
BRITISH TROOPS
TI'ltKS ABANDON ARTIhhKRY
British Occupied the City Karly Sat
i
ii r day Morninyt hast—Turks In
Their Precipitate Retreat Abandon
(inns and Munitions.
LONDON. March 13.—Advices re
ceived here from Mesopotamia stat“
that the British troops have occupied
Bagdad, taking possession of the city
early Saturday morning last. The
Turks, in their precipitate retirement
abandoned three-fourths of their ar
tillery and vast stores of ammunition.
RUSSIANS DRIVE
UlfflSIl PERSIA
HAVE ADVANCED loo MILES
Advices Deceived at Petrograd Stale
That Russians Have Instituted a
Terrific Drive and Are Forcing the
“Ottomans Back Toward Hanmdan.
PETROGRAD. March 13.—The
Russian forces in Persia have inaugu
rated a terrific drive against the
Turks and during the past ten days
have advanced more than one hun
dred miles, driving the Turks before
them in precipitate retreat toward
Hamadan. The Turks have lost heav
ily in the numerous engagements.
SWISS MINISTER
DENIES M
-.~ i j r
GERMANY WILL NOT RETALIATE
Says Germany Has Formally I “retest
ed Against Government Arming
Merchant Sliii>s But Is Not Plan
ning Any Retaliatory Act.
WASHINGTON, D. C.. March 13.—
It is rumored here that Germany has
threatened reprisals in the event
American ships are armed by the gov
ernment. The Swiss minister, who
is representing Germany in the Uni
ted States, denies that Germany has
made any such threats nor is that
government planning any such action.
The German government has formal
ly protested against the furnishing of
prms to merchant ships by the United
States government but further than
this has taken no action.
—
Optimism is not so much wishing |
for better things as it is in making the i
'test of what you have.
PRESIDENT RECOVERS
EROM INDISPOSITION
WASHINGTON, D. C„ March 13.—
President Wilson has recovered from
the severe cold which confined him to
his room and has again taken up his
duties. He held a long conference
with Senator Martin of Virginia,
chairman of the Senate Committee on
Appropriations, regarding the mili
tary and sundry civil appropriation
measures. It is expected that these
measures will be taken up immedi
ately upon the reassembling of Con
gress next month.
CONTRIBUTED TO
''CLEAN-UP' FUND
BILLINGSLEY GIVES THOIS.XND
Testifies Gave Money to l)r. Matthews
To Get Mayor Gill—Freight Shell
Foreman Says He Saw Billingsley
Bribe Detectives.
SEATTLE. March 13.—Logan Bil
lingsley left the stand last evening
after having been under cross-exami
nation throughout the entire day by
the attorneys for Gill and Becking
ham. He underwent a severe grilling
at the hands of the attorneys. Bil
lingsley testified that he gave Dr.
Matthews, the well-known Presbyte
rian divine, one thousand dollars for
the “clean-up fund” to get Gill.
Edward Weidman, until he was in
dicted, a railroad freight-shed fore
man, doclared on the stand that he
had seen Billingsley bribe the indicted
detectives to permit him to get away
with shipments of booze.
m SIMM
SUNK UNWARNED
REPORT OF l\ S. CONSUL FROST
Submarine Opened Fire on Steamer at
Three Milea and When She Hove
to Approached and Torpedoed Her
Without Warning.
""
WASHINGTON, D. C„ March 13.—
United StateB Consul Frost at Liver
pool has reported to Secretary of
State Lansing on the sinking of the
Belgian relief steamer Storstad by a
German submarine last week. The
report states that the submarine open
ed fire on the Storstad from her gun
when about three miles distant, and j
when the steamer hove to the subma- j
rine approached and fired a torpedo at1
her without warning from a distance
of about four hundred yards.
Your sweetheart, wife, or wife’s
mother will enjoy the Business Men's
Luncheon at the Pure Food show
next Tuesday, March 20. Moose Hall,
11:30 to 1:30.
Mrs. William King and child are
visitors In town from Ellamar. j
BIS DEAL III
SALIUM PLANTS
BOOTH FISHERIES EXPANDING
■ Purchases Hutto Canneries at Steves
ton, British Columbia, at .Mouth of
Eraser River—lUttltest Deal In tlie
Past Ten Years.
SEATTLE, March 13.--The Booth
Fisheries Company, it is announced
here today, has purchased the huge
Stevestm, British Columbia, salmon
canneries .at-the mouth of the Fraser
river. The consideration is unknown,
but it is conceded that the deal is the
largest one in the canning industry
lor many years.
EMPLOYES PLAN
STRIKE SATURDAY
II DEMANDS ARE NOT GRANTED
Stated Brotherhoods Are Planning to
Start Series of Progressive Strikes
Beginning Saturday Evening In
Event Demand Is Refused.
NEW YORK, March 13.—It is as
serted here that the Brotherhoods o!
Railway employes are planning upon
a series of progressive strikes in the
event their demand for an eight-hour
day is not granted by the railroads,
starting at 6 o’clock Saturday night.
The Brotherhood officials are to hold
a conference with the railway officials
on Thursday.
CHINA BREAKS DIPLOMATIC
RELATIONS WITH GERMANY
LONDON, March 13.—Advices re
ceived here from Tokyo states that
the Chinese government has severed
diplomatic relations with Germany.
EMPEKOR CHARLES IS
HONORED BY KAISER
AMSTERDAM. March 13.—A Ber
lin dispatch to Reuter’s says that
the German emperor has appointed
Emperor Charles of Austria a field
marshal in the German army.
NOTIFIED DIPLOMATS
SHIPS WILL HE ARMED
WASHINGTON, D. C„ March 13.
Secretary of State Lansing today no
tified all the foreign diplomats here
that armed guards would be placed
on all American merchant ships.
Miss Della Hubbard, daughter of
Senator Hubbard, has entered the Ju
neau high school for the balance of
the semester. Miss Hubbard attended
grade school in Juneau two year3
ago.—Juneau Dispatch.
Sweepstake Stock Wanted
Wish to purchase shares of Sweep
stake Mining Stock,
tf ALASKA INVESTMENT t'O.
KKLKAHKIt BY TH K UKKM.WS
Former Yarrowdale Prisoners Iteaeli
Zurich and Tell Tales of Harrowing
Privations Suffered in Germany—
Are Greatly Kmaciatcd.
ZURICH, Switzerland. March 13 —
The American prisoners aboard the
steamship Yarrowdale captured by
the Germans, who were recently re
leased by the German authorities,
have arrived here, and tell harrow
ing tales of the privations suffered
while held as prisoners in Germany.
Their emaciated conditions bears
mute testimony to the truth of their
story. They were laden with gifts of
food by the Swiss people. They assert
that the German raider which cap
tured the Yarrowdale and sunk many
other steamers was the steamer Er
ritz of Bremen.
BRITISH MET
FACING CRISIS
RUSSIAN NEWS IS DISQUIETING
Strong Move for Separate Peace In
augurated by People Has Caused
British Ministry Much Worry—
Law Tells of Brilliant Campaign.
LONDON. March 13.—The news
troin Petrograd of the strong move
lor separate peace inaugurated by the
Russians, and the numerous food riots
in the principal cities, has brought the
George ministry face to face with the
greatest crisis of the war. Any de
falcation among the nations compris
ing the Entente Allies would be most
serious at this time.
Bonar Law appeared before the
House of Commons this morning and
told in detail the story of the great
British victory in Mesopotamia, set
ting forth General Maud's brilliant
capture of the city of Bagdad and the
magnificent advance of the British
troops, which covered a distance of
110 miles in 15 days, relentlessly at
tacking the Turks and giving them
no opportunity to organize for de
fense.
(Zulus
m SUSPENDED
PAPERS HINT AT REVOLUTION
Stated That Members of the Duma
Are Planning an Investigation Into
Governmental Conduct of the War
Premier Opposes Plan.
LONDON, March 13.—Advices re-j
ceived here this morning from Pet
rograd state that the Czar has sus
pended the Duma, and that the news
papers of the Russian capital are
hinting at a revolution, and .that the
Deputies were planning an interpella
tion of the government’s conduct of
the war, and may discard the pre
mier, who is powerfully opposing the
proposed action.
The Russian population has been
clamoring for a separate peace for
several weeks and numerous food
riots have occurred. It is believed
there is a systematic plot under way
to overthrow the government and es
tablish a republic.
W ant More Meat
BERLIN, March 13.—The Pro
gressives with some aid from other
parties are making a strenuous fight
to induce the government to remedy
the existing meat situation by in
creasing the number of cattle that
□ re slaughtered each three months.
LARGE ATTENDANCE
AT MASS MEETING
| __
((OIMITTKK OK KIVK XAMKI)
i Will Submit Data to Department of
Justice ami Protest Against Court
i
Kemnval—Seward Has Already
I Forwarded Protest.
I
—
I
; The mass meeting held in Moose
j Hall last evening to protest against
I the moving of the seat of the district
j court from here to Anchorage, was
| largely attended, much interest being
! manifested by the townspeople in the :
| matter, even the ladies turning out t
| in numbers.
President Merritt of the Chamber
| of Commerce, opened the meeting,
J giving a brief statement of the object
iof the gathering end called upon those
! present to express their views.
Attorney John Lyons made a very
spirited talk. He announced he was
j against the proposition as every other
| resident of Valdez was and should be.
i He declared the movement to trans
I fer the seat of the court from Valdez
I to Anchorage originated witli town
isite boomers at the latter place. The
| town, he said, was populous now be
| cause of the railroad construction .
i work going on in that vicinity, but
what its future would be neither we *
nor the people of Anchorage could
[tell. The town was shut off from the ‘
outside except by a long overland trip
several months each year, and to
move the court there would seriously
hamper judicial action. To move the
court at this time to Anchorage, he
said would be an outrage upon this
town and upon the entire judicial di- •'
vision. He ridiculed the contention
of the administration that the farm
1
ing communities along the railroad
would furnish a large population. One j
or two farmers in the vicinity of the
town or the larger mining camps
might make a living by disposing of
their prices to these camps at the good
prices which usually prevail, but fifty
farmers, he said, would flood the
limited market and the farmers would
starve to death, even if they could
raise anything, which was extremely
doubtful. He further declared that
Valdez was in the center of the dis
tricts and the natural resources so
far developed. Prince William Sound
and the Copper River Valley afforded
at this time the greatest known re
sources. What might later be devel
oped along the line of the government
railroad was problematical, and the
moving of the seat of the court at
this time would be absurd and most
unjust not only to the people of the
town but to the people of the whole
judicial division. His address was en
thusiastically applauded.
W. N. Cuddy, of the Valdez Mer
cantile Company, was the next speak
er. He believed that speedy action
should be taken to head off the pro
posed removal. He believed that Val
dez was the logical point for court
headquarters at this time, and that
they should not be removed until it
had been demonstrated that the re
moval to Anchorage or some other
town would benefit the people to a
greater extent than at present. He
suggested that the chair appoint a
committee to draw up a strong pro
test to the Department of Justice
against the removal and furnishing
the department with a statement of
facts upon this point.
E. B. Wheat of Blum & Co., spoke
in favor of appointing a committee to
secure and compile the necessary data
end made a motion to this effect. The
motion was carried and the chair ap
pointed Messrs. Cuddy, Wheat, Mar
tin, Ritchie and Dimond to carry out
the will of the meeting.
Mr. Ritchie stated that having been
appointed upon this committee he
would suggest that Seward and Cor
dova be enlisted in the fight to re
tain the seat of court here. He be
lieved that both of these towns would
willingly join with Valder in her ef
forts to prevent the removal at this
time, as both were aspirants for the
honors which Anchorage was now
seeking, when the time should be ripe
to make such a proposition, and if
the court was moved at this time to
Anchorage their chance would be gone
for many years. Mr. Ritchie insisted
that the removal of the court to An
chorage at this time would be a de
cided defi intent to the entire division.
(Continued on Page Four)