that the boat owners present
had declined to commit them
selves upon the matter until
alter the meeting of the Cana
dian Halibut Vessel Owners’
Association on December 13.
-x
RAW FUR SITUATION
-x
No material change has taken
place in raw furs the past
month. Dealers are accepting a’l
kinds of pelts, but prices have
not advanced from last month's
quotations. Raw fur dealers and
auction companies state that
there is a real shortage of furs
in this country. One fur mis
savs: “There is unquestionably
a shortage of raw furs. We find
cur stocks are quite low, and as
the demands continue, we find
ourselves able to make sales.
A report from Fred’k Huth &
Company also admits a shortage
cf furs in collecting houses and
at the periodical auctions and
makes this statement: “There
is every indication that before
the shipments from the 1932
trapping season become avail
able, the supply of American
and Canadian staples will have
been used up. The shortness of
the catch of 1939 -31 and the
healthy revival in the vogue for
iur trimmings has resulted in
the working off of not only the
fresh skins but also large
quantities of old skins.”
Phillips. Politzer & Company,
fur merchants of London, Eng
land, have this to say of their
recent auction sale: In view of
the world-wide financial strin
gency and a general feeling of
uncertainty as regards the fu
ture, the result of our sales may
be consid red very satisfactory.
There was a large attendance of
buyers, most countries being re
presented and a greater part of
the goods catalogued, were dis
posed of.”
Regardless of these optimistic
signs, however, trappers should
take into consideration that
business is still far from normal
rnd if this year’s catch ‘is in
good demand, they should be
thankful even at present prices
ior pelts. —Hunter Trader &
Trapper.
--x
3 BIDS RECEIVED
FOR FURNISHING
YUKON STEAMBOAT
Three firms submitted offers
r.o the Alaska Railroad for furn
ishing a steinwheeler passen
ger steamboat for service on the
Yukon River, it was revealed re
cently when bids were opened
in the cilices of the Department
of the Interior in the Bell Street
T e r m i n a 1 Building.
J. A. Martinolifh of Dock ton,
Wash., submitted six tendem
tor the construction of a vessel
to meet - the requirements
ranging from $173,136 to $222,
136
The Berg Shipbuilding Com
pany of Seattle offered to build
a ,ressel in accordance witn the
specifications for $234,603.
The -American Yukon Naviga
tion Company offered to sell its
steamboat Klondike, now at
White Horse, for $140,000. The
Klondike was built in 1928 and
was used about one year. She
m 210 feet long, 42 feet beam, 6
feet draft and equipped with a
525-horsepower engine. The
Klondike has twenty state
rooms each containing two beds.
The bids were sent to O. F.
Ohlson general manager of the
Alaska Railroad ,who now is in
Washington, D. C., for his de
cision. The vessel will operate
between Non ana and Marshal on
the Yukon, connecting* with the
Alaska Railroad. She is to be de
livered in Nenana ready for op
eration at the opening of navi
gation in 1932.
SUPREME COURT
FOR ALASKA
——x
Delegate Wickersham has in
troduced a bill in Congress which
shall give to the Territory of
Alaska, a supreme court which
shall give sit in cases wherein
small claims only shall be con
sidered. The court is to be com
posed of the four federal judges
residing in the territory and any
judge who shall have sat in any
case shall barred from partici
pating in the decision of the
court hi any case on appeal.
At present it costs around
$1,500 to carry a case to the
court of Appeals in San Francis
co. The printing of briefs alone
runs into considerable money
and many who perhaps, really
have a grievance cannot make
an appeal lacking the funds to
do so.
The Territory of Hawaii has a
supreme court which is func
tioning without the limitations
that are being imposed upon the
proposed court in the Territory.
We do not concede that the
Kawaiians have any higher de
gree of intelligence than the
citizens of Alaska and therefore
are not entitled to any greater
benefit of a supreme court than
Alaska. Then, all things being
equal, a similar court should be
provided for in the Wickershani
bill providing for a supreme
court for Alaska.
-x
el. S. TO SEEK MORE
COAL IN ALASKA
-X
Alaska’s coal possibilities are
going to be looked into further
ov the Interior Department.
Bids for core drillings in the
south central part of the Tern
lory have been asked for open
ing January 15. The cores will
be taken to depths of between
1,500 and 2,000 feet.