The Wrangell sentinel., 1924-12-04
F etersbure Wants
 Cold Storag Plant
Petersburg Report)

went on record for a cold storage plant for Petersburg. A committee consisting of o. Sather, chairman, Jack Otness, secretary, and Andrew Johnson, Sverre Johansen and Jack Hanseth were elected permanently to get estimates on cost, and carry was subscribed at the meeting for the preliminary financing of the committee in its work of securing the necessary data.
 Earl Dinner, of the shrimp plant, who buys fish, opened the meeting, explaining that Petersburg was the gateway to the fishing grounds, that it had the harbor, large fleet of home boats, and a hydro-electric plant for all the power needed; that the people here have the necessary money, and that, in his opinion, the outstanding need was a cold storage plant where all buyers could com pete on equal terms. He gave some data on costs and in closing said a vote of thanks should be given MT and Mrs. Enge for having donated the theatre for the mass meeting.
 MT. Sather said the first question was whether Petersburg wanted a cold storage plant, then what kind of plant, and next if the local people could finance one. He gave details of how the s325,000 hotel at Hoqui- am had been built and said it had paid from the day it had opened. He proposed a tentative plan for getting preliminary work on the cold stor- age started.
 MT. Thompson proposed a stand ing vote to see if the cold storage was wanted, and upon the motion being put by the chairman. the large audience arose on its feet as though one man.
 There is no difference of opinion on that subject, said the chairman. Now let us proceed to the matter of the kind of plant we want and how to finance it..
 Mir. Otness said he had been in Petersburg since 1907. at which time there was not a steamer calling here. From that time on Peters had continued to grow, but all of these years, he said, the burning question had been a cold storage plant. eve have the water now he said, "and also the power, and we have the cash". He said he was con- vinced that a cold storage plant would pay from the start. He said actual construction on plan should not begin until all of the money was subscribed and placed in the Bank of Petersburg.
 Andrew Johnson, master of the Sherman, gave some figures on the quantity of bait and ice that might
 be needed by the local fleet. He said it was no use to build a local plant unless it was large enough to accommodate the local fleet, and possi- bly outside boats. He said he was a fisherman and did not know much about a cold storage plant, but he
 did know that one was an absolute
 need in Petersburg.
 Sol Freyd had seen H. O. Roberts
 who built the San Juan plant al Seward, while the Northwestern was
 in port, and a favorable opinion from MT. Roberts for plant here
 was read.
 Mayor Thomas S. Elsemore de-
 clared that cold storage plant here
 was of vital importance to the town and to it's fishing trade. He called attention to the fact that Petersbure figured on a growing town when ii
 went in debt for hydro-electric plant, and that this investment made it possible to secure a cold storage plant. He said in the Bank of Peters burg today was $140.000 in saving accounts. He said this money could