United States v. Pioneer Packing Co.

9 Alaska 71
CourtDistrict Court, D. Alaska
DecidedNovember 24, 1936
DocketNo. 1361-Cr
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 9 Alaska 71 (United States v. Pioneer Packing Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Alaska primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Pioneer Packing Co., 9 Alaska 71 (D. Alaska 1936).

Opinion

HELLENTHAL, District Judge.

The cause comes on for trial upon the information, containing six counts. The first count charges that the defendant corporation operated a cannery without paying the license tax required by law, that 48,905 cases of salmon were packed by the defendant corporation during the season of [73]*731931, on which the license tax required to be paid was $1,-956.20, and that $1,000 has been paid thereon, leaving the balance due of said tax $956.20.

The second count charges that during the year 1931, the defendant corporation unlawfully operated a salmon cannery without first having obtained a license, and packed 48,905 cases of salmon.

The third count alleges that during the year 1932 at Cordova, the defendant corporation packed 50,747 cases of salmon without paying a license tax thereon required by law and that the license tax on the same is $2,029.92, all of which is due and unpaid.

The fourth count alleges that the defendant corporation during the season of 1932 unlawfully operated a cannery at Cordova, without first having obtained a license and packed 50,747 cases of salmon at said cannery.

The fifth count alleges that the defendant corporation during the year 1932 at Kukak Bay, in the Kodiak Precinct, in the Third Division of Alaska, packed 10,023 cases of salmon without paying the license tax required by law; that the license tax on the said salmon is $400.92, none of which has been paid and is now due.

The sixth count alleges that during the year 1932 the defendant corporation at Kukak Bay, Kodiak Precinct, in the Third Division of Alaska, operated a cannery without first having obtained the license required by law and packed 10,-023 cases of salmon at said cannery.

To the above information the defendant corporation! filed a special plea in bar, in which it is alleged that the defendant is not guilty of the offenses charged in the several' counts of the information, for the reason that the crimes: and offenses charged in said counts of the information were not committed within the time limited by law for the commencement of an action therefor, and that the information was not instituted within the time limited by law for the prosecution of the offenses therein alleged and charged, and in support thereof sets forth that the offense charged in the [74]*74first count of the information is alleged to have been committed on and between the 1st day of June and the 30th day of August, 1931; that the offense charged in the second count of the information is alleged to have been committed between the 1st day of June and the 30th day of August, 1931; that the offense charged in the third count is alleged to have been committed between the 1st day of June and the 30th day of August, 1932; that the offense charged in the fourth count of the information is alleged to have been committed between the 1st day of June and the 30th day of August, 1932; that the offense charged in the fifth count of the information is alleged to have been committed between the 1st day of June and-the 30th day of August, 1932; that the offense charged in the sixth count of the information is alleged to have been committed between the 1st day of June and the 30th day of August, 1932; and that the information was not instituted until the 14th day of October, 1935.

The plaintiff offered evidence to prove that the canneries were operated during the various years alleged in the information herein, but no specific dates of operation were testified to and that the various amounts of salmon alleged to have been packed in the information were packed by the-defendant corporation during the years and at the canneries mentioned in the information herein.

Various exhibits were received' in evidence. Plaintiff’s Exhibit A, an application of the defendant corporation for a license to operate a salmon cannery at Kukak Bay for a period of one year from January 1st, 1932, in which defendant’s agent certified “that the usual pack during one year amounts to 8,060 cases” and further certified “that at the close of the season, I will present to the above Court a detailed statement of all the cases of salmon packed at the above establishment and make payment theref or as provided by law;” which application was signed and sworn to by the defendant’s superintendent, on the 28th day of May, 1932.

Plaintiff’s Exhibit B, an affidavit in support of the application for a license at Kukak Bay; which affidavit sets forth [75]*75that within one year from the 1st day of January, 1932, the total pack of salmon, at 48 one pound cans per case, consisted of:

5954 cs. Red and King Salmon
2381 cs. Cohoe and Pink Salmon
1692 cs. Chum Salmon

during said year and no more, which affidavit was subscribed and sworn to on the 10th day of January, 1933.

Plaintiff’s Exhibit C, an affidavit in support of an application for license, in which it is certified that the total pack of the defendant corporation, at Cordova, Alaska, for one year from January 1st, 1932, figured at 48 one pound cans per case, consisted of.:

17,328 cs. Red and King Salmon
26,781 cs. Cohoe and Pink Salmon
6,638 cs. Chum Salmon

Which affidavit was subscribed and sworn to on the 10th day of J anuary, 1933.

Plaintiff’s Exhibit D, an application to the District Court of the Third Division, dated January 1, 1932, in which application the defendant makes application for a license for the following business — “Salmon and Clam Cannery at Cordova, Alaska, for a period of one year from January 1, 1932, and certified that the *usual amount of salmon and clams packed during one year amounts to approximately 50,000 cases and certified that at the close of the season, I will present to the above Court a detailed statement of all the salmon and clams packed at -the above establishment.”1 Which application was subscribed and sworn to on the 16th day of December, 1931.

Plaintiff’s Exhibit E, dated September 22, 1933, is a letter from Robert W. Taylor, Clerk of this Court, at the time, to the defendant, stating that the records show that defendant is delinquent in salmon pack returns for Cordova Cannery for the years 1931 and 1932, and that defendant is delinquent in returns for Kukak Bay Cannery for 1932 and [76]*76encloses affidavit forms which are to be used in making remittances.

Plaintiff’s Exhibit F, a letter from the defendant corporation to Robert W. Taylor, Clerk, dated October 14, 1933, acknowledging receipt of the letter of the 22nd, ult., stating that it should be possible to comply with his request in the near future and assuring him that this will be done at the earliest possible moment.

Plaintiff’s Exhibit G, a letter from the defendant corporation to J. W. Kehoe, United States District Attorney for the Third Division, a copy of which was sent to the Clerk of the Court at Valdez, which letter was dated May 3rd, 1934, states “that it has been unavoidable and unfortunately this company has no income at this time. It is tied up as indicated in our letter of April 6th.” “We will have to take care of this tax in small payments; a check for $500 is enclosed.

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Related

United States v. Pioneer Packing Co.
10 Alaska 70 (D. Alaska, 1941)

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Bluebook (online)
9 Alaska 71, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-pioneer-packing-co-akd-1936.