Daily Sitka Sentinel
Home-Owned Newspaper _fQCdCopy
VOLUME XVII Monday, December 12, 1955 _‘ NUMBER 1
Technical experts coming to
inspect pulp mill site in Sitka
five Japanese pulp
and paper chiefs
due Saturday
Another teiahniiciall group re
presenting puilp and paper in
terests in Japan will visit Siiilka
this Weekend, according to in
formation received by tlhe Asso
ciated Press this morsdmlg in
response to an inquiry made by
the Daily Sitka Sert.iinOl.
Five ouits|.<amding officials in
the pulp and paper fielld make
up the party, which includes:
T. Kaitayama, vice president of
the Tohufeu Pulp Co.; U. Fuku
yama, mamagisg director df the
Honshu Paper Co.; Y. Araskwa,
Koku Rayon and Pulp Co. of
which he is director and chief
of research; T. Gkaimura, direc
tor and chief of the technical
division of the Sanyo Pulp Co.;
and T. KarwajM, consultant of
the Alas'ka Pulp Co.
Accompanying the group to
Alaska wdill be Takuji GhSbima
executive denictor of the Alas
ka1 Pu*lp Co. and resident direc
tor of the Alaska Lumber and
Pulp Co., the Alaskan corpora-1
1 <ion which sleeks to build a pulp
mill! here.
The visitors arrived Satur
day from Tokyo and will leave
(Seattle for Ketchikan tomor
row. remaining over Wednes
day to see the pulp mill at!
Ward Cove. On Thursday they
(Will ma£ke a brief stop att Wran
igeflil, where the Japanese firm
operates a saiw mill under a
Otelase, then continue to Juneau
Friday they are to confer
with governor B. Frank Hednt
izlemian and Art Greeley, re
gional forester.
Weather permitting, they
V eatchcombing
0 I was working a baskei
iballil game (scorekeeper) with
Dm'i'l Polaiso, Itihe man who is
credited with the changing of
reifereOinlg from that of pleas
ing the coaiobes and fans r.o that
of protecting the bids on the
floor.
After a hassle in which he
w^ attacked Mr. Poiuso started
“The ruiles are made ;o pro
tect the bids physically — and
not to ‘throw’ the game one
way or the other.'’ Since that
tiSme most referees are inclined
to agree with his statement and
waltdh for fool play.
• Well 3t begins to look Mke
Christmas has tolly arrived!
♦Ait least we are beginning Ho
get Chrllsttmas cards from the
imiany peopHe we only corresp
ond wtbh aft this time of year.
• Miaikes you feel old -
fwihen you got a picture of a
college fullback whose farther
fwtas one of the 11'tie boys who
you helped to learn how to
play the game on a back lot.
• The boss tells me i/t wasn’t
cPlid last ntiight. It was jusit thaft
I couldn’t get my half of the
jPed (out of the mMdle).
willl arrive here Saturday mom
ling and remain overnight to in
specrt the pulp mill site at Saw
mill Creek. They are slated to
return 'tlo Juneau on Sunday
and on Dec. 22 will fly to Tok
yo.
This is the long-delayed tech
mical group Which has sched
uled visits twice before duriinlg
the past year.
Sentinel starts
sixteenth year in
Sitka today
Today marks another mile
stone in the life of the Daily
Sitka Sentinel. It was on Dee
ember 10. 1940 that this news
paper was first published by
the present owners.
Before that time Sitka had
newspapers — printed, mimeo
graphed and the walking var
iety — but their life was short
and their turnover constant,
liven those who delve into the
history of the community are
not sure of the exact number
or length of time each was pub
lished, although they are in a
greement that four to five years
was the maximum any former
newspaper lasted.
In fact, during the first few
years we published a newspap
er in Sitka, several subscrib
ers were so unsure we would
be able to break the jinx they
paid their subscriptions only a
month or two in advance.
By now it is fairly establish
ed the Daily Sitka Sentinel is
to remain a permanent part of
Sitka.
We have seen many changes
— from a construction to a fish
ing town, from a fishing town
to a school town; and now the
cycle seems likely to repeat
itself, as Sitka looks forward
to the construction which will
precede industrial development
Fishing, which for years had
been the important source of
income, has gradually shrunken
until in the past year or two it
has almost disappeared as a
large industry, because of the
almost complete failure of sal
mon runs.
But during this time Sitka
and it’s home owner newspaper
has not been idle. Civic groups
and the Daily Sitka Sentinel
have worked unceasingly to
bring year-round industry to
the community. At present
Sitka is an education center —
with Mt. Edgecumbe School
and Sheldon Jackson School
and Junior College — making
the city unique in a country
where the population is grow
ing older, while a large portion
of our local population is in the
12 to 21 year age bracket.
And the Sentinel is growing
older, too. But it has always
and will continue to follow a
firm policy of publishing the
i news without fear or favor,
treating all alike. We sincerely
hope to he with you until such
a time as Sitka has reached a
position where its economy is
firmly founded on industry,
, education and fishing, along
’ with the fine, hospitals located
I (continued on page four)
Delegates would
not use counties
in new state
FAIRBANKS (JP) The Alas
ka constitution convention’s
commiUtee on local govern
ment Saturday recommended
dividing the future state into
cities 'and rural municipalities
eliminating counties.
The commilitee, headed by
John Rosstwog of Oordova, a
greed with two Falirtbanks city
officials — mayor Doulglas
Preston and city manager Sian
kard — that the basic county
system of the si fates should not
be applied to Alaska.
The committee’s plan would
call! for two basic categories
of local government, cities and
rural municipalities.
The latter would coni lain
three classes — areas with
authority to adopt home rule
charter; underdeveloped or
completely unorganized units,
such as villages on r.he Arctic
slope, and regions not tailing
into either of the two classes.
Victor Fischer, Anchorage
delegate, said the committee’s
goal was to “find a system of
local government to meet the
needs of every section of Alas
ka, whether urban or other
wise.”
Victor Kirvers, commarcree
member from Andhoralge, said
! (he plain was to substitute the
“oventatpih'g county-city govern
ment in the states” with more
of a consolidation of city and
county government.
Labor active in
politics but not
in parties
NEW YORK (TP) Top lead
ers of the AFL-CIO say the
united lalbdr organization in
tends to be politically active
but does not want to build a
dominating labor bloc wii.ih.dn
or outside existing parties.
George Meany, president of
the newly merged AFL-CIO,
said on the CBS television j
program “Face the Nation j
yesterday, “We suppoili candi
dates who are sympathetic
with the needs of lalbor.
He sadd organized labor does
nc*. want to form a third party
or ' io exercise control within
the framework of any existing
party. However, he repeated
a previous statement that d*f
legally barred from political
activfii <y, lalbor could be “com
pelled” to form a third party.
| “But let me say,” he added,
| “I don’t think that will hap
i i>en.”
In another urogram. Waller
i p Ru ether. viice president of
j the AFL-OIO, denied reports
that the ;big union would form
a-nv single political bloc.
Reuther discussed labor’s
aims on the 1NPBC Television
program “The American For
um” with Charles STifgh. Jr.,,
chairman of the board of the
j National Assn, of Manu'factur
ers (NAM). SMgh said Ihe ob
served in the nasft that unions
h!ad set un funds ho help polit
ical candidates.
Reuther replied that union
ooliittical funds were voluntary
donations from members and
j defended1 labor’s right to con
i tinue ‘ '0 collect donations for
this purpose.
Budget must be balanced
before any federal tax cut
GOP leaders feel
president will so
propose to congress
by Jack Bell
WASHINGTON (A3) Republi
can leaders said today Presid
ent Eisenhower is likely to pro
pose 'Jbat congress wait until
the budget is actually balanced
before moving to cut flaxes.
They added he might outline
his position in his State of the
Union message ijo congress.
Eisenhower reviewed bis
1956 program with GOP lead
ers of the senate and house at a
three hour White House session
this morning.
Retired ACS man,
M-Sgt. Fred Weber
passes Saturday
M/Sg.. Fred Weber, 60, died
early Saturday morning ait Mit.
Edigeoumlbe hospital, where he
had been a patient for three
weeks .f or treatment of pneu-.
momia. He had recovered from !
that illness and was Uo have!
been dischiaitged in another
week; however, death resulted
from a heart condition from!
which he had been suffering!
for the pa!st three years.
For over twenty one years
Sgf.. Weber served in the Al
aska Communication System.
At various times he was sta
tioned ih Anchorage, Bethel,
Amcbitka. Adak and Seattle.
He retired on a medical diis-:
charge three years ago follow- j
inlg a heart a (tack.
During World War I, Sgt.
Weber served with the Signal
Corps. He was a member of
the American Legion in Sitka.
FolliowirJg his descharge. be
and his Wife moved to Sitka
and made their home at Hali
but Point Road.
Surviving are his wife. Flor
ence; jwo daughters, Mrs. Mar
garet Peterson of Sitka and
Mrs. FerOl Naff of Bell view,
Washington; his mother, Mrs.
August Weber of Topeka, Kan
sas; a sister, Miss Louise Web
er of Independence, Mo., five
brothers, Harold of Topeka,
Kansas; Aulgust of Kansas
Oi'fcv. Mo.; George, now living
in Florida; Joe, of Independ
ence, Mo. asd Alfred, present
address unknown. Bight grand
children also survive.
Funeral services are se; for
2 p. m. Tuesday at the Nation
al Cemetery. The military rites
will be conducted by Sitka
post of ithe American Legion,
with the Rev. Henry Chapman
offering a prayer.
The family has requested no
flowers be sent to the funeral;
instead, those who wiisih to
make a contribution in mem
ory of Sgt. Weber may send
donations to the Si! ha Com
munity Hospital
Sgt. Weber was well known
both in this area and in the
Interior, where he long served
with the AOS and pan ii'oularly
at Anchorage, where he held
the position of chief operator
for some time.
Aifiteirward James C. Hageity
White House press seorert/airy,
sa/id admiinistna ion leaders
'were hopeful that with am in
creasing economy and no loss
in existing revenue the goal of
balancing the current budg;et
could be reached next June
without any cu: in national de
fense programs.
The congressional leaders,
who luwdhed at a downtown
hotel with Republican nation
al chairman Leonard W. Hal'l,
said afterward the budget for
the fiscal year beginning next
July 1 si (i'll is in a fluid state
and subject to presidential re
j vision.
Suit these leaders agreed it
was Eisenhowers attitude tax
cuts must a wail, the appearance
Of black figures on the trea
surys balance statement.
Sen. George (D-Ga) a veteran
member of the tax handling
senate finance committee, pre
dicted over the weekend the
Democratic controlled house
ways and means committee wo
uld begin consideration of tax
cuts quickly af<er corigress con
venes in January.
Haigerty listed several sub
jects covered at this morning’s
conference. They included pro
posed social security expansion
increased health coverage,
grants for medical research,
plans for school construction
and a nationwide wteber resou
rces proposal.
Congressional leaders fore
cast- that the president would
urge a highway program in his
messaige, but leave it up to con
gress to find an acceptable way
(continued on page four)
First traffic death
at Ketchikan in '55
KETCHIKAN (IP) First traf
fic fa/toliil y within the city lim
its th'iis year occurred early Sol*
urday morning when Mrs. Vir
ginia Inman, 80, died of in
juries suffered last Friday
night when she was struck by
an auto driven by Robert E.
Britton. Witnesses said that
Mrs. Inman had stepped from
behind a narked car into the
street into the path of Brit
ton’s machine and he was un
able to stop in time to avoid
h'i'ttirrtg her.
Mrs. Inman was the widow
of Austin COM) Inman, pi'o
neer settler who cliailmed Ito
have been one of the six men
who caffled a meeting and gave
Ketchikan its name back in
the 1890’s.
Funeral services will be
held Tuesdav afternoon at the
Presfbyteri'an church.
Marine forecast from Mon
day to Tuesday.
Outside waters Yakutart to
Sitka easterly winds 15 to 25
mph r.oday becoming southeast
only 20 to 30 mph tonight.
CLEAiR
Outside waters Dixon En
trance to Siltka northerly winds
15 to 25 mph with gusts iioday »
'becoming easterly 15 to 25 mph
tonight.
Scattered snow showers.