SEWARD’S
All-TVeatker
SEAPORT
Is Alaska’s
Greatest Asset
Territorial Library
Seward Seaport Record
Vol. V, No. 78
SEWARD, ALASKA. FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 1949
Price 10 Cents
Seward Plans
Big Carnival,
Dance April 9
A committee of citizens com
posed of representatives of the
various organized groups in the
city met at the office of the Sew
ard Seaport Record to plan a pro
gram for raising the Red Cross
quota of $1,677.70 for Seward.
Jt was not possible to wait for
the usual meeting dates of the or
ganizations in order to get•the
action .of memberships, but pre
siding officers delegated their
representatives with authority to
act for the whole. The response
was whole-hearted and plans were
perfected for a carnival on a large
scale to be hejd in the Civic Cen
ter on Saturday, April 9.
Fun booths, fortune telling, soft
drinks, hot**dogs, sandwiches, cof
fee. a smoker, floor show, bingo,
and dancing are to be the main
attractions.
The Lions Club was asked to run
the bingo, and the firemen will put
on a big barn dance after the
floor is cleared at ten o'clock.
One of the features that is at
tracting attention is the care of
children. The Seward Women's
Club will set up a nursery in the
Methodist Church, just across the
street, provided with cots, and mo
thers can leave their babies and
.small children under competent
care of adult women for ten cents
an hour.
Tickets are being sold on a Zen
ith Transoceanic radio to be given
away at the end of the program.
Since the scheme was developed
so late in the day, it was not pos
sible to contact all organizations
and the committee is trying to get
word around during the rest of the
week, so that any organization
which has not yet been notified is
requested to meet with the com
mittee on Sunday afternoon at 5
o’clock at the home of John Cole
man, over the newspaper office, or
call the office at any time.
Other persons who may be con
tacted are Mrs. Kirkpatrick, Mr.
Cruikshank, Murl Trevethan or
Lon Gray.
It is hoped that such a program,
for which no gifts or prizes are to
be asked of the merchants will
relieve them of added financial
burden and leave people free to
make their usual membership con
tribution to Red Cross, and still
provide an evening of entertain
ment for children and adults—and
at the same time enable Seward
to reach its quota.
SURPRISE PARTY
FOR DELIA GABRIEL
Friends of Miss Delia Gabriel,
nurse at Seward General Hospital
gave her a surprise farewell party
at the nurses home last Friday
evening, March 26.
The party guests were Mesdames
H. Malcolm, Chas. Chesnutt, Chas.
Cole, Henry-.Thrall, Rob’t. Cruzen;
Lillian Watson, Anna Martin, Vera
Bogard, Joanne Hoy, and Frances
Clark all of Seward and Mrs. D. D.
Rucker of Hope.
Father Edward Turner enter
tained the party witl* Kodachrome
slides of the interior of Alaska, and
sound recordings were made of the
farewells of the guests.
Miss Garbiel is leaving Seward
for an extended vacation at her
home in South Carolina, and ex
pects to return to her post at the
hospital in five months.
Shipping Containers
Of Steel Is
A.S.C. Experiment
As a further effort in its program
to combat losses from damage and
pilferage to. packaged cargo, the
Alaska Steamship Company will
in the near future begin experi
ments with large steel shipping
containers, a company representa
tive announced recently.
Twelve weather-tight containers,
each with a capacity of 275 cubic
feet, were recently ordered from
the Dravo Corporation of Pitts
burgh, Pennsylvania.
As soon as possible they will be
placed in service carrying the mer
chandise that has suffered most
from damage and pilferage. If that
| operation proves 'successful their
use will be extended to the great
est degree feasible.
|Would Liberalize
Acquisition of
Land in Alaska
Juneau—A comprehensive study
of federal land policy and its ef
fect on development and settle
ment in Alaska, by Burke Riley,
has been issued in final form by
the Alaska Development Board,
Copies of the report are available
for distribution.
Urging liberalization of present
means of acquiring land, the re
port cites anTong Alaska’s chief
land problems: an unrelenting fed
eral policy of reservation limiting
settlement sites, inability of pro
spective settlers to make outright
purchase of land for personal use,
restriction administrative r u 1 e s
governing use of lands.
Terming the *report “excellent."
Secretary of Interior J. A. Krug
has advised the Alaska Develop
ment Board his department is re
questing legislation to permit the
sale of public domain lands in Al
aska.
i The effect of the federal land
policy in Alaska has been such as
to discourage widespread settle
ment, as well as many small devel
opments, the report points out.
The report recommends that in
forest reserves the homesite oc
cupancy requirement leading to
elimination be similar to that for
five acre homesteads on the public
domain.
The report also suggests that the
veteran preference right of entry
, be reappraised in its application
to Alaska and that the right-of
way reservations along Alaska’s
! highway system be sharply re
duced in aid of settlement,
j
SEWARD TB ASSOCIATION
REPORTS ON SEAL DRIVE
The Seward Committee of the
Alaska Tuberculosis Association
announces that the annual Christ
mas Seal campaign grossed $946.50.
Expenses were only $20.43, so that
net receipts amounted to $926.07.
Of this amount, 80 per cent, or
$740.86, went to the Juneau office,
and 20 per cent, or $185.21, re
mained in Seward. Kathryn Ling,
chairman of the Tuberculosis Com
mittee here, reported that postage
was the greatest expense, amount
ing to $10.50, with telegrams for
newspaper and radio material com
ing next for a total of $5.46. Other
expenses were twro bills for news
paper mats, one for $1.55 and the
other for $2.90. These were pur
chased Outside.
The goal for the Christmas Seal
drive in Seward had been set at
$1400, and while the amount real
ised fell short of this goal, it is re
ported that the amount reached in
Seward compared very favorably
with other cities.
$9,673,218 Is
Year’s Pay To
2,631 Railmen
A $9,673,218 yearly payroll
strengthens the Alaska Railroad’s
position as the economic backbone
of Railbelt Alaska, figures released
recently by the ARR Finance De
partment showed.
This payroll—which averaged
2,031 employees for fiscal 1948—is
almost six times bigger than the
payroll for the fiscal year of 1938.
It is also about two and a half
million dollars more than the 1947
fiscal year payroll.
An expanded program of build
ing and the stepped up tonnage
haul accounted for the jump in tiie
number of workers. Cargo carried
in fiscal 1948 amounted to 900,355
revenue tons. This compared with
641,841 tons for the 1947 fiscal
year—a gain of over 40 percent,
j Other figures released in the
| Railroad’s report showed that su'
i r>lus rolling stock acquired as i
| where is by the ARR has mounted
I to $2,554,000, the Accounting Dept.
; computed.
Rehabilitation of ihe road—a
project begun when Col. J. P.
Johnson took over as general man
ager in January, 1946—is about 45
percent completed. To date, con
tract authority and direct cash to
j tailing $33,000,000 has been grant
i ed, D. H. Nucker, assistant to John
| son. and in charge of finance and
i administration, pointed out.
I Increase in building costs and
new facilities planned have shot
I the original estimate of the reha
I bilitation work up from a five-year
program costing about $35,000,000
| to a three-year project which the
Railroad estimates will take about
$75,000,000 to complete.
j The 1950 (fiscal year) budget
requests $35,000,000 in contrac*
authority and cash. The ftailroad
expects to use about S6.000.000 of
revenue funds over the three-year
span on the rehabilitation pro
gram.
Shipping News . . .
| The passenger ship SS Alaska
was expected to dock at Seward at
2:30 p.m. today. A special boat
train from Anchorage was due to
arrive at 2:15 p.m., and depart for
Anchorage two hours after the ar
rival of the SS Alaska.
. The Alaska Steamship Company
announces that the SS Denali will
not call at the port of Seward on
April 18 and May 9 as previously
scheduled. This is due to the fact
that the Denali is making addi
tional calls at other ports. On the
April 7 voyage from Seattle the
Denali will call at Ketchikan,
Waterfall, Juneau, Haines. Skag
way, Sitka, Uganik, Ouzinkle, Ko
diak Alitak, and Chignik, returning
to Seattle by way of Sitka and
Ketchikan.
On the April 28 voyage th°*
Denali will call at Ketchikan, Ju
neau, Haines, Skagway, Hood Bay.
Chignik, Squaw Harbor, King Cove,
and possibly at Falls Pass, reurn
ing to Seattle by way of Sitka and
Ketchikan.
The Coastwise ship James T.
Cannon completed discharge of I
cargo and departed from Seward
on Thursday.
A son was born to Mr. and Mrs. j
Robert Lewis in Seward General
Hospital Monday, March 28. Mi
chael Dennis Lewis weighed 8
pounds 13 ounces.
Photo of Local Child
Winner in
National Contest
Word was received by Mr. and
Mrs. Glenn Tressler of this city
that the photograph of their
daughter Donna Glenn was de
clared winner of the annual con
test conducted by Kayell Brand
products, manufacturers of toys in
Le Junta, California, and that
Donna Glenn will be advertised as
the “Kayell Kiddie of 1949" in all
the national magazines.
Donna's mother submitted the
photo when she read a notice of
the contest in some advertising
matter. She says that she was sur
prized and pleased to receive word
that her little girl had been chosen
as the typical model. A shipment
of toys is on the way to Donna as
her reward, and the original photo
graph will be on display at the
Alaska Shop where it was made
by Mrs. Shuster.
i
Sunder Schedule for
Bering Sea Sailings
Th'' Alaska Steamship Company
Bering Sea sailing schedule for the
[coming season was announced re
! eently by Mr. H. N. Peterson, line
general traffic manager.
Four freighter departures are
listed: June 4, July 8. August 12
and September 30. Vessels have
not yet been named.
The sailing June 4 will handle
shipments for Unalaska, Nome,
j Solomon, Golovin. St. Michael,
i Unalakleet, Moses Point, 'Savoon
! ga 'and Ganribell; July 8, for Un
alaska, Nome, Teller, Wales, Shish
marcll, Deering, Keewalik and
Kotzebue; August 12, for Unalaska
Nome, Solomon, Golovin, and St,
Michael; and September 30, for
Unalaska, St. Michael, Unalakleet,
and Nome.
Northwestern Alaska's supplies
and equipment for a year will
move on these sailings. Shipments
ordered too late will not be for
: warded until 1930. “For this ren
j son." Mr. Peterson pointed out, “i!
[ is of great importance that orders
i be placed early to insure sufficient
I time for delivery to the Alaska
Terminal for loading."
NO EPISCOPAL
SERVICES SUNDAY
The Rev. Eduard M. Turner an
nounced that there will be no ser
vices at the St. Peter’s Episcopal
Church on Sunday, April 3. due to
the fact that he will be in Anchor
age on that day. There will be ser
vices at the regular time on the
following Sunday.
P-TA BAKE SALE
SATURDAY
Saturday, April 2, at 10 a.m. in
the Seward Trading Co. store the
Parent-Teachers Association will
open their display of home baked
goods for sale to Seward's public.
Mrs. Fred Kieleheski has volun
teered to bake one of her lovely
cakes to be given to the lucky
ticket holder. Boys and girls will
be selling tickets about town. A
pass good for four skates at the
roller rink will be given to the one
selling the most tickets.
It was formerly planned that the
proceeds from the bake sale would
go towards the purchase of an
audiometer but the Association
has been offered the- use of this
machine for the school children by
Dr. Lowell at the Home In the
Woods hospital and it was felt
that as long as there is an audio
meter avaHable in Seward, the size
of the town did not warrant an
other such expensive instrument.
Due Date For
Assessment
Work July ’50
Holders of mining claims in Al
aska have until July 1, 1950 to
complete the annual labor that
will be required for the assessment
year commencing July 1, 1949, und
j er the provisions of the act of
June 22, 1948, which is the law that
is now in effect in Alaska.
This statement was issue'd today
by B. D. Stewart, territorial com
missioner of mines, in response to
requests for clarification of exist
ing requirements of the law gov
erning assessment work on mining
claims.
In contrast to the favored posi
tion of residents of Alaska in this
respect, it was pointed out by Mr.
Stewart, mining claim owners in
i the States will be required to com
1 plc-te before July 1. 1949, ,$100 worth'
of work on each claim. This is be
cause the congress, at its last ses
sion, granted only in Alaska sus
(pension of the assessment work
. requirement during the year end
ing on that date.
| In order to take advantage of
i tiie extra exemption that has been
granted him, however, it is noces
| sary, Mr. Stewart emphasized,
that the owner of a mining claim
in Alaska file, before noon of
July 1, 1949, a notice- of desire to
hold his claim. This notice must be
filed in the office of the United
States Commissioner of the record
ing precinct in which the claim is
located.
1 It was further pointed out by Mr.
Stewart that, should conditions in
I Alaska continue during the coming
i year to be such as to justify an
additional period of exemption
from the assessment requirement
beyond that allowed by the law
now in effect, that may be accom
plished by legislation introduced
and enacted by the Congress as.
late as the spring of 1950. New leg
islation during the year 1949 is not
, imperative, therefore, in order to
; provide such additional exemp
| tion.
I -
At The Hotels . . .
AT THE NEW SEWARD—O. W.
Baker. Seattle: R. S. Brown, An
chorage: Gil Rich, Seattle: R. Cur
tis, Ketchikan: Paul H. Otto, Seat
tle; Mabel Pryor, Seldcvia; Hal
Thornton, Kenai: Paul Murray,
Kenai; Mr. and Mrs. Ed Gardner,
Anchorage; F. W. Joy, Fort Rich
ardson: D. J. Seid. Anchorage: F.
W. Pampell, Hope.
! OFFICER INSTALLATION
I FOR V.F.W. AUXILIARY
The Ladies Auxiliary to the VFW
post 3836 held nomination and
i election of officers in Seward Mar.
22. The roster of officers elected
' for the coming year are:
I Lillian Ferguson. president,;
Genevieve Chaney, senior vice
president; Gladys Zentmire, junior
vice-president: Elda Bland, secre
tary; Frances Youngblood, treas
urer; Charlotte Lesko, conductress;
Barbara Murray, guard; Elsie Bros
sow, chaplain: Lillian Ives, histo
rian; Luella Skinner, patriotic in
structor; Alexia McKeough, musi
cian; trustees. Donna Lewis, one
year, Mary Switzer, two years,
Laura Calvert, three years.
Installation will be held at the
end of April. Outgoing and incom
ing officers will be honored by a
luncheon given by the Auxiliary
at the Palace Cafe, April 7 at
1:00 p.m.