THE HOMER NEWS
Alaska’s Largest Mimeograph Weekly
• Published every Thursday in Homer, Alaska
Bill Raver, Editor and Publisher
Dorothy Raver, Compositor
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PUBLIC POWER
It would bo an unspeakable advantage, both
to the public and private, if men would con
sider that great truth, that no man is wise
or safe, but he that is honest.
Sir Walter Raleigh
The story carried in last Tuesday’s Anchorage Daily
Times concerning a ’’mysterious" $15,000 fund spent supposedly
in the interest of public power development in this area of
Alaska should cause us all to do a bit of thinking*
According to the Times story the sum of $15,000 was de
posited in an Anchorage Bank in the nane of the Alaska Com
mittee for Public Power* Where the money came from is not
known* To date, the story related, eleven checks totaling
more than $9,000 have been drawn against the account going to
six individuals, an engineering group, a curio shop and a
restaurant, . .
Spokesman for the Committee is identified as Capt. Rog
er a# Riddell* He is quoted as saying that the group was
set up about a year ago and irregular meetings are held. He
had little to say about reports that'the committee opened the
bank account early this year with an initial deposit of
$15,000, according to the Times, and he refused to say wheth
er any of the,money came from the Central Alaska Power Assn.,
the newly-formed co-op that includes the HEA.
Those receiving cheeks from the Committee were, accord
ing to the Times: Riddell, two checks totaling $2,540.22;
Marlin Stewart, manager of Chugach Electric Association,
$1,200, to pay for some of his expenses on a trip to Washing
ton D. C. soon after the aDFPP financing program was set up;
Bill Bittner, $2,244, he also went to Washington; Mrs* Just
ine Parks, $1,200, she is {resident of Matanuska, Electric
and a member of the board of CAPA; Mrs* Elizabeth Fritter,
$471.30, bookkeeper; Associated ^Engineers of Alaska, two
checks totaling $1068.40; Uary *Lou Cantaberry, $130.80;
Myrtle’s Club 25, $220,05, and the Nugget Shop, $116.79.
For several years this writer bas been sen ardent sup
porter of public power having been one of the original mem
bers of the Idaho-Oregon Hells Canyon Association. It has
been our feeling that there is a place in our government for
the Rural Electrification Administration, the Tennessee Val
ley Authority and the Bonneville *ower .administration.
However anybody who looks twice at the activities of
the REA and its subdivisions in Alaska can see that State
side standards have not been upheld. Public power is no
longer public. ^t is in the hands of a few who, we believe,
do not have the best interest of the public at heart.
Actually, as we see it, the Alaskans involved are not
to be completely blamed for their actions* ' The REA in Wash
ington is at fault. They seem to have an unlimited amount
of money to give away and Alaskans, being only very human,
take every dime they can get.
The Alaskan public is at fault, too, for its apathy to
ward the problems involved .in public power. • Alaskan news
papers are at fault for not keeping a closer watch on the lo
cal Associations. However, in their defense we can. say that
it is next to impossible to follow the maze of transactions,
loans, etc,, that even a small cooperative like the Homer
Electric is involved in. A reporter would almost have to be
a Certified Public Accountant to understand it all.
But getting back to the question before us.••where did
the ’’mysterious” $15,000 come from? W-is it advanced by the
Central Alaska Power Association? If so the public should
know about it. Did it ecme from private individuals rcho have
an exceptionally deep interest in public power? If it did
the public should know who their benefactors are. It is
highly doubtful that any individual or group of individuals
would lay out $15,000 without some strings attached. It just
isn’t done in this age of materialism. %
We are not against lobbys as such. They have thoir
place in the complicated maze of departments and agencies
that is our government today. But let the public know who
SERVICE
For quality cleaning se3>
vice, for pickup and del*
ivery service, for quick
service, just' phone 256
and you will get, all
three in one call# That
phone number agcin is 256
HOMER CLEANERS
PHONE 23 A
for delivery service if
you can't get domi to the
store and remember, the
boat is due in this webk
end and the Food Center
has a- big supply of gro
ceries on board «• Ordered
just for you, * *
HOMER
FOOD CENTER
is doing 'the lobbying and who is paying tho bill# In the
case of public power, Alaskan Style, there should be no need
for a lobby* That officers of the various Associations
should go to Washington to testify on important matters is
understandable. But lobbys, no. >
At this point the Alaskan public is caught in a trap#
We want apd we need cheaper electricity. But are we willing
to pay any price to get it? The members of the REA coopera
tives must answer that. But first they must have the facta.
Who paid for the Washington lobby? Did the representatives
who apparently used our voice in Washington express our
thoughts? Will it be the people of Alaska or a few individ
uals who will really gain? Are the present REA coops !eing
operated in a businesslike manner and are they economically
answered before the REA pro
sound?
These questions must be
ceeds with another ’’loan".
As we said before, we want and we need cheaper elec*
tricity, but are we willing to pay any price to get it?
HATCHER LEAVES FOR VACATION
Merrill Hatcher, superinten
dent of the Homer Territorial
School, left Thursday evening
via FNA for a months vacation
in Wyoming and Missouri, Mrs,
Hatcher left Corner earlier
this month and has been vis
iting frineds in Wyoming with
her parents* She plans a
trip to her home in Connecti
cut before returning to Hobb r
in the Fall* Mr. Hatcher
will return about Aug. 20.
VISITING UNCLE
Varney Cowles, young son
of Mr. and Mrs. Byron Cowles
of Anchorage, is visiting
with his uncle, Ralph Cowles,
WORKING AT CHINITNA BAY . •••
Don McCullough has taken a
job with the Lavenstrite.oil
firm at Chinitna Bay. Hu is
a driller and had worked for
Havenstrite in the States*
Marvin McCullough, Donf a
brother, is presently working
as a presser in an Anchorage
dry cleaning firm.
Both of the men recently
came to Homer from Wichita,
Kansas.
RETURNS IROM 'iNCHORA OE
Mrs. Elmer Priest returned
late last week from a busi
ness trip to Anchorage.
HENNING N. JOHNSON £
ft
Hegistered \ y \\
Land Surveyor // v
Sub-division Planning^
Construction Surveying
FORMER SWEDISH FORESTER
NW WORKING ON KENAI
. Carl J. Knos, a formejr
forester from Aspinge, Swedep
was a weekend visitor at th$
Jim Scott home* He is cur
rently employed by the Fisji
and Wildlife Service at Kena|
as a biological assistant to
David Spencer.
Knos ranarked that the
climate on the Kenai Peninsu
la was similar to that of
Northern Sweden where exten
sive forestry is carried on*
He wondered at the size of
the district which Scott manr*
ages which includes the Kenai
and Alaska Peninsulas and Ko
diak Island# Ho suggested
that the area should be three
instead of one district with
considerably more personnel
so that its many problems
could be attacked individual
. iy.;
It was the opinion of Knos
that this area could support
' about a 20,000-ton pulp mill.
An Alaskan since March of
this year, Knos expects to
move to Whidby Island, Wash
ington this fall to be Joined
by his wife and three child
ren to make a new home in the
United States.__
"'moose season
is almost here. Get that
Xifle ready now by taking
it in to Dave Nixon right
away. Don’t delay. If it
can be fixed Dave can fix ,
it. See him for all your >
hunting supplies, too, he
- knows *what,;.you will need.
SPOWWARMS CO.
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