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Tfoe Seward Polaris &
PKENAI ALEUTIAN Hklf
: ninsula-Chain News
VOLUME 4 ❖ INDEPENDENT ♦> SEWARD, ALASKA ❖ SATURDAY. APRIL 3, 1 948 ♦> UNITED PRESS SERVICE »> PRICK 10 CENTS " S
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Candidates Speak: Several Absent
Mayor Keating spoke briefly,
mentioning lirst a wire received
* from Delegate E. L. Bartlett
relative to the Turnagain High
way Road which it appears will
he finished in 1949. He stated
then that the main purpose of.
calling the people of Seward to
tht' meeting was to hear the
candidates for the coming elec
tion express themselves. He went
tin to say that the past year
wound up with fi\> law suits. |
the first brought by Mrs. Huh-1
bard and Elwyn Swetmann. “We
started out with good inten
tions," lie said. “Your council,
myself, tried to appease the sit
uation. It went to court. The
case was lost by Mrs. Hubbard.
Continuing, Mayor Keating
sit id in part,
Second Court case—Restraining
order to the purchase of Marine
a \ s.
Third case - Seward Light Plain.
Air. Woodrutf claimed council
was illegal in its meetings. Cer
tain things not canned out in
accordance with law. Xo irregu
larity was found by the court,
or on Marine Ways. Election
not in accordance with law.
Fourth case. Restraining ord
Marine Ways purchased.
Mayor Keating brought out
that ill all correspondence enter
ed into there was never any ref
erence made to any one individ
ual or group. Were primarily
interested in the city owning the
property. Department of Interior
in favor of its being municipally
owned rather than privately
v owned.
Concerning the lease oi the
Marine Ways and cold storage
pint to take advantage of the
coming fishing season. Lease
calls for $500(1 per year for ten
years with option to renew.
Mayor Keating said “We have
a right to know whether they
are in favor of municipal own
ership of the Seward Electric
System, and whether they are
for municipal ownership of the
Marine Ways and facilities.
Robert I). Muller, candidate
for councilman, said in part.
“I want to see that the Mar
ine Ways is administered prop
erly and that the city finances
are on a sound basis. That is my
main reason for entering as a
candidate on the City Council."
A\ hen asked if he was in favor
of Mayor Keating's policies, Mr.
Muller said, "Probably in favor
ot some of them. The past year
» does not necessarily have a
bearing on the council in the
future.” When asked. “Do you
have any axe to grind?" Mr.
Muller replied, “Xo, I have no
axe to grind.”
To the question, “What is
your opinion on our Police De
partment” he replied, “I think
we have a fine Police Depart
ment. I would say retain the po
lice force. From what I have
heard and and as far as I know
we have a very excellent Police!
Deprtment.”
L. A. Miller, cadidate for
councilman, said in part:
“Lots of the people in Seward
seem to think i am not so well
known in town and I guess they
arc probably riuht about that, j
It wasn’t exactly my idea to run '
for council. Some peopl,. get out
r. a petition. I am in favor of mu
nicipal ownership of the Public
Utilities and Marine Ways. You
voters voted for the purchase
of the Marine Ways. I think the 1
past council has done a good
job in the way they have hand-j
led it. About the Police Depart
ment—as far as 1 know every- ;
thing has been run O.K. in tin* j
Department and 1 wouldn't ad
vise any change in any of thej
other city positions. As far as
1 know they have all been excel- 1
lent. In regard to the Seward
Electric System. 1 favor mutiici- !
I al ownership of all public util-;
itiit-s. 1 believe the city should
own all public utilities. You1
people voted to improve the
Seward Klectric System. Xatur j
ally you want an efficient Is run i
plant. 1 want you voters >o 1
know 1 am for municipal owner- i
I
ship. 1 think some time we will
get over thes,. difficult! s. 11
might take a long time. It
might take several councils. 1
also support the lease o the
.Marine Ways for cold storin'
About my occupation. 1 work,
for the Standar,] Hi] Company.
1 have lived in Seward nearly
three years, i own my own pro
perty.
Win n asked i!' lie was obli
gated in any way in regard to
purchase of Marine Way-. Mr
Mi ler replied- "1 am not obli
gati d. I merely say I believe
in supporting the Police Depart
ment as long as it in operating
efficiently. Xow if .1 Kdgar
Hoover or som,. one like that
would come along. w,. might
give him a job as he might b
a little better."
A1 Chamberlain, an old-timer
in the audience: "I was Mayor
- ar three terms many years ago
been a Senator for tile Territory
and have lived hei\> many years.
You have been here three years
and work fop a corporation and
you are trying to tell the people
here what to do. You think you
have a right to tell us what to
do. You have no right to run
for the council until you live
here a few years and know the
country."
Patrick \\ . Hogan, candidate
for Councilman:
“I have no axt. to grind. That
is for sure! If I get on the
council the people in Seward
are the only ones I feel 1 have
to account to. The Police De
partment seems to have been
brought out primarily. I really
don’t believe there could bo a
better one regardless of where
it is. They rae on the go all the
time. As far as I am concerned
thy should be kept, by all
means. Mayor Keating asked a
bout the ownership of the Sew
ard Electric System. That’s all
right too. if it is a paying prop
osition for the city. If they have
to go in the “hole” I’d say
“.Vo". He asked if we are now
supporting the present system.
I am not. I went for one and
one-half months without lights
in my business and house and .
couldn't get them to do the |
work. They were t too busy. I
havc been asked to switch over
to them. The present company
I get lights from have treated
me O K. and I don't feel I
should change.”
He was asked. “How do you
feel on the incumbent council
members, they and the Mayor, j
Have they done a good job or
is that too pertinent a question? !
Mr. Bogan replied, ‘‘I don’t be-,
lieve in closed meetings. I told
the Chamber of Commerce they*
should invite at least two or j
three business men to the meet-1
ings. A newspaper representa- j
tive should also be there.”
George Lesko. candidate for
councilman:
“There are a lot of issues on
hand that were consumated by I
tbe past council. It seems to me J
they are askng the iincoming I
council to sanction everything j
the ol council did. 1 would like
to hear about some new issue. |
sinu thing about tomorrow or the
day after.
The uuestion was asked: ^
"What do you intend to do a
bout get ting t lie city out of ,
debt?.”
"That's a new issue." M r. 1
I a-sko replied. | I a in elected j
on the council I will have to go
liv tin figures, check the t'inan
ci s, en over tile hooks and pro- '
I
ceed on that basis,
• Question was asked. ‘Do you
believe ill keeping within a bud-'
get?" He replied. ‘Yes If 1
took a business over. I'd check j
otter lit i* hills outstanding and
the money coming in. You can't
i tin a *11 tow n on a *1" dollar
income.
11 wa s broil- lit out by the in- |
t'lrogaior that a number of dog)
and mei atitile licenses had not
In eii paid in t lie pst. Fees had
not been collected.
Mr. Kesko replied that it was
i lie obligation of a irood citizen
to pay his taxes.
I ’ll i 1 K. Harding, candidate for
i oiuieilman :
"1 feel like another man from 1
tile condemned row toniglit for
-otiie reason or other. I have no
a\>' to grind. I will not make )
any promises. I believe in the)
K.K.A. coming here to put ev
erything under one big electrifi
cation system. \Ye had better
do all we can to get those poop- j
!e in here and for that reason |
I would like to plug for our]
present Ftility Hoard. As far as)
the rest is concerned I believe ini
municipal ownership of the Mar
ine Ways. The proposition where
by the city acquired the dock is l
a self-liquidating plan. 1 am
not attain of that. They say the
Alaska Kailrod will get out of j
here in a couple of years. Now j
there will he a road soon Mom
Anchorage to Seward, I think J
we should Ket behind the High-i
ways. If they do take the rail- I
road out they will be back in 1
a few years. I think we should ;
get every inch of water front j
we can. 1 believe wo could lease
the docks to other steamship 1
companies. A high official from !
the Interior Department said he*
saw no reason why it couldn't
be done.
I believe the l‘oliee Depart- j
went has done a very satisfact-!
ory job. 1 would like to see the j
same spirit of cooperation with I
the council that you see against !
the council. There tire some
people in Seward who try to stir!
up the council an,i make troub- j
lr between the Mayor and th- j
Council. If I get elected ! am |
going to do the best I can and !
I don't care whose to. s [ ■ i
. 1 I
in. I am under no obligati'*:} e i
any one. !
Eugene Lanier. Candidate ! ;
Mayor:
"f guess everybody knows me j
1 have been here since IhliJ i j
plan on doing, if I get elected
Mayor, everything possible for
the people of the town. For the
taxpayers! To be honest and
truthful and help in every way
i can. If I get elected as Mayor
Idon't feel 1 am going to sell
the electric plant, the Marine
Ways or kick the present people
out. As far as the Police |te
partmcnt is concerned they are
employees of the city. I would
n't propose to tire them or get
rid of them. About the cold
storage lesees, they are in there
now. They seem to be till right.
They mas «|nit in a year or so.
Wi don't know until these
things come up ss- liar can hap
pen. We can't commit ourselves.
"I would see that the council
carries everything out fair and
just at till times and -ee to it
that there would !>,. no group
or pressure.
“We have a rah ordinance an i
tht woul,| probably he the only
direct 'tiling that would benefit
me. If that came up at any time
i wouldn't sit in on that part."
Question was asked: Don't you
have an axe to grind with the
present Police Department?"
Lanier replied. "No. they
seem to he pretty just."
Questioner went on. “There
are unite a few rumors about
the Legion Club."
Lanier: "There is an ordinance
dispensors are to to he closed
existing that all beer and liquor
at 1 p in That is the only reas
on 1 know. The council might
re-arrange opening hours of the
chib."
Question "Would you propo r
a rhange in the closing time of
liquor stores?"
Lanier, "So, not necessarily,
unless a group of bar owners
brought the idea up to the coun
cil.”
Question." What about closed
meetings?”
ixiiiMt. * i dou t bolieve in
dosed meetings. The taxpayers
should know what is being done
with their money. I would want
< adi department to itemize its
revenue, expenses, lines, etc*.
Question. "Should tin* Police
Department he maintained on
their own lines?"
Lanier: -Vo. No cily police
should ever have to do that,
ever have to do that. The police
would drive (in* people out of
town if they did that. 1 think
everybody in Seward should
know what thg city pays to the
Police force, tin* fire department
and how much it costs to main
tain the streets. I don't see how
the Council can operate as it
has. They don't know what bank
balance they have. For instance
the Fire Department, which is
a volunteer organization, hasn’t
been paid for 3 or 4 months.
Some get paid and others have
(o wait. The city is in debt now
for $1 4,000 nr something like
that. The next council would
have to adjust that.
Question, “How would you
(orrci t being in debt?"
Lanier. “We would have to
work on a budget system. Have
to get away from wild spending.
1 don't know where the money
has gone. Taxes have been
higher than even* this year.”
Miss Helen Head, running for
council woman:
(Continued on page 3)
i Hi-WayNews
! Courtesy of Mrs. Harold Maxwell
I
Ituhy Steele entertained the
Highway Gals Thursday after
I noon at the Faulkner place with
la surprise baby shower tor An
uctta Gillespie, and Annetta was
really surprised. The gills were
lovely, many of them hand-made.
'I'lie refreshments consisted of
pineapple-cottage <(heese salad,
orange and chocolate cakes, cof
fee and tea. Those present were
Annetta. the hostess and Linda
Faulkner of course. Opal Bryan,
Sylvia West. Edith Douglas .Boo
Witherup. Imogene Steinberger,
Bobbie Douglas, Carol Axtel,
Creo Ives, Ruby’s baby daught
er. Ginger. Mrs. Bir,i and my
self. Frances Stevens was ill and
could not be there, but she sent
her gift for Annetta. Bahv show
ers are always fun for every
body. and it was interesting to
note that Ruby Steele’s gift was
the seventh one opened by An
netta. Our next affair will be
an evening get-together with our
husbands at the Leo Douglas’s
home, to see slides and movies
of'some of the girls, on Tuesday
April 13th. There will be a pot
luck lunch. Harold promised to
go provided he does not have to
| shave off his carefully nurtured
I goatee and mustache.
©
We’ve met Ruby's brother. Bob
and daughter Ginger, and they
arc very welcome additions to
Hie community indeed. She has
big, dark eyes and long brown
curls and a jolly disposition.
Rob is a husky, hearty individ
j ual who liked Alaska on sight,
end who knows a great deal
about the woods and the work
iherein.
•
Apmetta and Ray drove down
j Hie Nash Road last Sunday,
j They stopped the car and walk
ed through the woods and then
j down on th^ beach where they
saw many other people. There
! "'as Jimmy Bryan on the beach,
target practicing and taking pic
tures, Mr. and Mrs. Shingleton,
small daughter and grandfather.
Lloyd and Florence Rogers and
baby Mike and Mr. Terry of the
Nash Road. The Frank Mitchells
and Dorothy Stewart and child
ren were there, too.
Last Sunday the Witherups
entertained in their pretty homo
Mr. and Mrs. Gentry Shuster
and daughter, Lulu.
Monday afternoon Helen Ger
wer, Kay McCann and Maxine
l Kelly were fishing for dollies
and/or steelheads or whatever
in Bear Creek. We are sorry wo
are unable to report whether or
not they caught anything.
BE ALERT.
WARNING
i ALBANY. N. Y.—State and loc~
al pharmaceutical associations re
ally must remain constantly on
the alert and ready to fight any
attempt erase out or amend Fain
Trade laws. John F. Kelly, presi
dent of Albany Pharmaceutical
Association said recently. Mr.
Kelly expressed doubt that any
attack on Fail- Trade would be
successful during the next session
ot the New York State Legislat
ure.