SEWARD’S
All-cWeather
SEAPORT
Is Alaska s
r
Greatest Asset
Vol. VI, No. 27
SEWARD, ALASKA, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1949
Price 10 Cents
Tuesday’s Vote
Expected To
Break Record
With a total of 643 registered,
the largest in Seward's history, a
new voting record was expected
to be set in Tuesday's election.
The previous record of 521 ballots
east was set in the April, 1948
election when the present city ad
ministration took office. By three
o'clock in the afternoon, however,
318 had already cast their ballots
and there was a line of voters wait*
ing to get into the booths.
The election judges had not got
ten any lunch but some kind heart
ed citizen, whose name was not
given, had lunch sent in to them.
It is usually after five o'clock
that the largest number of votes is
cast, since that is the time when
most people who work are free to
get to the polls.
Open Till 7 o'Cloclc
At the rate voters were coming
during the afternoon, it is expected
that the total will be well over the
previous record cf 521, especially if
the greatest rush comes after five
o'clock. There will be a full two
hours from five o’clock till the polls
dose at seven.
Although there may have been
some back fence gossip and mud
slinging, none of it came out into
the open, and the campaign has
been characterized as the cleanest
and fairest in Seward’s history.
Although both Republican and
Democratic parties made a special
effort to get out the vote, neither
party publicly sponsored any can
didate.
Civic* organizations also urged
their members to get out and vote,
although it was not known that
any organization directly sponsored
a candidate.
Taxicab companies were urging
people to vote and even offering
free transportation to and from the
polls.
Due to the number of candidates
on the ballot and the fact that the
school board and special ballots for
the exchange of right of way must
be counted separately it is expected
that the official returns will not be
available to the public until about
midnight.
At Monday evening’s meeting
the Council finished up its work
and will appear at the next meet
ing only to turn the administration
over to the next mayor and council.
Classes Move Into
School Addition
Children have moved into three
rooms of the new five room addi
tion to the Seward Public School.
Superintendant Carl R. Carlson
said Tuesday morning.
There is a little finishing work
to be done in the addition, he said,
but the job will be entirely com
plete by the October 15 deadline
specified in the contract.
The opening of the addition now
brings all the children under one
roof and under the close super
vision of all school officials. For
the first week or so of school
classes of the second grade were
being held in the basement of both
the Seward Methodist Church and
the Seward Lutheran Church.
Heating System
While work on the heating sys
tem is not yet completed, Mr. Carl
son said, the building is comfort
ably warm in all rooms due to the
fact that temporary facilities were
connected to every room.
Due to the fact that a part of
the contractor's supplies did not
arrive on time it is taking longer
tharr anticipated to complete the
work. Carlson said that this has
worked a hardship on the contrac
tor, since he had to pay his men
whether they worked or not. Also
because much of the work must
take place after school hours and
on week ends the contractor had
to pay an over time scale.
Council Withdraws
Bid Invitation
For Police Vehicle
Three automobile dealers were
present at Monday's City Council
meeting to discuss an invitation to
submit bids on a new car for the
police department, and after con
siderable discussion the council de
cided to withdraw the invitation to
bid pending further consideration.
Two of the three dealers stated
that they would be unable to bid
on the car, since specifications
narrowed the choice to one make
of car.
The question of whether the de
partment really needed a new ear
at all was brought up, and bills
were brought out to show the
cost of repairs on the present po
lice car. They were higher than
the estimated budget should be.
Another question brought up
was whether a panel body truck
would not be better since it could
1 also be converted to use as an am
bulance. Dr. R. O. Sellers made no
comment on this suggestion from
a health standpoint. If a new car
is to be purchased, it will be up
S to the new council. Mayor Lanier
did say, however, that the police
I department should be permitted to
decide what type of vehicle it
can use to best advantage.
City Has TiSI Dec. 22
To Acquire Housing
The Seward City Council has
I gone on record as requesting the
j transfer of the Veterans Housing
| Project to city ownership in accord
ance with a recently published di
rective from the Federal Housing
Administration.
i The formal request must be
' made to the FHA by December 22,
! and Seward officials are making an
j investigation of the facts in the
j case now. The city has to show
| title to the land on which the pro
ject stands. If the land belongs to
the FHA, it may also be acquired
by the city without cost.
With the exception of a few lots
belonging to the government, the
| city owns all the ground on which
the Housing Project is situated, and
it can get title to the remainder.
Exclusive of the land, the cost of
the 40-unit housing installation was
; $113,000, of which the city paid
about $10,000. When all apartments
are rented the gross income is a
[ little over $1600 per month.
1 MURDER SUSPECT NOT
SEWARD RESIDENT
John Chebetnoy, arrested Satur
day as suspect in the murder of
Mrs. Alice Peterson at Girdwood,
was not a Seward man, as stated.
Chebetnoy, 23 years of age, was
born at Kotovin Island, Alaska.
In 1948 he was sent to the Seward
Federal Jail from Anchorage where
he was sentenced on three counts
charged at Unga.
After almost a year in the Fed
eral Jail he was released Aug. 30,
1949’ and was employed by the
Alaska Railroad at Bird.
While a prisoner at Seward he
gave no trouble, according to Mar
shall Metcalf.
Shipping News . . .
The SS Baranof is due to arrive
at Seward Thursday with passen
gers and freight for the railbelt
and Seward. It will sail for Seattle
some time Friday.
The freighter Coastal Monarch is
also due here Thursday and the
James Lick is expected to make
its first call at the port of Seward
later this week.
BUILDING FUND BENEFIT FOR
METHODIST CHURCH
A banquet and program for bene
fit of the building fund will be
given by the Methodist Church on
Saturday, Oct. 8, at 7 p.m.
Cliff Whipple, chairman, an
nounced that admission will be lim
ited to ticket holders only because
of the limited facilities of the
church parlors.
Banks Redeem
All Warrants
From Territory
Satisfactory arrangements have
been completed with almost all
banks to assist the Territory out
of its temporary financial situation.
An understanding has been arrived
at which provides that the bank;
will advance cash necessary to pay
warrants presented for payment.
Each warrant will have on its face
a notation indicating which partic
ular bank will cash it; its reverse
side will have a notice thereon to
the effect that the payee has as
signed the warrant to the bank
through which it is payable and
thereby authorizes the bank to ob
tain reimbursement from the Terri
tory when funds become available
for that purpose.
The Territorial Treasurer wishes
it understood that warrants for
salaries, old age pensions, per diem
and postage will not be payable at
any particular bank. Such warrants
may be presented to, and will be
cashed by, any bank inasmuch as
there are special funds on hand
for these purposes and these war
rants have no form of assignment
on their reverse side nor will they
be stamped with the name of any
particular bank.
1 no treasurer also wishes il un
derstood that no warrant of any
kind will be released unless there
I is money on hand to assure its
immediate payment on presenta
tion. In other words, all warrants
will be paid. Those payable at the
bank designated on the warrant's
face will be paid by that particular
bank on presentation; those war
rants not marked payable through
a designated bank will be paid by
any bank to which presented for
payment.
The above does not mean that
warrants payable at a certain bank
cannot be presented for payment
at some other bank. It does mean,
however, that such warrants may
be accepted by another bank for
collection and credit therefor given
to the payee named in the warrant
by the paying bank only after the
bank through which it is payable
has honored it.
The Treasurer has advised all
banks in the Territory, as well as
banks in the city of Seattle, where
Territorial warrants are sometimes
presented for payment, that no
warrant of any kind or for any pur
pose will be issued unless funds
are on hand to pay same.
The arrangement concluded be
tween the banks and the Territory
makes it possible for the latter to
pay its obligations in a more busi- j
nesslike manner than has been
the case for some time and will!
eliminate considerable annoyance j
and inconvenience heretofore ex
perienced by the Territory’s cred- ;
itors due to delay in the payment!
of legitimate Territorial bills.
i
LUMBER FOR FIRE HALL TO BE
CUT FROM CITY LOGS
Lumber for the Fire Hall now
under construction will be cut from
logs which the City has on hand at
the Small Boat Harbor. The City
Council this week authorized Fire
Chief Fred Kielcheski to hire two
men for two days for the purpose
of loading the logs to be hauled to
the sawmill.
KEHOES VISIT COOPER'S
LANDING
Judge and Mrs. Joseph W. Kehoe
were expected to go to Cooper’s
Landing Tuesday for a couple of
days visit before leaving for their
home in Nome.
The Judge has been vacationing
on the Kenai Peninsula for the past
couple of weeks. He was Joined
Sunday by Mrs. Kehoe, who has
been attending a health conference
in Juneau. They are former resi
dents of Seward.
Steamship Co. Gives
20 Pet. Reduction in
Round Trip Fares
The Alaska Steamship Company
is inaugurating a special round trip
rate for Seward to Seattle passage
effective October 10 which will
give a reduction of approximately
20 per cent.
In addition, holders of one way
tickets may ship their cats at a flat
rate of $125 for 5ne way. This flat
rate applies to any car, old or new.
large or small, according lo W. W.
Sipprell, general agent for the com
pany at Seward.
The 20 per cent reduction in pas
senger fares should give a round
trip for a total of $182.28, including
$28.78 Federal Transportation Tax.
The round trip tickets will be good
lor 120 days or until May 15, which
ever is the shorter. Steerage pas
sage will be discontinued for an in
definite period after the October
call of the SS Baranof at the Port
of Seward.
Change Schedule
A winter schedule has been re
leased by which ships will spend
only two hours in Alaska ports, ex
cept Seward, where they will be
berthed for a period of 24 to 36
hours. It is expected that there will
be a considerable amount of cargo
coming to Seward and the Rail belt
all winter.
Due to lighter tonnage some
ships will be laid up for the winter.
'Ihey are the SS Alaska, the Dia
mond Cement, the Harold White
head. Square Knot and Aleutian.
All other ships will operate througn
the winter.
Lynx Watches Hunter
Read Game Laws
Lel-and Miller encountered a very
obliging lynx while driving m
Kenai last Sunday. Hie animal sai
in the middle of the road so that
Miller had to step his car. Appar
ently he had never seen an auto
mobile before, Miller said, because
he showed no signs of alarm.
He remained sitting in the road
long enough for Miller to get out
his Game Regulations to see if he
could legally shoot the animal. The
book said that the season will not
be open till late in the winter, so
the lynx got up and slowly walked
away into the brush.
HARVEY MULLER CELEBRATES
BIRTHDAY
Harvey Muller, son of Mr. anu
Mrs. R. D. Muller, was host to 14
friends at a party in his home
last Friday on the occasion of his
ninth birthday.
Harvey did not get the usual
birthday spanking because iiis dog,
Pete, will not permit any of the
Muller children to be mistreated
at any time. Pete stood off the
group of children who tried to
give Harvey his birthday paddling.
MOOSE PASS SPORTSMEN
TO HAVE DINNER SATURDAY
Mel Horner was in Seward from
Moose Pass Monday afternoon with
the news that the Wild Game An
nual Dinner of the Moose Pass
Sportsmen's Club will take place
Saturday, October 8 at 7:30 p.m.
Attendance will be by invitation
only.
After the dinner movies and
color slides will be shown. There
will be no dance in connection
with the affair, Horner said.
INTERESTING SHIPMENT
ON DOCK
An interesting shipment of high
grade antimony ore is on the dock
this week. Five hundred and fifty
four sacks of this valuable ore is
from Nenana and is consigned to
Portland.
H. H. Leonard, well known
plumber and old timer in Seward
has gone Outside for medical treat
ment. Mr. Leonard has done con
siderable prospecting in this area,
and last year established antimony,
claims in the Skilak country.
I
Moultray, One
Time Std. Mgr.
Here Is Retired
Retirement of W. E. Moultray,
assistant district manager of Stan
dard Oil Company of California.
Seattle, was announced last week
by S. E. Stretton. Standard’s dis
trict manager in Seattle.
Mr. Moultray is well known in
Seward having spent many years
in Alaska and was the first manag
er of the Seward plant, having
come here with W. C. Erwin during
the erection of the local plant.
Moultray’s retirement concludes
a long and colorful - career during
the 32 years he has been employed
by the company.
A native of northwestern Wash
ington, Moultray attended the Uni
versity of Washington where he
acquired a law degree. Entering
employment with Standard in 1918,
he was well known along the Se
attle waterfront where for many
years he contacted the marine
trade.
While in Alaska he was agent
for Standard at several locations
and subsequently was placed in
charge of all the company’s oper
ations for the Territory.
Following his transfer to the
States, he occupied the position of
manager at San Pedro, California,
before returning to Seattle to the
position he field at tl.ie time of
his retirement.
I Mr. Moultray is succeeded in
Seattle by W. R. Carter whose
promotion was recently announced
by Stretton.
--
Complete Roof Job
iOn Seward Hospital
. Work on the contract for the new
aluminum roof on the Seward Gen
eral Hospital was completed by
contractor Bert Culverson last
week.
The contract had been let earlier
in the summer, but due to late ar
rival it was not begun till recently.
Then the long period of rainy
weather further delayed the job.
The hospital building is the pro
perty of the city of Seward and
was formerly occupied by the
school. The hospital is now oper
ated by the Medical Bureau of the
Woman's Division of the Methodist
Church in Alaska.
The aluminum roof which is now
on the building cost the taxpayers
about $2,000, but it was necessary
since it leaked in several spots
every time it rained, according to
city officials and hospital au
thorities.
Law Association
Officials Here
Charles L. Martin, representative
of the Pacific Coast International
Association of Law Enforcement
Officers, is in Seward conferring
with the local police department
on matters of interest in police
work.
The headquarters of the associa
tion is in Portland, Oregon, with
affiliations in western states, Can
ada, Mexico, Hawaii, Alaska and
Central America. The Alaska Peace
Officers Association is affiliated
with the international group.
The association, besides police
and sheriffs, includes judges, law
yers and many other professions
concerned with the problems of
law enforcement. It publishes a
magazine for its members.
Each year an international con
vention is held in a different coun
try and next summer it wilj, be
held in Mexico City. The following
year it is expected to take place
in Alaska. The association espe
cially encourages cooperation of
peace officers in the neighboring:
towns of each area.