SEWARD’S
All-cWeatker
SEAPORT
Is Alaska’s
Greatest Asset
Seward Seaport T\ecord
Territorial Library 4-50
Vol. VI, No. 24
SEWARD, ALASKA, FRIDAY, SEPT. 23, 1949
Price 10 Cents
Start Work On
Highway And
Bridge Project
Baird French, head of the Bu
reau of Public Roads office in Sew
ard, said Thursday that work of
grading the two-mile stretch of
highway beginning three miles out
of Seward would begin within a
few days. H. A. Stoddart, division
engineer from Juneau was in Sew
ard last week.
Lytle & Green Construction Co.,
of Des Moines, Iowa, was awarded
the contract on a bid of $1117.062.
Lytle and Green have done a major
portion of all the construction work
in Alaska for a number of years,
often in cooperation with other
big contractors.
The contract for constructing a
permanent bridge over the west
branch of the Snow River 17'^
jniles from Seward was won by
Kiel & Peterman of Juneau at a
figure of $104,549.
The Snow River bridge is being
constructed to replace a tempor
ary structure placed in service after
a flood washed out the bridge sev
eral years ago.
Besides raising the level of the
highway at Mile 3 so that floods
will no longer cause stoppage of
traffic, the road will be widened
and many short curves eliminated.
When the work is completed there
will be onlv wide, sweeping curves.
It will make the rest of the road
look worse than it is now, Mr.
French said.
Observe Alaska Day
At McKinley Oct. 18
Alaska Day—marking the 82nd
anniversary of the transfer of Alas
ka from Russia to the United
States — will be observed Oct. 18
at McKinley Park Hotel in line
with the custom established by
The Alaska Railroad, Col. John P.
Johnson, general manager of the
ARR.»revealed.
Col. Johnson has announced that
the celebration will be attended
by many prominent civilian and
military leaders from the Territory
and leading business and civic
leaders from the Northwest.
The annual celebration, which is
usually climaxed by a “Gay Nine
ties” ball at McKinley Park Hotel,
commemorates the purchase of
Alaska in 1867 for the price of
$7.200.000. The complete program
is to be announced by Col. John
son late this month.
CALIFORNIAN HERE TO
HJJNT BROWN BEAR
Mr. and Mrs. James Boggs of
San Jose. California, have been
visiting in Seward for the past
two weeks. Boggs is a big game
hunter who came to the Kenai
Peninsula to hunt brown bear.
Recent storms made the weather
very unfavorable at Montague Is
land, w'here he was hunting, he
said. They had to leave too soon,
and on the return took part in the
rescue of two other hunters on the
island.
Boggs said he expected to spend
the remainder of his visit hunting
on the peninsula.
Vets' On-The-Farm
Training Starts
Here Next Month
Early in October the class of in
struction for veterans of World War
II in institutional on-the-farm train
ing will b£gin at the Seward Pub
lic School building. Exact date has
not yet been decided.
About 20 veterans will Ire signed
up but only 12 are required to start
the work in the Seward area.
Veterans of Moose Pass, Cooper's
Landing and Hope are eligible to
enroll in the training project. Books
will be furnished and subsistence
allowances are available.
Any veteran who lives on a farm
or fair sized tract of land who de
sires to take advantage of the train
ing should write to Dr. It. O. Sud
dath. Box 763, Seward, and make
arrangements to see him on or
after October 4. Dr. Suddath will
be instructor for the course. He
is a veterinarian with many years
experience and is well qualified
for the job.
Motorists Warned On
Passing School Buses
Local motorists are cautioned by
Deputy U. S. Marshal Irwin L. Met
calf against passing any bus while
such bus is either dicharging or
receiving passengers. The motorist,
when approaching a bus on the
highway that is either discharging
or receiving passengers, should
bring his vehicle to a complete stop
should await the resumption of
travel by the bus before passing.
To pass any kind of bus, while
discharging or receiving passengers
is a direct violation of Territorial
law, constituting a misdemeanor,
which may be punished by a fine
of not more than $200 or imprison
ment for not more than ninety
days or both.
This particular Territorial law
was made especially for the pro
tection of school children and the
general public, and the local motor
ing public is therefore urged by
local law enforcement agencies to
take special care to observe this
law, in order to avoid possible in
jury to bus passengers.
Reception For Pastor
At Episcopal Church
The Ladies Auxiliary of St.
Peter's Episcopal Church will hold
a reception in the Parish Hall,
Wednesday, Sept. 28, at 8:00 p.m.
in honor of Father Clapp and his
family.
Father Clapp arrived in Seward
last week on the SS Aleutian to
take up his duties at St. Peter’s.
He was accompanied by his wife
and four children, three of whom
are in school here.
Mrs. Hugh Milroy, chairman of
the reception committee, and Mrs.
Van Nyman, president of the Aux
iliary, wish to invite everyone to
meet Father Clapp, especially the
friends of Father Edward Turner,
his predecessor.
CITY REGISTRATION SLOWLY
INCREASING
As of noon today, the registra
tion book at the City Hall showed
382 names, an increase of 50 since
the last election. With a number
of people working on it, and the
cooperation of the townspeople, it
is hoped that there will be a regis
tration of at least 600.
No Bad Boys Here
'
What was probably a slip of the j
tongue on the part of Anchorage
Chief of Police Charles Stowell has]
created a great deal of irate com
ment in Seward.
Two Anchorage papers reported
that the police chief said plans
were being made to send a 13-year
old hoy to a school for delinquent
boys in Seward.
There is only one school in Sew
ard which could possibly be classi
fied as a boarding school, and of
ficials there emphatically denied
that they enroll delinquent minors.
There is no reform school in Sew
ard.
One man who could see the hu
morous side said, “When my boys
are naughty I sometimes threaten
to send them to Anchorage..”
41- Hour leek
Brings Cali For
More RR Help
It was learned this week that
the Alaska Railroad is in need of
“key" men, that is telegraph oper
ators. Since the railroad has gone
on a 40-hour week basis, relief
operators are needed.
Good telegraph operators not al
ready employed are hard to find
these days, although the railroad
has found three. They will arrive
from the States soon.
40-Hour Week
Outside railroads were a number
of months ahead of the’Alaska
Railroad in going on a 40-hour
week basis for non-operating em
ployes. Since the 40-hour rule went
into effect many more employes
are needed to relieve those whose
work takes more than the required
number of hours per week.
Clean-Up Gang
At Seward a four man clean-up
gang has been placed in operation
to do general clean-up work for
the various departments. The gang
is starting in the yard, but will
perform its housekeeping duties
wherever required. They will keep
the waterfront clear of dunnage
and trash and sweep out cars.
LEGION HEAD RESIGNS;
LEAVING F.OR STATES
Frank Blanchard, Commander of
Seward Post No. 5 of the American
Legion, submitted his resignation
at Wednesday's Legion meeting.
The office will be filled by Vice
Commander Frank Mitchell until
election and installation takes place
at the first meeting in November.
Mr. and Mrs. Blanchard are to
leave next Monday for Sheridan.
Wyoming, where Blanchard will
establish his business. They have
been residents of Seward for sev
eral years, having come here in
1945.
JUDGE KEHOE VACATIONS
ON KENAI PENINSULA
Judge Joseph W. Kehoe of Nome
was in Seward earlier in the week
and has gone to Hope for a rest.
The Judge, who is a former resi
dent of Seward, is well known as
an artist as well as a jurist.
Mrs. Kfhoe is attending the
health conference in Juneau and
expects to join her husband here
when the conference is over.
The Democratic Club of Seward
urges every qualified voter to
REGISTER for the Oct. 4 Election
ONLY 6 DAYS LEFT
REGISTERED BOOKS CLOSE SEPTEMBER 30. AT 10 'CLOCK P.M.
—adv.
Goodwill Gets Freak
Moose Antlers On
Center Creek Hunt
Jack Goodwill of Seward got one
of the most unusual pair of moose
antlers ever seen around here Sept.
19 at Center Creek Flats.
The horns, which swept down and
forward before branching out, were
divided into three large blades on
one side, one above the other, and
two blades on the other side. They
swept so far forward that it is
doubtful whether the animal had
any vision at ail to the sides and
not very good vision straight'
ahead.
The large pair of antlers appear
to be true freaks, since there is no
sign of any bruises or injuries
which may have caused them to
grow that way. Because they grew
so far down and forward, Goodwill
had almost failed to take a shot
at the animal, thinking it was a
cow. A good look through his
scope, however, convinced him ii
was a bull and he fired the shot
which netted him a thousand :
pounds of meat as well as tiie j
peculiar trophy horns.
Alaska Income Good,
Tax Figures Show
Against a national background oi j
production and employment cm- i
backs during the past year, Alas
ka's economy has remained fairly
stable*, it is indicated by tax col
lection figures for fiscal 1949 re
ceived by the Alaska Development
Board from the Bureau of Internal
Revenue.
The decrease in federal individu
al, corporation and profits tax col
lections in Alaska was 3.1 per cent
below the 1948 level. The national
decrease was 5 per cent.
Individual income taxes collect
ed in Alaska amounted to $14,203.
488.40, a 4.8 per cent drop under the
previous year’s collections of $14,
928.833.62. Percentagewise, the de
crease was greater in 45 states.
Corporation income and profits
taxes collected in Alaska totalled
$1,473,655.05, and 18.2 per cent in
crease over the $1,247,031.16 collect
ed during fiscal 1948.
.In total revenue collections, in
cluding employment taxes, car
riers’ taxes and all other miscel
laneous taxes, Alaskans contribu
ted $18,226,201.68, compared with
$18,891,145.13 for the previous year,
a decrease of 3.5 per cent, only two
points above the national average.
Actually, the Alaska Develop
ment Board pointed out, the above
figures do not represent the true
Alaska tax collections as several
states, principally Wahington. were
credited with federal tax payments
of numerous corporations and indi
viduals reporting from those states
although the activities taxed were
mainly or exclusively the result of
Alaska production.
John Bartholoma had to secure
the assistance of Police Officer
Andy Anderson Thursday to find
Tom Howell so he could purchase
a duck stamp to make his duck
hunting legal on Friday. Mr. Howell
readily obliged.
r-^
• V VOCES': ,v,;
Vets’ Housing
Area May Be
Given To Gity
The Seward Veterans Housing
Project, originally costing $123,000,
may be turned over to the city
without charge.
A letter to this effect is now in
the hands of city officials, and if
application is made within 90 days
tiie full title to the 40-unit project
may be acquired by the city.
Of the total cost of the project
which was completed in 1947, the
Housing Authority paid $113,000
and $10,000 was paid by the City
of Seward. Last month the city
paid the Housing Authority a sum
of more than $15,000 out of rentals
collected. About twenty-five per
cent, of the rentals is supposed to
be used for maintenance.
If all of the 40 units are occupied,
the total amount of rent collected
each month should amount to a
little over $1000. Usually there is a
long waiting list of prospective oc
cupants, and there is little doubt
that the city should be able to
keep the units rented.
Most of the buildings are Quon
set type, with a few of frame con
struction. The city itself owns the
land on which the buildings stand.
Each year the city receives a
sum exceeding $1400 from the
Housing Authority as a payment
in lieu of taxes. So far city officials
have not received authority to
withdraw this amount from the
fund.
A complete audit of the books of
the Housing Project by the ac
counting firm of O. M. Beaver was
finished recently, and in the spring
the Housing Authority made an
audit.
The project ig now being man
aged by George Turnbull.
Taxpayers Receive
Ter. Ass'mt. Forms
Assessment forms are being
mailed out for the Territorial tax
on real and personal property. The
forms are being mailed to all
known property owners, but those
who do not receive them through
the mail may secure them by writ
ing to the office in Anchorage.
The address is George W. Taylor,
Property Tax Assessor, Third Divi
sion, Post Office Box 679, Anchor
age, Alaska.
Outside Cities
The tax applies to property
owned outside incorporated muni
cipalities and independent or in
corporated school districts. The as
sessments are to be made by the
property owners themselves, sub
ject to check by the assessor.
Completed assessment forms will
be mailed to the address above.
Taxpayers are cautioned not t(o
send tax payments in until they
receive their tax statements. Ac
tually the taxes are due on or be
fore Feb. 1, 1950. For further in
formation contact the assessor's
office in Anchorage.
Official U. S. Navy Photo
“SKYROCKET” in flight. Advanced version of Navy’s “Skystrcak”
(D-558-1) which in August 1947 twice shattered world speed records
the new swept-wing D-558-2 takes off in one of first flights combining
rocket and jet power. The needle-nosed “Skyrocket” is aiding in
obtaining valuable information about new power plants and speech
near the sonic range of flight. Test run was made at Muroc, Calif.