SEWARD’S
All-cWeatkec
SEAPORT
Is Alaska’s
Greatest Asset
Territorial Library
Seaport Record
Val. V, No. 88
SEWARD, ALASKA, FRIDAY MAY 6, 1949
Price 10 Cents
Pick Trustees
For July 4th
Celebrations
a Doara or trustees nas ne^n
selected to supervise all expendi
tures connected with the Fourth
of July celebration and to oversee '
disposition of any extra accumu
lation of funds.
The board of trustees consists of
W. C. Erwin, Leon Urbach, and
Charles Lechner. The Fourth of
July Committee is* headed by
chairman Eugene Lanier and has
been meeting for the past four
weeks to draft a course of action
and policy for the permanent or- i
ganization.
It is the desire of the committee ■
to have sufficient funds left in the
treasury to finance the 1950 cele
bration. Anything above that will
be used for civic betterment.
Better Marathon
The American Legion has com
pleted elaborate plans for a bigger
and better Marathon Race. Tickets
for the race are now available. The
honor of purchasing the first two
was seized by Pat Bogan at the
meeting.
In addition, the American Legion
has offered a prize of $100 for the
prize-winning float in the parade.
The Seward Elks have taken over
the management of the parade and
practically all other activities have
been assigned and accepted.
The annual dance will be man
aged by the Lions Club, the fire
works by the VFW, and the Cham
ber of Commerce will have all the
concessions. Both auxiliary units
of the Legion and the VFW will
sponsor the queen contest. All con
struction work will be done by the
carpenters’ local.
There is a meeting at 7:30 p.m.
every Sunday at the Legion Club,
w'hich all are invited to attend and
to make suggestions. For those
organizations which do not yet
have a part in the activities, there
are a number of concessions. These
are being handled by Pat Bogan
for the Chamber of Commerce.
Sea Lion Herds In Alaska
To Be Thinned
The Fish and Wildlife Service
plans to conduct a control program
designed to thin out sea lion herds
in Alaska, according to a recent
order signed by Secretary of the
Interior Krug.
The sea lions will refuge only
on Bogoslof Island in the Bering
Sea.
The slaughter of these mammals
has been prohibited since 1941 ex
cept when need arose for their
killing by natives, explorers and
miners for clothing or food or in
the protection of their property.
Delegate Bartlett over the past
few years has presented to the
department the need for the reg
ulation now issued beeau.se of des
truction of salmon and halibut
reported to him by Alaska fish
ermen.
CITY PLANS IMPROVEMENT
OF JEFFERSON STREET
The city is making plans to im
prove Jefferson Street so that it
will he passable to vehicles. So
far a large amount of stone has
been dumped into the hollow on
both sides of Fourth Avenue.
Plans are also being made to
secure a rock crusher to make it
possible to cover the streets with
crushed rock. Besides making a
cleaner surface, it would require
less maintenance for the streets.
Land Withdraws In
Contradiction„
Says Del. Bartlett
Delegate Bartlett has pointed
out to the Interior Department
that its recent order withdrawing
approximately 117,000 acres of land
in Alaska without public hearing
is in contradiction of a promise
made to Alaskans by Secretary
Krug.
During his trip to Alaska in 1946
Secretary Krug stated that no fur
ther withdrawals of land would be
made without public hearings
first being held.
The most recent order involves
withdrawal of 17,270.31 acres in the
Homer area, 13,754 03 in* the Ninil
chik area and 86,000 acres in the
Chena area, all withdrawn “for
classification and examination, and
in aid of proposed legislation.”
In the order. Secretary Krug
stated that public hearings will be
held only “in case any objection
is filed (within 60 days) and the
nature of the opposition is such
as to warrant it.”
Mayor Receives Letter
From Navy Captain
The following letter was received
Friday morning by Mayor Eugene
N. Lanier from Captain E. J. S.
Young, Captain, U.S. Navy, who
was in command of the Task Group
which visited this city in February
aboard the USS Salisbury Sound
and the USS Suisun Bay:
The Honorable Eugene N. Lanier,
Mayor of the City of Seward,
City Hall,
Seward, Alaska.
Dear Mayor Lanier:
I wish to express the apprecia
tion of the officers and men of my
Task Group for the courtesy and
cooperation shown us during our
extremely pleasant four-day visit
in Seward. This trip was most
beneficial in that it increased the
navy’s knowledge of your fine bay
as well as establishing cordial re
lations between the shipboard per
sonnel involved and the citizens of
Seward.
The delay in this letter has been
caused by my hospitalization which
occured immediately upon my re
turn to San Diego on 5 March. I
am glad to state that I am now
back on duty, fully qualified.
Please express my thanks and
appreciation to all the citizens of |
Seward who were in any way re- I
sponsible for the hospitality ex
tended us. We are all hoping that |
sometime in the future we can re- ;
visit your fine city.
Yours very truly,
E. J. S. YOUNG
PUBLIC LAND SURVEY
FUNDS
President Truman has sent up to
the Hill a request for $200,000 to be
used for survey of public lands in
Alaska. The request rcnresents an
addition to the money already be
ing sought to carry out the activi
ties of the Bureau of Land Man
agement in the 1950 fiscal year.
If allowed, the funds would pro
vide for six field parties in addi
tion to the four parties now pro
vided in the 19a0 budget. The
President's message stated:
“Since Alaska climate permits but
4 to 5 months of field work each
year, the four parties now provided
. . . . will be able to complete at
best only about one-third of the
work now on hand. At present,
requests for surveys are being re
ceived in greater volume than work
can be completed. Lack of com
pleted surveys is seriously retard
ing the settlement and develop
ment of Alaska."
New Bill Sets
Retirement At
55 For ARR
Committee approval was given
recently to bring Alaska Railroad
and Panama Canal workers within
the' retirement provisions of the
Civil Service Retirement Act when
the Senate Committee on Post Of
fice and Civil Service reported the
bill to the upper house.
Hearings on similar legislation
were scheduled for May 3 before
the House Committee on Post Of
fice and Civil Service.
The bill pending before the Sen
ate and resembling a bill intro
duced by Delegate Bartlett in the
House^retains special benefits en
joyed under The Alaska Railroad
Retirement Act in effect since 1936
while adding other retirement
benefits now available to Federal
employees under the Civil Service
Retirement Act. Some of the pro
visions of the legislation are listed
below:
1. Retains the special privilege of
allowing optional retirement upon
a reduced annuity at the age of 55
after 25 years of service, 15 years
of which must have been in Alaska
or the Canal Zone.
2. Maintains the mandatory age
of retirement at 62.
3. Allows the additional annuity
of $36 for each year of construction
service with The Alaska Railroad
between 1914 and 1923 now permit
ted under the present Alaska Rail
road Retirement Act and applies
the provisions to all employees re
tiring under the Civil Service Re
tirement Act who have had the
stipulated construction service with
the railroad.
4. Grants to retired Alaska Rail
road employees an increased an
nuity by 25 per cent or $300, which
ever is the lesser. A retired em
ployee could elect to continue to
receive his present annuity while
naming his wife to receive one
half of the annuity upon his death
but not exceeding $600 a year.
VA LISTS BENEFITS
FOR PEACETIME VETS
Certain benefits administered by
the Veterans Administration are
available to peacetime veterans
or dependents of veterans whose
militarv service included no war
time duty, the VA reports.
Although all persons who feel
thev may be entitled to peacetime
veteran benefits should check on
their entitlement at the nearest VA
office, two general requirements
must' usually he met. These in
clude: (1) That the veteran was
disabled by a disease or injury in
curred in or aggravated by peace
time service; and <2> that the
veteran was discharged under con
ditions other than dishonorable.
Monetary rates of compensation,
such as disability compensation or
death benefits, usually are lower
than those provided under the law
for wartime military service, the
VA said.
Among the VA benefits for
which veterans or dependents of
veterans with peacetime service
only may qualify are: Medical and
domiciliary care, disability com
pensation, special homes for para- •
plegics. VA guardianship service,
burial benefits, burial flags, death
compensation and others.
The VA emphasized that be- I
cause the eligibility requirements j
for peacetime service are varied. |
it is Advisable for each individual j
to check his eligibility with the'
nearest VA office.
Gulf Weather Too
Rough for Good
Halibut Fishing
Some halibut has been brought
into the Fish and Cold Storage
plant but the weather in the Gulf
of Alaska has been too rough for
good fishing since the season i
opened May 1.
It was reported that icing con
ditions made operation quite dif
ficult and some of the boats
found it so rough they had to
leave some of their gear. Two
boats have been in for repair.
The outlook for the season is
very promising in spite of the ini
tial bad weather. The season lasts
until the quota is caught and will
probably last until the first of July
this year.
The local Fish and Cold Storage
had some huge orders for frozen
packaged halibut steaks early last
winter and has been making many
changes and repairs through the
winter months.
Metcalf Named Acting
Aeronautics Director
' • I
JUNEAU, May 5 (Special)—Alas-1
ka Aeronautics and Communica
tions Commission met in Juneau
May 4 and named Highway En
gineer Frank Metcalf to serve as
acting director of the new Division
of Aeronautics created by the last
legislature, pending the selection
of a permanent director.
The Commission said it consid
ered several names, but that due
to the Territorial Salary Act which
fixed the salary tor the position at
$7,000 per year, it was unable to ob
tain the services of a qualified man
because of the high levels of pay
in the aviation field.
The new Aeronautics Act leaves
the matter of salary largely to the
discretion of the Commission. The
Salary Act, however, fixed the
figure at $7,000 and tiie attorney
general has ruled that the Salary
Act applies.
i The Commission said it would
make further effort to obtain a
qualified man. It was announced
that applications for the position
might be addressed to the Com
mission at Juneau.
Highway Engineer Metcalf was
authorized by the Commission to
hire an assistant and such other
help as necessary in carrying out
the provisions of the act. The as
sistant will he located in Anchor
age, where the act provides the
office of the director shall bo
maintained.
Commissioner Jack Carr of An
chorage was named secretary of
the board, and William Hixson was
retained as supervisor of the com
munications, a position he had
held since June 1944.
Al’l members of the Commission
were present, including Carr, Shel
don, Simmons of Juneau, William
Lavery of Fairbanks, and Neal Fos
ter of Nome.
Acting Governor Lew Williams
presided in the absence of Gover
nor Ernest Gruening, chairman of
the board.
HONOR GIRL SCOUTS
Before tlie business meeting of
the Women’s Society of Christian !
Service last Thursday evening, the ‘
Girl Scouts held a Court of Awards I
and put on an interesting program !
directed by Mrs. Helen Jordan and 1
Mrs. Cecil Horton. Badges were!
presented to the Scouts and the!
Brownies who had earned them, [
and the girls presented several |
numbers and a play entitled “The
Lost Princess,” written by Ava Jo
Doyle. Articles made by the girls
were exhibited and refreshments
served.
City Beautiful
Committee To
Award Prizes
A movement to improve the gen
eral appearance of the city has
arisen from the annual clean-up
program instituted by the city
fathers.
This week a number of interested
citizens formed a committee for
civic betterment, or more specifi
cally, to beautify the city.
The committee, as such, has no
official status, but already has ex
erted a good influence. As a result
of recommendations by the com
mittee a nurriber of Seward busi
nessmen have agreed to contribute
a number of .small prizes to be
given weekly.
This week’s prize was awarded
to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Cole for
the work they have done in rock
landscaping at their home at Sec
ond Avenue and Jefferson Streets.
Selection will be made each week
of some outstanding piece of work
which contributes to the appear
ance of the city.
Children will receive theater
tickets for clean-up jobs, provided «
these clean-up jobs must be ap
proved in advance by Mrs. Ray
James, who is awarding the tickets
Recognition will be given for the
most improvement, rather than for
just owning a good looking house.
That way the person who dresses
up a little shanty has more chance
of winning a prize than the man
who already owns. a well kept
place.
DR. MILO FRITZ APPOINTED
HEALTH DEPT CONSULTANT
Dr. Milo Fritz has been appointed
consultant in ophthalmology and
otolaryngology for the Alaska De
partment of Health, it has been
announced by Dr. C. Earl Albrecht.
Commissioner of Health. Dr. Fritz,
who has already been actively par
ticipating in Territory-wide pro
grams, will serve on a part-time
basis and will conduct clinics
throughout the territory. He will
offer advisory assistance in the
establishment of sight-conserva
tion programs in Alaska.
Dr. Fritz is highly qualified for
this position by his training and
experience in Alaska during World
War II and during recent Health
Department programs.
Cars Must Be In Good
Mechanical Condition
The territory highway patrol is
planning a check-up on the me
chanical condition of all vehicles
in the Seward district, George
Puckett of the highway patrol
warned today.
Although the patrol has no
equipment for testing lights and
brakes, garages do have. Drivers
are expected to have these safety
devices in top working order,
Puckett said.
Both headlights and tail lights
should be working and correctly
adjusted. Brakes must have at
least a two-inch pedal clearance
when depressed.
The officers also expect to
check for defective horns, mirrors,
mufflers, steering gear, windshield
wipers, etc., as well as for proper
Terriorial license plates and
driver's license.
All vehicle owners are requested
to comply with regulations in re
gard to the violations here-in des
cribed, as it will be necessary to
issue tickets for such violations
immediately.
AMERICAN LEGION Post No. 5
Has Pledged the sum of - - -
$100
magf" ii iii—miBii
As PKIZE for the WINNING FLOAT
In Seward’s JULY 4th PARADE