SEWARD’S
All-cWeatkec
SEAPORT
Is Alaska’s
Greatest Asset
Vol. V, No. 85
SEWARD, ALASKA, TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 1949
Price 10 Cents
Expect Return
Of Ross Mann
This Week
Ross B. Mann, who is in Wash
ington, D.C., representing Seward
on the railroad rehabilitation ques
tion, wrote that he will leave
Washington April 27. On his ar
rival in Seward he will make a
complete report on his visit and
answer all questions concerning his
efforts in Washington.
He reports that he has been able
to meet and talk with all members
of the Interior Department, the
Army, Navy and appropriations
committees who should be inter
ested and could be of assistance.
Delegate E. L. Bartlett, he re
ports, has given a great deal of his
time and assistance in behalf of
Seward. The following letter ' to
General Heileman is only an ex
ample of Bartlett's attitude and
interest in the railroad question.
Bartlett s Letter
Major General Frank A. Heilman
Chief of Transportation
Dept, of the Army
Washington, D.C.
Dear General Heilman:
“I am told that the last few days
you have discussed with Mr. Ross
B. Mann the subject of rehabilita
tion and maintenance of the south
ern end of the Alaska Railroad.
“I merely want to indicate here
that is a subject in which I have
a lively interest. That interest has
extended over a number of years.
The suggestion that the southern
section be abandoned has always
seemed to me to be completely
frivolous and devoid of merit. That
statement could be made emphat
ically and truthfully even in a ci
vilian economy. It has infinitely
greater weight now that a first
class railroad extending to Interior
Alaska is considered essential for
national defense purposes. It would
prompt a search for a desirable
port to supplement Whittier when
in Resurrection Bay there is one of
•the great natural harbors of the
world. And the argument that the
terrain north from Seward is un
usually difficult for railroad con
struction and maintenance has lit
tle to commend it.
“As noted above, I write this
only to let you know that for my
part I am not only enthusiastically
but firmly for every reason in favor
of building up and maintaining the
southern section of the Alaska
Railroad as it exists today.
“Sincerely yours,
' “E. L. BARTLETT”
|4RR Receives Bids for
Construction of
101 Miles of Track
Low bid for the job of laying 101
miles of Alaska Railroad track was
submitted by the William A. Smith
Co. and Brown and Root, bidding
jointly. The firms were also low
bidder recently on 144 miles of
bank widening work.
Neither contract has yet been
awarded, the Alaska Railroad En
gineering department said.
Smith's bid for laying new 115
pound rail from Nenana to Fair
banks and from Caswell to Curry
was $1,944,655.80. Morrison-Knud
sen, the only o.ther bidder, sub
mitted a $2,381,981.96 figure. M.-K.
| still must finish bank widening
I work on the north end of the line
and work on 14 buildings in the
new Fairbanks terminal yards.
The rail-relaying project also
includes laying some 30.000 track
feet of 70-pound steel (in sidings
and extensions), tie respacing and
replacement, some ballasting, rais
! ing the track, line changes, and
siding extension work.
Junior Class Play To Be
Given April 29 and 30
The high school Junior class pre
sents the famous stage play "Meet
Me in St. Louis" Friday and Sat
urday evenings this week.
The play, which ' has been a
great success on the professional
stage for many years, has turned
] out to be equally successful on
| the amateur stage during the past
i year.
1 The curtain will go up at 3:00
i Admission is 75 cents.
JOANNE LIND IN
IOTA DELTA GAMMA
Iota Delta Gamma. Gustavus
Adolphus' society of juniors and
i seniors with scholastic averages of
I B plus and higher, had its induc
tion ceremony of new members
April 12. Among them was Joanne
Lind, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Swan Lind, Seward.
Joanne is a junio/ at Gustavus
in St. Peters, Minn., and is major
ing in secretarial training. At pre
sent the honor society has a mem
bership of 24. It was decided at the
j last meeting of the group to award
honorary keys for membership.
Chief of Police Leonard J. Clark
announced that there is an open
ing for part time work as City
pound master. It will be necessary
for the man taking the job to have
some means of transportation.
Further details may be learned by
inquiring of the chief of police.
MASONS PLAN BANQUET FOR MAY 7
Featuring “Hour of Music”
By R. E. Baumgartner
According to Messrs. Robert
Stearns and Del Robbins, Wardens
of the local Masonic Lodge, prepar
ations are so well developed for
the forthcoming Banquet and
“Hour of Music,” Saturday night
on the 7th of May, and the interest
in the dual event so keen, that a
capacity gathering is anticipated.
Tickets for the gala affair are
going rapidly, and according to
Clifford J. Whipple, who is in
charge of the “box-office,” seats
for the banquet and musical fes
tival will be sold out well in ad
vance of the event. Mr. Whipple is
assisted in the distribution of
tickets by fellow-masons Leon Ur
bach, Chas. S. Lechner, Hedley A.
Davis, Troy Rogard, Don S. Wilson,
Robert A. Stearns, D. L. Robbins
and R. E. Baumgartner.
Mrs. Florence Harding, assisted
| by a lively group of young ladies
[ from the Order of Rainbow, has
j a menu on the slate that will
i please the palate of the most fasti
j dious connoisseur of table delica
cies.
The music of Giuseppe Verdi,
famous Italian composer, has been
popular throughout the world since
the middle of the nineteenth cen
tury. Many of his operas are as
famous today as when they were
first composed. Everyone has heard
parts of “II Trovatore”, “La Tra
viata”, “Aida", and “Rigoletto”.
Mrs. Kenneth Baker will opep the
“Hour of Music” with three selec
tions from “Rigoletto”.
Mr. Arlee Hayne, popular young
entertainer well known for his
radio ballads, follows with “Little
Joe.”
Mrs. Lyman Graves gives a cue
(Turn to Page 4)
New Rent Law
Called More
Satisfactory
In a public statement concerning
the Act which extends Rent Con
trols in the Alaska area for the
next 15 months, Walter E. Welsh,
Rent Director Attorney of the
Alaska Defense Rental Area re
cently stated that the new legis
lation is stronger, more enforceable
and generally more satisfactory to
both landlords and tenants than
the law which expired.
“Provisions for both the relief of
landlords and the protection of
tenants are more completely
spelled out and will enable our
office to administer rent control
more closely in accordance with
the intend of Congress,” Welsh
stated.
Enforcement of the Act for the
tenant’s protection is strengthened
by retaining control over the re
moval of tenants. Tenants now
being overcharged need not fear
being evicted because of refusal
to pay such overcharges for report
ing the facts concerning it.
Control Evictions
The new Act provides that no
tenant can be removed or evicted
by court process or otherwise and
that no action can be commenced
unless and until the landlord first
serves both the tenant and the
Area Rent Office with written no
tice stating facts necessary to es
tablish the eviction. The grounds
for removal of the tenant are
specifically set out and in most
cases require a certificate from the
Rent Director before starting ac
tion. Full details concerning the
new eviction requirements will be
furnished any tenant or landlord
or other interested person desiring
this information by their contact
ing our local office, Welsh stated.
Maximum Rentals
j Special attention is also called to
; the fact that Rent Control now ap
i lilies to all rental housing units
'which were previously decontrolled
because they were not rented for
any successive 24-month period
.between February 1, 1945 and Mar.
' 20, 1948. Landlords have until April
30 to register any of those ’units
which were never under rent con
trol. Previously registered units
need not be registered but the
owners are advised to present
their registration statement to the
present tenant.
Landlords cannot charge more
than the maximum rent shown on
the registration statement plus or
minus adjustments approved by
the rent office. Landlords may ob
tain assistance in preparing regis
tration statements at the local rent
office, located in the Valentine
Building Juneau. Registration
forms will be mailed out on written
request. ,
Mrs. Grace Burke returned last
Friday on the SS Baranof after an
extended trip outside. She reported
having had a very fine time in her
travels through several states. On
her trip she visited the mother of
the«Rev. Martin F. Borbeck, Pastor
of Sacred Heart Church in Seward.
‘Doc’ Nearhouse has been show
ing sound movies in the Hope so
cial hall fevery second Saturday
evening. On alternate Saturdays
there is a dance in the social hall.
The chicken house of Bill Humes
at Hope burned recently, killing
almost a hundred chickens.
Regular Traffic Over
Valdez Highway
Soon Is Report
Opening of the Richardson High
way between Valdez and Fair
banks is expected in a few days,
according to a report received by
Mr. R. D. Kelsey, owner of the Val
dez Dock Company. Roadworking
crews got through for the first
time April 21, and they estimated
it would take approximately ten
days to put the surface in condi
tion to carry regular traffic.
The first shipments of the year
for Valdez, another gateway to
the interior of Alaska, left Seattle
April 23 on the Alaska Steamship
Company steamer Alaska.
Year around transportation over
the Richardson Highway will be
possible in the future if legislation
now before congress receives fayor
a b 1 e attention. Appropriations
have already been made for gen
eral improvements including black
topping, which is scheduled to
start this season.
Dr. Reitlinger Leaves
Seward Sanatorium
Dr. Carola Reitlinger, who took
chirge of the Seward Sanatorium
after the resignation of Dr. Robert
Valle last fall, left by plane for
Juneau last Sunday after the ar
rival of Dr. Frank Marish.
Dr. Reitlinger came to Seward
from Juneau on 12 hours notice
just a month after her arrival in
the territory. She lias a house in
Juneau which she has not yet oc
cupied.
A native of Germany, from
which she was forced to flee dur
ing the Nazi regime, Dr. Reitlinger
has followed her profession in
many countries. She spent three
and a half years at the Oakdale
Sanatorium at Iowa City, Iowa,
during the war. After her arrival in
Juneau, she expects to take up
her work with the Territorial De
partment of Health.
ASX POLICE TO LOCATE
MISSING SELDOVIA MAN
Seward police have been asked
to locate Pat Keough of Seldovia.
He was known to have been on a
boat at Whittier last winter. There
was also a report that he died in
i the local hospital. Local records
show that no one of that name has
died there. Police have requested
| that anyone knowing his present
location get in touch with them.
Local Cannery
Prepares For
! Fishing Season
' The Resurrection Bay Co., which
packed a total of 4,667 cases of
salmon in 1948 is now preparing
for the 1949 season.
Marvin Viale announced Friday
morning that his partner, W. M.
Everitt of Seattle, is now enroute
to Seward and is expected to ar
rive about the first of May. Everitt
spends his summers in Seward and
j in the winter months takes care
I of his brokerage business in
j Seattle.
New Cannery Boat
The Eagle, a 65-foot boat recent
ly purchased by the local company,
left Seattle Easter Sunday and is
expected to arrive in Seward next
week. The boat was purchased
during Viale’s trip outside last win
ter. It is carrying a load of cannery
supplies and gear.
The Eagle is under the command
of M. R. Brown, well known in
Seward, since he commanded the
Army Transport Service TP 134
during the war. Before tliat he had
a cannery tender in the service
of the Dayville Cannery at Valdez.
Repair cannery dock
During the past week Viale has
had men cutting timber for piling
and braces to be used in repairing
the cannery dock. Extensive re
pairs will be made this season.
Machinery is still covered with
grease although much of it has
. been dismantled for repairs.
Carl Nelson and Dave Skarstad
are busy repairing boats along
with other repair work. John Ros
ness and Bob Stearns were busy
fixing up a new net. Stearns ex
pects 'to fish in Cook Inlet this
year.
. Fishing licenses
i While commercial fishing li
j censes and registration plates can
, be obtained only through Cordova,
i the local cannery can accept the
I license fee and forward it to Cor
dova, Viale stated.
The law provides that each year
J prior to engaging in fishing, all
boats must be registered with the
! Fish and Wildlife Service. Regis
tration plates, when furnished,
shall be displayed on a prominent
place on the port side. Boats fish
I ing only for halibut are exempt.
PLANNING TO BUILD UNDER A.H.A.?
Send in This Questionnaire
A preliminary housing survey is
being made by the newly formed
joint housing committee of Sew
ard.
The committee, consisting of one
councilman, two contractors and a
member of the Chamber of Com
merce, is making this preliminary
survey to determine the number of
people in Seward interested in
building in this community as the
housing program progresses.
The program will be under the
direction of the existing Federal
Housing Authority and of the new
Alaska Housing Authority.
The Alaska Housing Authority
j is still in the process of organi
zation. The local housing com
mittee, however, has been assured
that as information becomes avail
able it will be received here.
In view of the fact that the com
mittee has. as yet, so littl^ know
ledge of the program, only ques
tions of a general nature are being
asked in this preliminary survey.
All persons who are interested
in l#uilding houses in town are
asked to fill in the following
questionnaire and mail it “to: The
Seward Housing Committee, Box
204, Seward, Alaska.
Name
Address .
Type of Housing Contemplated.
(Dwelling, Apt. House, Duplex, etc.) No. of Rooms o Units.
Estimated Cost .#
Do you own lots on which to build'’ ,