Highway Investigation
• • •
• Continued from Page 1>
pointed the finger in many direc
tions — to the Bureau of Public
Roads, the State personnel system,
his own former boss. Commissioner
Richard A. Downing. Governor
Egan, the governor's budget review
committee, and utility companies. .
The list is a long one.
In this effort the ex-chief of the
Highway Division has been given a
valuable assist by Republican mem- ;
feel’s, of the special seven-man com- j
who apparently see some
political hay to be reaped by de
fending Sherard.
Sherard testified that the four
million dollar supplemental ap
propriation for highways requested
by the governor was not needed and
that he saw’ in it excuse to fire him
and set up some type of a slush
fund.
The statement was refuted at
Monday night's .hearing by Lyman
A. Woodman, chief accountant for 1
the Division of Highways, who testi
fied that if the Legislature does not !
act soon on the supplemental ap- '
propriation, the entire road pro- I
gram will come to a halt.
Wanted PIO
Sherard also told the committee
that he couldn't understand why his
division was not permitted to have
a public information officer. He
speculated that this was withheld I
from him because the administra
tion did not want his (Sherard) to
look good in the public eye.
After that night's testimony many
observers wondered aloud that j
Sherard could really believe that
Governor Egan did not want to put !
the Division of Highways in a fa
vorable light because that would
increase Sherard's prestige. They
pointed out that if people think
something is wrong with the road
program it's the governor who
takes the lumps.
Under cross-examination it was
disclosed that when Sherard him
self communicated with the oublic
his statements could not always be !
considered reliable.
One letter read into the record
written by Sherard to former State
Senator Ed Orbeck noted that
“some factions" in the Bureau of !
Public Roads were not anxious to
see the State road program a suc
cess. Sherard wouldn’t say whether
he thought it was good judgment
to write such a letter.
Never Requested
A witness from Kenai read a let
ter written by Sherard telling the
people of North Kenai that a badly
needed road couldn't be extended
because the Fish and Wildlife Serv
ice refused to provide necessary
permission to cross the Kenai moose
range. He read a second letter writ
ten by a high Interior Department
official which said that such per
mission had never been requested.
During his testimony Sherard
dwelled at length on the fact that
various transfers of highway money
had been made, the implication be
ing that such transfers were ham
pering the activities of his program.
When asked specifically, however,
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whether any road contract had been
held up because of lack of funds,
Sherard admitted that none had.
Longer Than Expected
While the hearings are extending
longer than most anydne bargained
for, the press is bearing the bur
den on working during the evening
hours.
The accuracy of the coverage,
however, has been questioned. For
example, one night Sherard testi
fied that at his parting meeting
with Governor Egan he told Egan
that he had heard only one side of
the story. The Associated Press
quoted Sherard as saying that Egan
was the one who had made that
statement. The difference in mean
ing is obvious.
Many have expressed the belief
that the press has been uncommon
ly kind to the former highway chief.
Sherard did prove to be a calm
and effective witness in his own
behalf. Reflecting the hours of
preparation spent by him and his
attorney before Sherard was called
to the stand.
Sherard also told the committee
that he served for a time as a pub
lic relations man.
Though Sherard has completed
his testimony, the hearing is likely
to become even more interesting as
time goes on.
One highlight will occur when
Commissioner Downing returns to
the witness chair. He was the first
witness called before the commit
tee and made an obvious attempt to
refrain from any statements that
would injure Sherard’s professional
standing. After a couple of nights
of Sherard testimony, however,
Downing told the committee he
wanted a chance to “set the record
straight.”
For the first few weeks, the com
mittee played to a standing room
only crowd in the fifth floor court
chambers of the Capitol Building.
There are emnty seats now. but the
crowds are holding up surprisingly
well, particularly in view of the
fact that much of the testimony in
volves accounting procedures, fund
transfers, and other information
not likely to tingle the spines of the
interested bystanders.
The financial end of the highway ,
program apparently was not much
interest to Sherard either. He ad
mitted that he did not see his divi
sion’s 1962-63 budget before it was
submitted to the Legislature.
Jessen’s ads get results!
Owners Complete
Apartment House
Renovation Work
Marit Erickson and Marge Pap- !
pas, who own and operate Gaffney
Inn at 506 Gaffney Road, announce
they have just finished completely
renovating the entire apartment |
house.
Gaffney Inn offers room and
board by the night, week or month,
on the American plan.
Angelo Pappas is the chef and
is now serving not only the regular
guests, but also anyone having
reservations in advance.
A large parking area is available
for the convenience of customers. 1
—
Pioneer Fur Man
Here March 15
Trappers and oldtimers of the
Northland will be happy to learn !
that pioneer fur buyer John
Schwegler is Alaska-bound once
again and will be at the Nordale
Hotel, his bunkhouse since the
early days, from March 15 to May
1. at which time he may again have |
the opportunity to welcome his host
of friends, new and old.
Schwegler’s Seattle address is the :
same: 320 National Bldg., Seattle 4. j
Wash., and also his phone number, !
EAst 5-1269. The noted sourdough
fur buyer sends greetings to all.
LEGAL ADVERTISEMENT
IN THE SUPERIOR COURT FOR THE
STATE OF ALASKA
FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT
IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE I
OF i
PAUL DECKER. DECEASED. I
PROBATE NO: 61-168-P
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the
undersigned. VIRGINIA DECKER was
on the 7th day of February. 1961. by an
Order of the above-entitled Court Ap
pointed ADMINISTRATRIX of the es- 1
tate of PAUL DECKER. Deceased: and
that she thereupon qualified as such Ad
ministratrix in the manner required by
law. and all creditors of. and persons
having claws against said Decedent are
hereby required to present their claims,
with the necessary vouchers within s'x
<6> months from the date hereof, to the
undersigned Administratrix at the office
of the attorney of said Administratrix,
Karl L. Walter. Jr.. 544‘it Second. Fair
banks Alaska, which office the under
s pned hereby designates 'as his place of
business in all matters connected with
the said estate.
Virginia Decker
Administratrix
Robert A. Parrish
Attorney at Law
■ 54412 Second Avenue
Fairbanks. Alaska
• First Pub.: Feb. 28. 1962
Last Pub.: March 21, 1962
CONTRACTORS GET STARTED
Signs of the spring work season
are already in the air with con
tractors busily getting equipment
ready and submitting estimates for
new jobs.
Canoro and Birklid. Fairbanks
contractors who finished a radar
tower at Bethel last year, are now
planning to employ about 40 men
on their modernization of the air
men's dormitory at Murphy Dome.
“The contract calls for an ex
penditure of about $160,000." said
William M. (Bill) Birklid, “and we
will be starting operations the latter
part of April.
“We will use about 16 roofers and
16 carpenters on the Murphy Dome
job.
‘‘The total complement will make
about forty men—and we snould
complete the work in approximately
sixty days.
“Last year we completed about
! 35 per cent of the job.
“We are now bidding on several
jobs in this area and are hopeful
we'll get something." said Birklid.
Murphy Dome is an Air Force
station located about twenty five
miles northwest of Fairbanks as the
crow flies.
Joe Canoro and his wife Sally
and the children are spending the
; winter in Phoenix.
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Our Real Specialty Is
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For 50 cents
207 Gaffney Road — Pho. GL 2-2276
Variety Store Stock Sale
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