SEWARD’S
All-cWeatker»
SEAPORT
Is Alaska 8
Greatest Asset
Territorial Libraty
Seward
THE ONLY NEWSPAPER
eapor
IN THE WORLD THAT GIVES A HOOT ABOUT SEWARD. ALASKA
Vol. VI, No. 91
SEWARD, ALASKA, TUESDAY, MAY 16, 1950
Price 10 Cents
Council Orders
Equipment For
Playground
On May 1, the City Council in
regular meeting spent the hap
piest hour ever seen in the coun
cil chamber, ordering outdoor
playground equipment for the
kids in Seward. It is hoped that
the swings, merry-go-round,
slides, see-saws, and monkey bars
will arrive in time to be en
joyed this summer.
At the time, it was not known
that the P-TA had plans for a
drive to raise funds for the pur
chase of the same equipment,
but, since the order was already
in before their drive was an
nounced, it is urged that Sew
ardites support the bond drive
to the limit, and acquire much
needed equipment for the gym
nasium.
Members of the council
pored over catalogues, exclaim
ing at this and that, arguing
over what pieces might be un
safe, deciding on the most dur
able construction, and finally
settled on slides of two sizes, and
the above mentioned pieces at
the cost of $1500 plus freight.
The order was placed immedi
ately.
Like gleeful fathers, council
men planned to keep it quiet and
just surprise the kids. But some
how the secret leaked out and is
causing some confusion in the
P-TA bond camnaign which was
opened last week. It is felt, how
ever, that there is so very much
needed in the way of equipment
on the school grounds and in the
gymnasium that this first order
is only a drop in the bucket.
The Street Department plans
further work on the grounds,
has only been waiting for good
weather to continue the clearing
that was started last month.
People of Seward are deter
mined to give the children a
clean and safe place to play.
Since the favorite spot seems to
be the school ground, that is the
logical place to set up equip
ment.
ALASKA STEAM ADDS 100
CARGO CONTAINERS
The purchase of 100 cargo con
tainers by the Alaska Steamship
Company was announced recent
ly by Mr. D. E. Skinner, vice
president and general manager
of the line.
“This will increase to 174 the
number of containers we have
in use in the Alaska trade,”
Skinner pointed out, “and de
livery of this order has been ar
ranged to permit the full exten
sion of their benefits to the
steamers Alaska and Aleutian
coming into service this month
from winter lay-up.”
Containers have proved most
successful in handling highly
valuable, fragile and pilferable
merchandise, it was pointed out.
“The decision to expand their
use in the Alaska service was
made only after months of ex
periments with different sizes
and types and under varied con
ditions present in the ports
served,” Skinner said, “and the
container adopted has been de
veloped especially for the Alas
ka Steamship Company.”
MOOSE PASS SPORTSMAN'S
CLUB ENTERTAINS
The Moose Pass Sportsman’s
Club dance was held May 13. In
addition to the people from
Moose Pass, there were people
from Seward, Cooper Landing
and Hope to make the dance a
big success. Over 100 persons
were in attendance, among them
several musicians who helped
out in the orchestra section.
A Proclamation . . .
By the Mayor,
City of Seward
United States of America
Territory of Alaska
Office of the Mayor
City of Seward
WHEREAS the President of
the United States has issued a
proclamation proclaiming May
20, 1950 Armed Forces Day, and;
WHEREAS the Governor of
the Territory of Alaska, by proc
lamation, has urged the citizens
of the Territory to take an active
part in Armed Forces Day, and;
WHEREAS it is hoped that
through these activities the peo
ple will become even more
aware of the many complex
problems confronting the mili
tary and at the same time ob
serve the progress being made
in the development of new tech
niques;
NOW, THEREFORE. I, EU
GENE N. LANIER, Mayor of
the City of Seward, Alaska, do
proclaim Saturday, May 20,
1950, to be a legal holiday, and
do urge that all merchants will
close their doors, and that the
citizens, the American Legion
and Veterans of Foreign Wars
Posts, and all other civic organ
izations take an active part in
Armed Forces Day, that they
take appropriate steps to partici
pate fully in the observance of
this day, which is hereby pro
claimed for Seward on Mav 20,
1950.
EUGENE N. LANIER,
Mayor of the City of
Seward, Alaska.
Ei'ks Launch 'Wake Up
America' Program
W. W. Sipprell, Exalted Ruler
of Seward Lodge of Elks, an
nounced today that Elks lodges
the country over are sponsoring
a “Wake Up America” program
in May as part of a grass roots
counter-offensive by the Order
of Elks against the communist
scheme to destroy freedom.
Sponsored by the Elks Nation
al Service Commission, the cru
sade is the latest move in a cam
paign conducted by the Elks for
more than 15 years to defeat the
communist plan for world con
quest.
In line with the Elks national
program for “Wake Up America”
Seward Elks Lodge urges all
Elks to observe Armed Forces
Day, May 20, which is being
sponsored in Seward by the com
bined armed forces of the coun
try.
AUDIENCE DELIGHTED BY
BROOKS CONCERT
An audience of approximately
100 listened enthralled at the
concert by Benry L. Brooks in
the Methodist Church last Fri
day evening.
Mr. Brooks is an accomplished
organist, and played the Roberta
Smith Memorial organ. His train
arrived too late to allow him to
test the instrument and the
building for acoustics, but he
did not appear to be disturbed
by the delay.
His program consisted of two
compositions by Bach, including
a Fugue, Sibelius’ Finlandia and
the well loved Liebestraume.
Several colorful tone poems
were very popular with the lis
teners who seemed to prefer
them to the heavier works of
Bach.
A phone call from Seattle
from Harold Daubinspeck, own
er of the Kenai cannery, sent
“Tiny” Trakowski flying over
to Prince William Sound Sun
day to find a fish trap frame
that had been reported as hav
ing broken loose during a storm.
Tiny found that the trap had al
ready been rescued and that the
damage was not very intensive.
School Budget
For 1950-51
To Be $112^)14
Superintendent of Schools Carl
Carlson presented the budget for
1950-51 to the City Council
Monday evening in the amount
of $112,014, an increase of $17,
354.
Upon protest that the budget
was “pretty stiff,” Mr. Carlson
stated that the cause of part of
j the increase is due to the in
! creased number of children en
rolled by the end of this year.
According to law, the Territorial
Board of Education refunds up
to 80 per cent of the total cost to
schools with an enrollment of
300 or less. This refundable
amount decreases to 75 per cent
when the enrollment tops 300.
This month the school enroll
ment is 307.
Mr. Carlson predicts that the
: fall enrollment will top 400. He
j accounts for his figures by stat
I ing that they are graduating 15
in the senior class but are pick
ing up 45 in the first grade in
September. That although there
were only 307 in actual attend
ance during the past year, the
I total enrollment was 302.
Two principals have been
asked for next year. Mrs. Harold
Campen will continue as high
school principal, and Mr. Framp
ton, presently at Moose Pass,
will be grade school principal.
Two extra teachers, and two
janitors are budgets, as well as
a full time clerk in the superin
tendent's office.
1 Cost of instruction, according
to the budget, would be $32,280,
of which $61,035 would be Terri
torial and $21,245 city provided.
The total for the year would
be $112,014. of which the Terri
tory would refund $77,598, and
the cost to Seward would be
S34.416. At this rate, the cost of
education of children of Seward
is about $345.00 each per year.
The 2 per cent sales tax will
barely cover cost of operation
and payment on the school bond.
WARNING!
All persons are warned not to
go into Lowell Canyon above
the diversion dam on Saturday,
Armed Forces Day, as there will
be a demonstration of weapons
firing on that day.
Parents are warned to keep
their children away from the
danger area.
Small planes are requested to
refrain from flying over the
canyon.
P-TA ELECTS OFFICERS
Mrs. Lucille Moore was elect
ed president of the Seward
Parent-Teachers Association at
their meeting last Friday night.
Other new officers are Mrs. Bess
Starry, vice-president; Mrs.
Gwen Cobban, secretary; and
Mrs. Catherine Hasmann, treas
urer.
The proposed hot lunch pro
gram was discussed and a com
mittee was appointed to study
the matter thoroughly during
the summer so that a program
will be ready to be put into
effect when school starts again
in the fall.
A dozen fishermen for the
Southwestern Packers Company
flew into Seward Tuesday. Their
Columbia River gill net boats
are being brought up by the
General Woolsey and are due
in Thursday. The men will fish
in Cook Inlet. They are from
Astoria and Clatskonine, Oregon
and Puget Sound and Skamo
kawa, Washington, and all exu
berantly enjoyed the trip up by
Consolidated Taxicab
Companies Ask
120-Year Franchise
A consolidation of taxicab
companies in the city to operate
under the title Northern Cabs,
1 Incorporated, petitioned the City
Council last night for a 20-year
franchise for exclusive rights to
operate in Seward.
R. E. Baumgartner, attorney
for the corporation and George
i Giardina, proposed an ordinance
! fixing the rates at 50 cents any
where within the corporate
limits of Seward. The corpora
tion to operate not less than
; iour venicies at. any nine, eatn
1 to be equipped with two-way
| radio, and fully insured for
i liability to person and property.
The corporation holds options
: from the three existing taxi com
panies to relinquish their rights
in favor of the proposed consoli
dation.
Under suspension of the rules,
the City Council passed the or
dinance, subject to a referendum
vote of the people. A special
election was called for June 19
; for the purpose of giving or re
i fusing the taxicab franchise in
, Seward.
j -
I JULY FOURTH PICNIC TO
! FEATURE TRAP SHOOT
The Izaak Walton League has
I received permission of the city
! and police department to hold
the Fourth of July picnic at First
Lake, and to include a trap shooi
on the grounds during the day.
j Trap shooting is a very popu
lar sport in this vicinity, and
will be a feature attraction at the
picnic.
Tourist Attractions
Shown in Supplement
j Juneau — Alaska's tourist at
| tractions arc being brought to
j the attention of the travel world
| through a special Alaska supple
| ment of the nation’s foremost
, trade publication, Travel Agent
| magazine, just published in New
! York. Arrangements for the
I magazine to devote an entire is
- sue to Alaska were made last
January by the Alaska Develop
ment Board.
Ten of the magazine's 20 ar
ticles, as well as 15 photographs
and five maps were furnished by
the board. A color photograph j
used on the cover was taken by
Malcolm J. Greany, well-known
Alaska photographer, who re
sides in Juneau.
Copies of the publication may
be obtained by writing the maga
zine’s editorial offices. 2 West
46th Street. New York 19.
TEEN-TOWN BUILDING BID
IN BY ED KLINGER
Ten bids were received on the
purchase of the Teen-Town build
ing on the Park Reserve. The
highest bidder, who got the
award, was Ed G. Klinger with
a bid of $690. Next highest was
that of Paul J. Elms at $526.
Provisions of the specifications
were for cash payment in full
within three days of the award,
and the removal of the building
by July 1, with the grounds
cleared of debris.
In the event Klinger fails to
make good his bid in three days,
Elms will get the building.
DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION
REPRESENTATIVE HERE
Mr. Paul A. Odlaug, Division
al Deputy Collector in Charge,
Department of Taxation, and Mr.
M. M. Moore, Assistant Deputy
Collector, were to arrive in Sew
ard today to assist taxpayers in
the vicinity in filing applications
for various Territorial taxes and
in particular, Alaska Net Income
Tax.
The men can be contacted
at rooms 202 and 204, New Sew
ard Hotel.
Full Program
For Saturday
Celebration
Word from Col. W. A. Perry
confirms the plans for Armed
Forces Day in Seward. The pa
rade will start at 10:15 a.m.
There will be a marching de
tachment of 50 men from the 1st
Battalion Fourth Infantry, under
the command of Lt. Trotter. The
Navy will be represented by 30
men and a band of 13 pieces
with a color guard from the Na
val vessel ATA USS Mahopac,
commanded by Lt. H. W. Jones,
USN.
The line of march has not
been announced, but it will pass
down Fourth Avenue. At some
place on Fourth, a stand will be
erected for the speaker, Col. R.
G. Ruegg, USAF, and other of
ficers.
Jet planes from Elmendorf
Airforce Base will fly over town
during the parade.
A display of equipment will
be given from 1:00 to 4:00 in the
afternoon and weapon firing in
Lowell Canyon below the power
dam will start at 3:00 o'clock.
Arrangements have been made
for a press release in connection
with a teletype demonstration
i during the day. The ACS office,
will hold open house, and all
persons can see how the station
performs.
! This will be especially inter
| esting to radio minded men and
' boys who never get Deyohd the
window at ACS, but who are al
ways fascinated by the apparatus
and anxious to see how it works.
In the evening the Lions Club
dance at the Civic Center will
attract many people since the
music is to be furnished by an
orchestra from the Navy band
of the USS Mahopac. All serv
icemen in uniform will be ad
mitted without charge.
The Mahopac will arrive some
time Friday, the 19th. Open
house will be arranged and an
nounced after its arrival.
Tiie entire program is under
the direction of Col. W. A. Per
ry, representative of U.S. Army
Headquarters, Alaska, and lo
cal liaison officer for the affair
is M-Sgt. Willie Williams, ACS.
Sanatorium School
Finishing First Year
The first school year at the
Seward Sanatorium is drawing
to a close. It is the first year
that any tuberculosis sanatorium
in the Territory has had a full
time teacher. The pupils, the
staff and the teacher, Miss
Goldie Busko, agree that the
project has been a success.
The school course, as set up
by the Department of Educa
tion in Juneau, is designed pri
marily for the children in the
sanatorium between the ages of
7 and 16, but Miss Busko also
has adult students. The work
with .the adults is on a volun
tary basis for both the students
and Miss Busko.
Since the health program with
its curing of the patients is the
primary and most important
function of the sanatorium,
Miss Busko sandwiches the les
sons in between rest periods,
meals, and the other routine of
the sanatorium.
She goes from ward to ward
and bed to bed giving the lessons
at the bedsides of her pupils.
The Territory provides all the
textbooks for the student
patients and is sending a com
plete new set of books for the
fall classes.
Reading, spelling, writing,
arithmetic, history, geography
(Turn to Page 4)