SEWARD’S
All-^Weathec
SEAPORT
Is Alaska's
Greatest Asset
THE ONLY NEWSPAPER IN THE WORLD THAT GIVES A HOOT ABOUT SEWARD. ALASKA
Vol. VII, No. 31
SEWARD, ALASKA, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1950
Price 10 cents
Power Rate On
Water Heaters
Increased
Rates were increased on all
electric water heaters this week
by consent of the City Council.
A state of emergency was de
clared by Seward Electric Sys
tem, requiring an increase of j
3 cents per kwh for power in i
excess of 200 kw's for electric
water tanks.
Meters will be installed on
each tank separate from the
regular house meters. During
the heavy peak load hours,
power can be cut off from water
heaters to conserve power.
The increase was asked by
both the city plant and ATEC.
when it was discovered after a
check that the large number of
heaters being used in town is a
tremendous drain on the already
loaded power system. ATEC has
been waiting for the installation
of the new diesel plant of the
city to stop its distribution of
power and concentrate all ef
forts upon the telephone system.
Utility Board members admit
having underestimated the de
mand for power, which has in
creased considerably since the
new diesel was ordered, and it
is possible that still another
generating plant will be neces
sary in the near future.
PILE UP YOUR TRASH
The “sanitation officers"—iiie
“good guys”—the garbage men, j
say they will collect the summer
accumulation of trash if it is
piled alongside the garbage cans.
They are a little less busy just
now and would rather clean up
the trash than allow it to lie un
der snow to be gathered up in
the usual 30-day clean-up period
in the spring.
Firemen are urging household
ers to get rid of paper, rags,
and wood scraps that are always
a fire hazard, and with the gar
bage men carrying it off, the
safety of the town will be in
creased.
Moose Pass News . . .
The annual “Game Dinner”
was held Saturday night at the
Quonset Hut. There were about
150 members of the Sportsman's
Club, families in Moose Pass
and their guests. The dinner was
served buffet style with a choice
of bear, moose, goat and caribou
for the meat course and also an
abundance of salads, beans, mac
aroni and cheese, vegetables,
hot rolls, cake, pie, jelly rolls,
and relishes to choose from.
Mrs. Kenneth Condit made small
plastic heads of each of the
game to help identify the dif
ferent meat plates. The enter
tainment committee had origi
nally planned to show some
films but they failed to arrive
so an impromptu dance was
held. Door prizes were won by
Mrs. Del Robbins and Mr. Mel
Horner.
“The Great American Broad
cast,” with Alice Faye and John
Payne was the movie; shown last
Wednesday evening. The musical
comedy was greatly enjoyed by
all.
A special meeting of the
Moose Pass Sportsman’s Club
was held last Thursday to dis
cuss some of the points that
have come up about the movies.
In the future the starting time
will be 7:30 p.m. to enable more
people to attend and not be so
hurrying for others. The movies
will also be every Wednesday j
instead of every two weeks. <
Marshal Requests
Penalty Clause In
Curfew Ordinance
U. S. Marshal Irwin Metcalf
asked the City Council last |
night for a curfew law with a!
penalty clause. He said that the j
curfew alone is not enough, j
that there must be some pro-1
vision made to hold parents fi
nancially responsible for dam
ages incurred by misdemeanors j
of juveniles.
The Council agreed to consult,
Ed Arnell, City Attorney, con
cerning such a measure. The
10:00 o’clock curfew will again
be imposed now that children
are back in school and the long
daylight hours are gone. The
old fire bell will be installed
atop the fire hall to be used
as a curfew signal.
B-24 LANDS WITH EASE
ON AIRSTRIP
The big B-24 that circled
town this morning causing some
excitement, was not the “Sacred
Cow" as many thought, but the
Morrison - Knudson Company
plane carrying company officials
who came to consult with Alaska
Road Commission and Bureau of
Public Roads officers.
It is presumed that they also
surveyed the highway between
town and Mile 58 with inten
tions of submitting a bid on the
construction of that link in the
Seward-Anchorage highway.
Too bad. Folks, the “Sacred
Cow" remained in larger pas
tures.
United Nations Week
October 17-24
WHEREAS the President of
the United States, Harry S.
Truman, has, by proclamation,
urged the people of the United
States to observe October 17
to 24, 1950, as United Nations
Week; and
WHEREAS the President has
urged that during this week
the officials of the Federal Gov
ernment, the Governors of the
States, the Mayors of cities, and
other public officials, civic, edu
cational, and religious organiza
tions, the agencies of the press
and radio, as well as individual
citizens cooperate fully in
public programs dedicated to
strengthening our participation
in the work of the United Na
tions; and
WHEREAS, appropriate obser
vation of United Nations Week
is an affirmation of our faith in
the objectives of the United
Nations, our appreciation of its
accomplishments and our re
solve to give active support to
its principles; and
WHEREAS, we in Alaska,
occupying a position of the
greatest strategic importance as
the only part of the United
States fronting on the Arctic
(Turn to Page 3)
GIRL SCOUTS REGISTER
OCTOBER 13
The Girl Scout program for
the year will begin tomorrow
with the registration of both
Girl Scouts and Brownies.
Girls interested in the pro
gram are asked to meet in the
Methodist Church basement aft
er school at 3 and 4 o'clock to
be registered.
Mrs. Edith Skinner will be
leader of the intermediate group
and Mrs. Russell Clapp will lead
the Brownies.
The executive committee of
the Red Cross is meeting this
evening to formulate a program
and appoint committees to carry
on the work. They will meet in j
the parsonage of the Lutheran
Church with Rev. Kent Spauld
ing, new chapter chairman.
Highway Bids
To Bo Made
Next Month
Information comes this week
from the Department of Com
merce, Bureau of Public Roads,
that bids will be received dur
ing the next few months by the
Bureau of Public Roads, Juneau,
Alaska, for reconstruction of the
road from Seward, Alaska to
Mile 58 on the Seward-Anchor
age route. Funds in the amount
of $7,500,000 are now available
for grading, structures and
gravel surfacing. Plans for the
initial unit from Mile 5 to Mile
12 and Mile 14 to Mile 18 will
be ready about November 1,
1950 when the first call for bids
will be issued. The tentative
schedule for advertising for bids
on all units is as follows:
Mile 5 to 12 and 14 to 18, Nov.
1, 1950.
Mile 52 to 58, Nov. 15, 1950.
Mile 33 to 52, Feb. 1, 1951.
Mile 18 to 33 and 12 to 14,
March 1, 1951.
All contracts will require com
pletion during the 1951 construc
tion season and it therefore is
essential that all contracts be
let well in advance of the start
of the 1951 season, the communi
cation stated.
Prospective bidders are ad
vised by the Bureau that snow
may cover the ground at any
time and accordingly inspection
of the entire mileage should be
made at the earliest possible
date.
Plans are not yet available
but arrangements may be made
with B. M. French, District En
gineer, Bureau of Public Roads,
Seward, Alaska, for inspection
of the contemplated work.
OCTOBER 18
ALASKA DAY
Conceived as a dream.
Maintained as a drudge.
Exploited as a slave.
Developed as a weapon.
Acknowledged as an equal?
Only Alaskans can appreciate
Alaska Day!
STORES WILL EE CLOSED
OCTOBER 13
CANNERY BOAT MAKES TRIP
| TO SEATTLE IN 14 DAYS
| Marvin Viale stated today that
the Resurrection Bay Company
tender Eagle made the trip to
Seattle in 14 days.
■ The Eagle, a 50 foot, 20 ton
motor vessel, left here at 4:00
p.m. September 24, stopping at
Juneau and Ketchikan, and ar
rived in Seattle at noon Oct. 8,
which is considered good time
for such a vessel.
Three local men took the boat
down. They were Robert Bern,
whose family left by plane for
the East, where he will meet
them and visit before returning
home; Cecil (Torgy) Torgram
son, and A1 (Polock) Kowalski.
Fred Dumonson went with them
as far as Juneau.
HALLOWE'EN CARD PARTY
AND DANCE
The first card party and dance
of the season to be given by Sew
ard Chapter Eastern Star will
be offered to the public this Sat
urday night at 8 o’clock in the
Masonic Temple.
Bridge, pinochle and canasta
will be featured in the card
room: popular and square danc
ing will be found in the banquet
room.
Traditional Hallowe’en eats
are promised during the evening.
The party is public and every
one who enjoys an evening at
cards or dancing is invited.
Young Vandals Cause
Considerable Damage
To School Building
Quick work by Seward po
licemen discovered the culprits i
who caused considerable dam
age in the school building Sat
urday night.
Four boys entered the high
school building around midnight
Saturday, leaving a trail of de- j
struction that was not discovered
until mid morning Sunday. Fire
hose had been detached from
hangers, water turned on and
left running to flood the build
ing, causing plaster and floor
tiles to become soaked. It is not
known yet just what extent the
damage may reach. Plaster may
fall and if water got under the
floor tiles, they will peel off,
costing several thousand dollars
to replace.
Supplies of crackers and fruit
in the cafeteria were wontonly
scattered and destroyed.
The boys, when apprehended
three hours after the police were
called in, could give no reason
for the escapade except that
they had been drinking wine.
“There isn’t anything to do in
this town, so we just thought
we would work up a little ex
citement of our own,” said one.
Police have not disclosed the
name of the adult who supplied
the wine, but all of the boys
concerned have been in trouble
before on similar charges.
Patrolmen state that on pass
ing the school at about the time
the boys were performing, they
saw no evidence of anything
wrong.
New Ceuncilmen
Take Oath of Office
Three new councilmen took
the oath of office last night
before visiting townspeople who
were present to congratulate
them upon their election.
A. G. McRae, Lawrence Whit
more and Charles Cole took
office after Russell Painter, Ray
mond Seferovich and Leland
Miller, retiring members, work
ed with the carry-overs to clean
up all old business and pay bills.
Payment of bills amounting
to $10,000 was authorized. This
included $6,000 final payment
and interest on the street grader
purchased last winter.
Bids were opened for the pur
chase of six new tires for the
garbage truck. Four bids were
! received from local dealers.
; Hamilton's Garage got the con
i tract as low bidder of $81.50
each for 10 ply cleated tires.
Publication of the delinquent
tax list was also authorized.
The list will be published ac
cording to law in preparation
for court action to collect or
obtain tax liens against delin
quent property.
Mayor Eugene Lanier an
nounced appointments in the
(Turn to Page 4)
DANCING SCHOOL OPENS
THIS WEEK
Seward children will have the
opportunity to achieve grace and
poise of posture through danc
ing with the opening this week
of the Kathryn Johnson School
of the Dance.
Mrs. Johnson will teach bal
let, tap, acrobatic and ballroom
dancing in a studio located in
the Odd Fellows building. She
hopes to have a class ready for
the Christmas entertainment
season.
SEWARD RAINBOW GIRLS
TO INITIATE OCT. 19
Seward Rainbow Girls will
hold initiation Thursday, Oct.
19, in the Masonic Temple.
All members of Eastern Star j
and Masons are invited to at- j
tend.
Exception For
Expiosives
At Seward
Coast Guard headquarters at
Seattle has lifted the regula
tions against the unloading of
explosives in Alaska ports to
permit discharge of a cargo
over the Army dock in Seward.
Coal mines in the Interior
and contractors doing highway
work are faced with a critical
shortage of necessary explosives
in the face of the strict regula
tion prohibiting handling of
Class A explosives over city
docks.
The unloading here will be
strictly supervised by Coast
Guard officers, although city
ordinances do permit the trans
portation under certain speci
fied precautions. No explosives
may be stored within the city
limits.
Coast Guard officials said that
very few ports in the United
States and none in Alaska satisfy
the new regulations as to the
handling of explosives, conse
quently cargos all ready for ship
ment from Seattle were dis
charged there.
Consternation was expressed
in all parts of Alaska at the
sudden ruling which left mines
between Anchorage and Fair
banks without the more than
two carloads per month neces
sary to operate.
Contractors on the Turnagain
Arm and other highway con
struction projects reported being
nearly out of powder.
Governor Gruening and Col.
J. P. Johnson intervened to have
the order rescinded, and did
succeed in obtaining a tem
porary exception in the port of
Seward. It is not known here
how long the exception will hold
or whether it governs only one
shipment.
Solons Inspect
Port of Seward
Three members of the Senate
Armed Services committee ar
rived in Seward this afternoon
i by special train to inspect port
I and railroad facilities with an
j eye to defense.
Senator Lester C. Hunt, (D
Wyo.) chairman of the Armed
Services sub-committee on pre
paredness, was accompanied by
Senator Leverett Saltonstall (11
Mass.), Senator Wayne L. Morse
(D-Ore.) and Alaska Railroad
and military officials.
Senator Hunt told reporters
in the States that his committee
hopes to spearhead the Alaska
defense program in Washington.
“We hope to be able to bring
back such a report on the in
adequacy of our defenses that
we can stimulate unusual inter
est on the part of Congress and
the Chief Executive to get the
job done,” Associated Press re
porters quoted him as saying.
DISTRICT COURT IN
SESSION HERE
Judge Anthony J. Dimond held
court in the Federal Building
here today. The callendar was
made up mostly of divorce cases
with a few civil cases, nothing
of great importance.
DEATH CLAIMS FORMER
JESSE LEE TEACHER
Mrs. F. B. Perry, one of the
first of the staff members at
Jesse Lee Home, finished her
last term here last November.
She returned to her home in
Portland because of illness, and
friends were notified that she
died there last Friday, Oct. 13.