SEWARD’S
All-cWeatker
SEAPORT
Is Alaska’s
Greatest Asset
Vol. V. No. 92
SEWARD, ALASKA, FRIDAY, MAY 20 1949
Price 10 Cents
Work On Small
Boat Harbor is
Delayed Again
Although the contract for the
construction of a mooring float for
the Seward Small Boat Harbor was
let by the city, the Territorial
engineer has refused to approve |
it, since the figure submitted by
the only bidder was $1,000 above
the alloted amount.
The Territorial engineer will call
for bids in an attempt to find a
contractor who can submit a bid
to build the float for a sum within
the amount of money authorized.
Meanwhile, many fishing boats
are attempting to operate out of,
Seward and there has been some
disatisfaction with the local facil
ities. At present the boats are
making use of a barge in the
Small Boat Harbor tor a mooring
float.
Fishermen of the halibut fleet
have expressed surprise at the
fact that Seward has done so little
to attract the $28,000,000 fishing
industry located almost within
sight of the city. With proper
facilities at Seward for taking care
of the catch and servicing the
fishing boats, fishermen believe
that it would be greatly to their
advantage to make use of the Port
of Seward.
Order of Rainbow
Girls Get Charter
The Seward Chapter of Order of!
Rainbow for Girls will receive its
charter Saturday night in a spe
cial meeting which is open to
parents and members of the Ma
sonic and Eastern Star orders.
The Grand Worthy Advisor, Miss
Pat Wolverton of Golden Dale,
Washington, Miss Carmen Hanson,
Paulsbo, Wash., a Past Worthy Ad
visor and Miss Barbara Nesbitt,
also of Golden Dale, and Grand
Representative to Arkansas arrived
on Hie Baranof to present the
charter to Seward at the Grand
Cross and Majority services in the
Masonic Temple.
The Seward Chapter was con
stituted in April of 1947 with Mrs.
Lenore Robbins as .Mother Advisor.
The charter membership is over
30 according to Mrs. Barbara Bed
ford, present Mother Advisor, and
Miss Beverly Abrahamson, Worthy
Advisor.
Seward Masonry is proud of the
conduct of this Order for Girls
and members of the Eastern Star
and Masons will turn out in force
to see the presentation of the
charter.
Miss Wolverton and the other
grand officers will leave Monday
for Anchorage and other cities to
visit the order all over the Ter
ritory.
Seward Meridian To Be
Listed in Tide Book
Commander John Bowie of the
Coast and Giadetic Survey team
in Seward last week stated that
in the near future there will be a
page in the Tide Book for the
Seward meridian.
At present it is necessary to cal
culate the tide in Resurrection
Bay and Seward vicinity by the
subtraction of two hours of time
from the Cordova listing.
A detailed day by day record is
being kept. Reported from the
automatic tide reporter on the
Seward dock by Gene P. Kirk
patrick, this record will be the
basis of calculation for the Seward
page in the next tide book.
Such a record is invaluable to
fishermen and small craft using
these waters.
Mrs. Bie To Speak
At Health Meeting
In Anchorage
Public Health Nurse Mrs. Tom
Bie will be a speaker at the annual
Publib Health meeting in Anchor
age next week. The meeting will
be attended by Department of |
Health personnel for the interior }
of Alaska.
The subject of Mrs. Bie’s talk i
will be Public Health Councils in
Alaska. It will be given before a |
special panel whose purpose will :
be to evaluate the work of local ;
health councils.
General Meeting
Besides Public Health nurses,
the meeting will be attended by
doctors, Native Service nurses, hos-!
pital administrators, supervisors, J
and head nurses.
At the meeting, such subjects
as care of crippled children, com
municable diseases, maternity and
infant care, engineering and sani
tation will be discussed. All plans
for this meeting have been under
the supervision of the new Health
Education division of the Alaska
Department of Health.
Women’s Club Install
Officers at Luncheon
The Seward Womans Club an
nual spring luncheon was held
Thursday in the Seward Memorial
Church recreation hall.
Fifty women enjoyed the lunch
eon of chicken a la king with po
tato chips and pineapple and cot
tage cheese salad, ice cream and
cookies.
Miss Ruth Leichliter as toast
mistress kept the meeting lively
and entertainment was given by
Miss Shirley Calnan, Mrs. Ralph
Hatch, Mrs. Paul Irwin and Miss
Lurline Wilkins.
Officers for the ensuing year
were installed. Mr*. Mildred Kirk
patrick as president, Miss Frances
Clark, vice-president; Miss Helen
Case, secretary; Mrs. Guy Kearns,
Treasurer; Mrs. Lapreal Bie cus
todian. The installation ceremony
was constituted by presentation of
beautiful corsages to each officer.
The Past Officer’s Pin was pre
sented to Mrs. Tom Howell, retir
nxg president.
Mining Claim Holders
Must File Notice
Although holders of mining
claims have until July, 1950 to com
plete the annual labor required
for assessment year commencing
July 1, 1949, notice must be filed
if they desire to hold the claims.
In order to take advantage of
the exemption from assessment
work this notice must be filed
before July 1, 1949, in the office
of the U. S. Commissioner in the
recording district in which the
claim is located.
Required in Stales
In contrast to the favored posi
tion of residents of Alaska in this
respect, mining claim owners in
the States will be required to
complete before July 1, 1949, $100
worth of work on each claim.
This is because Congress, at its
last session, granted only in Alaska
suspension of the assessment work
requirement during the year end
ing on that date.
Possible Extension
It has been pointed out that
there is a possibility there may
be new legislation introduced in
Congress during the coming year
to extend the exemption of assess
ment work should conditions in
Alaska justify the extension.
A report from the Commissioner
of Mines shows little activity in
the Seward precinct during the*
past two years. Two hydraulic
companies operated in 1947, but
only one in 1948.
Rehabilitation
Program Given
Army Support
Tentative plans for the rehabili
tation of the southern section of
the Alaska Railroad call for re
ducing curvature, installing heavier
rail, strengthening trestles, and
use of heavy mountain-type loco
motives.
Ross Mann, who returned
Wednesday from Washington,
brought the news that the Army
Department lias submitted a for
mal recommendation for the com
plete rehabilitation of the Seward
end of the line. The Navy, he said,
recognizes Resurrection Bay as one
of the fine all-year ports of the
world.
While it did not itself carry suf
ficient weight to turn the balance
in favor of rehabilitating the rail
road here, the memorial did serve
to indicate the solidarity of the
Territory in regard to the railroad.
It will be remembered that the
memorial was passed early this
spring by the Juneau legislature
urging Congress to authorize tins
work.
Mann said he believes that Dele
gate E. L. Bartlett is doing every
thing lie possibly can on this par
ticular subject. He introduced
Mann to many people who could
be of assistance to Seward, ' and
he wrote a number of official
letters to argue in favor of the
proposed program. Mann said he
has never seen a harder working
man than Bartlett.
ARR Rejects Bids On
Longshore Work
I ,
The government owned and op
erated Alaska Railroad has rejected
as too high all offers from private
firms in response to the railroad's
invitation to bid on longshoring
operations at the Port of Seward,
Alaska, where the railroad handles
lreight destined to the interior.
Ine railroad has declined pro
posals of negotiated contracts with
; private cargo-moving firms and
j will resubmit specifications and
i invitations to bid on the basis of
| straight rates per ton for ordinary
cargo with exceptions for certain
types of commodities. Revised bid
! invitations will be issued June 4
[ with opening on July 1 and awards
| made effective August 1 through
j railroad headquarters at Anchorage.
Unless new specifications pro
duce bids from private operators
at lower rates than offered to date
j the railroad will perform the cargo
I handling as a means of reducing
i overall shipping costs to the ter
ritory.
The Northern Stevedoring and
■ Handling Company holds the con
tract at the present time, but no
local officials of the company
could be located to elaborate on
the news. However, it is believed
that the company will continue
to handle the local stevedoreing
until the new contract is awarded
in August.
SANATORIUM WINS
MAIL CONTRACT
The Seward Sanatorium was the
winning bidder for the transporta
tion of mail from Seward to Bart
lett, Alaska. The Bartlett post
office serves the Seward Sana
torium and is located in a quonset
hut across from the Administra
tion Building.
The contract was awarded on a
payment per trip basis. Until fur
ther notice from Washington there
will be only one trip each day.
The first postmaster for the
Bartlett post office Is Melvin L.
Anderson.
Five Candidates for j
July Fourth
Queen Contest
Five candidates have been
named to date for the honor of |
presiding as queen of the 4th of
July celebration in Seward begin
ning with the coronation of the
queen at the dance on July 2.
The five candidates named to i
date are Patsy Woods, Evelyn Gil- '
bel t, Wilma Myers, Beverly Ren- i
wald, and Vera Lohman. Pictures!
of the candidates will be on display :
at the business houses which spon
sor them. Each candidate will re- j
eeive a new gown from a local
firm.
Mrs. William Ferguson, chair- !
man of the “Queen Contest” spon
sored by the Ladies' Auxiliary
units of the American Legion and
the Veterans of Foreign Wars, said
that the queen, with her attend
ants will ride upon a float in the
parade.
Plan Community Picnic
For July 4th Celebration
The Seward Chapter of the Izaak
Walton League of America, dis
cussed plans at their Wednesday
meeting for presentation of a pic
nic on July 3. Organization of the
picnic is under the direction of
the Entertainment Committee, con
sisting of Hal Gilfilen, Joe Doyle
and G. Edward Knight. Any other
League members who may desire
to assist in the picnic committee
are requested to contact chairman
Gilfilen.
Vice President George Lesko
suggested that the League enter
a float in tlie Fourth of July pa
rade. The League members agreeu
and anticipate presenting a final
that may win the $100 prize of
fered by flic American Legion.
A new chapter at Cooper Land
ing is in the process of organiza
tion. The Seward chapter will
sponsor this organization and
assist in getting them started.
Twenty-seven residents of Cooper
Landing have indicated their in
tention to form a chapter.
Les Gossage proposed that the
Seward chapter go on record as
“opposing any program encour
aging excessive taking or de
struction of game fish.” This reso
lution was unanimously adopted
by all members present.
U.S. Vets Eligible for
Canada Benefits
Many United States residents
who served dring World War II
with the Canadian armed forces
have not yet applied for certain
benefits available to them, the
Canadian Department of Veterans
Affairs reports.
The benefits are not new, Cana
dian government officials point
out, and are available only to
World War II veterans who have
not obtained them in the part.
The benefits consist of war ser
vice gratuities and reestablishment
credit.
War service gratuity amounts to
$7.50 for each 30 days of service,
with an additional 25 cents for
each day overseas plus seven days
pay and allowances of rank for
each six months of overseas duty.
Reestablishment credit consists
of $7.50 for each 30 days of service
and 25 cents for each day over
seas.
These funds are not given to the
veteran directly, the officials state.
United States residents entitled to
the benefit may use their reestab
lishment credit only for the pur
chase of veterans’ insurance in j
Canada.
Further information or applica
tions may be obtained from the
Canadian Department of Veterans
Affairs, Ottawa, Canada.
Fish Company
Doubles Cold
Storage Unit
Tom Reilly, business manager of
the Seward Fish and Cold Storage
Company announced today that
with the installation of the new
sharp freeze and glazing units this
week the capacity of the plant will
he doubled.
The plant has handled 160,000
pounds of halibut during the past
ten days, and with doubled capa
city this would mean the ability
to handle nearly a million pounds
a month, which would put the
port of Seward back in the busi
ness as a fishing terminal.
If soundings prove the anchor
age to be as deep as in the past
years, it is expected that the
Alaska Steamship Company ships
will dock there as in years past.
Packaged and boxed fish can be
loaded direct from the holding
rooms.
Gear and supplies, ice and bait
are being supplied to the halibut
ers by the company now and it is
expected that the fleet may re
turn to Seward.
The Army barge BG-1171, on
the marine ways for overhaul and
repairs, has been inspected and
approved by the army inspector
and will be launched early next
week.
Seattle C. of C. Group
To Visit Seward
A group of business men, mem
bers of the Seattle Chamber of
Commerce, are expected to arrive
in Seward aboard the SS Aleutain
on May 26 to meet with the Sew
ard Chambermf Commerce.
The purpose given for their visit
is that of meeting local business
men to discuss local problems and
the future of Alaska. Tentative
plans are afoot to change the ar
rival, possibly there will be a
luncheon.
EVER TRY TO CATCH
A GREASED PIG?
Catching the greased pig is pro
mised as one of the contests for
the 'Fourth of July celebration. It
is not definite yet whether this
lively and funny performance will
be held in town on the Fourth or
at the picnic which is proposed
for the Sunday entertainment.
Did you ever see a man try to
catch a greased pig or did you
ever try to catch a young pig
minus the grease coating? If you
have, then you know something
of the fun in store for the crowd
on the Fourth.
Where the pig is to come from
is a question which may bother
the committee some, but Pat Bo
gan has promised to furnish a pig
and probably see that it is well
greased if some one will volunteer
to catch it There is one thing
sure, no one will be able to train
for the event as there doesn’t seem
to be a single pig residing in the
environs of Seward this spring.
JUNIOR WOMAN'S CLUB
SKATING PARTY
The Junior Woman’s social
meeting on May seventeenth con
sisted of a staking party at the
local rink. Husbands were invited,
and the evening was enjoyed by
all.
This meeting was the last social
meeting of the year. A short busi
ness session was held in connec
tion with the annual banquet, and
committees were chosen. The ban
quet will be held on May 31st.
Do Your Part for the July 4 Celebration
^ * \