'*-'aas,
Tiae Sew«r«i Polaris &
City Council Notesj
The City Council met in regu
lar session on the 19th.
The matter of the extention of
the hours for business for 'the A
merican Legion Club room from
1 All. to 4 A M. was brought up
and after some discussion was
dropped to be taken up later in
the evening with a refraining of
an ordinance which would allow
any clubs to operate after 1 a.tu.
until 4 A.M. The ordinance will
eliminate any club from operat
ing on 4th Ave. after July 1,
194t>. but does not set the limits
north and south except tentative
ly between the H R. crossing and
the Bank Building.
Bids are asked for filing cabi
nets for the Police Department
who have no way of filing con
fidential papers.
Dogs will be required to have
and wear licenses with a num
ber.
The tax on female dogs w ill be
much larger than on male dogs.
They will be picked up and held
for three days and cither sold or
shot.
The school housing came up for
discussion and aside from the
fact that $14,000 is badly needed
to finance salaries etc., a matter
which is giving the mayor and
council a real “headache” it was
decided to ask Architect Manley
of Anchorage for detailed plans
on the construction of a South
wing of 5 rooms. This must ne
cessarily call for bids by contract
ors and will mean an issue of
General Obligation Bonds of per
haps as much as $60,000 or $75.
000.
No action can be taken on the
situation regarding the money
due the school district until word
is received from Mr. Swetmann
who is in California.
Indebtedness of, the school a
mounts to $12,500 and $6,000 on
the gymnasium, a total of $18.
500.
Efforts are being made to work
through the Public Works Ad
ministration who put up two
for one in cash for public appro
priations. If this does not go
through, only Bonding is left for
the city, as schools we must
have.
The Veterans Project was dis
cussed and the matter of who
pays for the stoves came to the
front once more.
The members of the council,
particularly the hold-over group,
contend that the contractor. Mr.
• Howard should pay the bill and
are upheld in this by the govern
ment bureau. However, the con
tract which is held by Mr. How
ard calls for labor and material
only and does not provide for his
furnishing any stoves or other
equipment.
At the beginning of the Veter
ans Project, Ex-Mayor Harding
turned over to Tex Brinkworth an
amount in excess of $7000 which
Clerk Howell informs us was
over and above the cost of the
contract on the Housing Project,
and was the payment for services
of a project engineer.
Before the job was finished two
engineers in addition to Brink
worth were hired, and doubtless
were paid out of city or project
funds.
An effort will be made to get
a representative from the Veter
an’s flousing Bureau headquart
ers in San Francisco to come up
and settle the misunderstanding
so the city can accept the project
and Mr. Howard can conclude his
affairs in connection with the j
project. I
A considerable amount was col
lected from the 4th Avc. mereh- 1
ants for the oiling or surfacing of
the, Avc.. asphalt in the unship- I
able barrels having been promised j
the city by those in charge. It is
expected that the job will be
well under way by June first. |
Bids or applications were asked
for <1) City Clerk, salary $350 [
per month: i2) Assessor, to bid
on the job of visiting each home
and assessing personal and real
property: (3) Applications for city
attorney at a salary of $100 per
month.
Three barges are to he lebuilt
by a local concern The Kenai
Service Company, and tin* suc
cessful bidders have asked per
mission to use the Small Boat
Harbor. This was granted.
A letter asking permission in
use the area in tin* vicinity of
tile tunnel mouth tor a display
of fireworks during the V.F.W
Convention was read. Fire Chief
Kielcheski, whose appointment
was confirmed for the coming
j ear will be present.
Chief Clark was asked to serve
another year and he will make
appointments of those who serve
with him, subject of course, to
the approval of Police Commis
sioner Seferovich.
I'lie V.F.W. who have their con
vention May 19th to 24th here
will hold their meetings in the
u S.O. for the 5 days with a fin
al night of enjoyment featuring
the Grand Ball.
Tiie garbage situation was also
discussed and Dr. Sellers stated
he had not completed tin* prep
aratory work so as to arrive at
proper rates to charge different
home owners and businessmen,
therefore he asked more time
which was granted. He will be
aidd in this by Councilman Paint
er who stated that in doing so he
wished it understood that he was
not planning on bidding on the
garbage proposition.
Dr. Sellers was appointed the
Health officer for the ensuing
year and Aron Ericson as Treas
urer. The appointment of Engin
eer was left open until the need
for one arose.
The meeting adjourned about
11:30 Monday right. April 19
1948.
Jr. Class Play—High School Gym
April 29
MAY 3RD TO 10TH
CLEANUP WEEK
May 3rd to 10th has been set
as the dates during which the
citizens of Seward are sup
posed to make the Aryiual
Clean Up.
Between the 19th and the
24th of May the city will be
host to some 300 or more visi
tors and it is the intention of
the city council to have all in
readiness.
Free trucks will make the
pickup on the final day.
It was stated that unless
cleanup was made especially
on vacant lots that the job
would be done by the city and
the charges assessed against
the property.
It would be well not to wait
until the last minute, it was
said.
COMMKRCIAL PRINTING
Sec the "POLARIS”
BROWNELL’S LETTER TO COMM.
GENERAL WEEDING NEEDED.
ALASKA RAILWAY; PLANT
NEW CROP
Published in the Seward Weekly
Gateway, Seward, Alaska; Satur
day. September 13. 1930
n
Bv DON CARLOS BROWNELL
Foreword:—The Author of the
following article is a Pioneer Al
askan. coming North as a child
with his parents in 1900. He has
resided continuously at Seward
since the town was founded, ex
cept for several trips to the
Slates for studv and pleasure.
Born in California, he came from
'covered wagon' stock, a grand
father fighting in the Mexican
War on California soil, 184G.
Mr. Brownell has always been
interested in the study of effects
tnd their causes, both commer
cially and socially, and this con
tribution is the result of personal
observation.
$ *•
The subject-muttei <»f this
tide, (slightly altered in wording
only), was embraced in a letter
to the committee of Senators.
M* ssrs. Robert E. Howell. John
Thomas. John B. Kendrick, deliv
ered to them upon their arrival
in Seward, August 21. to investi
gate operation, smvice and bene
fits to Alaska a tie* Government
Railroad. This *70 mile system
leads fiom Seward on the south
ern coast, due north to Fairbanks,
a town in the hear! ol \Lisku.
For over ten years the system
lias provided regular passenger
HOWELL TO QUIT!
EFFECTIVE JUNE 1ST
Applications for City Clerk j
will be entertained by the ]
Seward City Council at its (
May 3rd meeting. Mr. Howell J
plans on leaving the employ
of the city about June 1st.
The position pays $350.Oo
monthly.
Applications for the place id'
City Attorney are also asked
at this time.
Mr. Baumgartner's appoint- .
mem is temporary and for a j
30-day period, all appointments !
and bids being subject to the i
approval of the council. j
and freight s'fcrvice to three ini
mense valleys, each as large ,i
the State of Ohio. It was buiit
and operated solely as \ stimu
lant 10 the coun.rv’;; development
The expected rcsul.s HAVE NOT
COME; in fact the railroad belt
lias declined, both m population
and developmei. , It is ‘lie C-ieai
Alaska Puzzl > am] ii-.c present
(Congressional Committee is all
ot her effort to find a solution.
During the past Pi years a
numbpr of Congressional commit
tees have been sent, up here to
“investigate”. They are met at
tach town by Chamber of Com
merce appointees, usually small
merchants and lawyers, and rail
road officials who herd them
from place to place; a banquet
here, a reception there, private
dinners! etc. During their stay
they are seldom out of hearing of
the General Manager, or one of
his assistants, who are, although
possibly unintentionally, censors
of all the committee sees and
> hears.
The General Manager is almost
a Potentate from the influence
and power he controls; by a sim
ple executive order, from which
there is no appeal, he can make
business good or bad in either
one of the three towns, or can
nullify any plan of commercial
development in the railroad belt.
For this reason all business men.
town officials, and all railroad
employees, have a strong fear of
openly criticizing anything that
he may do, or policy that he for
mulates. In fact, the people of
the railroad belt are a body of
“Yes, yes men."
They cannot be blamed for this
attitude, for too often in the past
have they seen people and towns
suffer for the di. pleasure of an
official. The best illustration of
this is the result coming from an
tagonizing the most powerful
member of the government's rail
road commission ol three, who
took over the old Alaska Noi th
em Kalwavi interest, and started
extending the then 70-mile road,
on to its present length. The re
sult of that antagonism was the
building of a new town, and an
attempt to build a deep water
harbor. The tributary country and
harbor possibilities of th place
be selected, had no attraction, or
excuse, for even a small town,
and yet this commission member
spent millions of dollars creating
the town of Anchorage, and at
tempting lu make an ocean har
bor here. The railroad machine
shops, (xeautive offices, and all
the activity connected \vith them.
• ■lticiently operated at Seward for
could havi been established and
a 10th ot the .cost of Anchorage.
He accomplished his purpose, and
Seward dropped from its natural
pi i'Oiuinrnct* as tho ocean tcrnu
md. to third‘place in importance,
ibis is no knock against the
present town of Anchorage, and
is given only as an Illustration
"f the painful results coming
trum ofending a head of the Gov
i° bear any real complaint or
eminent Railroad,
ical criticism, or remedial idc -s
a commit te.. should grant in'.s'
views in strict privacy to one pir
sun :,1 time without the pres
ence of anyone connected with
the railroad. That procedure is
..by way of getting at the
real opinions and if not followed,
ali heard will b. hymns of praise
!l,r tail road officials and * local
i c.'.s oi other government work.
*h‘‘re is no complaint against the
personality of any of these offi
>Ml>. criticism is directed only
against policies and plans.
Alaska did not need this rail
road at the time it was started
and does not need it yet. for
foundational development. If one
fourth of the railroad's cost had
wen spent constructing a nard
surface trunk highway along this
route, it could have brought f r
greater prosperity and growth.
Alaska is a long way off from th
point justifying a railroad of this
size. Since ifs completion, both
the ocean terminal towns have
declined in population and pros
perity. Anchorage itself, although
| supported by fh . payroll has de
dined also.
ine onty large development.
'and lhis no* permanent good to
Alaska) using the railroad, was
the gold dredging installation of
fhe Fairbanks Exploration Comp
any the ehavv machinery for that
project is the only haulage show
ing r-turns the railroad boasts.
There was a shipment, expensive
installation of coal mining ma
chinery by the Government. Oth
er than these mentioned. I do not
o lieve any other major develop
ment has occurred that could not
have been handled just as easy
on a highway. However, the mis
takes of the past cannot be un
done. but should help in formu
lating new policies.
The railroad has not brought
WATCH YOUR SPEED —
T' i' Police Deparnient has
issued the following warning:
That strict adherence to the
law governing speed and the
d; iving of automobiles within
city limits and throuoh school
areas is requested and that en
forcement lo the letter will be
the rule of the Police Depart
ment. Watch for the new signs.
in the past, and is not bringing
or stimulating, development and
growth of Alaska from its own
resources, and any showing of
f red as proof that it has, even
if true, is a very weak result,
and failure, for the $75,000,000 ex
pended on its construction and.
maintenance during the past 15
years. IT IS THEREFORE, A
WASTE OF MONrY TO OOV
TINUE THIS RAILROADS OPER
ATION, UNESS SOME METHOD
CAN BE FOUND, AND IMMEDI
ATELY PUT INTO OPERATION.
CAUSING A FUNDAMENTAL
CHP.NGE IN AFFECTS,
1 nat is a very harsh fact, hut
true, and the sooner it is brought
into the light, the sooner will
some successful remedy be found
for the painful situation. The
Congressional committees and the
Presidential Investigators who
cam here in the past, failed ab
solutely to find the cause or rem
edy. Each time there was much
haek-slapping. gushing optimism,
and prophesy; their advent her
alded as the start of the new era,
"Watch Alaska Grow” boorn. But
I what came of it ail? ABSOLUTE
| LY NOTHING, but the waste of
expense money. What they see.
: what they hear, where and how
— -
j ' ASKS BIDS
I
j The City Council asks fo. j
| j bids on the job of Assessor, j
j; He will go to every house in j
] | Seward and ask for valuations ]
j j on personal and real property j
II A report will be asked of .
every resident and each prop- j
j , ei iy owner, real or persona/ ?
i j will be asked to sign his ;
- j statement, j
j j The bid or application for *
City Assessor—a job which J
i can ho finished in about 60 j
; days—must be in before the j
; May 3rd meeting, which is the }
i I date of the next regular meet' j
_!
they spend their time, was care
fully supervised by interested
persons. Is it in human natuie to
show up its own faults, or fail
ures?
General Manager after General
Manager has come and gone;
each has been heralded on arriv
al as the long hoped for magician
who is going to transform the
Alaska wilderness into a solid
block of farms blossoming with
factories and factories blossomin ;
with farms "The Northland's En
pire Builder" etc., etc. Each has
run up and down the railroad u
few times in a private car. told
their plans to the "Yes, yes men”
gone to Congress for money to
bring the wonderful change about,
and then you hear no more e\
c pt the annual erv for annrnnri -
tion to feed the many people liv
ing off the operations of the road.
Is it in human nature to say any
thing adverse. or detrimental,
that might stop the feeding of
the cow that gives the milk? It s:
time all the camouflage was
wiped off and the bare facts ex
amined. There is no stronger
truth in the Bible than the state
ment. '“Bv their fruits Ye shall
know them”. No policy or plan
of each succeeding management,
has borne any real fruit, and 10
years is sufficient time for at
least the blossoming stage. There
fore the strong statements, and
the radical remedies and changes
of policy advocated here are
^ wholly justified and of merit.
(Continued in next issue)
PICKETING
MODERNIZED
BOSTON (UP)—Motorboats and
a plane were used by striking
shipyard workers to “picket” the
Bet'dehem Steel Co.’s East Bos.
ton yards.