VOLUME 4 ❖ INDEPENDENT ♦> SEWARD, ALASKA * MAY 29 H>48 SEWARD, ALASKA •> UNITED PRESS SERVICE « PRICE 10 CENTS-77?
Aak $10 Million For
Housing Alaska Families
Money for houses which will
be for sale or rental to those
who qualify will continue to be
used as a revolving fund.
Commissioners of the Housing
Authority have been instructed
to do everything possible to re
lieve the housing shortages in
the Territory and they are un
animously behind this bill which
will be acted on by the present
Congress if sufficient pressure
can be brought to bear before
adjournment a month hence.
Governor Gruening is in Wash
ington and actively ingaged in
trying to get this bill before
Congress and acted upon.
t The effect in Seward would be
'o eliminate a large portion of
the housing shortage and make
for a larger city and would also
make it possible for a large num
ber of persons to come to Alaska
and via Seward and the Homer
road reach prospective home
steading areas much earlier in the
year, a decided benefit to them.
The amount of cash to be spent
.n Seward would be proportion
ate to the rest of the civic de
mand in Alaskan cities.
<$>
The following was received on
-day 20. 1918 by Mayor Lanier
and was immediately answered
by him.
The Alaska Housing Authority
has submitted a bill to Delegate
Bartlett calling for a grant of
funds by Congress for the con
struction of a substantial number
of permanent family dwellings in
the Territory. Each community
will receive a portion of the
housing if bill passes. Governor
Gruening supporting bill in Wash
ington urgently requests the fol
lowing information.
1—Estimated increase in perman
ent population since 1939 to pre
sent.
-—Estimated net increase in the
number of new or converted fam
ily dwelling units since 1939 to
present.
3— Estimated present shortage of
housing for families broken down
into number of families now
living in grossly unsatisfactory
housing or doubled up or over
crowded plus families in commun
ity unable to find housing.
4— Number of heads of families in
item three who are either vet
erans or employees of federal
agencies.
* 5—[Estimated income ranges by
precentage groups for families in
item three.
6—Estimated number family
dwellings constructed in 1947 and
1948 and estimated prospect for
1949 under present conditions
broken down into those to be
built for rent and expected rent
al charge and those to be built j
lor owner occupancy with expect-I
ed range of cost.
7—Estimated additional perman-|
cut jobs to be filled durning 1948 |
and 1949 by family heads in your i
community.
Please collect data as rapidly j
; as possible. I
This is the answer sent to
i
j Governor Gruening in Washing-■
; ton.
Item 1 — 1500
Item 2 — 80
I tern 3 — shortage of 150: 50 fam
ilies overcrowded: 100 unable to
j locate homes,
i Item 4 — 80
i Item 5 — 75 between three and j
four thousand per year, balance |
between four and five thousand, j
1 Item 6 — 1947-8 15 houses own-!
er occupancy 10 of w hich uncom- j
pitted due to lack of materials;
until 1949. Three small houses
for rent .$50 per month. Unit
cost $3000. 2 houses owner oc- j
jeupanev cos; approximately $5000.!
j Item 7 300
•- -
BIG RUSH ON
FOR HOMESTEADS
•
Homer is looking like tin- old j
Cherokee Strip these days with |
: the biggist land rush we have ;
seen just getting under headway.
Dozens of trucks are passing
I 1 i
i thru town in their mad rush to !
1 get out into the hinterland where 1
I ow ners can stake out a home- !
! stead.
I I
I These folks have treked up 1
the Alaske highway. boarded j
. scows at Anchorage and have |
come down the Inlet and landed i
at Homer.
Unfortunately most of the loca- ,
lions near Homer are taken and '
i i
no more will be available until j
the road is improved farther on.
i The trucks seem to be well
supplied and are loaded to cap
acity with all manner of farm
i chattels. Some live stock is hid
din away amongst the baggage
and the squeal of a pig or the
crowing of a rooster occasionally
is heard above the rumble of the
overloaded trucks on the gravel
. roads.
■ All we need now is a few pra
i rie schooners drawn by oxen, to
! make us believe we are back in
land rush days of the 18 hundred.
—Hqmer Homesteader
•
EXCLUSIVE
*
Captain: “What’s the matter,
l Murphy?”
Park Policeman: “Its Mrs. Din-1
1 widie who donated the birdbath
to the park. sir. She called me
to say that it wasn’t to be used
i by sparrows.” i
BUY A
BUDDY
POPPY
IN FLANDERS FIELDS ’
By Lt. Col. John McCrae \
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow i
Between the crosses row on row, i
That mark our place; and in the sky S
The larks, still bravely singing, fly, $
Scarce heard amid the guns below. ;!
We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie !
In Handers Fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe; H
To you, from failing hands, we throw \
The torch; be yours to hold it high.’i
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow,
In Flanders Fields.
Regular Meeting
of Seward C. of C.
Mail Service to the West-ward
does not depend on Congress.
Postmaster or Appropriations . s
the appropriation of $250,000 for
the fiscal year has been made.
Mail Service depends on how
much pressure from Seward, Ko
diak. Unga. UnAlaska, Atka and
about 20 other communities from
one end of the Chain to the other
and all of the Kenai Peninsula
can bring on the postal depart
ment.
Altho the money has been ap
propriated the Postal Department
is not obliged to spend it. The
best thing to do is write to Paul ■
Aikin, 2nd Asst. Postmaster: De
legate Barlett and any one else
who will go see them in Wash- ■
ington. D. C. and insist that mail '
service be resumed. Only plane
service is available at pres nt
and passengers and freight are;
hard to handle and expensive al
so.
* * *
i
In later issues of the Polaris
between now and the lfith of j
June you will read of the visit i
of the Gold Rush Jubilee Glee j
Club which will arrive in Se
ward on June 17th and give a i
Concert in the Methodist Church1
at p.m. that day.
They leave that afternoon for
Anchorage where they will ap
P in another Concert. There
23 singers in the group and
Seward should keep Thursday
Tin" 17 at 1 p.m. open for some
fine music.
* * *
Much time was taken up in
a discussion of the Jones Act.
By a slight majority those in
favor of a change of the present
policy won out.
* * *
A telegram asking that housing
conditions and data regarding the
situation here, has been sent to
th< city officials and was read,
together with answers to the as
sembly. The story appears ia
another column.
<i>
The phamplet or folder which
is to be published for the C. of C.
wit be handled by an outside
b'hographer. Prices on 5. 10. and
25 thousand in either a 4 or (1
panel job were given. A selection
was not made. However, a dir
ectory of Seward business houses
will appear but wehather this
Turn to page (2) two
Pioneer
Statesman
Passes
1 Honorable E. E. (All Chamber
lin, former mayor of Seward and
3rd Judicial District Senator
elected in 1920 to the 5th and Gtb
Territorial Senate, passed away
in the local hospital Trursday,
! May 27 1948, at the age of 85
I
years.
.Jameson's Legislative Souvenir
i Manual of the Territory of Al
I aska, 1923. has this to say ol Sen.
E. E. Chamberlin:
SENATOR E. E. CHAMBERLIN,
i was born in Waushare County,
I Wisconsin, on a farm, and spent.
: his boyhood days following the
plow in what is known as ‘‘Indian
Lands,” Wis. He was educated in
Berlin City, Wis., and graduated
from high school in that city:
I It is requested by the Mayor
and suggested bv many people
of the city out of respect to
Mr. Chamberlin that all busi
ness in Seward cease between
the hours of 2 P.M. and 3 P.M,
at the time of funeral at the
Episcopal Church.
■ engaged in newspaper work in
1 Nebraska, first with the Farmers’
Advocate, of North Loup, and
then on the staff of the Lincoln
State Journal, in the Nebraskan
capital: came to Tacoma, Wash,
when he was 25. became success
J tul real estate promoter; came to
Alaska during the Dawson rush
j in 1897 ; followed the stampeders
j to Nome in 19U0. located in Se
! ward in 1909: three times Mayor
. of Seward, member of City Coun
| cil for ten years; mining, business
pursuits: five year official guide
for U. S. Government expedition,
! Matanuska coal fields and Kenai
Peninsula: Knights of Pythias,
uniform rank: Pioneers of Alaska:
Presbyterian: Republican, elect
i od in 1920 to the Fifth and Sixth
Territorial Senates. Home, Seward
He served with Wm. Britt, For
rest J. Hunt. John Sundback, Jas,
Frawley, Thos C. Price. Earnest.
R. Collins. Luther C. Hess in the
5th session and in the Oth with
Frank A. Aldrich. Fred M. Ayer.
I Chas. W. Brown, A. J. Dimond.
, Jno W. Dunn. Forrest J. Hunt,
! and M. D. Snodgrass.
I Funeral services will be at 2:00
| Tuesday from the Episcopal
! Church.
1
I ... . . ......
JOB PRINTING
mMMKRCIAL PRINTING
MEMORIAL DAY SERVICES
The Public is Invited to Participate in Memorial Services
Sunday May 30 at 2:00 p.m. at the Army Dock and at
Seward Cemetery - 2:30 p.m.
Father Turner Military Services