THE BARANOF BANNER
Published weekly on
Thursdays by the
Pioneer Press
in Sitka, Alaska
Richard S. Calhoun
Editor & Publisher
Viki Ellis
Associate Editor, Womans
Editor & Advertising
Manager
Sports Editor
Gil Truitt
History Editor
George A. Hall
Office & Plant Phone
747-3319
Subscription rates
H ie Year $4.50
Two Ye ars 7.00
Throe Years 9.00
Ten Cents a copy
Transit adverising rates $1.05
per column inch. Complete
Rate Card on request.
EDITORIAL
W e 1 e o m e, again, to the
pages of the Banner! During
our ‘hiatus’, which, inciden
tally, was even longer than
anticipated, we have been
most appreciative of our sul>
s c r i 1) e r s’ patience and en
< mragemeni. as publication
date drew closer, the interest
generated has, indeed, spark
ed our e n t h u s i a s m and
made the enormous task of
getting the wheels (and press
es') rolling again, much
e a s i e r. To all who born so
patiently with us and to our
many well wishers, we say,
Thank You".
As you already know, the
Baranof Banner is primarily
interested in LOCAL NEWS
(OVERAGE. We invite your
i >- >poruHon and participat
ion and hope’ that you will
channel anything you consid
er newsworthy to this desk—
and we do mean anything—
just give us a call at 747-3319
or drop a card toBox 860.
It is perhaps an obvious
fact that we June finally suc
t coded, after a summer’s
s e a r eh, in hiring a linotype
operator.
No amount of enthusiasm
would get a paper out with
out one! Suffice to say that
Michael Shipley arrived here
1 a s t w e e k from Jackson,
Michigan with his wife, Pat
and eleven month old daugh
ter. Mike’s a busy man these
d a y s-besides printing the
banner -he's also house-hunt
ing. (The Shipley’s will settle
for- an apartment if you hap
pen to have one!)
And a hearty welcome to
Mrs. Jessica Mather who will
cover the doings' at the Pio
neer Home in her weekly
column. “We. Tilt' Pioneers”.
Mrs. Mather's vitality and
charm bring to life the print
ed w ord w hich in turn pro
ties still another link betvvten
the Home and the community
in which it plays such a vital
role.
We didn’t plan it this way,
but it seems we've gone to
press just in time to make
some last-minute and timely
remarks about the Primary!
Since we don’t have a crystal
ball (yet) and since the var
ious candidates have present
ed their side of the story with
a good deal more gusto than
w e could hope to achieve in
the few inches left for editor
ializing, pehhaps we should
concentrate on THE . IM
FORTAGE OF VOTING and
call it a day. (Besides the
S t a t ehoocl Committee has
done a good job of supplying
us-and-you-w i t li the State
hood Facts-printed elsewhere
in this paper.) Anyhow, the
Importance of Voting cannot
be overestimated. It is essent
ial that this area, that is Sitka,
Mt. Edgecombe and James
town Bay, turn out as many
v o t e r s as is humanly pos
sible in both the Primary and
General elections. With Sitka
going to the Legislature for a
million and a half dollars
with which to match Federal
Funds in order to build its
airport and considering the
needs of this rapidly growing
community the NUMBER of
voters is extramely important,
for the more voters who vote,
the more attention the mem
bers of the Legislature will
give to Sitka.
It is, of course, axiomatic in
any election that all eligible
voters should go to the polls,
but it is of particular import
ance, right now, for this com
munity to show the next leg
i s 1 a t u r e how much is has
grown and how many votes it
has. By voting you will not
only be exercising your most
cherished privilege u n d e r
the American Flag but also
helping your community ob
tain the attention it merits in
the next session of the legis
lature.
If you are an American Cit
izen, nineteen years of age
or older, have resided in Ala
ska for one year prior to the
election and have resided in
the voting precinct for thirty
days just prior to the election
t h e n Y O U are eligible to
v°te. Incidentally, you need
not register-that is done as
you vote!
“YES” VOTES NEEDED ON
ALL THREE PROPOSIT
IONS
Affirmative votes on all three
propositions of the Alaska
Statehood referendum are re
quired in order for Alaska to
fulfill the provisions of the
Statehood Act.
Majority votes are required
on all three propositions.
if only one or two proposit
ions pass and a third fails to
receive a majority vote, the
Statehood Act is voided and
A I a s k a has no further op
portunity to vote on State
flood.
The three propositions, while
they are worded differently,
basically all can be boiled
down to one principal quest
ion; ARE YOU IN FAVOR
OF THE PRESENT TERRI
TORY OF ALASKA BE
COMING A STATE?
Hie three propositions are:
NO. 1-Shall Alaska immedi
ately be admitted into the
Union as a State?
NO. 2-The boundaries of the
State of Alaska shall be as
prescribed in the Act of Con
gress approved July 7, 1958,
and all claims of this State
to any areas of land or sea
o u t s i d e the boundaries so
prescribed are hereby irrevo
e a b 1 y relinquished to the
United States.
NO. 3-All provisions of the
Act of Congress approved
July 7, 1958, reserving rights
or p o w e r s to the United
States, as well as those pre
scribing the terms or condit
ions of the grants of lands of
other property therein made
to the State of Alaska, are
consented to fully by said
State and its people.
What do the three proposit
ions mean?
NO. 1-Simply asks the voter
if he favors Statehood.
NO. 2-S e t s out that the
boundaries of the State of
A 1 a s k a shall be exactly as
t o r y of A 1 a s k a with no
changes. * *
NO. 3-Merely reaffirms the
right of the President of the
United States to make certain
military withdrawals in the
event of a national emer
gency, a right he already is
able to exercise in all the 48
States.
t h e y are now for the Terri
VOTING QUALIFICA
TIONS
The Alaska State Constitut
ion provision that 19 and 20
year-old Alaskans may vote
applies to the August 26
primary election at which
statehood referendum will be
decided.
There have been reports cir
culated that 19 aad 20-year
old citizens may not vote un
til after the primary election.
This is not true.
According to the Alaska State
Constitution, Article 5, Sec
tion 1:
“Every citizen of the United
States who is at least 19 years
of age, who meets registra
tion requirements which may
be prescribed by law, and
who is qualified to vote under
this article, may vote in any
state or local election.”
NATIVE POPULATION
BETTER OFF WITH
STATEHOOD
How will statehood affect the
native population of Alaska?
The answer, according to offi
cial non-partisan sources, is:
Natives will be better off with
statehood than they were un
der the territorial form of
government.
In a letter dated August 8,
1958, the area director of the
Alaska Native Service, James
Hawkins, said:
. -“A 1 a s k a n statehood will
make no change in any of the
Native ..reserves . or ..in land
ownership ..of the Native
people. .
It is my considered opin
ion that the Native people of
Alaska ..will ..be much better
off ..after statehood is achiev
ed than under territorial
status, because of the re-ap
portionment in the Legisla
ture. They will have a voice
in the new Legislature which
w a s impossible w h e n we
were a territory.”
Hawkins also said that he
was preparing a news release
which is “intended to reasure
the native people of Alaska
that their status will not be
changed by the advent of
statehood.”
I he Secretary «f the Interior,
Fred A. Seaton, also lahled as
false” and “malicious” the
rumors that say Native Alas
kans would be moved to re
servations when Alaska be
comes a state. In a letter to
Gov. Mike Stepovich, Secre
tary Seaton said:
“There is no truth at all in
the rumor that the Alaska
Statehood Law will require
Natives to live on reserva
tions. As ..American citizens,
Alaska Natives have, and are
entitled to, all the rights of
other American citizens and
1 can understand how they
could become upset because
of such a false and malicious
rumor. The law makes no
change in the right of Alaska
Natives to live where they
are living now. The Natives,
if they wish, may stay where
they are and they can use the
same lands they have been
using.
.“When Alaska becomes a
state, each Native will contin
ue to have the same rights as
any other Alaskan. He will
have the same right to vote,
and the right ail citizens have
to keep their land. By voting
to send two Alaska Senators
and an Alaskan Representa
tive to the Congress in Wash
ington, D. C., these Natives
w i 11 have a larger role in
government than they now
have.
.. “There is no question that
the Natives will be better oft
after Alaska becomes a State.’
The Constitution of the State
of Alaska specifically protects
the rights of all citizens, in
cluding Native citizens, and
there is no discrimination
against any group of Alaskan
citizens. The Constitution of
the State of Alaska says:
“No person is to be denied
the enjoyment of any civil or
political right because of
race, color, creed or national
origin. The Legislature shall
implement this section.”
The Constitution further
states:
“The right of all persons
to fair and just treatment in
the course of legislative and
executive investigation shall
not be infringed.”
THE TACKLE SHOP
for
the Best In Sporting Goods
Ralph J. Rivers, Democrat,
has recently returned from
Washington, D. C. where he
has served during the last two
years as U. S. Representative
elect from Alaska.
Born in 1903 at Seattle,
Washington, he west to Alas
ka with his pioneer parents at
the age of 3, and attended
school in Alaska. His higher
education was at the Univer
sity of Washington at Seattle
where he became a law grad
uate in 1929. He married and
raised two children in Alaska.
He served 10 years as United
States Attorney for the Four
th Division of Alaska with
headquarters in Fairbanks, 4
Please Turn to Page 7
VOTE FOR STATEHOOD
August 26th
VAN HORN
or Vanhorne
either way it spells
GOOD GOVERNMENT
Vote
Fred Van Horn
VOTE FOR
Frank E. Cashel
DEMOCRAT
Alaska State House of Representatives
Alaska Resident for 39 Years
Active Union Member 17 Years - Officer 7 Years
Ex-Fisherman Vitally interested in Redevelopment
of our Fisheries
First Senior Vice Commander VFW Post 8843
Member American Legion Sitka Resident since 1941
Primary Election - Tues., Aug. 26th
VOTE
For State Representative
For two year term
Myrth B. Sarvela
Republican
A dependable r epresentative
Will bring “What goes on” in the Legislature to you weekly
through a newsletter and by a radio talk.
An informed citizen will act wisely.
Doris Barnes
REPUBLICAN
FOR STATE SENATE
WRANGELL-PETERSB URG-SITKA DISTRICT
Legislative Experience
Eight Yearsin the Alaska Legislature; Member of first Alas
ka Legislative Council; Former Mayor of Wrangell; A Re
sident of Alaska for 40 Years. “WHAT’S GOOD FOR AL
ASKA, IS GOOD FOR YOU AND ME”
I am a member of:
Alaska Native Sisterhood; Eastern Star; Emblem Club
Beta Sigma Phi; Wrangell Women’s Civic Club; Wrangell
B. P. W.; Pioneers of Alaska; Advisory Committee of Shel
don Jackson Junior College; Alaska Crippled Children';
Association.
Vote Aug. 26th
Vote For
"Brad
n
X H.C. BRADSHAW
Democrat
State Senate
District 3 & 4
If Elected I will Strive for the Creation of the State of Alaska Second to None
I will Present to the Proper Committees the Desires of the People of this District
And see that these Desires are given Proper Consideration