- SEWARD’S
All-cWecitker
SEAPORT
Is Alaskans
Greatest Asset
Seward Seaport Record
Formerly The ScwarJ Polaris &■ Kenai Peninsula .Aleutian Chain Neivs
Vol. V. NO. 61
SEWARD, ALASKA, TUESDAY, FEB. 1, 1949
Price 10 Cents
Heaviest Ocean Traffic j
Since Before War
Promised Port of Seward
A schedule of at least seven pas
senger ships a month into Seward,
plus frequent freighter service, will
give southwestern Alaska the
heaviest steamship schedule of the
past decade.
This was the prediction last
week of H. N. Peterson, general
traffic agent for the Alaska Steam
ship Company, on a swing through
the Territory in the interests of his
company.
He said for the first time since
before the war the Alaska Line
was advocating tourist trips to in
terior Alaska and that the tourist
business should be the heaviest
ever known.
Alaska received a very black eye
as a tourist mecca just before and
just after the war when there were
insufficient hotel accommodations.
Travellers were purposely discour
aged from coming north until some
guarantee could be made that they
would have rooms in the various
towns.
The situation is somewhat allevi
ated now, he said.
The Alaska Steamship Company
will operate 11 vessels this year—
three passenger ships and eight
freighters.
Heaviest “Since Kennecott Days''
Speaking before the Anchorage
Rotary Club last Thursday, he de
scribed the service as the heaviest
“since Kennecott days.” At that
time, he explained, the Kennecott
mine near Cordova was furnishing
a back-haul in copper ore and the
Alaska Steamship Company was
able to operate fast, frequent serv
ice because it was not necessary
to load ships to capacity for the
northbound trip.
Freight prospects die excellent
for the coming "season and the
tourist and passenger travel will
demand more frequent service.
However, the company has only
three passenger ships for the sc.v
ice as compared to 10 in pre-war
days, he said. Faced with the ne
cessity of speeding service, the
plan is to cut waiting time at Se
attle by reducing freight loads to
about one-half per loading at Se
attle.
In other words, Mr. Peterson ex
plained, instead of a vessel waiting
for a full load of 2,000 tons, it will
sail north with 1,000 tons, enabling
it to make a quicker turn-around.
(Turn to Page 3)
Two Railroad
Oldtimers Earn
Retirement
Two long careers with The Alas
ka Railroad-—one of over 20 years’
duration and the other almost 30
years—ended this month as Gust
A. Moe of Seward and John Wirum
of Anchorage, both 62 in January,
retired.
Both railroad men were born in
Norway in 1887. They are acquaint
ed;
In Alaska Since 1916
Moe came to Alaska in 1916. He
went to work on the ARR on June
24, 1918, working at Point Posses
sion for 16 months. Later, when
the Railroad operated the Seward
dock, he worked as longshoreman.
During the war, lie was foreman
of heavy lifts on the dock.
He is married and has four step
children, all living in Seward.
Wirum, who lives in Anchorage,
went to work for the ARR on June
ft, 1919, a n d worked straight
through with the exception of
three months. A veteran of World
j War I, he was a foreman in the
carpenter shop. His son, Carl H.,
works as a junior draftsman in tlie
Engineering Department of the
Railroad.
W.S.C.S TO HOLD
FELLOWSHIP DINNER
The Woman’s Society of Christ
ian Service met at Miss Ruth
Leichliter’s apartment last Thurs
; day evening for a business and so
: cial meeting.
A committee was appointed to
make plans for a \nano recital at j
which Miss Mary Clements of;
Moose Pass, talented musician, j
will appear. The date will be an
nounced later.
It was announced that a Fellow
ship Dinner sponsored by the Of
! ficial Board of the Seward Memor
ial Chruch will be held Monday i
evening, February 7.
Tentative plans we e also made
for a social to be held during the
visit of the Navy to Seward.
Assisting Miss Leichliter as host
esses were Mesdames Cliff Whip j
pie and Tom Howell, who served
' delicious refreshments to the group, i
Polio Campaign Nets $411
Here; Dance Brings $192
Seward again showed that it
has a heart when figures on the
March of Dimes and Grand Ball
were released, showing a total of
$441.
The count made Monday evening
showed that the coin containers
were good for a total of $17^.10,
when they were picked up from
the various business houses in
town.
The dance itself brought in $192,
while the coke stand showed a
total1 of $60.70 and the checkroom
accounted for $16.30.
Directed by Gilfilen
The campaign was sponsored by
the joint efforts of the Infantile
Paralysis Committee and the Sew
1 ard Public Health and Welfare
I Council. Checkroom and refresh
ments were ably handled by the
I Rainbow Girls.
While the committee worked
hard on the affair to make it a
' success, individual members of the
| committee pointed to Chairman
Hal Gilfilen as the man whose di- i
rection and management made the j
affair a success.
The figures quoted above may I
not be the exact figures because I
there will probably be more tickets j
reported sold, and there are still \
a few small bills that will have to |
be paid.
Of the net proceeds, one-half
will be sent to the National Foun
dation for Infantile Paralysis, and
half will be used locally for the
crippled children of Seward. This
fund has been used in Seward to
the greatest possible advantage, j
and this year’s contribution will, 1
no doubt, save a life, or mend one.
Auditor Checks
Vets’ Housing
Affairs
A. S. Kit to, auditor for Veterans’
Housing, arrived in Seward yester
day for the purpose of making an
audit of the records of the Seward
veterans’ project.
KiUo, who is registered in a
local hotel as having a Portland
address, said that he had been on
a train in Idaho when he received
a telegram to change his plans for
an immediate visit to Seward.
While here he will settle the con
tract with Fred Howard, construct
ing contractor, and will take care
of all items for which the city is to
be reimbursed. When this is ac
complished, the city will be well
on the way to getting rid of one of
the worst headaches it has ever
had.
It was stated yesterday that the
Housing Authority office in Wash
ington, D.C., had not even been
aware of a troubled situation in
the Seward housing project until
a week or so ago.
As a result of an investigation
of Communist activities recently, a
high ranking housing executive on
the West Coast was dismissed, and
his records as well as personnel
system were found to be in a state
of confusion.
Fails To Go On Trial Feb. 3
It was also learned yesterday
that P. J. Fail , farmer manager of
the Seward housing project, will
be brought to trial February 3 be
fore the District Court in Spokane,
Washington.
According to local reports. Fails
voluntarily entered a veterans'
hospital for a mental check-up
after fleeing Seward. Federal au
thorities. who had followed him
from Seward, waited till Fails had
been discharged from the hospital
after a couple of weeks and ar
rested him when he tried to leave.
At Hdels . . .
The New Sawed—A. S. Kitto.
Portland. Ore.: Ray O. Eustrom.
Anchorage: William M. Maxey,
Fairbanks; J. D. MeCarrey, An
chorage: Mi' and Mrs. Charles O.
Lewis, K 'silof; Robert K. White,
Kasilof; Roy Boyd, Anchorage;
Leonard Hopkins. Anchorage: Pas
tor RT. L. Miles, Anchorage: F.rne t
V. F.ltz, Anchorage: Calvire Bear 1
Anchorage; Willard C. King, An
chorage; Frank Denny, Anchorage;
Charles Ingersoll, Anchorage; Mor
ris Larson, Wrangell; Dominic Kel
ly, Lake View.
WOMEN'S CLUB BAKE SALE
SATURDAY, FEB, 5
The Seward Women’s Club will
hold a bake sale Saturday, Febru
ary 5, at The Blue Shop. The sale
will start at 11 a.m. and continue
till everything is sold.
Mrs. John Keidser and Mrs. Tom
Howlel are the committee in
charge.
Mrs. Harry Southard is recover
ing nicely this week from ‘‘party
fatigue.” The popular “acting com
missioner for Seward had a birth
day January 28, and friends gave
a series of parties for her and Mr.
Southard. The first of her birthday
parties took place on Wednesday,
January 26. and the last party was
given Sunday, January 30.
Difficulty with the heating sys
tem at the local school building
forced a short suspension of classes
this morning (Tuesday).
League Basketball
Games Tonight
At USO Gym
The City League teams will play
their second games of the last
series tonight, Tues., Feb. 1, at the
USO civic center.
The opener, starting at 7:30, will
be between Seward Hardware and
Seward High School.
The B & B Boosters and Seward
Light and Power are scheduled for
the second game tonight.
Last Friday night’s games saw
the Ponies defeat the B & B Boost
ers G3-31. The second game, be
tween the Seward Light and Pow
er and the Seward Hardwaremen,
was nip-and-tuck throughout. The
very tired teams closed the game
in a second overtime period with
the Seward Light and Power sink
ing the final baskets to win 64-GO.
In the first game of the evening
the Seward Girls All-Stars defeat
ed the GAA sextet 18-12, in an in
teresting game.
Kodiak Game Feb. li
Word has been received from the
1 coach of the Kodiak High School
i basketball team that, due to
change of railroad schedule, the
! Kodiak team will not arrive in
i Seward until the evening of Fri
day, Feb. 11, and that the team
must return to Anchorage the fol
j lowing morning. This means that
Seward High and Kodiak High
i will play only one game, which
i will be held Friday, Feb. 11.
VA GUARDIANSHIP SERVICE
PROTECTS ESTATES OF VETS
j
World War I veterans and their
••families are given protection under
Veterans Administration guard
ianship service in the handling of
any estate derived from govern
ment payment made on behalf of
the veteran.
VA guardianship service is pro
vided, without cost, to World War
I veterans, minor dependents and
incompetent beneficiaries.
Responsible for carrying out the
guardianship program are chief
attorneys in the VA regional office
in each state. Acting in accord
with federal and state laws and
VA regulations, the VA attorneys
supervise guardians a. >int< by
state (probate or country court.?,
as well as legal custodians recog
nized by VA Each attorney con
duct ■ the p ng : in ; , g
tive area under his jurisdiction,
i Veterans or their dcuendents
(desiring further details about th
VA guardianship program should
contact the Veterans Adnrinistra
i tion office nearest their home.
! A son was born to Mr. and Mrs.
j Jesse Robinson of Konai on Fri
; day, Jan. 23 at Seward General
, Hospital. This is the second son
| for Mr. and Mrs. Robinson
Navy Smoker
fanned for
Ships’ Visit
Some sharp bouts are being
lined up for the Navy Smoker,
with about ten leather pushers all
ready working out with gloves and
punching bags in the old USO
gym.
The bouts will consist of three
rounds of two minutes each with 8
ounce gloves. Heading the program
will be Murl Trevethan and Paul
Wangly, both old time profession
als.
The third man in the ring will
be Harold Maxwell, who had 300
fights as an amateur before turn
ing pro for an additional 200 fights.
Maxwell has said that he doesn’t
even remember a great many of
his fights.
Among the would be contestants
1 are three army boys who have to
come to the gym for workouts at
what ever time they come off
duty. Some of the other boys have
had golden gloves or other ama
teur experience.
It is hoped that it will be pos
sible to arrange a bout or two be
j tween members of the Navy ship’s
crews while they are visiting here.
That, of course, will be entirely
' up to the navy boys,
i Playtime Program
j A program has been .tentatively
I arranged for the use of the USO
, building for recreational purposes
, with pre-school children having
the use of its facilities between the
, hours of two and four in the after
noon six days a week.
Children of school age, but
younger than 12 years will be per
1 mitted to skate or make other use
of the gym six days each week
from four to seven o'clock. The
rate for all children under twelve
will be S4.00 per month. This will
permit skating 15 times each
: month.
' For children over 12 years and
i for adults the hours for skating
J and gymnasium work will be from
I seven till ten pan. at a cost of $5 00
| per month six days a week This
1 will include skating four times
j each week.
! Admission prices to city league
j basketball games are not included
' in the monthly charge, but there
j are only a few games left on the
| schedule and will cause no diffi
j culty.
Seward High School Ponies are
J taking advantage of the opportuni
: tv to practice on the large floor
j and should thereby have gained
| a valuable adjustment to the play
! ing on a large floor in the tourna
1 ment at Anchorage.
PROCLAMATIOM
WHEREAS, the City of Seward has
long held the health of its citi
zens as its major resource, and
WHEREAS, the health of citizens
and of American youth serving
the nation are mutually depend
ent, one on the other, and
WHEREAS, the venereal diseases
strike at the foundations of'na
tional strength, threatening the
homelife and the families of this
country, and
WHEREAS, the American Social
Hygiene Association in coopera
tion with public health authori
ties. the military services and the
USO, and medical, legal, social
and civic agencies of this nation,
state and community, has fixed
February 2 as Social Hygiene
Day to alert citizens for united
action to combat these diseases,
foster happy and healthy home
life, and maintain wholesome
conditions outside the home for
our young people,
TOW, THEREFORE, I, Eugene N.
Lanier, mayor of the City of
Seward do hereby proclaim Feb.
2 Social Hygiene Day and call
upon all people in our city to
participate in the observance and
give the program their full sup
port.