SEWARD'S
Atl-cWeatKer
SEAPORT
Is Alaska’s
Greatest Asset
Territorial Library
THE ONLY NEWSPAPER IN THE WORLD THAT GIVES A HOOT ABOUT SEWARD. ALASKA
Vol. VI, No. 70
SEWARD, ALASKA, FRIDAY, MARCH 3, 1950
Price 10 Cents
Road Workers
Will Receive
Higher Wages
The announcement this week
by road construction contractors
of a hike in the hourly wage
scale on Alaska projects will
mean a higher take home pay
for local residents, but will
amount to less for the workers
who live in the camps.
The agreement between the
contractors and the unions pro
vides for an overall increase of
57 cents an hour in the pay
scale, but at the same time it
increases the charges for board
and room for those who live in
the camps from $1.50 per day
to $5.75 per day. Contractors
took a loss last year at the $1.50
rate, which loss was absorbed
in the overall cost estimate.
Union workers involved in the
contract are the operating engin
eers, teamsters, laborers, dock
builders and roofers. Also, the
ironworkers, cement finishers,
carpenters and laborers. Other
unions involved will negotiate
privately with the contractors
on separate projects.
The hourly wage increase was
made public in Seattle and
Stateside papers, and a rush
for immediate employment is
anticipated. The announcement
is accompanied, however, by a
warning to workers that the con
struction season does not open
until May, and that at present
there is no work in Alaska. In
spite of this warning, local and
territorial agencies are worried
that a rush may start by men
w’ho will be hoping to jump the
gun and get in on the jobs be
fore actual work is available,
thus throwing an impossible
burden upon local and territor
ial welfare agencies.
Republicans to Hold
Caucus in Juneau
On March 29
The Republican Party in Alas
ka has announced a caucus to
be held in Juneau March 29 to
discuss public welfare and party
interests. Party members are ex
pected from all parts of Alaska
besides representatives from the
various Republican Club groups
throughout the Territory.
The caucus was called to pre
cede the meeting of the Terri
torial Central Committee which
is scheduled for April 3, also
in Juneau, by order of Elton
E. Engstrom, chairman, and
Henry Benson, secretary of the
Central Committee.
It is not known at this time
whether any one from Seward
will attend the caucus, except
Mrs. Helen Brosius. who is treas
urer of the Territorial Central
Committee.
WOMAN'S CLUB TO MEET
AT SANATORIUM
The regular March meeting of
the Seward Woman's Club will
be held March 9 at the Seward
Sanatorium, with members of
the hospital staff as hostesses. j
The meeting is to begin \
promptly at 8:00 p.m. with a
tour of the Sanatorium, includ- j
ing a visit to the workshop, after i
which the regular business meet-i
ing will be held. The business I
meeting will be followed by re-j
freshments and entertainment, j
This visit will be the opportunity !
to meet the staff at the Sana-:
torium, and will be the first
time many Seward women have
seen the extensive layout of the
hospital. All Seward women are;
invited to attend the meeting on
March 9.
LUTHERAN SERVICES
The Reverend A. O. Odegaard
will hold Lutheran services on
Monday, March 6. at 8 p.m. in
the Seward Lutheran Church.
'Round V 'Bout Town . . .
—The Roving Reporter—
Mr. Lon Gray suffered an
unfortunate accident when he
injured his left hand while
working on some machinery
last Tuesday. In talking with
Mrs. Gray last evening she re
ported that several ligaments
had been pulled and many'
stitches were necessary but that
Lon felt very lucky as no bones
were broken.
Sif
Mrs. Cecil Casey gave a kitch
en shower in honor of Miss
Beverly Wirz Wednesday eve
ning.
%
Leon Lewis was blowing out
birthday candles Wednesday
evening. Mr. and Mrs. Jack
Werner and Mr. and Mrs. Jack
Kelly were dinner guests at
their house.
A welcome home potluck din
ner was given for Mrs. Pearl
Milroy at the home of Mrs.
George Everitt. Pearl’s birthday
falls on Feb. 29, and since she
really only gets to celebrate it
every four years they surprised
her with many lovely gifts.
Those participating were Mrs.
Forrest Kennedy, Mrs. Robert
Freeman, Mrs. Harold Oroxton,
Mrs. Curtis Weber, Miss Julia
McCann, and Miss Lucile
Stephan.
ter
Admiral Tom Jones, Vice Ad
miral Elmer Johnson and Capt.
Tormoid Bie, of the Alaska Rail
road’s navy, are aboard the
power barge 505 in their second
attempt to salvage an Alaska
Railroad steel barge which has
torn loose from its moorings
and is in a sand strip ashore at
Kings Head. They left Thursday
afternoon with stout courage
and high hopes for a more suc
cessful voyage than they had
on their previous attempt.
While Outside the Milroys
visited some former Sewarditesi
who wanted them to say “Hello”
to their friends here. Jerry and
Bill Petrie spent a week end
with them in Seattle and Mrs.
WTm. Plasterer, the former Lillie
James, invited them to lunch
and to meet her husband. Mrs.
Plasterer is very happy in her
new home which the Milroys '■
say is beautiful, including the
view as it overlooks a golf |
course.
In Denver they visjted with
Wilma Myers who, they say, is
even more beautiful than ever.
She is busy with archery, skiing,
horse back riding and social
activities.
Mr. and Mrs. Milroy tell us
they had a wonderful vacation
but are glad to be back home j
again.
Barbara Bauer said she learn
ed a lot of new bridge rules
while she was Outside. She en
tertained her old foursome last
Wednesday afternoon. She play
ed her' usual good game but
towards the last one of her eyes
bothered her considerably. The
girls accused her of seeing too
much Outside.
P.S. Her eye is O.K. again.
Cub Scout Pack 327 are en
tertaining their parents at a
potluck dinner next Sunday eve
ning at the Episcopal Church.
&
Little Jimmy Bruce Kirkpat
rick celebrated his first birthday
Tuesday at a noon luncheon at
the home of his mother and dad,
attended by his uncles and
grandma. Jimmy had to be
wakened from a nap to blow out
his birthday candle and have his
ice cream, but he didn’t mind
after discovering what it was all
about.
Power Bonds
Signed By
Mayor & Clerk
A special meeting of the city
council was called Thursday
night for the purpose of signing
the 104 one thousand dollar
bonds which were sent to Sew
ard for signature by Grande
and Co. of Seattle, purchasers
of the $104,000.00 revenue bond
issue voted by the people of
Seward in the August, 1949 spe
cial election.
The bonds required the sig
natures of the mayor and city
clerk, by authorization of the
common council. Each bond was
in the amount of $1000. and
there were 104 of them.
Upon receipt of the bonds,
the power equipment ordered
from Fairbanks Morse Company
will be shipped to Seward ac
companied by an expert who
will install and test the machin
ery before it is turned over
to the Seward Electric System
tor operation.
Deyel. Board Predicts
Population Increase
Alaska’s population will bo
found in the approaching decen
nial census to have exceeded the
100,000 mark, it is predicted by
the Alaska Development Board.
Substantial population increases
have occurred in almost every
major Alaska community since
the last estimate of 94,000 per
sons was made by the Board in
October 1948.
One evidence of the Terri
tory's ever-growing population
is revealed in an Alaska High
way traffic statement showing
that 10,282 persons entered the
Territory by highway during
1949, while only 12.108 departed
by the same means, a net in
crease of 4,117 persons.
Similar “in’’ balances are re
flected in reports on steamship
and airline traffic between the
United Slates and Alaska.
In addition to the influx of
new population, the Develop
ment Board notes that figures
compiled by the Division of
Vital Statistics of the Alaska
Department of Health show that
during the first 11 months of
1949 there were 1.900 more
births than deaths in the Ter
ritory.
"TIDE OF TOYS" FLOWS
TO CHILDREN OVERSEAS
Members of Seward Post No.'
5 unit of the American Legion
Auxiliary were informed today
of the success of the “Tide of
Toys” program in which they
assisted the American Legion in
the collectidn of toys for chil
dren in the war devastated coun
tries of Europe.
Approximately 900,000 toys
were in the first shipment to
Europe, according to informa
tion received By Mrs. Vera Park
inson, unit president. These toys
were destined for the port of
Rotterdam from where they will
be distributed by CARE repre
sentatives to children in The
Netherlands, Austria, Berlin and
Western Germany.
American Legion Auxiliary
units throughout the country
worked with their Posts in col
lecting. toys from American chil
dren and packing them.
PIANO RECITAL TO BE
PRESENTED MARCH 5
Mrs. Kenneth Baker will pre
sent her scholars at a piano re
cital entitled “Melodies That
Never Die,” on Sunday, March
5 at 2:30 p.m. in the Seward
Lutheran Church.
Parents and friends are cor
dially invited. A freewill offer
ing will be taken.
Snow Slides Halt
Trainsf Telegraph,
Telephone Service
A heavy snow slide north of
Hunter on the railroad Wednes
day morning halted all traffic
for the past three days. Number
30, a .32 car train, was caught
in the slide early Wednesday,
which was followed by two oth
er slides as the mild weather be
gan the breakup of the heavy
snow. The crew of No. 30 is still
with the train, which was ex
pected to be cleared by Friday
afternoon.
Telephone lines went out at
the same time on Wednesday
but were restored to service by
the next day.
Local radio listeners have re
ported hearing conversations \
from the snow fleet in which it
was said that the slide is the
worst one in many years, being
1000 feet in length and 20 to 30;
feet deep, and frozen in, making
rough going for the rotary plow.
M. Vo Tormina! Kno*
Rsnarsed Susitncs
The Alaska Steamship Com
pany motorship Terminal Knot
has been renamed Susitna, ac
cording to statement made today
by Mr. D. E. Skinner, general
manager of the company. “As
soon as the name plates have
been repainted and inspected
by the Coast Guard the change
will be official,” he stated.
This is the second Alaska
Line vessel to be renamed in
line with the new company pok
ey of identifying its freighters
with names of Alaskan lakes
and rivers. The steamer N. .d'na
was the first. It was form r’y
the Dorian Prince. The steamer
Chief Washakie is the next i:i
line for a new Alaskan title.
Susitna is the name of a river
tributary to Cook Inlet to the
northwest of Anchorage. It is
also the name of a mountain
located approximately 15 miles
from the mouth of the river.
The motorship Susitna is a
knot-type vessel, 321 feet long,
50 feet wide and 21 feet deep,
of 3812 gross tons and powered
by a 1700 horsepower Nordberg
diesel engine. Built in 1945 in
the Kaiser Shipyards in Rich
mond, California, she has been
operated by the Alaska Steam
ship Company since June, 1946
and was purchased bv the line
in 1948.
GIRL SCOUT TROOP ELECTS
MEETING PLACE
The Seward Girl Scout Troop
has been meeting in the high
school gymnasium this year as
a change from the Methodist
Church parlors. Some question
was raised recently as to the ad
visability of the move, so the
troop committee put it up to the
girls for a vote. They were given
two weeks to think about the
question and to discuss it among
themselves, then at this week’s
meeting, on Wednesday, they
were asked to vote. The vote was
unanimous to continue meeting
in the gymnasium.
The Scouts are planning a
bake sale for next Saturday,
March 11, to be held at McMul
len’s Store beginning at 1 p.m.
SEA HAWKS HONORED
AT BANQUET
The basketball banquet ar
ranged by Hinie Werner and Joe
Doyle was enjoyed by the team
and all those who participated.
Hal Gilfilen with his warm
smile and usual ease acted as
master of ceremonies.
Mayor Gene Lanier, Rev. Paul
Irwin and Mr. Galen Hunt com
plimented the boys with short
but timely speeches.
Coach Bill Knapp assured the
audience that regardless of what
they might read or hear the
Sea Hawks are the Class A
champions of Western Alaska.
Awaiting Word
From Kodiak
Bail Team
Carl Carlson, Superintendent
of Seward Schools, informed us
today that the basketball con
troversy remains unsettled, and
that no word has been received
from Kodiak on Seward’s will
ingness to accept the challenge
of the Class B team of Kodiak
for a playoff for title as West
ern Alaska Champion.
Kodiak was guaranteed $500
for the game if they would play
in Seward. They demand a neu
tral floor, which is only fair,
but, according to Mr. Carlson,
the Civic Center floor in Sew
ard is really more of a neutral
floor than Anchorage’s because
of the fact that the Sea Hawks
have just completed a series of
eight games in the Anchorage
gym, against only six in the
Civic Center here.
Two other considerations en
ter into the discussions on the
location of the playoff. One is,
that the Seward boys have al
ready lost so much school time
during the conference games and
the Rendezvous, that it would
be detrimental to their grades
to send them out of town again
at this time. Another point is
the uncon testable fact that the
challenger in any contest is ex
pected to meet the challenged
on the grounds of the latter’s
choice.
Seward is willing to play Ko
diak for the championship, they
are also willing to put up $500
for the expenses of the Kodiak
team, but it must be played here.
To date Kodiak has not signi
fied their intention to follow
through with the challenge, and
no word has been received as
to their intentions or their atti
tude toward the game.
The Daily Alaska Empire in
Juneau acknowledges Seward’s
title according to an article
which reads:
“A fighting team from the
smallest high school in the ter
ritory playing Class A basket
ball last Tuesday night walked
off with the Western Alaska
Basketball championship. The
game was played at Anchorage."
Mr. Carlson says that he is ex
pecting an invitation from Mr.
Scars in Juneau on behalf of
the Seward team.
Insofar as Sewardites are con
cerned, the Sea Hawks are
Western Alaska title holders,
honestly and fairly won, and
the boys battled to the top in
good faith, believing that they
had come out of the last game
as champions. That their title
was challenged after the last
game rather than at the begin
ning of the series, and from a
quarter which heretofore had
been silent on the subject, seems
inconsequential to the sport
fans in Seward.
LEGION AUXILIARY NEARS
MILLION-MEMBER GOAL
The American Legion Auxil
iary began its February activi
ties with nearly 800,000 mem
bers enrolled for 1950, accord
ing to Mrs. Bobby Smith, mem
bership chairman of Seward Post
No. 5 unit of the auxiliary here.
This was an increase of approxi
mately 100,000 over the same
date last year and was strong
indication that the auxiliary
would reach its million-member
goal this year, Mrs. Smith said.
Mr. Bert Smith, a long time
resident at the Alaska House,
left Seward Monday morning
for Rochester, Minn., where he
will take medical treatment at
the Mayo Clinic. Mr. Smith was
to make the trip by plane. He
has lived in Seward for the past
20 years.