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\ 20, NO. 11 KODIAK, ALASKA, APRIL 2, 1960 PRICE 10 CENTS
Six Alaskan Banks Consolidate; ■
0. A. Torgerson Chairman Of Board
The consolidation of six pioneer
banking institutions resulting in
the largest bank operating in Al
aska was announced today. The
participating banks are the Miners
and Merchants Bank of Ketchikan,
Bank of Wrangell, First Bank of
Sitka, Bank of Homer, Bank of
Kodiak, and the National Bank of
Alaska, under the latter’s name.
Total resources of the consoli
dated banks are approximately
$60 ,000,000 and offices are in six
teen locations. The amount of
capital stock is $2,168,120 with
st'rplus, undivided profits and re
serves in excess of $2,500,000.
In session at Anchorage for the
organisation meeting of the Board
of Directors on April 1st are the
following with their previous af
filiation: W. A. Bates, President,
Mind's and Merchants Bank of
Ketchiijan; G. W. Bishop, Presi
dent. Bank of Homer; A. W. Brin
«ilo, Director, Miners and Mer
chants Bank of Ketchikan; J. J.
Oonway, President, First Bank of
Sitka; L. O. Gore, Vice President
Mid Director, Miners and Mer
chants Bank of Ketchikan; Al
Hochberger, Vice President, Bank
ttf Kodiak; J. A. Holmberg, Vice
President and Cashier. National
Bfcnk of Alaska; R. L. Johnston,
Vice President, National Bank of
Alaska; G. F. Mumford, Vice Presi
dent, National Bank of Alaska:
Jtomes Nolan, Director, Bank of
Wrangell; E. E. Rasmuson, Presi
dent, National Bank of Alaska;
O. /. Torgerson, President, Bank
of Kodiak.
Senior officers of the consolidat
ed bank are O. A. Torgerson,
Chairman of the Board; W. A.
Beles. Chairman of the Executive
Committee; J. J. Conway, Chair
man of the Advisory Committee;
and E. E. Rasmuson. President.
Speaking in behalf of the
official family, Mr. Torgerson ex
plained that the consolidation was
prompted by the rapidly changing
economy in Alaska, accelerated by
the advent of statehood. "By this
consolidation,” announced Mr. Tor
gersen, "Alaskan bank manage
ment has joined together to meet
the needs of the expanding devel
opment of our great state, yet
remains locally managed and re
sponsive throughout the entire
area served by the enlarged bank.”
Poland Replies
To Chamber Letter
The Kodiak Chamber of Com
merce protest of the method set
up by the City for appearing be
fore the Board of Equalization, as
Reported in the Kodiak Mirror
last week, brought forth an explan
ation by City Manager Bill M.
Poland.
Poland brought out in a letter
to the Mirror that the require
ments for appearing before the
Board are not set up by the City.
He stated: “The requirements of a
written request for a hearing be
fore the Board is not an arbitrary
whim of the city government, but
is required by State Law, Chapter
.,., otooiuii L/tiWs oi Alaska, 1957,
Reference of which is made in a
notice published Ma"ch 19 and 26,
in the Kodiak Mirror.”
The City Manager went on to
say that this notice, which is quite
lengthy, was published as a public
information service, although it is
not required by law to be publish
ed. In the same issue a notice
was published, which is required
by law, stating th)_it the assessment
rolls had been completed and the
Board of Equalization would meet
from April 20 through April 27,
excluding Sunday. “Both of these
notices were apparently over
looked," he stated, “which leaves
us in somewhat of a quandary as
to how to convey information to
the people of Kodiak.”
Poland concluded by stating:
"The appeal form itself, which is
in general use in other Alaskan
cities, has been modified by the
City Council to remove any objec
tionable requirements, including
verification by notary public. The
revised forms are available at the
City Hall.'
Adjournment of Legislature Leaves
100 Bills For Governor To Sign
JUNEAU UR—Legislative inter
est switched to the governor’s
office this week with adjourn
ment of the first Slate Legislature
on Tuesday.
The lawmakers left behind about
100 bills to toe acted on by the
governor. Gov. William A. Egan
had signed 17 acts by Thursday
night. That brought to 75 the num
ber of bills passed by the 1960
legislature which has been written
onto the books.
Among the bills approved are
measures to increase the motor
and marine fuel taxes and the
controversial employment security
act.
Fuel tax increases—two cents
on highway vehicle fuel and one
cent on marine gas and diesel—
went into effect Friday.
The Employment Security tax
’ deceases are effective for the
irst quarter of this year and are
due April 30. The higher payments
caused by the imposition of $7,200
tax base is retroactive to January
1. The new experience rating sys
tem included in the Act does not
go into effect until October 1.
Gov. Egan is slated to foilow
legislators to Anchorage Friday
to bake part in the resumed Demo
cratic convention there. He .also is
to attend the National Guard en
campment.
Interest at the convention is to
be focused on a battle between an
alliance of Gov. Egan and State
Chairman John S. Hellenthal of
Anchorage and organized .labor.
Both Egan and Hellenthnl have
come under criticism from labor
lobbyist Henry Hedberg for thoir
role in the Employment Security
battle during the Legislature.
Also expected is a fight over
reapportioning representation in
the convention. The Third Division
is seeking a heavier representa
tion at the expense of the Alaska
panhandle.
Flight Changes
Announced By PNA
Effective April 12. all PNA
planes will leave Anchorage and
Kodiak twenty minutes earlier
than now. it was announced by
Ray Martin, agent here.
Flight 4 will leave Anchorage
at 1:40 p m., and flight 12 at 1:20.
Flight 11 will leave Kodiak at 4:40
p m. and flight 17 will leave here
at 10:40 a m. fVily except Tuesday
and Friday. F;i:.ht 17A. he said,
wvl leave here on Tuesday and
Friday at 10:55 a.m., which is 5
minutes earlier than now.
hrtUM Gaiidweti beeves Uinmamiajii
In Ceremonies at the IS Saturday ~
Hear Admiral Henry H. Gali
v !, US>J. will assume duties cfi
romrr,lander A’sskan Sea Frontier
r l Commandant 17th Naval Dis
>.r ct in special ceremonies at the
S. Naval Station here on Sat
urday, April 2.
fe replaces Rear Admiral Ar
nold W. McKechnie, USN. who has
been reassigned as Chief, Naval
AirReserve Training at Glenview,
Ul. He has commanded Alaskan
naval activities since January 1958.
RADM Caldwell reports to his
Alaskan assignment from the air
cnaft carrier USS Ticonderoga
from which his flag as Command
er, Carrier Division One was
flown.
Born in Rocklin, Calif., in 1905,
he began his naval career upon
graduation from the Naval Acad
emy in 1927. RADM McKechnie is
also a graduate of the class of
1927.
A Naval aviator, RADM Cald
well holds the Distinguished Fly
ing Cross and the Navy Cross for
action against Japanese forces in
the Plaicific while serving as a
flying commander of Carrier Air
Group 12 on the aircraft earner
USS Saratoga.
Other duties have placed him in
command of the seaplane tender
USS Pine Island during the 1946
47 Antarctic expedition; Chief of
Staff to.Commander, Carrier Divi
sion Six; in command of the air
craft carrier USS Coral Sea'-, Chief
of Na> 1 A-;r Reserve Training's!
Glenview, 111,- and- on the stiafh
cf various ohhcr co-minam s ashore
He is married* to the formei
Dorothea Matz of Reading, Pag
and has two children?--*-Dorothfek
Joyce and Henry Howard, Jr. They
list their official home address ae
Loomis, Calif.'* • '■*"
RADM and Mrs. McKechnie.
who have been in Alaska for moi#
than two years, will leave for
new assignment at Glenview, III.
following the change of command
ceremony Saturday. . •
The McKechnies have been the
subjects of several farewell bin*
quels and ceremonies held in their
honor -by service and civic groups
on Kodiak.
1st Class Mail
Scheduled For
Direct Flights
In connection with the new post
office policy of airlifting first class
mail to the Stiltes from Alaska,
such mail will go oust twice weekly
from Kodiak, Acting Postmaster
William Lamme announced today
All first class will be dispatched
on the direct flights on Tuesday
and Friday, none being sent on
other days to Anchorage. Such
first class will not go beyond Seat
tie by air and will be handled oh
a space available basis. Airmail
will have priority in handling
over any airlifted first class.
Deadline (liven Fsr Purchase Of
Commerce Fishing Licenses
All salmon fishing nets and Uk>
vessels to be used with such nets
must be licensed not later than
Aoril 15, by persons desiring to
take fish for commercial purposes
in Alaska during 1960, C. L. An
derson, Commissioner, Alaska De
partment of Fish and Game has
announced.
The applications for licenses
may be obtained from any local
vendor of stale fishing licenses,
state commercial fishery person
nel or by writing to the Alaska
Department of Fish and Game,
License Division, Burford Build
ing, Juneau, Alaska.
The Alaska Department of Fish
and Game license number as called
for on vessel and gear applications
will be the same in 1960 as the
former U. S. Bureau of Commer
cial Fisheries number previously
issued to each vessel. This num
ber should f;e entered in the
proper p'iace on the application
The federal plate is not to be
removed from the boat until tive
state plate is received, which will
carry this same number.
Unnumbered boats will be a*
signed new state license miro
ber.
Two kinds of licenses are is
sued; resident and non-resident.
A resident is defined as a pe*
son who for the immediately pre
ceding year has maintained a per
mnnent place of abode within the
Slate of Alaska and who hrus coo
(Continued on page 4) _