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VOL. 21, NO. 72_ KODIAK, ALASKA, JUNE 16, 1961 PRICE TEN CENTS
Voters To- Decide On Elimination
Of City’s Personal Property Tax
Whether the personal property
tax should be eliminated and an ad
ditional sales tax be substituted
will be decided by the voters in the
coming election this fall.
The City Council at its meeting
last night voted to have a resolu
tion or ordinance drawn up by the
City Attorney for submission to
the voters at that time.
Council members generally fav
ored such an ordinance, thus elim
inating the personal property tax,
which was labeled as “unjust,” and
a “burden” and hard to enforce.
The lone opponent for abolition
of the tax, Councilman White
stated: “I’m not asking anyone to
pay my taxes.” He said substitut
ing a sales tax for the personal
property tax was the wrong ap
proach. “If I own $2,600 on per
sonal property, I should pay on it.
I don’t think anyone coming to
town to do business should pay
my taxes.”
If such an ordinance is ratified
by the voters in the coming elec
tion, it will eliminate the tax on
personal property in businesses as
well as households. City Attorney
Mansuy, after making a study of
this phase of the measure, stated
that the State law that gives the
Council the right to impose a tax
also gives it the right to abolish
the tax.
Collecting the tax was termed an
administrative “headache,” due to
several factors. One was that of
evaluating property for tax pur
Veterans Affairs
Director Here
Mr. Harold E. Kenny, Deputy
Director of Veterans Affairs for
the State of Alaska, was in Kodiak,
June 13th, inspecting some prop
erties on which Kodiak Veterans
had made application to purchase
under the Alaska State Veterans
Act.
A veteran honorably discharged
who enlisted from Alaska and gives
Alaska as his home, is entitled to
apply for a home or business loan
in the amount of $13,500. More in
formation on this home financing
type of loan may be had by calling
George Cornelius.
Kenney spoke to members of
the American Legion and Veterans
of Foreign Wars on what the De
partment of Veterans Affairs ac
complished in the field of financ
ing homes, and helping Alaskan
veterans in cases of emergencies.
poses. This had to be left up to the
person being taxed. Some, it was
said, give an honest list and valua
tion of their property, others do
not. The impossibility of collecting
from those who move, was brought
out.
City Clerk Doug Preston stated
that more time is spent on collect
ing this tax than any other. “It is
infinitely hardest to collect,” he
said.
Councilman Worth labeled the
tax as “unfair, a burden on the
home owner.” Councilmen Brechan
and Frost concurred in substituting
the sales tax for the tax.
A unanimous vote was cast to
have the City Attorney draw up a
resolution for submission to the
voters.
To Construct New
Dock Warehouse
New warehouse space costing
$107,000 is to be erected at the City
Dock to replace a portion of the
existing warehouse on the water
front.
The building, 150’ by 500’, will
provide the dock with 15,000 sq.ft,
of floor space. There is 10,000 sq. ft.
at present.
The wing in which the office is
housed will remain the same as at
present. The portion towards town
and next to the road will be razed.
The new building will be mounted
on concrete, and the portion filled
in from rock, etc., taken from the
bank above the road, thus provid
ing much needed parking space.
The building will be constructed
of a comparatively new material.
Its trade name is Galbestos, a sheet
metal product bound with asphalt.
Several samples of similar mater
ials were tested here, but the Gal
bestos product won out. City En
gineer Jim Barr has drawn up the
specifications on the construction.
The building when constructed will
withstand winds up to 120 miles
an hour.
Cost of the building is $37,000.
The razing of the building, founda
tion work and fill, and contracting
of the electrical work are separate
phases, and will go up for bid.
City Manager Poland stated he
thought the building could be paid
for out of dock funds over a three
year period.
Festival of Music Opens June 20
A nine-day feast for music-lov
ers will start in Anchorage on June
20, with the first recital of the 1961
Alaska Festival of Music.
Co-directed by Robert Shaw and
Julius Herford, the sixth annual
Festival will feature recitals by the
Modem Arts String Quartet on
June 20, Westwood Wind Quintet
on June 24 and master vocal recital
with Donald Gramm, James Wain
ner, Saramae Endich and Florence
Kopleff on June 27.
First major concert will be con
ducted on June 22 by Dan Lewis,
with a special children’s concert
at 10:30 a. m. on June 24.
Conducted by Robert Shaw, the
grand Festival concert will be per
formed on June 29. All visiting
vocal stars, the 120-member An
chorage Community Chorus and 68
piece Festival orchestra will pre
sent Beethoven’s “Missa Solemnis.”
All concerts and recitals will be
staged in the Romig Hill Auditor
ium. An art exhibition arranged by
the Alaska Artists’ Guild will be
open daily from June 18 through
June 29.
Out-of-town residents requiring
information on tickets, transporta
tion or housing are invited to write
the Alaska Festival of Music, Box
325, Anchorage, Alaska.
Reach Agreement
On Financing
City Watershed
A new agreement has been im
plemented between the Alaska
Public Works of the United States
and the City of Kodiak which ex
tends the present contract with that
agency to a period of 30 years.
The new sales agreement which
includes the financing of supple
mental projects entered into in re
cent repairs to the City’s water
shed, and increasing the spillway
capacity of the dam, in effect re
duces payments to $5,000 a year,
thus reducing the yearly financial
burden of the City.
A simple interest charge of 2
per cent is levied.
The City Council acted Thursday
in passing a resolution to enter into
this agreement.
An increase in water rates is
seen. City Manager Bill Poland
stated that this move has been
shied away from, even though it
was suggested by the Agency as
necessary. He said the City’s rate
structure will have to be over
hauled. Rather than an increase
aill down the line, it was pointed
out that the rates should be ad
justed whereby the heavy users of
water should pay . accordingly
rather than domestic users.
To Investigate
Japs Fishing
In Bering Sea
SEATTLE (fP)—A report that
Japanese are planning to take 83
million pounds of halibut in the
Bering Sea area is being investi
gated.
Harry Dunlap, head of the Inter
national Halibut Commission,
pointed out that the original arc
ticle in a Tokyo newspaper did not
indicate the pounds was to be true
halibut, and could include two
types of flat fish the Japanese call
halibut. He further says the arc
tide indicated that a high percent
age of the catch was to come from
the Asiatic coast.
Gene Rutherford, of San Juan
Fishing and Packing Co., says the
Bureau of Fisheries, Washington,
D. C., and the National Fisheries
Institute have been contacted to
verify the figures, types, market
ing plans, etc., through the U. S.
Attache in Tokyo.
PNA Shows Gains
The past month saw Pacific
Northern Airlines set new May
records in all categories of traffic,
plus an all-time high for cargo, it
was announced today by Harold A.
Olsen, PNA Vice President of Traf
fic and Sales.
Cargo showed a gain of 37 per
cent over the same month a year
ago with 438,241 ton miles flown.
The previous al-time high in a
single month was 419,892 ton miles,
set in October, 1960. Air express
increased 63 per cent over a year
ago with a total of 12,036 ton miles
carried.
Passengers topped May, 1960 by
3.3 per cent with a total of 13,190.
Mail, air and first class, was up 33
per cent with 145,885 ton miles of
air mail and 8,172 ton miles of first
class mail.
Revenue ton miles flown in
creased 7 per cent with a total of
1,765,186.
To Crack Down
On Car Noises
Noises from cars without exhaust
mufflers, and the powered scooters
came in for discussion at the City
Council meeting Thursday follow
ing a letter protesting the noise
nuisance near Max’s Drive Inn in
the late hours.
The letter of protest, from Jan
and Nellie Beukers, who live next
door to Max’s Drive Inn on Mission
Rd., was read at the council meet
ing. City Manager Bill Poland
stated he acted immediately follow
ing receipt of the letter, and the
noises have been eliminated to
some extent. He stated the Police
Department is keeping a close
check on cars without mufflers,
grounding cars without them.
It was brought out at the meeting
that the new rage for scooters is
creating a new problem. Some of
these, it was said, are noisier than
cars. It was also pointed out that
they are becoming a hazard to
motorists, as their drivers dart in
and out of traffic, and turn without
thought to oncoming traffic. A
crackdown on the use of scooter;
is foreseen unless the youngster;
pay attention to traffic signs anc
observe safety precautions. “If ;
death occurs involving one of thes<
scooters,” Poland stated, “it ma;
well mean the banishing of then
from City streets.”
A “stop” or “yield” sign at th<
corner of Mill Bay Rd. and Marine
Way was suggested. The City Man
ager is to report back following a
study of traffic there.
Wodlinger Leaves
Larry Wodlinger, owner of Wod
linger Drug Store, left today for
Seattle, where he will enter a hos
pital.
He was accompanied by Mrs.
Vera Pierce, manager of the store.
Rodli And White
Go To Ketchikan
Carl Rodli, Commander of the
American Legion Post No. 17, and
Henry White, Past Commander,
left Wednesday for Ketchikan
where they will attend the Ameri
can Legion Convention now in ses
sion.
The resolution of the local post
protesting the lifting of the ban on
Russian King Crab entering the
U. S. will be supported by the two
delegates. Also a resolution stating
that a greater naval force is re
quired in Alaska to support the
Commander, Alaskan Sea Frontier,
due to the length of Alaska’s shore
lines and the greater area in
Alaska.
Mrs. F. Sherman
Ends Stay Here
Mrs. Frances Sherman of Mullin,
Nebraska, left Tuesday after spend
ing several weeks visiting her
daughter, Mrs. Edith Wiley, and
family.
Mrs. Wiley’s daughter, Julie, ac
companied her grandmother to
| Seattle, and will spend a few weeks
j at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Cal
. Brown at Wenatchee, Wash. The
r Browns are former residents of
1 Kodiak.
Car Accident Fatal
Mrs. Boyden Davis, the former
Cleo Gregorioff of this city, was
killed in an auto accident in Michi
gan early this week.
Mrs. Davis is the daughter of
Mrs. Lucy Gregorioff. She was born
in Afognak, and attended the Ko
diak high school. She was 33 years
old.
Her home was in Saginaw, Mich
igan.
Mirrored Reflections
By SIG DIGREE
We find ourselves heartily in ac
cord with Councilman White when
he voiced a criticism of Benson
Avenue making a jog at Alaska
Way and later continuing out the
Base road. Due to this, across the
street becomes Shelikoff, what is
a continuation of Alaska Way be
comes Benson.
The street was named in honor
of Ben Benson, the Alaska flag de
signer. Surely we can honor him
with a street that continues in a
straight line just as well. The street
comes to a dead-end now, but some
day it is sure to continue and join
the base road further in.
* * *
The name of Tommy Shugak ap
peared in the article last week on
the spirit fluid spree at Old Harbor.
We just want to clarify one thing:
Tommy merely tasted the stuff and
warned the others to leave it alone.
He was brought to Kodiak with the
group, but was released immedi
ately upon examination.
Tommy is a graduate of the Ko
diak high school, lived at the Ko
diak Baptist Mission and worked
last Rummer for A. D. F. & G., and
attended the Sheldon Jackson
School at Sitka last year.
It pours down from the skies in
vast quantities ... at times it floods
over large areas of the nation . . .
and at times makes the roads in Ko
diak almost impossible to walk on.
Yet, one of our greatest problems
here is a shortage of water.
This trend of thought was
brought on by Sen. Gruening’s re
quest for funds for a study of flood
control in Kodiak. He even wants
the Corps of Engineers to tackle
the problem of fresh water in the
boat basin. We’re all for that.
* * *
The nation’s water consumption
rate is a quarter trillion gallons a
day, which makes for water wor
ries aplenty ... so much so, in fact,
that at least 25 major companies
are engaged in the search for ways
to make ocean or brackish water
palatable or to re-use available
fresh water. A government expert
estimates that by 1970 more than
1,000 American cities will be forced
to purify salt or brackish water for
drinking purposes.
* •• W
We won’t have to go to that
length however. We have been as
sured there is plenty of water in
the hills back of Kodiak. But the
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