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VOL. 21, NO. 60 KODIAK, ALASKA, MARCH 24, 1961 PRICE TEN CENTS
Kodiakans Bitter In Denunciation
Of Kennedy Decision To Lift Crab Ban
The Alaskan-feared move on the
part of President Kennedy to lift
the ban on Russian importation of
crabmeat into the United States
was announced in Washington
Monday.
The move was denounced lo
cally by cannery operators and the
man-on-the street, who were bitter
in their denunciations, and saw
little gain in selling out Alaska’s
comparatively new industry to the
Soviets.
The bitterness of Kodiakans was
apparent up and down the street,
as this subject became the topic
of conversation for several days,
even by those who are not even
remotely connected with the indus
try.
The three-man Alaska congres
sional delegation, composed of
Sens. Ernest Gruening and E. L.
(Bob) Bartlett and Rep. Ralph J.
Rivers, all Democrats, have op
posed the ban because of its threat
to the growing Alaska king crab
industry.
“What concerns us vitally,” said
Gruening, “is the fear that this
may encourage the Russian fish
ing fleet to move into Alaska king
crab areas.”
He said the disappointing an
nouncement indicates the adminis
tration is aware of this threat and
“it is to be hoped it acts to prevent
this invasion by negotiation or
otherwise.”
Bartlett said the decision “re
veals us not to be the fabled Yan
kee traders of legend.”
“Instead,” he said, “we are ex
Seek To Change
Mailboat Service
JUNEAUW—A joint resolution
asking the Post Office Department
to call for bids for surface mail
service to the Aleutian Islands was
passed by the Senate Thursday.
The resolution also asks extension
of the service to Seattle.
Sen. A1 Owen said the resolu
tions should be passed because the
operator who now has the contract
has not provided adequate service.
Owen presented petitions of 450
persons of the area who support
the resolution.
Sen. Metcalf said the company
which now has the contract has
just purchased a new 150-foot boat
and plans to correct some of the
things which have been critized
about the operation. Metcalf was
the only nay vote in the 15-1 pas
sage of the resolution.
Island Lake Road
Prospects Dim
Prospects for a State-built access
road at Island Lake appear very
dim, following a meeting of resi
dents in the area and Lee Hubbard,
engineer for State Highway De
partment.
There are no funds available for
this type of road, Hubbard pointed
out. The only dim hope is a pioneer
access road, under the Mineral Re
sources Department. This is a
forced labor-built road, constructed
by volunteers with assistance from
the government.
posed once more as soft touches.”
He said the United States should
not make such a concession with
out gaining a similar one from the
Russians.
As to a desire for adjustment of
cold war differences, Bartlett said
“surrendering a bargaining right
in an area where American na
tionals are already being pushed
hard is scarcely the place to begin.”
Rep. Thomas M. Felly (R-Wash.)
said lifting of the ban “reveals a
completely heartless disregard of
the fishermen and the fishing in
dustry of the Pacific (Northwest.”
“In effect,” Pelly said in a state
ment, “President Kennedy is trad
ing away our crab fishing industry
on the international market in a
foolish game of appeasing com
munism.”
The fear expressed here is not
so much the entering of the Rus
sian crabmeat on the U. S. market
but the possibility of unfair com
petition. It is a well-known fact
that cost of producing the Alaskan
product is abnormally high, in con
Death Comes To
Afognak Resident
Another old resident of Kodiak
passed away on Thursday in the
person of Herman von Scheele,
who resided in Afognak.
Mr. von Scheele, aged 92, first
came to Alaska in 1896, arriving
in Karluk at that time. Prior to that
he lived in California. He came to
America at the age of 18 from
Halmstad, Sweden where he was
born. Birthdate was March 3, 1869.
Von Scheele married Eulavia
Gregorioff of Afognak. They have
lived there most of the time except
for eight years, from 1948 to 1956
when they returned to Sweden.
The von Scheeles had planned to
make their home there, but be
came homesick for Alaska, and re
turned.
The deceased became ill during
his travels when he was in the
Canary Islands. He was well-known
throughout Kodiak Island, having
operated the boat Ruff Rider, fur
buying and trading in the various
villages. He operated a store in
Afognak, which his daughter Enola
Mullan will continue to operate.
Mr. von Scheele had ten child
ren and is survived by nine of
them. These are Elice Wamser in
Sweden; Susanna Howe, Hamilton,
Ont.; Tom von Scheele, Kodiak;
Enola Mullan, Afognak; Eunice
Neseth, Kodiak; Esther Pickering,
Seattle; Herman von Scheele, Se
attle; Marie Brunton, Kodiak; and
Charlotte Stearns, Medford, Ore
gon. One son, Robert, passed away
in June. There are 26 grandchil
dren, all living.
A brother, Robert, lives in Gote
borg, Sweden.
Two of his daughters, Suzanna
Howe and Charlotte Stearns ar
rived here about ten days before
the death of their father.
Funeral services will be held in
Afognak early next week
trast to the cost in a communist na
tion. These costs are going to con
tinue to increase, it was pointed
out by a cannery spokesman. Talk
is circulating even now that can
nery workers are going to seek a
hike in their hourly wage.
Chamber Favors
Sales Tax Hike
The Kodiak Area Chamber of
:Commerce endorsed a proposed
1% hike in the sales tax, at the
meeting of the group Thursday at
the Town Club. A petition, spon
sored by Art Brooks is now being
circulated throughout the city.
The tax would be in lieu of per
sonal property tax now being col
lected. It was pointed out that this
would bring increased revenue to
the city, and would eliminate a tax
that is inequitable and obnoxious.
Estimated revenue from the tax
was set at $42,000. The present per
sonal property tax revenue is ap
proximately $36,000.
t-'iiy Manager h’oiana pointed
out, however, the property tax
would still be collected from busi
ness firms for machinery, equip
ment and inventory.
In other business, the group
voted to oppose any form of taxa
tion increases on the State level,
other than State personal property
taxes or consumers sales tax. In
cluded in the motion, made by Jack
Hinckel, chairman of the Legisla
tive Committee, notification of the
action was to be sent to represent
atives from this district in both the
House and Senate.
Ray Martin, chairman of the King
Crab Festival, stated that Festival
plans are coming along nicely. He
said there is a brisk sale of tickets,
with many of the Queen contest
ants working very hard. He said
me iesuvai is receiving consider
able publicity both statewide and
in other parts of the U. S.
Martin said plans are to have
the Seattle Seafair Queen visit Ko
diak during the Festival. The
elected queen from here will be
sent to the Seafair. He also an
nounced a reduced fare by P. N. A.
for the Festival. Round-trip fare
will be $43.75 from Anchorage.
An arrangement has been made
for bunk beds and mattresses with
the naval station to be used during
the Festival and conventions later
to take care of any housing short
age, Art Brooks, Chairman of the
Tourist Committee stated.
Two Chamber committee meet
ings were announced. One, the
Lands committee will meet at the
office of Kodiak Aleutian Realty
tonight at 7:30; the other is the
Airport Committee, which will
meet Monday evening, also at 7:30.
Mr. J. L. McCarrey, former
judge, who is now an attorney in
Anchorage, was a visitor at the
meeting and spoke to the group on
the subject of the law library at
the Courtroom, which he said was
being moved from the City. He sug
gested the Chamber take steps to
have the library retained here.
\1>o he said an effort should be
Jo retain the courtroom.
Sturmers Leave
For California
Rev. and Mrs. Roman Sturmer
leave for San Francisco next week.
Rev. Sturmer will become a priest
in the Holy Trinity Cathedral in
that city.
Rev. Macarius Targonsky is to
be the new priest at the Russian
Orthodox Church. He and his wife
arrived this morning from Boston,
Massachusetts. Rev. Targonsky is
a graduate of the Theological Sem
inary at Columbia University in
New York. He recently served a
parish in Osceola Mills, Pa.
The Sturmers came to Kodiak in
1954. Prior to that he was at the
Army Language School in Mont
erey, Calif., where he taught for
seven-and-a-half years.
The Sturmers regret leaving Ko
diak, Father Sturmer said. The
popular priest belongs to the Ro
tary Club, Toastmasters, Chamber
of Commerce, Mrs. Sturmer is a
member of the Business and Pro
fessional Women’s Club. A fare
well tea was held at the home of
Betty Acheson for her Wednesday
afternoon.
The Sturmers address in San
Francisco will be the Holy Trinity
Cathedral, 1520 Green Street, on
the corner of Vanness Ave.
Staff Photo
Road A Reality?
Paving of the Brooklyn Ave and
Resanoff roads is planned for this
year, according to word received
from Juneau.
Date for advertising for bids has
been set for June 15, according to
Charles Edris, Chairman of the
Roads Committee of the Chamber
of Commerce. The Ouzinkie road
project will be advertised at the
same time, according to Edris.
Council Adopts Urban Renewal Plan
A program of City planning was
adopted by the City Council last
night, which calls for the blueprint
ing of Kodiak’s streets, sewer and
water systems and general im
provements projected into the fu
ture.
Cost to the City will be $3,500,
and will be done under the Federal
Urban Planning Assistance Pro
gram. Federal grant for the pro
ject is $7,000.
The decision to go along with
the project came after City Man
ager Bill Poland read a letter from
Huge Sum For
Military Spending
WASHINGTON (fl—1The House
unanimously approved a $800 mil
lion military construction authori
zation bill including $9,143,000 for
Alaska projects.
$1,889,000 was cut from the De
fense Department’s requests. The
authorizations included $77,000 for
the Navy Communications Station
at Kodiak, unchanged from the re
quest.
The bill was heavily laden with
missile projects and includes work
at more than 358 installations over
the country. Navy total was $132,
574,000.
Victor Fischer, Assistant Execu
tive Director for the Planning and
Urban Renewal Board, who out
lined the program and the cost en
tailed. The $3,500 is cash outlay,
and an additional $3,500 is stipu
lated for technical services, which
is to be provided by City officials
at no extra outlay.
Will’s Signature
Is Contested
A case involving the estate of
Albert Kraft was heard before
Judge Edward V. Davis in the Su
perior Court during sessions here.
Decison was deferred.
A will purportedly signed by
Albert Kraft a few hours before
his death was introduced. The sig
nature on the will was too legible.
Witnesses were called to establish
the physical condition of the de
ceased immediately prior to and
at the time of the signing.
J. L. McCarrey was attorney for
Mrs. Faye Kraft, wife of the de
ceased who contested the will. John
Mansuy argued for the defense.
MEETING CALLED
A meeting has been called of all
residents outside of the City limits
for Monday, March 27, at the home
of Mr. and Mrs. Herman Beuscher.