—»*l mgmmmm ' ■■ " — ■ ■
'Jfttftedinjf (he tAhto ef, tyfla&kaA Med $tidoi*tc (dfAland
Published every Saturday at Kodiak, Alaska
Yearly Subscription Rate $7.00
Second Class mail privileges authorized at Kodiak, Alaska
Send notices of .undeliverable copies to:
THE ISLAND PUBLISHING COMPANY
Box 1307, Kodiak, Alaska
Sig J, Digree, Editor and Publisher
Hetha Digree, Executive Secretary
MEMBER QF ASSOCIATED PRESS *
"The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the use or republica*
tion of all news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in
this paper and also the local news published herein.
letter to the Editor
Dear Sir:
{ should appreciate this letter
published as I feel that every tax
payer in Alaska is vitally concern
ed in fisheries problems.
KODIAK POKER OR THE
30-POT LIMIT
Poker in America has been a no
limit game since the day the May
flower went aground on Plymouth
Rock.
Men have anteed, drawn their
cards—folded or tossed their pokes
in the middle of the table. Some
alrew to a pair, some tried to fill
to rn inside straight, for we are
.not ail the same manner of men.
Chicago, St. Louis, Cripple
^Qreek, Virginia City, &an Fran
cisco, on north to Seattle and
Alaska—men have raked in their
chips or tossed in a poor hand and
anteed in the next dead.
Each asked only the equality of
opportunity, the right of a free
man to show enterprise according
ato his ability and desire far work
and responsibility. He balieved
this opportunity was what he
was guaranteed by the constitution
when our forefathers said that all
men. are created equal.
This tree wheeling of course
was before the proposed Kodiak
innovation of the 30-Pot limit—
-based, as I see it, on the Socialistic
concept that ALL MEN MUST BE
KEPT EQUAL.
The Russians and Japs are not
playing penney ante—30-pot limit
—4ihey are playing a no limit game.
Their galleons ride kwr in the
water—their holds bulge with the
wealth from our northern seas.
lit one neyrspaper item I read
that Alaska is preparing infoofta
on on the investment potentials
throughout the state. (For years
4tHtr newspapers and our leaders,
ff^ardless of political affiliation)
have schemed and planned, have
considered tax concession and
other means cf attract s , 3aG
BUvGiNBSS to Alsaka).
tot another item 1 read about
the proposed regulations to be con
sidered 'by the Alaska fisheries
board. I quote from the Empire
“proposals also would prohibit
trawling for king crab in the
Kodiak area, and restrict king
crab operatioais in the area to pot
fishing. A limit of 30 pots for any
one individual or firm also is pro
posal for Kodiak.”
Now don’t think this doesn't
con t e rn you if you happen to live
in Nome, Fairbanks, Ketchikiaii or
Aflgoon.
And don’t think it doesn’t con
cern you because you own a
.grocery store, a clothing store, an
insurance office or a seiner.
If any governmental agency can
seriously consider such punitive
regulations against the leaders of
one of oun* biggest industries what
security do you or I, any other
business man or boat owner have?
And what security would now in
vestors have?
I don’t own five cents worth of
-anything that floats but I am a
taxpayer. I have a right to bewail
my saddle sores when somebody
tries to increase my tax burden—
Needlessly increase my ever multi
ply mg share of taxes by regula
tions which will cripple an Alaskan
economy; take hundreds of thou
sands of dollars out of the pockets
of Alaskan families and tens of
thousands of dollars annually out
of the tax coffers of our state.
Of course the shifting of the tax
(burden or the impossible straiten
ed circumstances of the other crab
fishermen in the Kodiak area
would mean nothing to the 30-Pot
limit tooys—their circumstances
such as they must be, would re
main about the same and their
taxes would continue to be so in
finitismal that they would feel hut
a feather touch on their purse
strings.
If the 30-Pot limit hoys had been
high in saddle since colonial days
a 4-horse hitch would have been
cnsidered unfair competition to the
man who had only two horses—'the
automobile would have been still
born—or if it lived we would have
had a V2 -ton load limit on trucks.
There would have been no trains
on the track, no planes in the sky
because these would have been
considered unfair competion to the
overtland stages. The sailing ships
would not now be powered by
steam and no man would have got
ten 'boo big for boy-sized pants.
me craD uwusiry was not come
by thru an easy birth—nor did it
emerge as big business thru the
flick of a magic wand—years of
sacrifice, trial and error, work and
sweat have gone into its growth.
The processors of frozen king crab
have spent many tens of thusands
of dollars for page sized ads in
Life, Esquire, The New Yorker;
Good Housekeeping etc. Mountains
of delicious, colorful Alaska King
crab have been flown to conven
tions and other important gather
ings throughout America.
For the first time, people tasted
this delicacy, as guests of their
AlaskaJjora, hosts, and found it
good.
Kmg crab began to give Eastern
lobster a run for its money. Today
the magazines do not say “use
crab” they say “use Alaska King
crSb.”
The eyes of American capital are
upon us today. And the eyes of
Alaska are upon the fisheries
board.
It is the board’s turn to deal—
and it is dealer’s choice.
Very truly yours,
R. K. JOHNSON
Dear Editor:
Every time I pick up a news
paper I can never help but read
the articles about the drive to
move the capital from Juneau to
Anchorage. I .think it is about time
one of the common laborers had
his say about the whole matter. I
was born and raised in Alaska and
I intend to dive here the rest of my
life. I am just a common working
man and probably not as educated
as the person who started this
drive to move the Capital of
Alaska. So now, if I may say so,
to my way of thinking all this
talk about moving the Capital
from Juneau to Anchorage is all
OHILDISH thinking. Who else but
a spoiled child would want a toy
that another has, even though he
already has something just as nice.
Who is going to pay the millions
of dollars it would cost to move
the Capital from Juneau? It is the
poor working people, of course,
common laborer and fisherman.
Aren’t we paying steep enough
taxes as it is since we became a
state? What will the fisherman
have to pay in taxes in order to
obtain a license to go out fishing
or hunting to try to make a living?
Say maybe $200.00 per license or
up? Just to pay for the move of the
Capital! Business people likewise.
Will they pay $1000.00 or more to
operate their business? Don’t for
get, no matter where you live in
Alaska, whether it be southwest or
up north in Barrow, you will still
have to pay for moving the Capital
from Juneau, when the move is
not necessary.
The omy person I think that will
benefit by moving the Capital to
Anchorage will probably be the
legislator who is instigating the
move. After all he is only in the
real estate business, so what could
be more perfect for one man if the
move was made to Anchorage.
I have always thought that we
the people of Alaska voted for,
and elected, our legislators to help
us Alaskans, and the progress of
the state of Alaska by prooer legis
lations. This was what I thought I
was going to strive for when the
Democratic party had me run in
the last territorial primary elec
tion for the house, but not for per
sonal greed, and I was successful
in the election.
i say i<?is lorgei aDOUi ims
CHILDISH and IDIOTIC thinking.
May I say if I start to think like
wise.
Why doesn’t Anchorage build
their own Capital and we hove a
state of Alaska here in south
eastern? I say the State of Alaska
because hasn’t the capital of Alas
ka been here in southeastern for
mapy decades? Was it not in south
eastern Alaska where the most his
torical occasion occured, when A1
aska was bought from Russia and
that day wd still celebrate? Alsc
the first American flag was raised,
not at Anchorage but at Sitka, the
southeastern part of Alaska. I say
Anchorage might name their own
state after the man instigatin the
move or the legislator from Valdez
(Now that would sound silly
wouldn’t it) I am sure if the pan
handle went as a state or territory
it would be the most thriving little
state, which coulcl very well be the
envy of all the states. We have all
the potentialities, the natural re
sources to work with and build up
I would also like to add that ]
am a Democrat* and that it would
be very determental and a disas
terous blow to the Democratic
party if this move is manuvered
while the Democratic party is ir
office. I can say for sure the op
posite party will fill the chamber?
come next election.
So let us think wisely and sen
sibly, after all we are just a youn^
state and just beginning. Let us nol
be Anchorage for Anchorage, same
goes for other cit'ids, but instead
let us all be ALASKANS foi
ALASKA.
Sincerely,
Morris Grant Sr
Dear Editor:
A few weeks ago, Mr. Robert
Caskey, acting, I’m sure, with
good intentions, proposed a plar
whereby Kodiag (directly) and the
entire State (indirectly) coulc
share with Reno and Las Vegas
the millions of dollars of legal
revenue derived from an “oper
city”.
In response to Mr. Caskey’s
proposal, you have, to date, re
ceived (printed) three replies
One we can immediately dismiss
as having been written with the
courage and convictions with
which H was signed. Mr. Chase and
Mr. Fields jhave had their say and
the tenacity of purpose to sign
their names.
On Mr. Chase’s letter I have
no comment to say, except I con
cur.
In rebuttal to Councilman Fields,
may I say I’m sure he has the best
interest of Kodiak at heart, but
feel he is condemning without
evaluation. After all, state laws &
city ordinances can be changed.
No one is advocating a Sodom or
Gomorrah. I agree most emphati
cally, Mr. Fields, we do not live
lives unto ourselves and you, as an
elected servant of the people,
must conduct yourself for the
good of the City of Kodiak. Kodiak
is dying!—What was the popula
tion five years ago? What is it to
day What was the gross city sales
tax in 1957? 1958? as of this date?
If the Naval Station were to close,
this would be the only fishing
village in the world with parking
meters!
\
The physical beauty of Kodiak
cannot be disputed. But will a dot
machine alter our beaches, moun
tains, or ideal fishing? Will a lot
tery ticket eradicate our wildlife?
Reno and Las Vegas have much
better libraries and as modem
schools; they, too, have Little
League, Boy Scouts and Girl
Scouts. Do you (believe that Kodiak
must give up these mental stimu
lants in order,to progress? Are
not the citizens of Nevada married,
interred, or attending the church ,
of their choice? Is it your conten
tion that all the fathers of Nevada
have sacrificed their homes and
children on the alter of prostitu
tion and gambling? If so, I do not
agree with you, Mr. Fields. Kodiak
could adopt Mr. Caskey’s proposal
and become richer in all ways—
physically, mentally, spiritually,
and monetarily. Yes, I have read
the October issue of Reader’s Di
gest, so let us use this as a tool to
build a better Kodiak and profit
toy the mistakes of the pioneers
in this system of an enlightened
America. Let us learn from it,
don’t let it deter us from a path
of promise and profit.
R.L. LASATER
Dear Editor;
Just a little note — let’s re
*mind people that lots of little
children roam our woods. The
woods are beautiful and leave
room for lots of exploring aai
imagination. They are to be ap
preciated and everyone yotcas
and old envoys them.
However, it is a known fact
that a few gun carrying people
are shooting too close to city lim
(Continued to Page 10)
Here, There and Everywhere
By SIG DIGREE
Everybody Loves A Sale
One of the great American pas
times, and perhaps one enjoyed
most !by women is that of a real
genuine knock down and drag out
sale. .
Whether the ladies ever saved
any . money by participating in
these sales, is beside the pont. By
special advertising, their interest
was whipped to a frenzy. The ob
ject was to get into the fray, and
walk off with the bargains.
Some of the sales, we have been
told, were quite bloody in their
outcome—with hair-pulling thrown
in.
While we wouldn’t want to see
any baifbaric demonstrations of
that nature here, we do think,#
however, that the ladies in Kodiak
(and the men, too, for that matter)
are being deprived of one of the
pleasures in life—namely, acting
in the capacity of a bargain
hunter. It is a tendency of the hu
man race to save a dollar every
now and then, regardless of the
fact you may squander it else
where. The ladies in Kodiak can’t
be an different.
At the last Chamber of Com
merce board of directors meeting,
which was attended iby committee
heads, the question of local stores
offering sales to induce potential
customers into their premises, was
discussed. It was rated a good idea.
It is a good idea, not only for
the people, but for the stores as
’ well. Getting customers into the
' stores is a basic idea of selling, for
1 it is impossible to sell sight un
[ seen.
me idea advanced was on the
order of, weekly specials at speci
fied times. This would be some
thing to look forward to from the
customer’s viewpoint. Sales of this
nature would be good for the
people, the stores and the town,
i There is far too much complace
ncy here on the part of the seller,
a take it or leave it attitude that
leaves little stimulus for effort to
increase the volume of sales. With
out that stimulus, business, as weii
as anything else, will have a ten
dency to slip away from you.
Besides, let’s give the ladies a
break.
How Smart Can You Get?
Decay in the moral fibre of the
American people of this ration
has reached a new low with the
revelations in the Charles Van
Doren Master Quizz show r ow go
ing on in Washington, D.C.
Egg heads have turned out to be
nothing more than stuffed eggs
stuffed with the answer to ques
tions put to them on the TV quiz
programs.
The glib phrase of the announcer
as he says “This program unre
hearsed, etc.,” has turned out to
be a glib falsehood. In the parley
of the fight ring, the program was
“fined.” The revelations go deeper
than the loss of face for the con
testants. As in boxing, a contestant
or a promoter who accepts ill
gotten gains in a fixed fight is
lacking in moral character. The
sight of an easy dollar was too
much for him. This is true in the
entertainment world, whether it is
boxing,, wrestling, horse racing,
TV and any other competition.
Thus you have the spectacle ef
millions of people watching a star
performer who they think is in
there pitching his wits again*
another, when actually they are
following a psuedo intellectual
with a book of answers. What can
be more phony than that!
That in itself is bad enough.
But it becomes more phony as you
go along. Company officials,
sponsors of the products, set the
whole thing up that way. They
decide who should win (before
hand! The old familiar “spelling
bee”, though hot as spectacular as
the $64,000 question or the other
money programs was of great in
terest just the same. For there you
took your chances based on your
knowledge, and won or lost on
that alone.
Is there nothing left on which
to pin ones faith? Van Doren says
he has gone through more soul
searching, more realistic think
ng than before this happened. He
is now placing some of life’s values
where they belong.
The quiz show investigations can
be something of a purgatory for
individuals and industry who have
-built up fortunes on false clainus
and the hoodwinking of the
American people these many
years.