PUBLIC MEETING FOR
TELEPHONE DIaCUSSION
Grange Hall — March 5
The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
TRY A FRONTIERSMAN
CLASSIFIED AD for that
ilom you may hare for sal*,
rent or lease.
VOLUME 6. NUMBER 24
PALMER. ALASKA, THURSDAY. MARCH 5, 1953
HA
PRICE TEN CENTS
Deputy Marshal Office
Removed from This Area
Deputy U. S. Marshal William
Bouwens this week received word
that the U. S. Deputy Marshal’s
office has been withdrawn from
the Palmer area, effective the
latter part of this week.
Bouwens new orders have as
signed him to the Anchorage of
fice. With his family, he has made
his home in the Vallesy since 1935
and has been connected with the
Marshal’s office since 1937, with
the exception of a period from
May, 1942 to December, 1943,
when he went back in the service
upon request.
The notice of the office re
moval state that it was no longer
necessary in Palmer—now that
there is an incorporated city, with
a poice force. In addition to Pal
mer, Bouwens also served a
many-mile radius including Was
illa, Knik, Eklutna, Matanuska,
Eureaka and Broad Pass. His re
moval leaves these areas entirely
dependant upon the Anchorage
office. A telephone call to the An
chorage office this morning fail
ed to reveal any further informa
tioin in the reason for removing
the office from this area.
He said he has no immediate
plans to move his home to An
chorage. However, he stated,
plans are still indefinite.
House Bill Would
Provide Assistance
To Territorial Fairs
Members of the Matanuska Va
ley Fair Association were en
couraged this week when they
learned the Committee on Agri
culture of which Representative
M .D. Snodgrass is a member, had
put through House Bill No. 82,
pertaining to Territorial aid to
the conduct and maintenance of
fairs in the Territory of Alaska.
The bill would amend section
, 33-2-2 of Chapter 2, ACL A 1949,
relating to agricultural and in
dustrial fairs and exhibits.
AI Hagen, long time booster
and president of the Valley Fair
Association, early last month ap
pealed to members of the House
of Representatives and the Sen
ate for their assistance in setting
, up and carrying forward an ap
propriation for Agricultural Fairs
in the Territory.
Previous Legislature had set
up machinery for aid to these
r fairs, out of which the Matanuska
Valley Fair Association received
assistance on two occasions. How
ever, following years after apply
ing for aid, the association was
told that the funds were frozen.
_ Consequently since 1946 fairs in
the territory have received no
assistance.
The new act woud provide $5,
000 annually for each of the
four Judicial Divisions of the ter
ritory and that territorial aid to
the conduct and maintenance of
the fairs shall not exceed the sum
of $2,000, providing there shall be
avalable for expenditure an equal
amount for such purpose and that
there shall be an organized agri
cultural and industrial fair as
sociation for the conduct and
maintenance of these fairs, with
provisions made for exhibits
from boys’ and girls’ clubs.
In that the Matanuska Valley
Fair completed their successful
past season with a balance of ap
proximately $7,000, it would ap
pear that the association would
f be eligible for the matching
fund total of $2,000 this coming
Continued on page 8
j Former Bank Head
Sentenced to
Four Year Term
Jack E. Maze, former manager
of the Matanuska Valley Bank,
was sentenced to serve four years
in prison following a plea of
guilty to charges of embezzle
ment and forgery, in District
Court in Anchorage March 2.
The sentence was handed down
by Judge George W. Folta fol
lowing the recommendation of
U. S. Attorney Seaborn Bucka
lew.
Maze was manager of the Ma
tanuska Valley Bank for several
years and active in many civic
organizations. Two indictments
were returned by the grand jury
last fall, one accusing Maze of
embezzling approximately $100,
000 in bank funds and the other
with forging signatures of two
local men on a $12,000 note.
Attorney for the defendant,
Ralph E. Moody told the court
the note and other manipulations
were to cover over drawn ac- j
counts of two local firms, one of
which was the Anchorage Shop
ping Guide.
District Attorney Buckalew
said that the bonding company
had covered $50,000 of the short
age and that Maze had turned
over all his property to the bank
but that the shortage was appar
ently not completely covered. He
agreed with Attorney Moody, that
“bad loans” were the basis of the
financial manipulations and that
investigations had failed to show
that Maze used any of the money
for himself.
Since his arrest and subsequent
release under bond, Maze has
been working in a local garage.
His attorney asked the court to
continue him ten days on bond to
allow him time to settle affairs.
The request was not granted by
Judge Folta who stated he had
no authority to do that.
START SURVEY WORK
ON HOSPITAL SITE
Richard Demming started sur
vey work this week on the new
Valiey Presbyterian Hospital site,
located behind the present hos
pital structure.
No definite word has been re
ceived from the U. S. Public
Health Service nor the Board of
National Missions of the Presby
terian Church, regarding their
acceptance of the C. R. Foss, Inc.
construction bid of $564,855
board members said this week.
As participating agencies, ap
proval of both will be necessary
before construction can be start
ed this spring.
Pending the completion of the
linen closet, the new wing, re
cently added to the permanent
section of the present hospital, is
ready for occupancy, board mem
bers announced.
NEW ORDINANCES
BEING PUBLISHED
Two new city ordinances, re
cently adopted, are published
elsewhere in this edition. It was
suggested by city officials that
persons contemplating early
building familiarize themselves
with these ordinances and Or
dinance 15 that sets up the dis
tance from the center of the street
that buildings may be placed.
WORKERS RETURN TO
JOBS AT EKLUTNA;
OPERATIONS RESUME
A shutdown Thursday after
noon, February 26 completely
haulted construction work on the
huge Eklutna power project
when approximately 140 workers
refused to work until safety regu
lations, desired by the workers,
were complied with.
The shutdown continued for
four days before the men return
ed to work following what R. E.
McFarand, secretary-treasurer of
Laboreres’ Local 341 termed an
agreement between project and
international union representa
tives, brought about in Seattle.
The shutdown stopped all oper
ations at the five-mile tunnel site.
McFarland explained that the
reason for the walkout was pri
marily based on safety regula
tions desired by the workers. Rus
sell Young of the Laborers’ Local
said that requests for a safety
program had been tendered the
contractors for more than a year.
L. F. Wiley, construction engin
eer with the Bureau of Reclama
tion was not notified of the in
tended walkout. “We were com
pletely in the dark, as to their
reason,” he said late Thursday
afternoon.
Project Progressing Very Well
More than 15,000 feet of tunnel
remain to be excacated, Wiley
said. Work on the project has
been progressing very well, he
| added. The penstock excavation
j has been completed and workers
! have started excavatons for the1
j surge tank, Wiley reported. The
i surge tank excavation when com
pleted will measure 30 feet in
j diameter and 200 feet in depth.
Sub-contractor, Ben Gerwick is
| expected back around June first
; when dredging work in the in-!
| take will resume, he said.
The four-day work stoppage!
was the second labor dispute on 1
the Eklutna Project within two
weeks.
MULTIPLE WOES FACE
EX-TAX COLLECTOR
Archie Brown, former deputy
tax collector, was at liberty under
$3,000 bond this week following
arraignment in U. S. Commission
er’s Court in Anchorage March 3
to a charge of assault with a dan
gerous weapon in a complaint
signed by Ray Watson who stated
Brown pointed a loaded pistol at
him February 22.
Brown was convicted of em
bezzlement of territorial funds
when he was a tax collector. His
appeal in that case failed to
change the 1951 conviction and
March 2 was his final day of
grace.
In addition to the two and one
half years sentence Brown must
serve; the recent complaint
against him, Brown has learned
a contest against his entry on
land at Mile 73 on the Glenn
Highway has been filed in the
District Land Office in Anchorage
by Fritz A. Livesay who charge's
Brown had not lived on the land
during the first year. Land of
ficials said Brown had been
granted an extension giving him
until March 9 to “prove-up” on
the homestead.
CITY LICENSE RATES
TO HAVE FURTHER STUDY
At a joint meeting this week
between business men and mem
bers of the city council, a discus
sion on business licensing within
the city was adjourned until
March 17 to enable city officials
and business men to further their
studies of the license rates in this
city and of those recently pro
posed for the city of Anchorage.
LIFE-LINE GROUP
SENDS MAYOR WORD
Mayor A1 V. Hagen today ■
! received a wire from A1 Shy- j
;: man, chairman of the Alaska ;
Lifeline committee as follows: :
“HAPPY TO INFORM YOU
; ALASKA STEAM TODAY I
; CLEARED FOLLOWING :
SHIPS TO SAIL AS INDI- ::
CATED NADINA MARCH
10 CHENA MARCH 14 UN-;:
KNOWN MARCH 24 BAR-;
ANOF MARCH 6 SAILORS;
SPLICE SOON AS LOADED.” ;
It was apparently a cour-;
tesy wire as no direct inquiry I
to the committee had been I;
made.
Visiting Cordovans
Given Royal Welcome
By Entire Valley
In spite of many obstacles, two
plane-loads of basketball players
and fans arrived from Cordova
Friday, February 27 for a plan
ned week end of basketball
games, feeds and fun.
Receiving word that the planes
were due to arrive in Palmer Fri
day morning at 7 a.m., members
of the Moose and Elks lodges got
busy, and through the cooperation
and help of the Alaska Road
Commission and the City of Pal
mer, an airstrip was cleared at
the Palmer Airport late Thursday
night. However, the first plane
didn’t land in Palmer until 10
j a.m. Friday morning. Cordovians
on the second plane were not
quite as fortunate, though. Upon
returning from Cordova later in
the day, the pilot decided it was
too dark to attempt a landing at
the local field and took his pas
sengers on into Anchorage where
they boarded a bus and headed
for the Valley. A breakdown en
route delayed them further and
after hitch-hiking the rest of the
| distance, they arrived in Palmer
J during the first basketball game.
The Cordova womens team took '
hoop honors away from the Rock
ets with a score of 33-23. Vivian
Nichols of Cordova was high scor
er for the evening with 19 points, j
followed by Helen Stock of the j
local team with 13 points.
Averaging the women’s loss,
the Palmer Independent players
bettered their opponents by a
score of 65-52, with Dick Ander
son high point man with 20 points
and Louie Hasbrook close behind
with 19.
The Palmer Moose lodge and
Women of the Moose were hosts
for the Cordova visitors and,
members of the Palmer Elks
lodge, following the game. A!
“Valley spread” was put on for
the visitors at Moose Hall, in
cluding moose, ham, salads and
deserts. In addition, the Co-Op
Creamery donated many of their
dairy products including milk,
ice cream, buttermilk and cottage
cheese.
As Mistress-of ceremonies, Fern
Leek introduced the Moosettes1
who offered an entertaining floor!
show. Dancing was enjoyed to |
the music of Otto Cohgle and!
“Pop” Walker.
A short tour of the Valley and!
a visit to a few dairy farms was!
conducted for the visitors on Sat- \
Continued on page 8
EVELYN STEWART
Word was received in Palmer j
this noon of the death of Mrs.:
Evelyn Stewart, wife of William
T. Stewart and daughter of U. S.
Deputy Marshal and Mrs. Wil
liam Bouwens. Mrs. Stewart pas
sed away at Providence Hospital
in Anchorage, following a short
illness.
Alaska Ships to Sail;
Strike Not Yet Settled
Chamber Hears
Talk on Phones;
Highway Advertising
Guest speaker at the regular
Chamber of Commerce meeting
March 4 was Lew Hanks, repre
senting the Pioneer Grange No. 1
telephone committee.
Speaking briefly on the pro
jected plans, Hanks gave a back
ground history of the committee
which was formed several years
ago, with M. D. Snodgrass as
chairman.
Their primary interest, Hanks
said, is to get telephones to the
rural areas, with many methods
of financing such a project, hav
ing been studied, including the
RTA plan. “The purpose of the
public meeting called for March
5,” Hanks said, “is to get the
feeling of the entire community
on such a proposal.”
If the community should indi
cate their interest in adopting
such a plan, a great deal of pre
liminary work will be necessary,
he pointed out. Init5"' ‘eps
would include informal^— on
maps, coverage desired and other
data necessary before an appli
cation could be sent to Washing
ton. All this would have to be
completed before an engineer
could start a survey on the feas
ibility of the plan. Hanks said.
A discussion on billboards
aloiig highways and roads in the
Territory was presented by Miss
Louis Kellogg. Members felt that
House Bill No. 107, introduced
by Senator John F. Gorsuch does
not embrace the full desire of the
local chamber, pertaining to the
curtailment of large billboard
type advertising, as announced by
them several weeks ago.
For this reason, members of the
chamber voted yesterday to send
a proposed amendment to this
bill, that would state that “The
provisions of this act apply equal
ly to private as well as to public
property. . . .”
Thomas J. Maloney, scheduled
as guest speaker for the meeting
was unable to attend. However,
he has been rescheduled for the
next meeting to be held March
18.
Group Forms to
Promote Devil's Canyon
Hydro-Electric Power
Members of the Anchorage
Chamber of Commerce announc-;
ed the formation of a Susitan
Power Committee to actively pro
mote development of hydro-elec
tric power at Devil's Canyon on
the Susitna river. The Bureau of
Reclamation has estimated 400,- \
000 kilowatts of power can bej
produced by the installation of a
single dam at this site.
The committee has received
pledges of $7,000, a major portion
of an estimated working fund of
$10,000 the committee believes
will be necessary.
The Chamber of Commerce at |
Fairbanks has been invited to (
participate. Their contribution to
the fund is expected to be $7,000,!
giving the two-city committee a
budget of $17,000 to work with, i
The committee will help speed j
final surveys on the project by,
preparing briefs, sending influ- j
ential persons to Washington for
hearings and otherwise further
ing the project in any way pos
sible.
The threatened ship strike in
Seattle has not been settled.
However, officials notified Alas
kans yesterday that four freight
ers to Southwest Alaska would
sail, as well as the steamship Bar
anof.
The announcement of the sail
ings was made after a meeting
March 2 with Seattle Mayor Al
lan Pomeroy’s maritime advisory
committee and unior and Alaska
Steamship represent tives.
Edward Black, ch irman of the
meeting, said this i: only a mea
sure to supply Alt ska while an
agreement is being reached be
tween the companies and the un
ions involved whi< h are the Am
erican Radio As: ociation (CIO)
and the Masters, 1 lates and Pilots
Association (AFI,). Both unions
seek wage increases of 9.5 per
cent to bring them in parity with
the Marine Engineers Beneficial
Association (CIO).
Fred Zieke, Co-Op general
manager, retu ned to Palmer
this week end. following confer
ences with uni: i and shipping of
ficials and rep rted he had been
given assuran that the farmers
in the Matan a Valley would
not be “let u. a.” Hundreds of
tons of fertilizer seed and feed
were on the docks waiting to be
loaded for shipment to the Val
ley at that time. Of great interest
to many local farmers was the
shipment of ammonium nitrate
previously expected in the Valley
around March 15. This is the first
shipment permitted for more than
a year and farmers had expressed
great concern over whether the
shipment would be held up any
lengh of time.
“A strike at this time leaves
the farmers of the Matanuska
Valley in a perilous situation,”
Zieke told the Seattle group. “The
livestock feed program cannot be
disrupted without dir e results.
The entire economy of the Valley
will be effected if the delivery of
feed, seed and ferilizer is held
up.” he stated. “Agriculture de
velopment and private enter
prise alike will suffer, he added.
In making the statements to the
groups, Zieke suggested that if
arbitration appeared necessary
to settle the agreement, that an
Alaskan business man be assigned
to the arbitrary board. Both
unions involved have contracts
still in effect on the West Coast.
Shipowners have agreed to con
sider parity when the contracts
expire.
SEC. McKAY PRESSES
FOR EKLUTNA FUNDS
Secretary of Interior McKajr
this week proposed the lifting of
restrictions on the money which
may be appropriated for the Eklu
tna hydroelectric project. How
ever, indications were that his
proposal would not be accepted.
Chairman Saylor of the House
territorial subcommittee told a
newsman he saw no chance of the
proposal being approved.
Congress had orginally author
ized the project on the basis that
it would cost $20,365,400. It has
since been estimated that it will
run around $35 million McKay
proposed legislation to authorize
sufficient money “as may be re
quired” to complete the Eklutna
project. He said his proposed re
vision would permit the appro
priations committee to determine
the amount that should be grant
ed for the project, without setting
a limit
WASILLA GRANGE
NO. 2 PRESENTS
AMts SI JO A Tax
THE ANNUAL ALL MALE FOLLIES
MARCH 13 & 14
8:30 PJL
CU*m 75e A Tax