Elk's Annual Charity Ball
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- MUSIC BY VINCE HAIGHT AND HIS BAND
The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
FRONTIERSMAN CLASSIFIEDS
ALWAYS BRING RESULTS
TRY ONE NEXT WEEK
VOLUME 7. NUMBER 12
PALMER. ALASKA. THURSDAY, DEC. 10. 1953
PRICE TEN CENTS
Hew Alaskan Property
Law Causing Concern
Many inquiries have been re
ceived in the local U. S. Commis
sioner’s office today pertaining
to an announcement in an Anch
orage paper last night that thou
sands of Alaskan property own
ers have but three weeks in
which to comply with a new law
passed by the territorial legisla
ture at its last session requiring !
land holders inside and outside!
incorporated towns to file a de-;
elaration of ownership in the |
U. S. Commissioner’s office by:
December 31.
Word was received this morn
ing by Dorothy B. Saxton, local
commissioner, from Territorial!
Land Commissioner Chipperfield j
that more information on the new
law would be published shortly.
Although no forms have been
provided, Mrs. Saxton suggested
that property owners in this area
check their land descriptions and
when forms are available they
will be ready for filing. No of
ficial information ha"5 'been re
ceived at either the local U. S. !
Commissioner’s office nor at the
office in Wasilla.
According to the article print
ed last night, only two property
owners, J. Gerald Williams, at
torney-general of Alaska and the
Standard Oil co. have complied
with the law, known as the Land
Registration Act.
To comply with the act proper
ty owners must submit sworn
statements, giving name, post of
fice address and a legal descrip
tion of all lands to which he
holds title. A copy will be retain
ed in a registration book to be
maintained by the Commissioner
and another copy goes to the
Territorial Land Commissioner.
All properties not registered by
next July 1 will be subject to sale
by the Land Commissioner. Land
not registered by December 31
make the owners liable to a five
dollar penalty.
As soon as additional informa
tion is reecived in the local com
missioner’s office, it will be made
public, Mrs. Saxton assured prop
erty owners today.
CLEAR DESCRIPTIONS
OF FIRE CALLS ASKED
Mrs. Meryl Peterson, chief
telephone operator and Fire
Chief Joseph Gallant joined
forces this week in requesting
clear descriptions when fire
calls are made. Mrs. Peterson
said sometimes it is very dif
ficult for the operators to even
find out where the fire is.
Anyone having to call in a
fire is requested to be sure and
state where the fire is located
and if at all possible state type
of fire, whether a house, barn,
brush or other type.
VALLEY POTATOES
TO Br PUBLICIZED
FOR SECOND WEEK
Richard Blue of the local Ex
tension Service office and Geor
ge Crowther of the Department
of Agriculture will be heard on
the weekly Extension Service ra
dio program this coming Satur
day morning when a tape record-'
ing made earlier this week is
broadcast over radio station
KENI at 10:30 a.m.
Earlier this week Blue and
Crowther recorded an interview
with A. R. Carson, Valley pota
to grower and recorded potato
grading processes conducted in
the Co-Op root cellar.
The program is a follow-up of
one presented last week on the
same program which is conduct
ed by Audrey Davies, home dem
onstration agent in the Anchorage
office, and is being presented in
an effort to promote Valley po
tatoes.
FIRE CAUSES
$1,500 DAMAGES
Damages amounting to approx
imately $1,500 were caused to
the Palmer Highway dwelling of
Harvey Marsh on December 8.
The City of Palmer fire depart
ment answered the fire call and
had the fire out within an hour.
Several hundred dollars worth of
tools were saved. The fire was
believed to have been started
from a defective chimney.
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6:30 P.M.
SATURDAY NIGHT
Parents are urged to send
the Young People
All Ages Welcome - Baby Sitter Provided
PRESENTED BY
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ADMISSION $2.00
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IMPORTANT CIVIL
DEFENSE MEETING
SLATED FOR TONIGHT
There will be an important
Civil Defense meeting tonight,
December 10 at 8 p.m. at CD
Headquarters in Carpenters’ Hall,
Edward H. Imme, CD director
announced this week.
Ed Fortier, Third Division di
rector will be preesnt. All Butte
area residents are especially urg
ed to attend the meeting for or
ganization plans for a unit in
that region.
Director Imme x-eminded all
Civil Defense volunteers that it
is very important that they sign
loyalty oath cards and receive
identification cards. Those who
have not done so are asked to at
tend to this at the meeting to
night.
Ccmmercial Telecasts
Expected Tomorrow
Cn Channel Eleven
Local television set owners
were pleased this week to learn
that Station KTVA plans to be
gin telecasting on a regular five
and 'one-half-hour commercial
schedule this Friday.
A. G. Hiebert, general manager
who made the announcement
said a “premier” dedication pro
gram will signal the opening of
what may be Alaska’s first oper
ating television station, Channel
11. The dedication program has
been scheduled to begin at 6:00
p.m. Friday and will feature the’
participation of Anchorage dig
nitaries as well as military offic-1
ials.
Reception in the Valley is fair
ly good, set owners reported this
week. Those in the outlying areas
including Wasilla, Eska and the
mine area, which are all consid
erably higher in altitude than
Palmer proper, are receiving very
good images, Marvin Wilson of
Polar Electronics said.
Tenants in the new Pioneer
Apartments will soon be able to
take advantage of a coinplete dis
tribution antenna system which
is expected to be installed the lat
ter part of this week. Following
the installation, tenants will be
able to contact the apartment
manager for hook-ups to their
sets. The Matanuska Hotel is
planning the installation of two
sets and patrons of Alpine Inn
will soon be able to view tele
vision on the set expected to be
installed soon. Approximately 13
new installations in the Valley
area were ordered this week,
Wilson said.
CO-OP EXPANSION
BONDS 00 ON SALE
Members and employes of the
Matanuska Valley Farmers Co
operating Association this week
were offered 8 percent expansion
bonds as a convenience and prof
itable way of saving.
The purpose of the bond issue
is to assist in financing a cream
ery building in Fairbanks. Em
ployes and members may purch
ase bonds on a payroll savings
plan—a deduction from their pay
check, milk, egg or produce draft.
Although the bonds are now
on sale, they will be officially of
fered to the general public on
January 1, Clayton Esslinger, Co
Op comptroller said this week.
PALMER HIGH TO
MEET AHCHORAGE IN
RAILBELT GAME
The Palmer High School bas
ketball team will invade Anchor
age tomorrow night in their first
railbelt conference game. The
local team has an undefeated rec
ord so far this year, with seven
wins to their credit. Last week |
the Palmer boys trimmed the |
Headquarters and Headquarters
team from Fort Richardson by a
score of 56-36.
As to how the local team
shapes up, Coach Robert Crites
said this week, “Only time will
tell, although we know we are
facing a rougher opponent than
we’ve met so far.” Three of our
boys are playing against Anchor
age for the first time, the other
two, Don Ingalls and Ray Wine
garner saw limited service last
year. i
As to how long it will take us :
to get over the jitters and smooth i
out, is anybody’s guess, Coach |
Critqs added, but regardless of.
this being thp smallest team in'
height of any school this year, we j
are going to let Anchorage know
they have been through a game
on Friday.
The starting line for the Anch
orage game will be Ben Ross and
Don Ingalls, forwards; Larry
Bentti and Fred Wilkes, guards
and Ray Winegarner, center.
Game time starts at 9:00 p.m.
and will be broadcast over radio
station KENI from the gym floor
in the Junior High School.
GARAGE OWNERS ASK
SALES TAX EXEMPTION
ON GASOLINE SALES
Seven representatives from
garages and service stations oper
ated within the city limits at
tended the city council meeting
held December 6 to request that
the city sales tax be removed
from all gasoline sales in the city.
Among auguments presented
by the visitors was the extra
freight paid on gasoline deliver
ies to Palmer, compared with the
Anchorage deliveries, forcing lo
cal gasoline dispensers to raise
their price above that set in the
neighboring city. With the city
tax. added, the merchants main
tained they had lost thousands
of gallons of gasoline sales this
past year from those not willing
to pay the added tax. They point
ed out that after the meeting with
the council last week, at which
time this problem was pointed
out, two service stations outside
the city limits had erected signs
advertising the fact that no city
sales tax was collected at their
pumps.
Council members, following a
motion to that effect voted to re
consider the sales tax on gasoline.
Council members pointed out to
the visitors that the sales ta£
collections are vital to the city
economy and are helping fo stave
off a city property tax.
ANCHORAGE SINGERS
TO PRESENT
CHRISTMAS CANTATA
A Christmas contata, “Babe of
Bethlehem” will be presented
Sunday evening, December 13 at
the Church of God.
Dale Didier, director and Patti
Janning, pianist will accompany
the Anchorage Church of God 16
voice choir.
There will be no admission
charge and the public is invited
to attend.
Terriiorial Potato
Regulations Drafted
FORMS AVAILABLE FOR
FARMERS WISHING TO
MAKE PRODUCE BIDS
Forms have been received
in the office of the Department
of Agriculture and are avail
able to all .local produce grow
ers who are interested in fur
nishing produce bids for the
new Alaska Native Service
Hospital in Anchorage James
Wilson, commissioner of agri
culture announced this week.
The applications were sent to
the local office following in
quiries by Wilson concerning
the possibility of farmers fur
nishing locally-grown produce
for the hospital. These appli
cations when filled out and
sent in by the farmer, will
automatically put his name on
the mailing list whenever bids
are called for in produce.
CHRISTMAS TREE AND
CANDY HOUSE FOR
KIDS' ANNUAL PARTY
A large Christmas tree will be
erected in Valley Theatre soon,
in anticipation of the annual
Christmas party to be held De
cember 24 for all Valley children,
A1 Hagen, theatre owner an
nounced this week. As in past
years, the tree is being donated
by Lauren Smith at the Butte
area.
The popular candy house will
also be erected shortly, Hagen
said. This is the spot where the
youngsters first spy Santa Claus
as he comes down the chimney
and emerges through the door.
All youngsters in the Valley up
to and including the fifth grade
are invited to attend the party.
There will be a full program of
comic films and each child at
tending will be presented a bag
of goodies as he leaves the thea
tre. Women of the Moose will be
in charge of filling the more than
600 bags of goodies expected to
be given away. Members of the
Moose lodge will again this year
act as ushers during the party.
1 The final draft of the revised
1 potato regulations have just been
returned from the Attorney Gen
eral’s Office, according to Jim
Wilson, Commissioner of Agricul
I ture.
A summary of the regulations
will be distributed next week in
the department’s “Market News”
and official copies will be avail
able for distribution. The effec
tive date of the regulation is
January 1, 1954.
The requirements of the new
regulations are briefly as fol
lows:
All potatoes hereinafter sold in
the Territory must be graded to
conform to one of the U. S. Stan
dard Grades, i.e., U. S. Extra No.
1: U. S. No. 1; U. S. Commercial;
(J. S. No. 2; or cull grade. They
shall be labeled to show the grade
and name and address of the
grower or packer. They shall be
packed in clean, sound contain
ers.
Potatoes sold on a contract ot
government agencies and restaur
ants who' specify that they be
accompanied by an inspection
certificate are exempted from the
labeling provision and potatoes
sold at the farm direct to the
consumer are exempted from th2
entire regulation.
Under the old regulation de
fects developing in potatoes ship
ped into the Territory were not
considered as a defect in grade.
The new regulation requires po
tatoes be inspected immediately
prior to shipment into the Terri
tory (dock-side) and found to
meet the grade as labeled. Then
they will be allowed only twice
the tolerance for the grade after
arrival in the Territory.
A recent survey of stateside
potatoes in Anchorage revealed
that potatoes possessing 8-77%
defects were being offered for
sale as U. S. No. l’s, where the
regular grade tolerance is 6%.
Under the old regulation nothing
could be done to prevent this
situation. Now potatoes averag
ing more than 12% defects of
which not more than 2% can be
soft rot would either have to be
regraded or labeled as a lower
grade.
WATER USERS ATTENTION
1" — l'A" — l'/a" — 2" Water Meters are
| now available from the office of the city cleric.
: All meters in available sizes must be installed
by December 20, 1953.
Residential services for which meter readings
have not been received in the office of the City
Clerk by the first of each month will be billed
at the unmetered rate of $10 per month.
CITY OF PALMER
WATER DEPARTMENT