Vol. 1, No. 33
Palmer, Alaska, January 17, 1948
Ten Cents
Nurses’ Home
Annexed As
Extra Ward
'"^'The nurses of the Valley hos
pital, without housing for these
many months, almost had a
home this week. Then just as
the staff was planning a general
exodus from temporary quar
ters in the Lodge, hospital busi
ness grew so flourishingly that
patients are now occupying beds
in the planned nurses’ quarters.
* Carpenters finished a closed
ramp which will annex the
quarters to the main hospital
plant late this week. Patients be
gan lining up for transfer to
their new quarters just as the
last nail was driven home.
Miss Ethel Dale, hospital man
ager, said she hoped the new
addition would provide housing
for six patients, which would
greatly alleviate the present
crowded conditions in the main
plant.
Facilities became so crowded
there by Wednesday of this
week, that one ward, planned to
accommodate four patients at
most, had been expanded for two
extra beds.
Miss Dale said there were no
unusual illnesses or diseases
.abroad in the Valley—“It’s just
'babies and operations, and the
usual things," she explained.
How long the converted quar
ters will be utilized as a hos
pital wing is uncertain. The
manager said it was probable
that its continued use would be
necessary until present hospital
facilities are augmented by ad
ditional construction. She stated
that patients had been turned
“iway, on several occasions re
cently, because there was no
room at the hospital.
Huntley Files
For Senate
F o r s a k ing the territorial
House of Representatives after
three sessions, Walter E. Hunt
ley, Palmer Democrat, last Tues
day filed for Senate in the March
elections. Mr. fruntley’s running
_ mate for the Senate, Steve Me
Cutcheon, also filed this week.
Asked to make a statement on
issues in the coming legislative
session in April, Mr. Huntley re
plied that he felt the territory’s
schools stood in the greatest need
of help.
"I think our teachers need
a better break/' he stated. "I
believe we need to have more
5 schools and we need to have
better schools. I am a firm
believer in vocational training
of all types, and Alaska has
none. It's always been easier
here to hand a child a worn
out textbook than to get for
him the equipment that he
needs."
Mr. Huntley said that he would
■«’ do everything in his power to
' fight for the necessary appropri
/ ations to finance measures, as
well as to fight for the improve
ments themselves.
' connection with tax mat
he said ■ he believed that
a’s great resources should
near the greatest burden of
SHIP LINES DEFEND
HIGH FREIGHT CHARGES
Freight rates of steamship
companies, under study since tlie ;
interim agreement for Alaskan
transportation companies was
entered into last May, were
criticized as the root of all evil
in Alaska, in briefs filed with
the U. S. Maritime Service in
December. The Alaska Develop
ment Board, the Territory of
Alaska, th Alaska Salmon In
dustry, Inc., the Fairbanks
Chamber of Commerce, the
United States Smelting, Refin
ing and Mining Co., and the
Alaska Miners Association each
put a word in at the U. S. Mari
time Commission hearing held in
Seattle late this fall.
Information just made public
reveals the major objections to
existing rates outlined in each
brief. The territory contends
that all it will take to reduce
freight rates is the “honest, eco
nomical and efficient manage
ment of steamship service t f
Alaska.”
Figures in this brief, prepared
by Attorney General Ralph J.
Rivers, say that proper manage
ment will bring about reductions
of 36 percent to southeastern
points, 50 percent to Gulf ports
and 49 percent to Bering Sea
stops.
“Mere comparison of revenues
and expenses cannot result in
proper determination of a rate
case,” the brief declares. “Reas
onable rates are not based upon
cost-plus arithmetics. Profits can
be controlled by management
use of efficient or inefficient op
erational methods to suit the
need for showing profits or lack
of profits. The problem of the
Maritime Commission is that of
setting rates so that the carriers
will be required to operate ef
ficiently.”
The Territory further attacked
the present schedule of cannery
rates, which it terms is prefer
ential and results in government
“subsidizing of an already pros
perous cannery industry.”
The Alaska Salmon Industry,
i (Continued on page 4)
Even as the territory and
Alaskan firms aired their griev
ances against the steamship
lines serving Alaska last week,
a report of the recommendations
of Examiners C. W. Robinson
and Robert Furness of the U. S.
Maritime Commission, was being
studied here.
Many of the criticisms in the
six briefs filed were fully exam
ined and refuted in the exam
iners’ report to the Commission.
In regard to excessive earnings,
the examiners found, according
to their report, that “the respond
ent’s earnings do not appear ex
cessive for the brief period of
operation. Estimates indicate ■
that there will be a large deficit
at the conclusion of a full year’s
operation.”
In discussion of the lower
rates assessed against canned
salmon, it. was pointed out that
this cargo is uniform in size and
is handled in large volume. Fur
thermore the steamship lines as
serted that the northbound can
nery products have a backhaul
in the form of canned salmon
which justifies a lower rate for
that freight.
The report notes that a quan
tity of canned salmon is now
hauled by tug and scow to Prince
Rupert, Canada, where American
rail and port facilities construct
ed during the war are now op
erated by private industries.
The shipments then move by
rail to the states, and thus re
turns from water transportation
are lost to Alaskan steamer
lines.
In this respect the report
states that “it is quite evident j
that if the rates on canned sal
mon are further increased—
which the territory maintains
would result in lower rates on
civilian cargo—there will be a
much greater diversion of the
southeastern Alaska pack
through Prince Rupert.”
Steamship companies contend
ed that costs of operation in the
territory are extremely high.
(Continued on page 4)
Puss Finds MEA
Is Right On Jab
There’s a cat on the Fritz
Hermon farm that has only
eight more lives to go today.
Pussy used up one of his nine
last week, in an experiment
with the quality of volts and
kilowatts the Matanuska Elec
tric Association is furnishing
Valley farmers.
The cat approached his cur
rent-testing experiment by
standing on a davenport to
reach the swinging cord on a
pin-up lamp. Chewing merri
ly, it took him but a matter
of seconds to cut through the
cord’s insulation and begin
his research.
Unfortunately, once begun,
the experiment was not to be
dropped hastily. Loud and
frantic yowls brought the
Hermon family to the living
room, where they found the
cat complaining bitterly over
his inability to drop the cord.
Jimmie Hermon saved the
day and the cat, by cutting off
the current and separating
cord and pussy. The feline
with the inquiring mind is
now resting at the Hermon
farm before beginning furth
er scientific research.
Restaurant Opened Here
Hungry Valley folks are now
assured of a spot in which to
grab a hasty snack at any hour
of the day or night, for the just
opened Frontier Cafe promises
food will be served the clock
around.
The restaurant, located in the
rear of the Steve Ward build
ing. first opened for business on
Tuesday. Owners Tommy Gam
ble and George Kezak specialize
in home-baked pastries, and are
serving both short orders and
dinners.
At present the restaurant is
equipped to handle counter
trade only, but Mr. Kezak hopes
to have five tables set up by
Saturday at the latest. Delayed
delivery of restaurant equip
ment has left Mr. Kezak without
a table to his name, but he hopes
to borrow several while await
ing the arrival of ordered stock.
Cordova9! Welcome Planned
Members of Palmer’s basket
ball teams plan to stretch their
welcome to Cordova visitors
clear to Anchorage, when the
rival squads fly in next week.
When Cordova players disem
bark from the plane at Merrill
field on Friday they will be met
by a procession of seven Valley
cars who will bring them back
to Palmer.
They will be greeted, upon
their entrance to Palmer, with
welcoming banners and sign
decorated store windows. Girls
of the Cordova team, who are
known as the Imperials, as are
the men also, will be lodged in
i private homes, while men play
ers are booked at the Lodge.
The court wars start at 8
o’clock Friday evening at the
gymnasium when the lady Im
perials tangle with Wright’s
Girls. Immediately at the close
of that game, the Shamrocks
will take the floor against the
male Imperials.
When basketball supremacy
has b»pn rlf»(’iH«>H for thp pvp
k.quuus will be ciivCi*
tained at a moose and caribou
dinner to be served in the school
lunchroom. Mrs. Opal Carlson
and Mrs. Alice Horton will cook,
while Palmer teachers will serve
as waitresses.
On Saturday morning, the vis
itors will be taken on a bus tour
of the Valley, ending at the ex
periment farm home of Mrs.
Stanley Balloun for a chili
luncheon, which will have been
transported to the farm, ready
for serving, by George Small.
Team members will rest until
8 o’clock that evening, when
the squads will repeat their court
meeting of the evening before.
Anyone planning to attend both
games can save a quarter by
purchasing game tickets in ad
vance from any local basketball
player.
Following Saturday’s games,
Palmer will be host to the Cor
dova visitors at a dance in the
gymnasium. The Carlson orches
tra is scheduled to play for the
affair, which is open to the pub
lic
v-cidov’a will return to An
chorage by bus early Sunday.
Plans for the visitors’ enter
tainment are still being organ
ized by Mrs. Ethel Lyons and
Art Stacey, managers of the lo
cal squad. Team members of the
Shamrocks and Wright’s Girls
are preparing posters. The
Shamrock men have been dele
gated to take care of outdoor
decorating chores, while the
girls pretty up the stage and
lunchroom for the dance and
banquet.
Vi Stacey, Laura France and
Bonnie Moore are in charge of
publicity for the weekend.
Drivers who have volunteered
to meet the Cordova plane in
Anchorage include Jack Tost,
Art Stenberg, Jr., Neal Wright,
Hoy Brock and Clare Stock. Two
additional vehicles are needed
to complete the entourage.
Valley residents who have
further plans for the entertain
ment of the Cordova teams are
asked to call either Mrs. Lyons
or Mr. Stacey. They’re open to
i
School Budget
May Total
Over $96,000
It will cost $96,825 to fi
nance the Palmer school during
the next fiscal year, if tentative
figures prepared by Carl Snell -
ing. superintendent of schools,
are okayed. The budget first
must be studied and approved
by the local board of education
and then by the territorial com
missioner of education at Jun
eau, before figures are accepted.
Mr. Snelling said present fig
ures have been scaled down from
the $107,000 first arrived at in
preparation of budget estimates.
Figures in the tentative budget
were based on a comparison of
last year's expense and the op
erating expense of the first six
months of the current year.
I Eighty percent of the total in
the superintendent’s budget will
go toward payment of teaching
salaries and instruction costs.
Mr. Snelling has submitted the
following break-down of Palmer
percentages, in comparison with
an ideal school budget, to show
where local school money goes:
*uv.hi x rxiiiivjl
General control .... 5.0% 3.6%
(board of education
and supt. expense)
Instruction .75% 80%
Operation (Janitorial
salaries, gen. maint.,
costs of labor,
etc.) .12% 11%
Maintenance as
building repairs 5% 1.8%
Library, health,
etc.2% .9%
Fixed expense (in
terest on loans,
etc.) . 1% .
Outlay (Alterations to
old bldg., purchase
of new and special
equip, as band in
struments, etc.).. 2.4%
The tentative budget has been
drafted in such a manner that
incorporation as an independent
school district, if such a project
is undertaken here, will not in
crease the total budget figures
this year, Mr. Snelling asserted.
Specific allotments within the
budget necessarily will be
changed, but incorporation will
not add to the $96,000 estimated
cost of running Palmer’s schools
next year.
Wasilla School
Still Accredited
WASILLA—Contrary to a re
cent newspaper report, Wasilla
high school is still an accredited
institution, James Pendleton,
school sup e r i n t e n d e n t, an
nounced this week. Mr. Pendle
ton was informed of that fact by
letter from Dr. James Ryan, ter
ritorial commissioner of educa
tion.
Mr. Pendleton said it was
probable the school will lose its
accreditation next year, how
ever. unless a change in the cur
rent ruling becomes effective be
fore that time. Wasilla school
now has an enrollment below
the required 30 students.
The high school will lose still
another pupil at the close of the
present term on Jan. 16. At that
time Katherine PoHormr
W'll to | • 1- irt- |-)j-|)
wd'oel.