WASHINGTON NEWS LETTER
By MARY LEE COUNCIL
Secretary to E. L. (Bob) Bartlett, Alaska's Delegate to Congress
Private Relief Bill
Four Alaska residents and a
fifth person now living in the
States would be paid a total of
$757 under the terms of a bill
sponsored by Delegate Bartlett
which was favorably reported to
the House this week by the Com
mittee on the Judiciary.
The funds are sought to make
up for personal effects lost in
July of 150 aboard power boats
while navigating the Susitna Riv
er on a Bureau of Reclamation
field trip.
Canadian Shipping
Legislation to permit travel be
tween certain points in Alaska on
Canadian vessels and limited
transportation of freight between
Alaska ports and the continental
United States has started the con
gressional rounds on what has be
come in the past few years an an
nual pilgrimage.
Present law which allows travel
between Haines, Skagway, Hyder
and other Alaska ports and car
riage of freight between Hyder
and points in the Territory and
the States is due to expire on
June 30 of this year. This week
the Senate Interstate and Foreign
Commerce Committee favorably
reported a bill to the upper house
introduced by Senator Tobey at
Delegate Bartlett’s request which
extend the law until June 30,
1954. Similar legislation has been
sponsored by the Delegate on the
House side.
“The schedules of the American
company providing freight service
to Skagway and Haines,” the Sen
ate report stated, “show no pas
senger service to those ports. In
the case of Hyder, the lack of
transportation for both passeng
ers and merchandise has been
more acute. The port, though
small, is important because of the
mining production there of tung
sten, a vital material. Without
adequate transportation, the mine
will be forced to suspend opera
tions with a consequent loss, not
only of valuable ore concentra
tion, but of emplovment to a num
ber of Alaska citizens.”
Land Reservations
The restoration of additional
lands in the vicinity of Homer is
now being considered, according j
to information made available to
Delegate Bartlett this week by the
Interior Department.
A review of all existing with
drawals in Alaska, which was in
augurated several months, ago,
is now in progress, according to
Interior Department, including i
withdrawal of lands on the Kenai!
Peninsula.
Delegate Bartlett was told that
consideration is also being given ;
to the revocation of some 17,000
acres of coal lands east of Chick- (
aloon. “Under present circum
stances,” the Department stated,
“it is believed that some of the
wtihdrawn coal lands could be re
leased for development and such
release of Unit 12 in the Ch'ck
aloon area and Unit 7 in the Ma
tanuska area is under active con
sideration.”
The report to Delegate Bartlett
revealed there are now only seven
coal leases in Alaska “and so far
as is known, all but one of these
are active to some extent, and
four of them are very active.
There are a large number of pros
pecting permits, most of which
are active to some extent and the
holders of some of which actu
ally are producing coal under mil
itary contracts. The coal mining
problem has been a troublesome
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one and requires continuous ob
servation in order to see that the
public interest is protected. Actu
ally, the production capacity
north of the Alaska Range is be
lieved to be adequate for the an
ticipated demand over the next
few years, whereas, that south of
the Range is less favorable in that
essentially all of the production
there comes from but one mine.
However, intensive study is now
being given by appropriate Inter
ior agencies to the review of both
the coal markets and productive
capacities.”
The report concluded, ‘‘This
Department will not contenance
the deliberate holding without
production of public coal land by
leases but it does realize the dif
ficulties and believes that lessees
who demonstrate good faith
should be given a reasonable op
portunity to resolve their diffi
culties. Following out this policy,
the Department is now reviewing
one of the lease contracts in the
Matanuska field with a view to
instituting action to cancel unless
the lease is further activated.”
Seattle Transportation Hearings
A congressional subcommittee
will conduct a three-d^y hearing
in Seattle starting April 8 on
transportation problems in the
Pacific Northwest and Alaska.
The subcommittee will be head
ed by Congressman Dolliver of
Iowa, and after the hearings a
report will be submitted to the
House Interstate and Foreign
Commerce Committee,.
The chairman of the full com
mittee, Congressman Wolverton
of New Jersey, was reported to
have stated that in his opinion
the interruptions in the free flow
of commerce through the port of
Seattle and vicinity have adverse
ly affected interstate and foreign
commerce, impairing the defense
effort and indirectly causing
great inconvenience and economic
loss not only to the people of the
Pacifice Northwest, but also the
people of Alaska. He declared
that his committee has received j
numerous complaints regarding1
Beautiful Easter Lillys
Cut flowers — potted
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Hyacinths — Azalias
African Violets
MATANUSKA VALLEY GARDENS
Maud Hosier
Sheet Metal Work
Furnaces Stokers Pre-fab Chimneys
Stainless Steel Work
— Free Estimates —
PALMER SHEET METAL & HEATING
Box 1797 John Weisenberger
Phone: 62J3
Palmer
Moore's Garage
GENERAL AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR
CRANKSHAFT GRINDING
REBORE SERVICE
Post Office Box 789
Palmer, Alaska
CITY PLANNING
DISCUSSED AT
KIWANIS MEETING
Members of Palmer- Kiwanis
Club heard an instructive panel
' discussion on City Planning at
the regular noontime meeting
held March 30.
The panel consisted of Charles
Wilson, member of the Palmer
City Planning Commission; Rich
ard Demming, engineer; Mayor,
Alfred V. Hagen, and Rolland
Snodgrass.
Demming discussed the gener
al aspects of city planning and
various systems used in the gen
eral layout of towns and cities.
Discussing subdivisions, especi
ally as related to Palmer and its
immediate vicinity, Charles Wil
son illustrated some of the meth
ods of subdividing a plot of land
and gave advantages and disad
vantages of each, as related to
city planning. .
Due to lack of time, neither
Mayor Hagen nor Snodgrass were
able to present their particu
lar phase of city planning; “Plan- :
ning as it effects the City” and !
“Planning as it effects the land !
owner,” nor did time permit any i
general discussions. The program |
chairman announced the panel
discussion would be continued at
a future date.
During the business meeting,
letters from Delegate Bob Bart
lett and the U. S. Attorney’s of
fice were read in regard to the
move of the Deputy U. S. Mar
shall’ office to Palmer.
Other business included the
vote of the club to donate to the
Palmer Library Association, the
silver material formerly used as
stage backdrops for Kiwanis min
strel shows.
TO HOLD BAKE SALE
Members of St. Michael’s Altar
and Rosary Society will hold a
bake sale Saturday, April 4 at
Beit’s Drug store from 10 a.m. to
3 p.m., it was announced this
week. Home made pastries, rolls,
breads and cookies will be sold.
the regulations and various com
missions under the legislative
jurisdiction of his committee af
fecting transportation in the Pa
cific Northwest and Alaska.
NoteMaah
Returning to the Valley this
past week end was Angus Mc
Kechnie who has spent the winter
months in Seattle. He plans to
work in Fairbanks this summer.
Leaving for Texas last Sun
day was Manuel Orgaz, pressman
with The Frontiersman the past
two years. He plans to make his
home in Texas.
The annual Spring influx has
started with several newcomers
bringing their own housing
with them in the form of house
trailers. Several passed through
the Valley the past two weeks
some staying a few days.
Jan Koslosky returned to Pal
mer last Friday following several
weeks in the States. He return
ed over the Alaska Highway.
Another Palmerite returning
this week was Art Marsh, com
ing in from Washington.
Holgar Larsen of the Fish and
Wildlife Service checked on a
reputedly injured moose that has
been hanging around the fringes
of the city this week and said
the animal apparently is all
right. Parents are asked to warn
their children to stay away from
the animal.
Representative M. D. Snod
grass and Senator Gerritt Sni
der returned from Juneau this
past week end, following a
strenuous two-month legisla
ture session.
Mrs. Marylou Rideout, home
demonstration agent with the Ex
it
Mas
|SHOP AT SEARS AND SAVE.1
“For Fast and Economical Service
mail your orders to
Sears Roebuck and Co.
Box 1939 — Anchorage, Alaska
tension Service, has returned to
Palmer following a few months
leave of absence spent at her
home at Glenallen.
TO HOLD REGULAR
DANCES AT WASiiLLA
Regular dances every other
Saturday are being planned for
Wasilla it was announced this
week. First dance will be held to
night April 2.
Earl and Mary Combs annonuc
ed the dances will be held at
Community Hall Wasilla from
10 p.m. to 2 a.m. with Schaefer’s
orchestra furnishing the music.
The public is invited to attend.
Carpenters. Remember!
Carpenters Local 2251
Meets 2nd and 4th Wednesday
Each Month
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