Seward Seaport Record
Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday of each week.
Seward, Alaska
' Member of The Associated Press. The Associated
Press is entitled exclusively to the use tor icpubhca
tion of all local news printed m this newspaper as
well as the AP news dispatches. All rights oi publica
tion of special dispatches herein are also reserved.
John M. Coleman .
Mildred Kirkpatrick -
.Editor and Publisher
Managing Editor
Snbscription rates: Local Delivery SI.25 per mo. Mail $10 per year.
The
★ ★
5/vacl^i
By Mildred Kirkpatrick
There seems to be a lack of
understanding among some Sew
ard people on the water system
proposition which is to be
brought before the voters next
Monday in special election.
Opposition to the purchase of
the system from its private own
er comes mainly from residents
in the lower, or south end, of
town, who, because of their lo
cation on the end of the system
are seldom completely out of
water. When there is any water
at all in the system, these people
get it, when the homes located
higher up are entirely without.
The objection is that the price
of $80,000 is too high. Let’s look
more.closely at the proposition.
Nearly every man in town has
for several years had his own
opinion as to the actual value of
the distribution system. So as to
be sure of its physical worth the
City Council employed Mr. Felix
Toner, a well known engineer,
of Juneau to make a survey of
the system. Mr. Toner examined
the pipe installed, took into con
sideration the date of installa
tion to calculate depreciation,
closely examined the books of
the company, past and present,
and investigated water sources
and leases held by the company.
He called upon a firm of consult
ing engineers in Seattle, and be
tween them they arrived at the
figure of actual physical worth
of the Seward Water Company
holdings.
Two figures were given in the
report, a minimum valuation of
$46,000 and a maximum of $72,
000 (which included the intangi
bles such as water source rights
and easements and rehabilitation
value). Then the engineers drew
a line between the two figures
and recommended the sum of
$60,000 as a fair purchase price
for the water system.
The alternative to the pur
chase of the present installation
is an entirely new water distri
bution and supply for the city,
which would cost the people of
Seward not less than $450,000,
according to the same engineers.
Their report was based upon
present cost of materials and the
present city corporation needs,
including the pattern of in
creased development for 20
years. All sources for domestic
water near the city are now con
trolled by the water company
on a 99 year lease, with the ex
ception of Lowell Cr^eV. With
f'e city purchase of the Brown
ell homestead, it owns the lane1
which the water crosses, but the
old leases are still in effect. To
construct its own water system
then, Seward would be com
pelled to seek other sources.
Mrs. Thorne, owner of the
Seward Water Company, on the
basis of the same report by Mr.
Toner, has offered the entire
water distribution system, in
cluding the inventory of new
pipe, fittings, fire hydrants,
pumps, etc., for the total sum
of $80,000, without any interest
on the principal, and on monthly
payments of $725 pox month,
payable from the revenue from
the system.
At this rate ($8700 per year),
the system would pay itself out
in a little over nine years. The
figure does include, of course,
what would amount to approxi
mately a cash sale of S56.000 for
the system, plus accrued interest
at less than 6 per cent, if the
sale were financed through a
bank or by bonds. If Mrs. Thorne
is willing to wait ten years to
collect $24,000 (which would
otherwise go to the loaning
agency), that seems like good
judgment on her part. The point
is that her actual purchase price
on the water system is $56,000,
which is $4,000 less than that
recommended by the engineer
and consultant.
The survey proves tnat the
present financial condition of
the company absolutely will not
permit the rehabilitation of the
system. There seems r.o alterna
tive then, if we are to have any
water in the near future, but to
buy her holdings and go on from
there.
All reports of the survey, fi
gures, and contract, made up by
the city attorney, are open to
inspection upon request at the
City Hall. Any voter who has
doubts of the wisdom of the deal
or the l; rms of sale, has the
righ nnd i wc'coa t
the rc cords.
DID YOU REGISTER?
NOTICE TO MARINERS FROM
U.S. COAST GUARD
Sumner Strait—Light relight
ed—Fishermans Harbor Outer
Light (L.L. No. 2237) previously
reported extinguished has been
relighted. U.S. Goast and Geo
detic Survey Chart Nos. 8173
and 8152. Commander, 17th CG
District Notice to Mariners No.
28 dated 28 August.
Seacoast — Light relighted —
Seal Rocks Light (L.L. No. 2475)
previously reported extinguish
ed has been relighted. U.S. Coast
and Geodetic Survey Chart Nos.
8520, 8530. 8552 and 8502. Com
mander, 17th CG District Notice
to Maritjers No. 28 dated 28
August.
Alaska Peninsula—Character
istic of light changed—Cape Ig
vik Light (L.L. No. 2545) charac
teristic has been changed from
flashing every 6 seconds to flash
ing every 10 seconds (flash 1
sec., eclipse 0 sec.), with no
other change. U.S. Coast and Ge
odetic Survey Chart Nos. 8666,
8502 and 8556.
Norton Sound—Light discon
tinued—Bonanza River Light—
(L.L. No. 2641) has been perman
ently discontinued and structure
removed. U.S. Coast and Geo
detic Survey Chart Nos. 9380
and 9302.
Personalized Stationery
- Made to Order
FIRST SUCCESSFUL MO
HUNT FOR LOCAL COUI
Wm. (Bill) Nichols an
wife “Nicky” had the thr
a life time this year when
each killed a moose for th<
time, and on the first d
the season.
They have hunted every
Nicky says, since they we)
titled to three years ago, b
ways without success. Thi:
they were cleaning out the
kill, which was hers, whe
other moose came within
and Bill got it.
Oddly enough, after t
ling 70 miles for their hunt
returned home to find the
gest animal of all right in
own front yard at the cat
was too near the road, hov
even if they had not al
gotten their limit.
RAY’S OIL SERVI
Phone Monroe H
DAY OR NIGHT
Prompt, Courteous Serv
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Stove Oil - Furnace <
Light Fuel
Give Us a Call—
Office at 228 4th Aveni
Phone Main 171
Ray Seferovich, Ov
FARNSWORTH
General Freigh'
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OIL - FUEL - LUMB]
Sewcsrd - Kenci
Homer
crd Wc y Points
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Seward, Alaska