Seward
The Gateway City uf Interior Alaska Since 1903.
£ e a P o r f
Record
ScziarJ’s All-JVeather Port is Alaska’s Greater ) Asset.
THE ONLY NEWSPAPER IN THE WORLD THAT GIVES A HOOT ABOUT SEWARD, ALASKA
Vol. IX, No. 36
SEWARD, ALASKA, FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 1953
Price 10 Cents
Council Heors People
OirTelephone
Rote Increase
Approximately 50 townspeo
ple attended the public hearing
on the raise in telephone rates
Monday, March 2, in the council
room.
Each person present was given
a chance to have his say and
make a statement. Questions
from the floor were not heard
until after each person was taken
in rotation. Many questions were
heard, but few explicit answers
given by the company, repre
sentative, Charles H. Sim.
The burden of qomplaints
were on lack of service to outly
ing areas and curtailment of long
distance service. General con
census of opinion seemed to be
against granting the rate hike
until better equipment and ade
quate service is produced.
Results of the hearing will not
be known until announced by
the City Council next Monday,
March 9. Pay raise for operators
is depedent upon the raise in
rates for certain kinds of serv
ice. No explanation was given
for curtailment of long distance
service except that a contract
arrangement with ACS, kamc
with ACS had been discontinued.
No hope was given for resump
tion of long distance service in
the near future.
Delegate Bartlett's
Statehood Bill
Listed here are the major pro
visions of Delegate Bartlett's
Alaska Statehood bill compared
with the terms of the Senate
measure:
1. Delegate Bartlett’s bill
grants 43.350,000 acres of land
to the new state, while the Sen
ate bill provides for grants of
22.950.000 acres. His version
would allow the state as soon as
admitted to start selecting 40
million acres of vacant, unap
propriated and unreserved pub
lic lands, while the Senate bill
would grant 20 million acres for
this purpose to be selected five
years after admission. Both bills
provide for survey by the Inte
rior Department of the exterior
boundaries of the areas request
ed by the state, but the Senate
version limits the sale by the
state of such lands in tracts no
larger than 640 acres, while Del
egate Bartlett's bill carries no
such restriction. Delegate Bart
lett's bill also eliminates the
Senate provision that only up to
12 and a half per cent royalty
on minerals produced on state
lands may be reserved to the
state.
Delegate Bartlett's bill dou
bles the amount of land granted
to the state from national forests
and the public domain for estab
lishment and expansion of com
munity centers and recreational
areas. His bill grants 800,000
acres for these purposes, 400,000
from the national forests and
400.000 from the public domain,
while the Senate bill spells out
200.000 acres for each category.
Both bills contain grants of 2,
550.000 acres for internal im
provements, such as mental,
penal, reformatory, the Univer
sity of Alaska and other institu
tions.
2. The Congress would have
the right to approve or reject
the state constitution under the
(Turn to Page 4)
Seward, Nebr. Visit
To Be in June
The expected visit of the Sew
ard, Nebraska, basketball team
will rat occur until June. The
Nebraska State Athletic Associ
ation forbids a school team play
ing outside the state during the
school term, consequently the
visit must be postponed.
Committees appointed by the
Chamber of Commerce to carry
out plans for entertaining the
Nebraska visitors will remain as
named and work will continue
on the project.
City Manager Pian
Proposed By C of C
Sam Romach brought up a pro
posal to the. Chamber of Com
merce that the town be polled on
the proposition of adopting the
city manager-council plan of gov
ernment. lie was followed by
former Mayor Eugene Lanier in
support of the p'arr.
Romach volunteered to take a
petition out to be signed by the
requisite number of registered
voters to initiate the movement.
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TO
MEET WEEKLY
By general consent of the
membership present at last Tues
day’s meeting of the Chamber of
Commerce, the group will meet
every Tuesday.
A proposal was accepted to
ertet a welcome sign at the city
liraritf: with a list of organiza
tional meetings so that visitors
can always find members of their
own groups. Other service club
groups will be asked to partici
pate in the plan.
March of Dimes
Report Completed
The total figure for Seward's
contribution to the March of
Dimes now stands at $2366.87.
This represents the largest con
tribution to date for polio ever
made here. Broken down by
groups, the report is as follows:
Business houses $293.00
Organizations 629.15
Public school, including
basketball games 291.61
Iron Lungs 507.56
March of Dimes Dance 430.25
The report lists in detail in
dividual contributions, those by
individual business houses and
organizations, even though some
club groups raised their funds
by other means than outright
donations.
The Seward Business & Pro
fessional Women’s Club, spon
sors of the March of Dimes, is
very proud of the showing made
by Seward this year, and hope
that none of the money will ever
have to be used here.
WERNER’S FURNITURE
OPENS BARGAIN BASEMENT
Hinie Werner opened Seward's
first Bargain Basement in Wer
ner’s Furniture and Appliance
Store on Fourth Avenue Friday,
March 6.
Bargain hunters will find pots
and pans, less expensive dishes
and glassware and all kitchen
ware in the basement. It is not
completely stocked yet, but
Hinie promises a full supply of
bargain goods that will please
Seward housewives.
Baranof and Two
Freighters Released
For Alaska Ports
Word received from the Al
aska Steamship Company Thurs
day announced release of the
passenger ship Raranof and four
freighters for Alaska ports.
The Baranof will sail as usual
on March 6. The freighter Na
dina is scheduled for sailing
March 10; the Chena, March 17;
the Square Knot, March 24—all
with Seward cargo. The Sailor’s
Splice will sail March 5 for Al
aska Peninsula canneries and
Kodiak Island.
Seward Boys Receive
Honors Outside
Three local boys are gaining
distinction for themselves and
Seward in the University of
Washington and the University
of Colorado, according to infor
mation received here tins week.
Jack, Bill and Bob Erwin,
sons of Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Er
win, were all born in Seward
and the two younger ones grad
uated here. Jack, the eldest,
will receive the degree of Bach
elor of Science in mathematics
and Bachelor of Arts in philoso
phy and history this year from
the University of Washington.
He has recently been made chief
inspector in the template section
of the experimental shops of
Boeing Aircraft Company, Se
attle, doing work on jet propell
ed transport planes.
Bill, the second son, has re
ceived a placquc as the outstand
ing pledge in the Sigma Phi
Epsilon fraternity at the Uni
versity of Colorado. He was a
member of the basketball team
here and is one of the champion
ship team for water polo at the
University.
Bob is a freshman, also at the
Colorado University. He has
been selected as potential candi
date for the Honors Council.
The Council is a special group
selected by their scholarship for
special duty directly under the
heads of departments of study.
They are not required to attend
the regular classes, but receive
special training, thus enabled
to move along in their studies
as rapidly as they can learn.
Only outstanding students are
chosen for this attention.
All the Erwin boys are earn
ing their own way and are. an
example of the excellence of
Alaska public school standards.
J. P. JOHNSON TO VISIT
HERE NEXT WEEK
Col. J. P. Johnson will be in
Seward March 11. Close friends
of Johnson have indicated that
he is willing to continue as gen
eral manager of The Alaska
Railroad and would accept re
instatement if offered.
There seems to be a pretty
general feeling of regret jo tms
area that tiie railroad has be
come a political issue. Opinions
have been asked of a number of
men, aii of whom state that the
railroad should be managed by
a really experienced railroader,
and that Johnson's seven year
term has shown him to be a cap
able manager.
Although Johnson's visit is
purely on business, he will prob
ably be consulted as to his future
plans.
Reporter's Notebook
Peg and Marg of the Alaska
Bookkeeping Service have had
letters this week from several
Sewardites.
Pearl Dahl writes that she is
working in the yard, planting
dwarf fruit trees and making
ready for the vegetable garden.
She has daffodils and other
flowers in bloom. Sylvia Sexton
called in to see her, she says.
The Dahls live in Puyallup,
Washington. Oscar will be back
up here in May but Mrs. Dahl
does not plan to come this year.
Sybil Reed (Mrs. Ralph Reed)
writes that she is enjoying the
weather in Edmunds, Washing
ton. She hangs the laundry out
side and brings it in the same
day. She visits former Seward
ites in Seattle every week or
so. Mrs. Reed is looking forward
to visiting in Seward during the
summer months.
Mr. and Mrs. John Paulsteiner
are taking in the sights of San
r'raneisco and suburbs. They are
staying in Berkeley where they
like it very much. They will be
back in Seattle sometime this
month, then possibly be ready
to head for home.
Mitch Faulkner said this week
that Rene and Gene Skinner are
having a time getting mail from
Dutch Harbor. The snow plow
broke down so that the landing
field could not be cleared. Boat
mail is about-the limit. How
ever, a new snow plow was ex
pected soon. Mr. Faulkner said
they apparently like it fine and
the baby is doing nicely.
The well baby conference is
open again at the Public Health
office in the Ray Building Thurs
day afternoons until 4 o'clock.
Jamie Kirkpatrick was four
years old last Saturday. He cele
brated his birthday with a party
at which there were ten chil
dren. He later went to the mov
ies, completing the day. But
he couldn't understand why it
should not be repeated the next
day.
Wednesday night at 11:33 a
rather sharp earthquake startled
Sewardites. It was of medium
intensity preceedcd by a long
rolling movement. A little before
10 on Thursday night there was
another one that was not noticed
by many people. We should have
a seismograph in town so they
could be measured.
Another little boy had a birth
day party last week. He was
Annand Loring, son of Mrs.
Mollie Loring. Armand was five
years old last Friday, Feb. 27.
He had a party at home where
eight little children had a grand
time.
Jim LawSon and the Mrs. left
Seward on the Baranof Thurs
day for their new home in Ju
neau. Jim became very popular
as manager of radio station
KIBH here in Seward. Friends
gave the Lawsons a farewell
party at the Eiks Club Thursday
night before sailing time. Good
luck, Jim!
Mr. and Mrs. Lyle Prindle
and Charles Coleman, all of
Cascade, Idaho, are visiting Mr.
and Mrs. John Coleman. Charles
Coleman is John's elder brother,
Mrs. Prindle is Charles' daugh
ter. They plan to leave for the
return early next week.
Mrs. Beryl Wagner and Mrs.
H. L. Powers went to Fairbanks
Monday to see the famous Ice
Carnival.
Girl
Scout
News
By Mrs. Ruth Cooper
Thanks to the people of Sew
ard the local Girl Scout Inter
national Festival was a huge
success. This was the first time
a city wide Girl Scout program
has been put on in Seward. The
Festival was the climax of the
month long celebration of Inter
national Month which is Feb
ruary each year. The Seward
Adult Association of Girl Scouts
and the Scouts themselves wish
to thank tire High School for
allowing them to use the gym
and the cafeteria; Mrs. Kav
Johnson for her time and pa
tience in teaching the various
troops their dances; the mothers
and families fur supplying the
food for the buffet supper; Troop
Committees for their help in
making the costumes; and last
but not least the Lions and Lion
esses for their fine cooperation
and support. Next year we hope
to have a program equally as
successful.
SEWARD GIRL SCOUT
ADULT COUNCIL
The festival supper was pro
nounced the biggest success of
its kind in many years. Approxi
mately 450 people were served.
All food was donated and there
was plenty for everybody.
Dances and displays were
held in the gymnasium and so
arranged that they were in easy
view of all spectators.
A display of Girl Scout sup
plies will be on view in McMul
len's window all next week.
Durant's Hardware is now dis
playing pictures taken at the
festival.
BLACK FACES A30UT
TOWN NOT SERIOUS
The black faced teen-agers
seen about town alf day Friday
need not cause any lasting worry
to Sewardites. These dirty faces
will vanish after Saturday night.
It is only part of the vaudeville
show being put on by the high
school. Black faces are part of
the Music on the Mississippi
group.
A bit of Latin song and
dance, "Sophie Tucker” and
“Poor Fish” will round out the
ninety-minute program prepared
with the help of Kay Jonnson,
Grace Campen and Edna Dixon.
By all reports the vaudeville
show is good. The kids have
worked hard. Let's go!
ST. PATRICK'S DAY PARTY
IN CIVIC CENTER
The Sacred Heart Catholic
Church of Seward will hold
their annual St. Patrick's Day
party in the Civic Center Tues
day, March 17.
A full evening of entertain
ment is planed including danc
ing directed by Kay Johnson.
The entertainment will feature
Irish songs and dances.
The St. Patrick’s Day party
lias been an outstanding social
affair in past years and bids
fair to continue its usual suc
cess. Prizes of all sorts are on
display including a beautiful
matched davenport and chair.
Games will include Alaska’s
favorite, with admission and re
freshments free.
VAUDEVILLE SHOW - Sat. March 7 - School Gym
SHOW STARTS AT 8:00 O'CLOCK P.M. ADMISSION: $1.00