I he (nilc:lux Cily of Inferior Alaska Since 1903.
Seaport
Record
'Seward's All-JPcalker Port is Alaska's Greatest Asset.
i\0. Hi
SEWAf. P, ALASKA, TUESDAY, APRIL If), 1951
Price 10 cents
A-VI.a. issues Oaii For Bids
On 75 Low-Rental Housing
inits it Fairbanks
The Alaska Housing Authority
has issued a call for bids for the
construction of 75 low-rent units
at Fairbanks. Bids will be open
ed in Anchorage on May 8, 1951,
with actual construction expect
ed to start soon afterwards.
This is the first of four pro
jects of this type planned for
construction this year, it was ex
plained this week by E. Glen
Wilder, Executive Director of
he A.H.A. Besides 75 units at
Fairbanks, a bid call for 50 units
it Juneau is expected to go out
ater this month, and a call for
he construction of another 50
inits at Ketchikan early in May.
One hundred and fifty units
)lanned for Anchorage will fol
ow if there remains sufficient
puilding season to get well un
lerway with construction before
lext winter, Wilder said.
Low-rent housing is construct
ed with Federal financial aid as
luthorized by Congress in the
dousing Act of 1949. It is rental
lousing to be made available
;or families of low-income who
py reason of a limited income
could not otherwise afford to
•ent decent standard dwelling
iccommodations. The projects
vill be owned and operated by
he Alaska Housing Authority.
The Fairbanks project will be
wo-story units contained in ten
nultiple unit buildings plus a
nanagement and maintenance
>ffice building. The construction
:ontract will include, besides
he building, the installation of
itilities, central heating plant
ind the construction of streets,
valks, and yard areas.
The low-rent projects planned
>y the A.H.A. will be a real as
set to the four communities. Wil
ier declared, and will assist
greatly in overcoming the scri
ms shortage of standard hous
ng. especially where private en
erprise cannot be expected to
supply decent housing for fami
ies of lower income.
RED CROSS CAMPAIGN
NETS S850 TO DATE
The fund drive of the Seward
Chapter American Red Cross to
:iate has reached the $850 mark,
5650 short of the $1500 quota.
Last week's inclement wea
ker forced postponement of the
louse-to-house campaign and
Saturday of this week has been
set as the time to conduct this
phase of the drive.
Seward householders are
urged to give generously when
called upon by the workers.
It may tae noted especially
that over $900 of the $1500 will
remain in the Seward Chapter
treasury.
7TH GRADE TO PRESENT
PLAY FRIDAY EVENING
Aunt Sophia at College, a 3
act play, is to be presented by
the 7th grade at the school gym
an Friday, April 13, at 8 p.m. A
matinee performance will be
presented for the entire school
an Thursday. Admission to the
jvening performance will be 50
rents. The matinee will be 25
rents for those children attend
ing.
Half of the proceeds of the
alay will go for the purchase of
lew library books for the 7th
tnd 8th grades. The rest of the
aroceeds will be used to cover
he cost of the seventh grade
aicnic.
Veterans Housing
Loan Expiration
Date Is June 30
Since February 25 the Veter
ans Administration has more
than doubled the allocation of
funds for Alaska to cover appli
cations for direct loans to vet
erans for housing.
Prior to that date the Seattle
office of the Veterans Admin
istration, under legislation en
acted in the 81st Congress, had
tentatively approved 58 direct
loan applications from Alaska
veterans amounting to $485,000.
Since then the Seattle office re
quested and received allocations
of funds for Alaska to cover new
applications and has been au
thorized to increase the total
Alaska allocation to $1,043,000.
‘ There is reason to believe
that direct loan funds will be
available for all qualifying ap
plications in Alaska,” Delegate
Bartlett was informed by VA of
ficials in Washington. Through
out the country less than one
third of the total of SI50 million
authorized by Congress for the
program lias been reserved. For
all regions in the United States
and territories, tentative ap
proval, through February 25,
had been given to 7.043 direct
loan applications. Funds reserv
ed for these loans amounted to
$43 million on that date.
“While some increase in ac
tivity is expected during the re
maining period prior to the June
30, 1051 expiration date,” D. le
gate Bartlett was told, “it ap
pears likely that a fairly sub
stantial portion of the total
amount will not be used.” For
this reason it is felt that there
will be sufficient funds to cover
all qualifying applications orig
inating in Alaska. 'The applica
tion volume in Alaska has
picked up rapidly in recent
weeks,” the report stated, “and
special arrangements have been
developed to expedite process
ing. While the problems peculiar
to Alaska have presented diffi
culties, it is believed that the
$10,000 limit on direct loans
may have presented the greatest
barrier to veterans who desire
to utilize the direct loan benefit
to buy or build a home in
Alaska.”
Aviation Safety
Discussions
D. M. Grelzer
for
The Office of Aviation Safety
BUZZ JOBS
There ic an element of oathos
in a buzz-job by a pilot. He is
showing otf, trying to impress
his friends, yet he meets with
nothing but severe criticism at
the least, and sudden death at
the most.
There is no other intentional
maneuvering commonly per
formed by a pilot, which is so
likely to end in tragedy. The ex
hileration of the moment causes
disregard of consequences and
a loss of ability to “feel” and ob
serve critically.
Watch Me
The pilot did a fine job of
showing how well his airplane
would l'ly on its side just a few
feet above the road. People
standing near the road had to
duck, but no one was hurt. The
next maneuver involved a steep
climb, whereupon the pilot lost
control of the airplane. It dove
into the ground and the pilot
was killed instantly.
Why?
The accident will ultimately
be recorded in some statistical
column of the CAB or CAA,
labeled “Buzzing" or “Careless
and reckless flying.”
But a behind the? scenes view
is more enlightening. The pilot
had stayed overnight at a road
house. There ho met and en
gaged in discussions with two
other pilots. They talked shop
many long hours, particularly
about high performance maneu
vers.
The following morning when
the pilot left, his exhibition was
a fa re we il gesture to his two
new found friends who were
watching his departure.
Remcrse
The other two pilots now fer
vently wish they had n- ver had
occasion to be a party to the dis
cussions of the previous evening,
and they are bearing more than
thfir share of the burden or re
sponsibility. That burden still
belongs to all of us.
We r peat one of the questions
raised in of our roc* nt is
sues. . . When we exaggerated
our triumphs into easy accomp
lishment and disparaged the
timid — didn't we r- s!oad the
novice toward disast r?”
NGYES' TO GO SOUTH
The A1 Noyes family is south
bound as soon as school is out,
accordin'? to th?ir plans. They
are soiling out completely,
house and turn; -aim's, and will
head first lor St. Paul. Minne
sota. to visit with Mr. Noyes"
relatives there. Then they plan
a leisurely trip southward, per
haps through Mexico, but with
their destination being Trinidad.
Alaska Statehood Biii
Approved By Committee On
Interior and insular Affairs
Expect Explosives
Unloading Decision
This Week
Joined by Joe Flakne, chief of
tiie Alaska Division, Interior
Department, Delegate Bartlett
has again urged action which
would permit the unloading of
explosives at Seward.
It is expected a final decision
will be made this week.
Flakne and Bartlett met with
Chairman Hart of the House
Committee on the Merchant
Marine and Fisheries to review
the situation.
Following recommendations
made by the committee as a se
quel to the South Amboy disas
ter last year, the Coast Guard
has felt obliged to prohibit cus
tonuny unloading procedures
in Alaska and elsewhere.
At a hearing some weeks ago
before a special subcommittee,
at which Colonel John R. Noyes,
Commissioner of Roads for Al
aska, Wil Coding of the Interior
Department, and others testi
fied, it was explained that lack
of proper facilities at Seward
made it impossible to get explo
sives to central and interior
Alaska for coal mines and con
struction work except by un
loading at Valdez or Homer and
then trucking to Anchorage.
The committee was advised this
might be more hazardous than
continuing to unload at Seward.
In meeting with Chairman
Hart, Flakne and Bartlett in
formed him city authorities of
Seward suggested an exemption
be granted so explosives may
be discharged from ships there
until permanent facilities arc
available.
WOMAN'S CLUB TO MEET
THURSDAY
Preparedness in Civil D fen so
and Reh bilitaiion will be the
topic presented at the Woman's
Club meeting on Thursday,
April 12. Miss Patricia Brittain,
occupat onnl therapist at the
Seward f analorium, will be the
guest ■ weaker.
There will be a business meet
ing, with election of officers lor
the coming year. It is hoped that
all members will attend if pos
sible.
Mrs. LaPreal Bie will be
chairman in charge of the meet
ing, which will be held in the
Methodist Church parlors, start
ing at 3 p.m.
Headquarters, Alaskan Com
mand, Elmendorf Air Force
Base, Anchorage. Alaska—All is
quiet on the Alaskan front to
day, as a lull in Exercise “Fire
step” continues for the fourth
successive day. “Aggressor”
forces, hard hit by strong de
fensive counter-attacks, have ap
parently withdrawn to regroup
and muster their strength, while
defending troops are preparing
themselves to meet any major
action which the “enemy” may
be planning.
It has been reported that the
“aggressor” air strength has suf
fered considerably, and it is be
lieved that the breathing spell
is partially the result of the
enemy's need fur reinforcing
Inc if jut arm.
The threat to the United
States Naval Station at Kodiak
which loomed last Thursday
morning when aggressor forces
launched a mock attack in con
junction with Exercise Firestep
was successfully overcome. Navy
and Marine forces, supported by
Army troops, completed their
counter attack at approximately
10 a.m. Friday with all aggres
sor troops killed or captur d.
Defending forces had succeed
ed in pushing the enemy back
Thursday, but in the evening
and early night the pretender
aggressors again advanced and
under cover of dark they pene
trated the perimiter oi the do
fense area. It was here that the
Naval, Marine and supporting
Army troops engaged them in
the bitter fighting which result
ed in victory for the defenders.
Aggressor forces made one
bombing mission against Kodiak
Friday morning in conjunction
with the ground attack. Further
mock bombing and straffing
sorties were made in the An
chorage and Fairbanks areas but
these were less frequent through
Thursday. Several aggressor
aircraft were theoretically de
stroyed in the air.
No new dev lopments have
taken place in Western Alaska
where only minor action has
been reported for the last few
days.
The Alaska statehood bill was
approved this week by the Sen
ate Interior and Insular Affairs
Committee. It is expected the
measure will be reported soon
in slightly amended form over
the original version introduced
on January 8 by 19 Senators.
The principal amendment will
decrease the niffnber oi delegates
to the constitutional convention
from 31 to 27. The new formula,
calling for the election ox b dele
gates from the First Division,
3 from the Second, 10 from the
Third and 5 from the Fourth,
is based upon the reapportion
ment of the territorial House of
Representatives made by the
Bureau of the Census according
to the 1950 census. In addition,
the amended bill will call for
3 delegates at large. The elec
tion would be conducted with
out reference to the political
affiliations of the candidates and
tile ballots us.d would be non
partisan. Unlike the House ver
sion of the statehood bill, which
calls for a primary and general
election of constitutional con
vention candidates, the Senate
measure provides for a general
election only .
Other features of the Senate
bill as it will go to the upper
house are outlined below:
1. The new state would con
sist of all the territory now in
cluded in the Territory of Alas
ka.
2. The new state would be en
titled, five years after its ad
mission into the Union, to se
lect 20 million acres of unreserv
ed public land, with protection
spelled out to valid existing
rights. If lands selected are un
surveyed, the Secretary of the
Interior would survey the ex
terior boundaries of the areas
requested with patent issued in
terms of the exterior boundary
survey. The state could sell or
grant lands in tracts not larger
than 040 acres for any purpose
state of royalties of not more
than percent of all min
erals produced from that land,
all for the support of public
schools. In addition, a grant of
200.000 acres of land in the na
tional forests would be pro
vided, plus 200,000 acres of pub
lic land for*community and rec
reational purposes, with provi
sion contained in the bill for
protection of existing rights. A
grant of 2,550.000 acres would
be made to the new state for in
tirnal improvements, including
500.000 acres to the University
of Alaska in addition to lands
previously granted for the Uni
versity.
3. Protection would be provid
ed to any lands or property (in
cluding fishing rights) the right
or title to which may be held
by Indians. Eskimos, or Aleuts.
4. Control of Alaska’s fisher
ies would go to the new state
with the exception of the fur
seal fishery on the Pribilof Is
lands. The fur-seal industry
would be retained under the
jurisdiction of the Department
of the Interior because of inter
national aspects, but half the
proceeds from the sale of the
fur seals would go to the new
state.
5. The constitutional conven
tion would be held at a time
designated in a proclamation is
sued by the Governor within
eight months after the statehood
bill was approved. Provision is
made for a tie vote in the elec
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