God offers to every mind Its
choice between truth and re
pose. ..Take which you please,
you can never have both.
Emerson
The Seward 8eeport Record
le Independent in every re
spect and none shall ever be
denied the right to use its col
umns for any legal purpose or
expression.
VOL. XI. NO. 15.
SEWARD, ALASKA, FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 1955
PRICE 10 CENTS
COUNCIL IN LIVELY SESSION
AS (MENS SPEAK MINDS
A jampacked Council chamber1
with standing room only was the
scene of Monday evening’s City
Council session. Between 36 and
40 citizens were at the meeting
which, despite some vital business,
ran only 'till 11 p.m.
TRAFFIC CONTROL
Mrs. Gil Anthony was the first
of those present to speak and she
asked that some marker be placed
near the kindergarten s o that
drivers passing the area would
slow down thus lessening the
chance that some child might get
hurt. The Council agreed that
the idea was a good one and a
school zone sign will be placed
near the kindergarten.
DOGS
The second speaker of the even
ing was John Disney, who has
been acting as City Dog Officer
for the past two weeks. Disney
gave a report of his activities re
porting that a total of 43 strays
had been destroyed.
He also suggested that the pro
gram go on for another 3 months
using a quonset hut as a dog
pound. Estimated cost to tlie City
would be $65 to $70, and it was
Disney's opinion that fees collected
and licenses sold would carry the
balance of the expense of the
program with a possible slight
profit to the City .
The dog problem was pretty well
covered by Disney who told the
Council that there had been two
cases reported to him where child
ren were attacked by dogs.
The possibility of a Rabies Clinic
■was also discussed and it was
decided that along with continu
ing the drive on dogs the City
would see if a Territorial Depart
ment of Health Vet could come to
Seward to innoculate dogs in this
area.
PETITIONS
The City Dog Officer was ap
parently not the only one that
thought the City was going to the
dogs as petitions were presented'
asking the Council to take into
consideration the local hard times
and take measures to cut City
expenses b v reducing the City
Manager’s salary to $7000 and el
iminate his expense account.
Also presented at the same time
was a letter from former Chief of
Police Bob Jackson in which he
stated several points of contro
versy with the City Manager. Fol
lowing the reading of the letter
several people were heard from in
which they stated that Jackson's
actions in recent months were not
such that they would inspire any
one to place much credence in
his statements.
At this point Clarence Larsen
spoke up saying he thought it was
an insult to the intelligence of the
people to present such petition ana
he thought that everyone should
forget their petty grievances and
get to work trying to help the City.
Following further discussion of
the City’s financial condition and
the general status of City affairs
it was decided to strike the Jack
son letter from the records and
table the Petition until the names
on it could be verified.
Other items taken up, included
the issuance of tax deed to certain
(Turn to Page 4)
»
Senator Jack Werner
To Get Big Send-off
The Seward Democratic Club is
planning a big “Senator’s Send
Off’ for Jack Werner, Seward's
first representative to the Legis
lature in several years.
On Saturday evening. January
15th, starting at 6:30 in the Elks
Hall local Democrats, friends of
Senator Werner and the public in
general are. invited to join the fun
which will mark the celebration of
Seward's appreciation at having
a local man to carry the area’s
problems to the Legislature.
| The party will include a delic
! ious dinner, cancing and maybe
1 even a word or two from Seward’s
new Senator. Guests from out of
; town have been invited and a
i pleasant evening is anticipated for
| all who join the party.
I
Marshal’s Office
Stands Neutral
U. S. Deputy Marshal Dolan in
fomer the Kecord this week that
he had been advised that certain
persons circulating petitions in
town had advised prospective sign
! ers that the Marshal's office had
1 taken an active interest in the
i local problems, between the City
i Manager and former police chief
j to the extent that they had trans
i mitted a letter from the former
chief which was read to the City
Council on Monday evening.
Such statements are false and
persons making them. Marshal
Dolan said, co so without author
ity and face the possibility of be
ing prosecuted.
Postal Regulations
Change For Better
Acording to a release from the
National Editorial Association, dat
ed December 30, it is expected
that the so-called bulk mailing
order will be rescinded effective
midnight March 31, 1955.
Effective August 21, 1953, mailers
were given the priviledge of omitt
ing names and street addresses
from circulars and other mail mat
ter, and using the destination of
“householders, patrons and box
holders” as addresses.
During the past year there has
been an ever increasing wave of
discontent from householders who
found themselves deluged with
growing amounts of unwanted
“junk mail"; from the newspap
er industry who found that such
mailing interfered with their dis
tribution; and from postal employ
ees who found that the routing and
carrying of such “junk mail'’ im
posed a tremendous burden and
expense.
This elimination of simplified
address mail from city and village
delivery service does not affect
the delivery of simplified address
mail on rural routes or to box
holders at post offices where no
city or village delivery service is
available. Such service has been
in effect since 1934 and will be
continued.
N ow
Available
32-PASSENGER DELUXE
DOUGLAS DC-3 AIRLINERS
FOR YOUR GROUP CHARTER AT
THE SAME PRICE AS PAST 21 j
AND 28 PASSENGER PLANES
——
Gosutaua Ai/tliml
% l
ft Serving the Heartland of Alaska Since 1934 ft ^
FIGHT
PROFESSIONAL
EDUCATION
RESPIRATOR
AND TREATMENT
CENTERS
OTHER
SERVICES
SCIENTIFIC
RESEARCH
PATIENT AID
POLIO
PREVENTION
Every March of Dimes dollar invested In the fight against polio In 1954 was, In effect, a deposit toward
a polio-free future. Better treatment means less crippling for those already stricken. Polio preven
tion, through research, may soon put the disease itself under control. Join the March of Dimes.
CITY MANAGER O’HARA WRITES TO
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Mr. Orme Lewis, . 1
Under Secretary of Interior
Washington, D. C.
Pear Mr. Lewis:
I would like to thank you for
the courtesies extended me by
your staff during my recent visit
to Washington. The City Council
and Chamber of Commerce would
also like to extend their thanks and
were very appreciative of the in
formation I was able to obtain.
We have reviewed the proposed
Sea Train operations and find cer
tain facts that would tend to jus
tify its location in Seward which
we hope are sufficient to overcome
the deciston that service into
Whittier would be more econom
ical.
Probably the defense aspect dur
ing the period of "international
jitters” warrants first consideration
in that the location of the Sea
Train facilities at Whittier would
be putting "all the eggs in one
basket,” i.e having commercial and
military marine operations concen
trated in one port based on the
assumption that the Sea Train
would be considered the primary
civilian marine carrier serving the
interior. It would also seem that
the presence of a civilian opera
tion in Whittier would gre a 11 y
hamper the military. Undoubted
ly the situation as it now exists
has had some effect on the morale
of the troops working on the docks
at a much lower wage than their
civilian counterparts.
The lack of a highway into Whit
tier would make the users of the
Sea Train service entirely depend
ent on the railroad as the one
means of transporting their mer
chandise from Whittier which could
put them at the distinct disadvan
tage due to the absence of a com
peting type of carrier.
Seward, unlike Whittier, has suf
ficient area for trackage, yards,
warehousing if necessary, and
other related facilities ar.d is the
natural transportation “hub” of the
great and rapidly developing
Kenai Peninsula.
It is our understanding that the
grades encountered by the rail
road out of Seward has been a
Factor in favor of Whittier hut if
the Sea Train operation is a private
enterprise into which no agency
of the government is involved, then
:his should be of no concern to !
the carrier or an influencing con
dition as to which location he
chooses.
The halting of work on the
lew Seward dock has us rather
confused due to the fact it was
tn emergency operation. It would
low seem the dock was to be
milt for the use of only one car
der because the Sea Train will
inly involve one carrier and we
lave several other carriers using
>ur present facilities whioh on the
surface would indicate we still
leed a dock even if the Sea Train
iperation is located at Whittier.
The completion of the new dock
it Seward could not only pro
vide facilities for a Sea Train oper
ition but truck facilities could
ilso be included thereby develop
ng another means by which mer
handise could be transported into i
hose areas of the Territory not
.erviced by the railroad.
A social problem has also, de
eloped here in Seward as a re
(Turn to page 4)
►
Hospital Time Per
Patient Going Down
The Seward General Hospital
issued a report of its activities for
the past year, reporting a bumper
: crop of babies. A total of 128
1 youngsters were delivered at the
i Hospital and of these the girls
were tops in numbers with 70,
while the boys tallied only 58.
The number of patients were
off slightly from the previous year
with only 807. of these 54 were
polio patients, this of course does
not include the many patients who
had polio but were not in the
Hospital.
Though the number of patients
were fewer than last year, they
stayed an average of six days as
against the 1953 average of only
five days, and thus pushed the total
patient days up to 4700, an in
crease of about 400.
Acclcent cases accounted for 75
of the Hospital's patients and this
was a decline from the previous
year by 35.
Out patient services rendered by
the Hospital showed a marked In
crease with approximately four
times as many patients receiving
this type of treatment.
Statistics were compiled from
the Hospital records by Bertha
McGhee of the Hospital Staff.
Alaska Visitors
Association News
The Alaska Visitors Association
has taken part in the recent tele
gram campaign concerning the
proposed reduction of air service
between Alaska and the states. A
telegram was sent from the Juneau
office protesting the loss of pas
senger service through the possi
ble nonrenewal of the charter for
Pacific Northern Airlines.
Although the Alaska Steamship
Company discontinued its passen
ger service last September, it con
tinues to receive a volume of mail
from all over the world asking
about Alaskan tours. Mr. Henry
Green recently brought a large
bundle of mail to the office of AVA
covering requests for tourist in
formation and space on his S.S.
line. According to Mr. Rose, Se
attle advertising manager of the
Alaska Steamship Company, an ar
rangement has been made whereby
these requests are being turned
over to the four airlines now serv
ing Alaska.
With the loss of all surface pas
senger transportation, the Alaska
Visitors Association feels that Al
aska cannot stand any further
curtailment of tourist accommoda
tions to Alaska.
T
March of Dimes Drive
A record total in March of Dimes
funds was spent in 1954 to combat
last year’s territory-wice polio epi
demic, which was far and away
the worst in Alaskan history, John
J. O’Shea, Alaska March of Dimes
chairman, announced today.
There were 334 reported cases
of polio in Alaska through 1954’s
: 50th week, Mr. O’Shea reported.
This represented an incidence more
'than six times the national rate
! for the continental United States,
he said.
In releasing epidemic cost fig
I ures, Mr. O’Shea stated that a
'total of $86,287 was spent in 1954
; through the three Alaskan chap
ters of the'March of Dimes orsaa
1 ization to provide hospital care,
equipment and services to polio
patients requiring financial assist
ance. He said this included a
check for $7,500 received recently
from March of Dimes headquarters
by the South Central chapter to
' augment funds exhausted by the
\ emergency.
This figure is nearly twice the
j total spent in aid to polio suffer
; ers during all of 1953. Mr. O'Shea
| added. In that year the price of
! polio in Alaska for patient aid was
$44,725. he said.
| Mr. O’Shea stressed that these
;1054 figures do not cover other
j emergency aid dispatched directly
j to Alaskans from March of Dimes
headquarters at the height of the
polio epidemic. During the year
seven iron lungs, three hot pack
machines, four suction machines
and one rocking bed were rushed
from the States to epidemic points,
he said.
Mr. O’Shea recalled that a polio
emergency aid team was rushed
to the territory from Seatle t>y the
National Foundation at the peak
of the emergency last August.
These specially trained polio fight
ers—two doctors and a nurse
assisted nurses, technicians and
hospital engineers in developing
epidemic techniques to help soften
the polio blow. Emergency ship
ments of gamma globulin were
flown in for mass inoculations, as
in the case of St. Paul’s Island,
800 miles west in the Aleutians,
where the entire population of 360
was injected with the blood frac
tion provided by the March of
Dimes.
The National Foundation is con
tinuing to cooperate with territor
ial health officers in setting up
diagnostic and follow-up clinics
throughout Alaska, in a program
first undertaken back in 1950. Mr.
O’Shea said. Financial assistance
in this program will proceed
through 1955 with the active par
ticipation ,of all three Alaskan
chapters of the March of Dimes
organization, he stated.
This year’s anti-polio fund-rais
ing drive, now under way, will
continue through Jan. 31.
..——". ^
SENATOR’S SEND-OFF
ELK’S HALL
JANUARY 15, 1955
PUBLIC CORDIALLY INVITED
Sponsored By
SEWARD DEMOCRATIC CLUB
McKAY OKAYS SEA TRAINS;
ALASKANS ASK HEARING
-4
District Court Session
Starts Next Week
The special session of the third
District Court scheduled for Fri
day of this week has been post
poned until Monday, January 10,
it was announced here this week
by the Clerk of Court.
Judge Walter H. Hodge, of the
Second Division Bench will pre
side at the local session.
Cases to be heard here include a
hearing of the City's complaint
against the Alaska Telephone Cor
poration in connection with rate
increases.
Problems Discussed
At Chamber Meeting
Nearly thirty Chamber members
were on hand Tuesday noon for the
first session of the Chamber of
Commerce in the New Year.
The bulk of the meeting was giv
en over to reading letters reply
ng to requests of the Chamber.
Letters regarding the Chamber’s
request for a Coast Guard vessel
to be stationed in Seward were
read, in which it was pointed out
that the present method of assign
ment was such as to give a max
imum coverage and protection at
the least cost and stationing of a
vessel* in Seward was not pract
ical at this time.
A letter was also received from
the Territorial Police thanking the
Chamber for its endorsement of
Tommie Roberts the local patrol
man and assuring the group that
there was no present plan to trans
fer him.
In response to a portion of the
Chamber's letter asking for ad
ditional patrolmen in Seward, the
letter from the Police said that
it was under consideration and
would be done when the budget
permits.
A response to the Chamber’s re*
quest for an increase in the power
to be allowed radio station KIBH
was also received and read in
which it was pointed out that due
to technical problems involved, it
would not be practical to increase
the power of the station at this
time.
It had been hoped by the Cham
ber that the power of the station
could be boosted so that it could
be heard in a larger area thus
bringing more of the Kenai Pen
insula into close touch with Sew
ard.
Other items discussed were the
minutes of the ’Board of Directors
meeting held on Monday of this
week at which time the matter of
a new Post Office was discussed
and it was decided to write the
Post Office Department suggesting
that local capital would build a
building if a rental guarantee could
be obtained from the Department.
Means of assisting the Radio
station and newspapers in getting
better local coverage was also dis
cussed by the Directors. Need for
a newspaper located in Seward
was also taken up by the Direct
ors group.
Next meeting of the Chamber
will be held on Tuesday at Wally’s
diner at noon. Local businessmen
are all invited.
1 An announcement which Sew
ardites had been anxiously await
ing was made this week by the
Secretary of the Interior when he
made public his instructions to the
Manager of The Alaska Railroad
to enter into discussions for the
negotiation for car interchange
agreements with two proposed sea
train companies, the Alaska Steam
ship Company and the Coastwise
Luckenbach Companies.
A third carrier. National Bulk
Carriers, failed to receive consider
ation when they declined to serve
other than the railbelt ports of
Seward and Whittier. An answer
to the question as to the choice of
ports is still not available follow
ing a statement of the Railroad
Manager to the effect that the
“Routing of cargo w'ill only be
controlled by The ARR on cargo
which will be transported by The
Alaska Railroad.”
Also still unanswered was the
question of what saving if any
will be made by this expensive
service. Press and Radio reports
have carried only promises of no
increase in cost to shippers, and
an anticipated speedier service
with less longshoring and handling
costs.
Meanwhile Alaskans appear to
remain unconvinced and have ask
ed Secretary of the Interior Doug
las McKay for public hearings on
the proposal so that the public
can investigate the merits of the
arguments in favor of the service.
Fears have been expressed that
the system as now set up would
create a monopoly which would
ruin truckers as well as put hun
dreds of longshoremen out of jobs.
No reply has been received from
Secretary McKay as yet.
Power Failure Monday
Darkens Whole City
Electric power in Seward was
off for nearly three quarters of
an hour this week on Monday
afternoon when the main genera
tor of the City blew an injector
and thus had to be shut down.
No severe damage was done to
the generator or the engine and
the alert crew at the power house
averted serious damage to the
building by shutting the big engine
down before it had time to set
fire to the wooden rafters of the
powerhouse.
By starting up all the smaller
generating units the City has in
service, power was restored and
by early evening the main diesel
was back on the line again.
The large Cooper-Bessmer Die
sel Generator purchased last sum
mer is not yet in service, however,
it is expected that it will make
its first run in the near future.
It was not the engine which suf
fered the breakdown.
Seahawks’ Schedule
HOME GAMES ,
Feb. 4 & 5—Anchorage.
GAMES AWAY ' s. '
Jan. 14 & 15—Anchorage.
Jan. 28 & 29—Palmer.
Feb. 18 & 19—Fairbanks.
TRAVEL THE CONVENIENT WAY
Gosidava AisUin&l
TWICE DAILY AIR SERVICE BETWEEN
SEWARD and ANCHORAGE
Lv. SEWARD .... 9:35 a.m. & 2:35 p.m.
Arr. Anchorage .. 10:15 a.m. & 3:15 p.m.
DAILY EXCEPT SUNDAY
USE THE FAMILY PLAN. EF
FECTIVE FRIDAYS, SATURDAYS,
AND MONDAYS. DAD PAYS FULL
FARE — MOM AND THE
CHILDREN PAY HALF FARE
For Information or Reservations, Call Main 99
Serving the Heartland of Alaska since 1934
-.—...