Seward
The Gateveax City of Interior Alaska Since 1903.
Seaport
Record
Seward's All-Weather Pori is Alaska's Greatest Asset.
Vol. VII, No. 83
SEWARD, ALASKA, TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 1951
Price 10 cents
Hearing Scheduled
On Alaska Steam
Rate Increase
A hearing has been scheduled
on Alaska Steamship Company’s
rate increase on shipment of
fish meal, in sacks, and fish
oil between Seattle and south
eastern and southwestern Alas
ka ports.
The announcement of the
hearing, to be held beginning
at 10 o'clock on the morning of
May 7 in Seattle, follows action
taken last week by the Federal
Maritime Commission in stat
ing that the increased rates,
effective April 5. were to be
held in a separate account "for
the purpose of paying to ship
pers such portions as the Board
may find to be unjust, unreason
able or otherwise unlawful.”
A petition filed on behalf of
Alaska Herring Packers Asso
ciation and members requested
that the rate increases be sus
pended in the belief they are
in violation of the Shipping Act
of 1916.
The hearing will be conduct
ed by Federal Maritime Exam
iner F. J. Horan at a place in
Seattle to be designated at a
later date. The notice of hear
ing issued by the Federal Mari
time Board requested that all
persons wishing to intervene
in the proceeding notify the
Board on or before April 23
and file intervening petitions
in accordance with the rules of
procedure.
W.S.C.S. To Put On
Spring Fair
At a business meeting of the
Woman's Society of Christian
Service held in the Methodist
Church parlor last Friday eve
ning. it was decided to hold a
Spring Fair Saturday. April 28.
beginning at 11 am. in the
church basement. Handiwork,
gift items, baby shop, booths of
clothes for small fry, and a
candy booth will be some of the
attractions. It is hoped that peo
ple will take advantage of the
cafeteria lunch which will be
served to the public.
The Mother-Daughter Ban
quet will be held May 18 in the
church basement and commit
tees have been appointed to plan
to make it a memorable occa
sion.
The next meeting will be a
social at the home of Mrs. Troy
Bogard, president of the group,
at which time the nominating
committee will make a report,
followed by election of officers
for the new club year. Assisting
Mrs. Bogard will be Miss Goldie
Busko and Mrs. Priscilla Bacon.
Mrs. Martha Irwin will have
charge of the program.
At the Friday evening meet
ing, Miss Sarah Garrett and Miss
Helen Case were in charge of the
devotions. Refreshments were
served by Mrs. Guy Kearns and
Barbara Cole.
FAIRBANKS HOOPSTER
ACCIDENTALLY KILLED
The Seward Seahawks were
saddened this week by word of
the death of one of the Fair
banks basketball players, Larry
Judd. Larry, a senior, was out
target practicing with some of
his friends and was accidentally
killed.
The youth was one of the
favorite players on the Fair
banks team, according to Coach
Don Dalberg. He hadn't been in
the northern city very long,
playing against the Seahawks
only in the local games and the
Rendezvous. The Seward team
liked him very much, though,
and feel the loss of a friend.
Flowers are being sent to the
boy’s family.
Two Explosives Hearings Held
In Washington This Week
Good Merkel for
Alaska Mica
Wanted: Mica from Alaska.
“Supplies of mica on hand in
this country are low as regards
practically all sizes and quali
ties,” it was reported to the
Alaska Development Board by
a large U.S. business concern
seeking mica in the Territory.
Confronted with dwindling
stockpiles, more than a dozen
mica firms have asked the De
velopment Board for informa
tion regarding the availability
of mica in the Territory. Seri
ousness of the situation is em
phasized by the fact the U.S. is
dependent upon foreign sources
for 97 per cent of its annual
mica needs.
With prices ranging from 75
cents to $4.50 per pound for
clear sheet mica, interest should
be aroused in developing known
deposits, as wrell as in prospect
ing for new deposits in the Ter
ritory, the Board believes.
Interested persons may obtain
further information regarding
mica markets by writing the De
velopment Board. Box 50, Ju
neau. Samples also should be
furnished, the Board stated.
CAR SMASHED UP AT
STEEL BRIDGE
An automobile driven by
Richard Onstatt went out of
control last Friday and smashed
into the approach railing at the
south end of the first steel
bridge at Mile 3.
The railing was torn off for
about 25 feet and the car went
down over the bank, turning
over completely and stopping in
an upright position. It was re
ported to be a total loss. The
driver suffered minor injuries,
though from the condition of
the car. it is remarkable that
more serious injury did not
occur.
COMPLETE HOME NURSING
INSTRUCTORS COURSE
Mrs. Reba Rose and Mrs.
Alice Clapp of Seward have
completed their home nursing
instructors course in Anchorage
and returned to Seward Friday.
They are now qualified instruc
tors under the American Red
Cross and Civil Defense and
will conduct home nursing
— classes in Seward and the out
lying area.
The course consisted of 30
hours of concentrated study
under Miss Florence Ullrich,
Field Representative for Home
Nursing Service.
MERCHANT SEAMAN DIES
Funeral services were held
Monday morning for Andrew
Canales, 59. who died April 9
of heart disease. Canales, a
native of Concepcion, Chile,
had become ill a month ago
and was removed to Seward
General Hospital from the SS
Pacificus, on which he was a
fireman.
Father Borbeck of the Sacred
Heart Catholic Church conduct
ed the funeral services and.
since .there are no relatives,
interment was in Seward Ceme
tery.
Norine Reed, who bought
Bobbie’s Dress Shop on April 1,
is now in active charge of the
store. She has decided to re
name it “Norine’s.”
Two executive hearings were
held this week before a special
subcommittee oi' the House Mer
chant Marine and Fisheries
Committee in further considera
tion of the proposal to waive
Coast Guard regulations which
would allow the shipment of
explosives to central and inter
ior Alaska by way of Seward.
Rear Admiral Alfred C. Rich
mond. Assistant Commandant of
the Coast Guard, and Delegate
E. L. Bartlett were the principal
witnesses before the subcom
mittee. It is expected that the
subcommittee will meet again
at an early date in the hope of
arriving at a final decision.
Subsequent to the South Am
boy explosion in New Jersey,
customary methods of unload
ing explosives at Alaska ports
had been cancelled. Suitable ar
rangements, the committee was
told, have been made at every
port except Seward through
which flows the bulk of ex
plosives for defense construction
and for coal mining. Waiver of
existing regulations for Seward
is requested until such time as
permanent facilities can be
built. The mayor and city coun
cil of Seward have joined in
this request.
Beryl Ore Wanted By
Outside Firms
Several large United States
industrial concerns have con
tacted the Alaska Development
Board during the past month re
garding the availability of beryl
ore in the Territory.
Beryl, high on the list of stra
tegic and critical minerals re
quired in the national defense
program, is used in the manu
facture of scientific instruments
and in atomic energy develop
ments. The U.S. depends upon
foreign sources for 05 per cent
of its yearly requirements.
Demand for this mineral, if
found in commercial quantities
in Alaska, runs into the thou
sands of tons, one firm stating
that almost unlimited quantities
could be absorbed by industry
at the present time. Another
company is interested in devel
oping beryl properties in the
Territory.
Ore containing 10 per cent
BeO is worth about $300 per
ton, a factor which should at
tract the attention of Alaska
prospectors. Because of its color
—white, yellow, pink and green
—beryl often is mistaken for
quartz.
Although geological publica
tions report the occurrence of
beryl in the Sinuk river region
on Seward Peninsula, extent and
grade of the deposits have not
been determined. There are no
official reports of beryl occur
ring elsewhere in Alaska, but it
has been reported unofficially
in the Lemon Creek area near
Juneau.
Persons wishing to be placed
in touch with interested pur
chosers should write the Alaska
Development Board. Box 50, Ju
neau. Samples should be furn
ished if available.
A completely remodeled, re
painted and refurnished interior
of the shop owned by Mr. and
Mrs. William O'Brien delighted
Sewardites when it was opened
Saturday. The shop, formerly
Sylvia’s, is now being called
“O’Brien’s” since none of the
names submitted in the contest
seemed suitable to the new
owners
Housing Loans For
Veterans
Recognition of construction
cost problems in Alaska and the
other territories was given by
the Senate when passing the
housing act of 1951 last week.
. The bill, which provides for
federal defense housing con
struction through private con
tractors, prescribes limits of
$9,000, $10,000 and $11,000 for
the average cost of two, three
and four-bedroom family dwell
ing units. These limits would be
subject to an increase of 50 per
cent in the territories.
In addition, Federal Housing
Administration mortgage allow
able amounts in Alaska would
be raised to a point 50 per cent
higher than in the continental
United States. Under existing
law the Federal Housing Com
missioner. on the basis of higher
costs, is permitted to increase
by one-third the maximum dol
lar amount otherwise applicable
to mortgages eligible for insur
ance under the National Housing
Act with respect to property in
Alaska. The provision in the
Senate-approved housing act for
1951 would change such one
third authorized increase to
one-half.
St.WArlD 1U DL Ut
ALASKA MISSION
CONFERENCE
A group from the Seward
Methodist Church met at the
Tom Howell residence Sunday
to get plans started for the Alas
ka Mission Conference, to be
held in Seward June 26 to July
3.
Various committees were
chosen at this meeting and du
ties of these committees were
discussed.
About forty guests from Out
side are expected, including
Bishop Kennedy and Rev. Gor
don Gould and Mrs. Gould. Oth
ers from the Church Extension
Service will be here also, as well
as the Methodist ministers from
Alaska.
TUBERCULOSIS TESTS
TO BEGIN MONDAY
The BCG vaccinations for
tuberculosis are scheduled to get
underway next Monday, April
22. according to Mrs. LaPreal
Bie, Public Health Nurse. The
team of two doctors and two
nurses will arrive Sunday, start
ing to work Monday with test
ing of school children.
The test is taken first, and if
found to be negative, will be
followed with the vaccination,
which is similar to a small pox
vaccination.
The Seward Registered Nurs
es Association will work out a
schedule at their meeting Tues
day night, which will be an
nounced in Friday's paper. This
will include immunization of
the town as well as the school
children. Infants through adults
will be tested in the short per
iod of one week.
Mr. and Mrs. K. D. LeVan re
turned recently from a short
visit to the States. They return
ed via the Alaska Highway with
the new car they purchased
while Outside.
The delinquent tax roll went
to the city attorney yesterday
for approval before it goes to
court, according to City Clerk
Sigrid Stearns.
Health Department
Thanks Magazine,
Book Donors
A letter has been received
from Dr. C. Earl Albrecht, Com
missioner of Health, Alaska De
partment of Health, expressing
thanks to the volunteer helpers
who have been working at the
Seward Sanatorium during the
past year, according to Dr.
Francis J. Phillips.
The volunteer workers have
been collecting and distributing
magazines to the San patients,
many of whom, having nothing
much else to do, read vora
ciously.
In turn, the workers thank
all the Seward people who bring
in magazines for distribution to
the San, and especially thank
those people who have made a
regular weekly practice of tak
ing in the current issues. The
magazines are taken to the
downtown stores, McMullen's in
particular, and are picked up
from there by the volunteer
workers, who take them to the
San, load them on book carts,
and distribute them to the pa
tients.
It has been estimated that
some of the workers have, dur
ing the past year, transported
at least three tons of magazines
a piece.
The women who do the vol
unteer work, some regularly
one or two afternoons a week,
and some on a relief basis, are
Mesdames Carl Ling, Eugene
Skinner, John Rose, Hans Hafe
meister, Harold Jacobs, R. G.
Inglis, Earl Cass, Irwin Metcalf,
Lawrence Kirch, Lewis Hasty.
Clarence Johnson. Ray James,
and Wayne Gillies.
Any other Seward women
who are interested in the work
are urged to contact any of the
above workers.
Housing Bill Passed
Senate Last Week
The housing bill of 1951
which passed the Senate this
week provides for continuation
of the direct housing loan pro
gram for veterans through June
30, 1953.
Under the present law which
is due to expire June 30 of this
year, the Veterans Administra
tion has allocated SI.043,000
to its Seattle oifice for such
loans to Alaska veterans.
Through February 25 of this
year 53 direct loan applications
from Alaska had been tenta
tively approved in the amount
of $485,000 with the remainder
of the SI million plus allocation
assigned to Alaska after that
date.
The House some weeks ago
considered the House Banking
and Currency Committee ver
sion of the housing bill of 1951
but sent it back to committee
where radical revisions are ex
pected to be made. The Senate
version which passed this week
will now go to the House.
COASTWISE LINE CHARTERS
TWO MORE FREIGHTERS
Capt. Tom Bie. Seward agent
for Coastwise Line, reports his
company has rechartered two
more freighters from the Mari
time Commission. These are in
addition to the three now in
service. T]he Carleton Brown
is expected in the Port of Sew
ard about the first of May and
the John W. Burgess is due
about the middle of May.
NURSES MEET
The Seward Registered Nurs
es Association will meet Tues
day night at 8 p.m. in the home
of Mrs. LaPreal Bie.