eather
High Low Precip.
pr. 30 .40
lay 1 . 44
lay 2 .44
lay 3 .44
lay 4 .50
lay 5 .48
lay 6 .44
33 .22
34 .02
37 .13
35 .01
39 Trace
34 .06
35 1.57
Seward
The Gateway City of Interior Alaska Since 1903.
Record
Seward’s All-JPeather Port is Alaskans Greatest Asset.
Only newspaper in the
world that gives a hoot
about Seward, Alaska.
ol. X. No. 45
Price 10 Cents
SEWARD, ALASKA, FRIDAY, MAY 7, 1954
Railroad Mo'LT^ca\ Dock
[stevedoring On Locol u
' With the height of the slvip
ping season just around the cor
ner, the possibility looms that
The Alaska Railroad may return
to its traditional practice of do
ing its own stevedoring work in
Seward instead of letting this
work out on contract.
» Skyrocketing costs of long
shoring operations here were
cited by the Railroad in its de
cision to consider handling
shoreside cargo with ARR em
ployees.
Prior to 1947, the Railroad
had always performed this work,
but in the past seven years, it
has been the practice to utilize
commercial stevedoring firms
which handle the job under con
tract.
The present contract expires
June 30. The Railroad issued in
vitations for bid in February,
but F. E. Kalbaugh, Alaska Rail
road general manager, said the
bids received "represent an ab
normal cost for such services.”
“In fact," he added, “the cost
is so high that it bears no rela- *
tion to the 25 percent Alaska
wage differential for longshor
ing.”
in issuing me uiu inviuiiiuns
this year, railroad officials said
they warned prospective bidders
that existing working agree
ments in Seward differed with
working agreements existing in
West Coast ports.
The railroad also requested
bidders to submit a separate
statement, setting forth what
percentage of reduction could
be made if West Coast practices
prevailed in the Port of Seward.
Invitations closed on March
15, but rail offiicals said the
lowest bid was so high that a
survey was inaugurated to de
termine whether the work could
be done more reasonably if the
longshoring were handled as a
railroad operation.
At least one of the bidders,
however, declared that his firm
could substantially reduce the
cost to the railroad if his firm
could negotiate an agreement
with the I.L.W.U. which was
the same as the existing I.L.W.U.
agreements in the Port of Seattle
or San Francisco. This saving
could be made, the bidder said,
even with the additional 25 per
cent differential which is stan
dard between West Coast ports
and Seward.
With no such agreement in
sight last month, however, the
railroad began its plans to han
dle its own stevedoring. It was
pointed out that if this becomes
necessary, port practices some
what similar to those used in
Seattle or San Francisco will bo
inaugurated, with the exception
of hiring hall practices.
In a letter to Mr. K. Stanley
Rustad and Mr. Kenneth Baker,
president and secretary respec
tively of I.L.W.U., Local 82, Mr.
Kalbaugh informed the union
of the railroad's plans and asked
for a list of those longshoremen
who will desire to enter railroad
employ in the event the railroad
were to take over the operation.
The list, Mr. Kalbaugh pointed
out, would be necessary in order
to assure that longshoremen
would retain their relative sen
iority status toward one another.
Men on the union's list would
receive employment priority,
Kalbaugh said, providing they
are eligible for Federal hire. In
dividual clearance would first
have to be obtained from the
Civil Service Commission and
the FBI.
Additional personnel required
over and above those hired from
the union would be recruited
from the ranks of railroad em
ployees who were furloughed in
past force reductions.
Railroad officials said the un
ion was asked to submit the list
of employees on or before May
10, but that to date no reply has
been received.
Names submitted by the I.L.
W.U. prior to midnight of the
deadline date will head up the
seniority list, the railroad said,
with names received after that
date being placed on the senior
ity list in the order received.
Mr. Kalbaugh said The Alaska
Railroad anticipates receiving
applications for longshore em
ployment from furloughed em
ployees and others by May 17.
He pointed out that prospective
employees should refrain from
contacting the dock office until
that dale, as considerable time
will be required to process ap»
plications from union men. Ap
plications from others will be
processed between May 17 and
July 1, the date actual employ
ment would conceivably begin.
Regarding compensation and
age limits, Mr. Kalbaugh said,
'Longshoremen would be under
the Bureau of Compensation for
on-the-job injuries and be sub
ject to tile pertinent regulations
in settlement of such injuries.
Railroad age requirements pro
vide that no new hires (or trans
fers) who have readied their
fifty-fifth birthday may be per
manent hires. When necessary,
average applicants may be hired
tor temporary work limited to
[he need for their services.”
Although all details have been
worked out for the switch-over
Lo railroad stevedoring, Mr. Kal
oaugh informed the union that
no action will be taken with re
gard to the bids received until
tpproximatelv May lo.
On or near that date ,the rail
road hopes to have finished a
research program now under
way to determine the relative
rosts of handling cargo under
contract and under railroad man
igement.
On the basis of this research,
Kalbaugh explained, the rail
mad will decide whether it will
lccopt the low bid or reject all
>iris in favor of performing the
work itself.
In his letter to the union, Mr.
Kalbaugh stated that "railroad
operation of the dock would, of
rourse, require a complete re
vision of your present working
igreements covering wages and
working conditions.”
Mr. Kalbaugh said the rail
'oad would insist on closely fol
.owing the port practices used
n Seattle or San Francisco, with
.he exception of hiring pro
;edure.
STYLE SHOW AT
VlcMULLEN'S
A Spring and Summer Style
Show will be presented by the
Baking & Mixing Bowl 4-H
droup at McMullen's on Satur
lay, May 8. The girls are carti
ng money for their camp this
;ummer.
Girls taking part in the style
show are Janice Jeffrey,
ludy Jones," Gloria Hughes, and
Shirley Boe. They will model
sports togs, summer cottons, suits
md spring formals.
Cookies and punch will be
served by the girls as a courtesy
o guests attending the fashion
show. There will be two show
ngs, one at two and the other at
'our in the afternoon.
AMENDS LEAVE SEWARD
Mr. and Mrs. H. J. Amend
.eft Seward Thursday on the
3aranof to make their home in
Seattle.
Mr. and Mrs. Amend had
lived in the Territory for a num
ber of years: Mrs. Amend, 35
ind Mr. Aihend, 42. They had
seen Seward residents for 26
years. Mr. Amend was retired
trom the Alaska Railroad in
1952.
Sewardites hate to see them
leave the home town, but hope
[hey will be happy in their new
lome.
RAINBOW ELECTION
OF OFFICERS
The Rainbow Girls held their
regular meeting Thursday eve
ning. Election of officers for the
summer term was held. The of
ficers elected are as follows:
Worthy Advisor, Murlene Tre
vethan; Associate Worthy Ad
visor, Janice Frampton; Charity,
Audney Horton: Hope, Lura
Peck; and Faith, Cindy Coleman.
BAKE SALE
The Rainbow Girls will hold
a bake sale at the Blue Shop on
Saturday, May 15.
Alaska Railroad Asks
Dock and Wharf
Site At Whittier
Establishment of a reserve at
Whittier below the mean high
water line for use as a dock and
wharf site has been requested
from the Bureau of Land Man
agement by The Alaska Railroad,
it was announced today.
The railroad said the site is
needed to replace a former re
serve in Whittier which has been
taken over by the military.
The requested area is adjacent
to the former site and is located
northeasterly from the Whittier
cold storage plant. Railroad of
ficials explained that while there
is no immediate plan for con
struction of a railroad dock, the
reserve is for use in the future
if such an installation becomes
necessary.
Methodist Dignitaries
Here Next Week
Seward is to be visited by
three dignitaries of the Metho
odist Church who will arrive
Tuesday, May 11, and will leave
Thursday to attend the Golden
Anniversary Alaska Mission
Conference to be held in Juneau,
May 16 to 18.
Mrs. W. B. Landrum, who is
a member of the Women's Divi
sion of Christian Service and of
the Board of Missions and
Church extension of the Meth
odist Church, will be a visitor
and will conduct a Leadership
School of Missions at the church
conference. With Mrs. Landrum
are Dr. and Mrs. Peterson of the
Philadelphia office of the Board
of Missions. Mr. Peterson’s father
started the first Methodist
church in Seward and was secre
tary of tiie first Alaska Mission
Conference and Mrs. Peterson's
father was treasurer of the same
conference.
Also visiting Seward this week
are the Fairbanks and Nome
ministers and their families.
Six representatives will leave
on the Denali on Thursday with
the dignitaries to attend the con
ference in Juneau. They are Rev.
and Mrs. Malin; Miss Gabriel,
representing Seward General
Hospital: Miss Edna Sexton, rep
resenting Jesse Lee Home; Mrs.
George Green, representing the
Seward Sanatorium, and Mrs.
Mae Metcalf as lay delegate for
the church.
AIRLINES OFFICE
Mr. David Swanson, who re
cently came here frpm Anchor
age. is the new manager of the
Seward office of Cordova Air
lines.'
Mr. Swanson has been in the
Territory for a little over a year,
and is from Spencer Island, near
Sioux City, Iowa. He plans to
make Seward his permanent
home.
EASTERN STAR DINNER
MAY 10
Seward Chapter No. 10, Order
of Eastern Star, is having a
carry-in dinner Monday, May 10,
at 0:30 p.m. At the regular meet
ing immediately following the
dinner, a special service will be
held honoring the mothers of the
members.
All members and visiting
members are cordially invited to
attend.
W.S.C.S. PLANS TEA FOR
VISITORS
The Woman's Society for
Christian Service of the Metho
dist Church is giving a tea for
Mrs. W. B. Landrum and the
Rev. and Mrs. Peterson. Tuesday
evening, May 11, in the social
hall of the Methodist Church.
Mrs. Landrum will install the
WSCS officers for 1054. A musi
cal program is planned.
MOTHER VISITS
Mrs. Zeline DuBcau, mother
of Fran (Frenchy) DuBeau, ar
rived in Anchorage by plane on
Thursday, May 6, where she was
met by Mr. and Mrs. DuBeau.
She is from Seattle and is here
to visit her son and family and
attend the graduation from high
school of her grandson, Pete.
SEWARD C of C
SCHOONER BEND SECTION
OF HIGHWAY CLEARED
FOR SUMMER PROJECT
The Chamber of Commerce
was informed at Tuesday's reg
ular luncheon meeting that all
rights-of-way have been secured
for the Schooner Bend Section
of the highway and it is expect
ed that the work will be under
way early this season.
Improvement of the narrow,
rough section has been held up
for some time. Funds for the job
have been available but the Al
aska Road Commission has not
until last -week been able to
negotiate for the last necessary
right-of-way. With completion
of the section of highway, what
is probably the last covered
bridge in the Territory will dis
appear from the scene.
BAND UNIFORMS?
Jack Jeffrey told the CofC
that the Seward school band was
the only one in the parade in
Anchorage’s Music Festival with
out uniforms. A movement is
afoot to obtain uniforms for the
Seward school band and a Band
Mothers organization is being
formed to see that the (if and
when) uniforms are properly
cared for. The Band Mothers
idea is being worked success
fully in other schools. All it
takes now is ways and means
to get the uniforms.
Resignation of Tormod Bie
from the CofC Board of Direc
tors was accepted and Jacque
Roth was appointed to fill the
vacancy. Clarence King’s resig
nation as vice-president was
presented. Mr. King has been
transferred to the Alaska Steam
ship Company office in Kodiak.
NEW TOURIST CENTER
A report that engineering for
the proposed paving project is
nearly completed prompted an
appeal from the Chamber that
property owners along Third and
Fourth Avenues r'.^.p in at the
new Tourist Center in the rear
of the City Power and Water
building and sign the petition
asking that the paving project
be completed this year.
The new Tourist Center is
something of which the city may
well be proud. New floor tile
has been laid and painting done.
All work has been donated and
a sign will appear over the door
in the near future.
FIRE ALARM
The fire call Tuesday at 1
p.m. was to 314 Seventh Ave.
Some charred timber resulted
from faulty wiring.
IN PORTLAND HOSPITAL
Joe Sabrowski is a patient in
St. Vincent's Hospital in Port
land. Mrs. Sabrowski went Out
la^t week to be near her hus
band. The two boys are staying
at the Harold Davis home. Joe
would like to hear from any of
his friends.
A.R.R. VISITORS
Mr. John Manley, assistant to
the general manager of The Al
aska Railroad, and Jack Daum,
public relations department,
ARR, were Wednesday visitors
in town.
SEE MEXICO
_Bob and Sigrid Stearns re
turned April 24 from their trip
to the States. They drove to Se
attle, south to San Diego and
into Mexico. They returned via
the Alaska Highway. Sigrid is
back at her post as city clerk.
URBACHS RETURN
Mr .and Mrs. Leon Urbach
flew home from Outside May 1.
They spent most of their four
month vacation in Santa Bar
bara, California.
TURKEY SHOOT
Many Sewardites went to Nap
towne last Sunday to try their
luck at the turkey shoot. It was
a cold and rainy day, but many
returned with nice prizes of tur
keys and hams.
UTILITY BOND
PASSES 118-30
At the special election held
Wednesday, May 7, Seward vot
ers approved the electric utility
revenue bond request in the
amount of $200,000 for the pur
pose of providing funds to ac
quire and install a diesel electric
generating unit as a part of its
electric utility system.
Of 274 registered voters, 148
appeared at the polls, 118 voting
in favor of the proposal and 30
against.
GRAND OFFICERS
TO VISIT SEWARD
ivnss sue rsenneu, wno is uranu
Worthy Advisor of the Wash
ington, Idaho and Alaska juris
diction of the Order of Rainbow
for Girls, will be visiting Sew
ard Assembly May 12 and 13.
Miss Bennett is from Chelan,
Washington. She will be accom
panied by Barbara Clark, also of
Chelan; Marilyn Bennett, Past
Worthy Advisor of Queen Ann
Assembly No. 24, Seattle; Pat
Shaw, Past Worthy Advisor,
Bridgeport Assembly No. Ill,
Bridgeport, Washington; and
Judy Srain, Grand Representa
tive to Nebraska from Bain
bridge Assembly No. 106, Port
Blakely, Washington.
The schedule of activities
planned for the visitation is as
follows:
Wednesday morning, May 12,
Mrs. Howell and the five line-up
officers will meet the visitors at
the airport.
Wednesday noon there will b
a luncheon at the home of Mrs.
Howell for the visitors and line
up officers.
Wednesday, 6:00 p.m., a ban
quet at the Masonic Temple for
all the girls and the Rainbow
Board.
Immediately following the
banquet the Majority and Grand
Cross of Color ceremonies will
be presented. Those to receive
their majority at this time are
Leah Jones Estes. Jonna Sweatt
Gallaway, and Beverly Abra
hamsen Dunham.
A dance for the visitors will
be held after the Grand Cross of
Color service.
On Thursday morning, Judy
Srain, Barbar Clark and Marilyn
Bennett will fly back to Seattle.
Thursday noon Sue Bennett
and Pat will lunch with Mrs.
Charles Leehner.
Thursday evening the visitors,
Mrs. Howell and five line offi
cers will have dinner aboard the
SS Denali, on Which the visitors
will depart.
At 7:30 Thursday evening
there will be initiation of new
members, after which the Grand
Worthy Advisor and Miss Shaw
will leave on the Denali to re
turn home.
MOTHER DIED
John P. Smith returned from
a trip Outside this week. He was
called Out on the death of his
mother, who was 88 years of
age. The elder Mrs. Smith was
buried in Sheridan, Wyoming.
While in the States, Mr. SmiRi
visited four of his children aifd
ten grandchildren in Spokane.
IN HOSPITAL
Fred Uran, owner of Ocean
View Apartments, was in the
hospital this week.
ACCA TO MEET
There will be a meeting of the
local chapter of the Alaska Crip
pled Children's Association on
Tuesday, May 11, at 7:30 p.m.,
at the home of Mrs. Charles
Coberly.
All ladies of Forest Acres are
invited to attend.
MARTINE BURDICK'S
MOTHER VISITS
Mrs. Clara Burdick, mother of
Miss Martine Burdick, arrived
on the Baranoff Wednesday,
May 5. Mrs. Burdick is from
Binghamton, New York, where
she was a worker in the Metho
dist Childrens Home. Miss Bur
dick, who has been a nurse at
the Seward Sanatorium for three
years, and her mother will drive
over the Alcan and on to New
York. They plan on leaving
Monday.
Paving Project Survey
Nears Completion
Sid Urie To Moke
City Show Spot
Sid Urie has taken a ten year
lease on the small park just west
of the ARR depot with the in
tention of making it into a real
show spot for Seward, complete
with flowers, shrubbery and
landscaping.
Because of the small area en
closed in the park, it will be ar
ranged so everything can be
observed from outside the fence,
and it is intended that no one
be allpwed inside.
Sid says the flowers this year
will be of annual variety with
perennials to appear next year.
He is starting the project with
about $300 worth of shrubbery
and more is due to arrive short
ly
Many local people are help
ing on the project (even Solly
has been doing his bit.)
The park was originally put
in by Harry Holben, who cared
for it many years. However, it
has been unattended for several
years, and green thumbed Sid
decided it is time something is
done to remedy the situation.
Woman s Banquet
Tomorrow Evening
The Seward Woman's Club
Annual Banquet will be held on
Saturday, May 8, at 6:30 p.m. in
the Social Hall of the Methodist
Church.
The banquet is being catered
and served by Susan Hayward.
Several musical numbers are be
ing planned. There will be an
instrumental duet by Sara and
Lura Peck and two solo numbers
by Betty Jane Epps, the first of
which is a negro spiritual. “My
Lord, What a Mornin’,” and the
second, “Ere Ye Spoken For.-’
Guest speaker will be Mr.
Raymond O'Hara, Seward’s City
Manager. Mr. O’Hara will speak
on what the future nolds tor
Seward and what part the
women’s clubs can play.
Following the banquet will be
installation of officers for 1954.
Presiding officer at the installa
tion will be past president Marie
Green. To be installed at the
candlelight service will be the
following officers for 1954:
Mrs. Walter Blue, president:
LaPreal Bie, vice - president:
Hazel Erwin, treasurer; Helen
Case, secretary and Hilda Moore,
historian-custodian.
GOOD ENTERTAINMENT
Liberty Theatre has some in
teresting pictures scheduled for
this week. They all look like
good entertainment with a fine
list of actors and actresses.
YOUNG ACTORS DUE
Members of Anchorage’s jun
ior theatrical group were ex
pected in Seward to see the Jun
ior Class presentation of “Tish.”
The local group visited Anchor
age earlier in the. season when
Anchorage High School present
ed the same play.
NEW POLICE OFFICER
Gene Magers was selected to
replace John L. Selle on the
Seward Police Force. The new
officer went on duty Wednes
day, May 5th. Mr. Magers was
in the City Clerk's office while
Sigrid Stearns was on vacation.
WOULD ESTABLISH PUBLIC
SERVICE SITES
Territorial Land Commission
er W. A. Chipperfield announces
that he has formally requested
the Bureau of Land Management
to designate 15 Public Service
Sites for public camp and picnic
ground use and access areas to
important game fishing waters.
This will close the relatively
small areas from entry under
the public land laws and insure
the continued use of the areas
for public purposes. Tracts that
are chiefly valuable for bona
fide homesteads will not be af
fected.
This action will be welcomed
by outdoorsmen and will assure
them the continued use of the
tracts.
The engineering for the pro
posed paving of Third and
Fourth Avenues is nearly com
pleted and it is now imperative
that property owners along the
two streets get their names on
the petition in the new Tourist
Center in the rear of the Power
and Water office building.
The paving project, instigated
by the Seward Chamber of Com
merce, is being encouraged by
that group and city officials in
order to effect an estimated one
third saving on the cost if the
job is done while equipment and
experienced crews are in the
immediate vicinity. The plan is
to have the work done by Babler
and Rogers equipment and crews
on a forced accounts basis, util
izing sub-base material avail
able at Mile 6 from the Forest
Service at no cost to the city.
Asphalt for the project has been
purchased by the city through
the ARC in order to take ad
vantage of a quantity price and
effecting a two-thirds saving
over cost of obtaining the mater
ial through regular channels.
Cost of the project has been
estimated at approximately
SI00,000 for drainage structures
and paving of about three miles
of streets: Third Avenue from
the north side of the lagoon to
Railroad Avenue; and Fourth
Avenue from Railroad to D
Street, with all cross streets
excepting Church, and A and C
Streets. This will make a paved
cross street every 600 feet.
Cost of the project is to be
borne one-third by the city and
two-thirds by adjoining property
owners. Cost to property owners
will not be more than five dol
lars per front foot ,it was stated.
Payment may be made upon
completion of the project or
property owners may have one
year in which to pay. It was
pointed out that the saving to
be effected by having the paving
done now would be much greater
than any interest imposed on
the year payment basis.
Irwin Metcalf
Leaves Local
Marshal's Office
Irwin L. Metcalf, deputy U.S.
marshal here for the past four
teen and one-half years, has been
relieved of his duties in that
capacity.
No replacement for Metcalf
has been named as yet, accord
ing to the marshal's office in An
chorage. However, Anchorage
deputy Thomas (Sam) Langford
is here filling the post, on a tem
porary basis.
Metcalf has served in the dep
uty’s office here since his ap
pointment in 1939 by the late
James H. Patterson. In the sum
mer of 1951 he served as acting
U.S. marshal after the death of
Paul C. Herring.
Before taking the deputy mar
shal's post he taught school at
Kodiak and Palmer for five
years. He has also worked with
The Alaska Railroad, the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service and
Hie U.S. Merchant Marine.
S.V.A.C. TO MEET AT SCHOOL
NEXT TUESDAY
Seward Volunteer Ambulance
Corps is scheduled to meet at
the school next Tuesday for the
regular monthly business meet
ing. A first aid film will be
shown, courtesy of the Alaska
Department of Health. -
BROKEN RIB
Rev. B. I. Carpenter broke a
rib while working on his Bap
tist Church last week. He was
back at work again the first of
this week, though. Can’t keep a
good man down.
CLAM DIGGERS
Many Seward residents took
advantage of the low tide this
week to go clam digging.
Mrs. Gertrude Strom and
daughters Marilyn, Audrey and
Charlotte were Seward visitors
last Sunday. Mrs. Strom is em
ployed by Chugach Electric As
sociation.
Junior Class Play — “Tish**
PRESENTED BY THE STUDENTS OF Wm. H. SEWARD HIGH SCHOOL — HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM — FRIDAY
— May 7-8
SATURDAY, MAY 7-8.1954 — Admission $1.00