Seward
The Gateway City of Interior Alaska Since 1903.
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THE ONLY NEWSPAPER IN THE WORLD THAT GIVES A HOOT ABOUT SEWARD. ALASKA
Vol. IX, No. 45
SEWARD, ALASKA, FRIDAY, MAY 8, 1953
Frice 10 Cents
Seward Delegates On Way
To Attend Dock Hearing
Mayor Russell Painter and
Kenneth Baker are on their way
to Washington to fight for re
habilitation of the Seward-Port
age end of the railroad and new
docks in Seward.
With the cut in appropriations
for Alaska, these improvements
proposed by Col. J. P. Johnson
are completely eliminated this
year. The Seward delegation
has been granted a chance to
appear before the Appropria
tions Committee on May 11 or
12, to present the case for the
city.
Funds for the trip were raised
by popular subscription in town
and help from Union organiza
tions. The mayor will stop over
in Seattle to sign the water
bonds on the return trip.
School Board Meets
On Preliminary
Remodeling Plans
The regular monthly meeting
of Seward School Board Monday
night was recessed until Tuesday
afternoon in order to complete
a preliminary budget and re
habilitation plans for the Bay
view building and the old part
of the city school building.
In view of the overall increase
in teacher salaries made by the
Legislature, the local board cut
by 50 per cent the bonus paid
to Seward teachers this year,
decreasing the amount from
S400 to S200. This still gives the
teachers S200 over basic pay
scale of the Territory. It was
observed that other city schools
are paying a greater bonus rale
than Seward, but the cost of
living is considered less here
than in other Western Alaska
cities. This will cut the city's
share of lhe budget to some ex
tent.
Leon Lewis, secretary, an
nounced that all bonds on Sew
ard schools have now been paid
off except that on the new addi
tion, which will be liquidated
within the next six years.
Repairs on the old building,
including a new roof on part of
the building and some interior
repairs, were decided upon, as
well as equipment for the down
town annex for next year.
Now that authority has been
made available for incorporated
and city school boards to operate
their own bus system, and pur
chase the vehicles, the Board
discussed the advisability of the
move for Seward. It was decid
ed that two busses will be nec
essary to handle the increased
school population of the Nash
Road and the Sanatorium area.
The Territorial Board of Educa
tion will assist in purchase of
school busses to be operated
by local boards.
On Tuesday afternoon the
members of the Board and Mr.
Carlson inspected Bayview
school to estimate lhe extent of
rehabilitation necessary to put
the building in use for the Fall
term. Bids will be let immedi
ately for a new roof. Other
changes will be made periodic
ally and equipment will be
moved in during the summit.
All expenses on this building
are payable from the tobacco
lax.
It is planned to place one unit
of grades 2 through 6 in the Bay
view building. Every grade in
the elementary system now has
two units, which is the reason
for the overcrowded condition
of the school and the necessity
for finding space outside the
main building.
Coast Guard Check
On Motor Boats
The Coast Guard is ready to
put the gears in motion in its
annual boarding program. Mo
torboat owners are cautioned
that their boats may be boarded
at any time by officers of the
Coast Guard.
The primary purpose of this
program is the enforcement of
the Motorboat and Numbering
Acts, formulated in the interest
of safer boating.
The administration of these
Acts is a responsibility delegat
ed to the Coast Guard and var
ious penalties are provided their
violation.
In readying their boats for
the season, motorboat owners
and operators may find the fol
lowing reminders helpful:
All undocumented motorboats
with inboard engines, regardless
of size and all outboard motor
boats over 1(1 feet in length
must carry bow numbers award
ed by the Coast Guard and. ex
cept under certain conditions,
must have a Certificate of
Award of that number aboard.
Bow numbers must be block fig
ures at least three inches high
and in a contrasting color that
will stand out against the hull.
All motorboats including doc
umifiited vessels and outboards
must carry a Coast Guard ap
proved life preserver, or approv
ed substitute, for each person
•on board. In addition, depend
ing on the type, size and age of
the vessel, certain lights, fire
extinguishers, sound devices,
carburetor flame arrestors and
bilge ventilators are required.
Life preservers, fire extinguish
era and flame arrestors must be
of a make and model that has
been approved by the Command
ant, U. S. Coast Guard, for use
on motorboats. Special lights
arc required for many fishing
vessels.
If the detailed requirements
for any motorboat are not ob
tainable from local Customs of
fices or Coast Guard units in the
area, such information may be
obtained by writing to the Offi
cer in Charge, Marine Inspec
tion, U. S. Coast Guard, Box
2631, Juneau.
Johnson Unhurt In
Highway Accident
Like the little boy who wasn't
lost at all, but knew where he
was all the time, Gus Johnson
was located in an Anchorage
hotel Wednesday. Friends and
family were seriously disturbed
when the Johnson car was found
completely wrecked near Gird
wood Tuesday night.
There was no sign of Mr.
Johnson at the wreck, so assum
ing that he might have been
hurt, inquiries were made at
Anchorage hospitals.
Upon hearing of his disap
pearance. Gus telephoned that
he was all right and probably
wondered what all the fuss was
about. He had caught a ride into
Anchorge and gone on about
his business.
LOCAL BOY JOINS
MARINE CORPS
Teddy Gervver, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Tod Gerwer of this city,
took up training at “boot camp”
in San Diego last week.
Teddy lelt Seward to join the
Navy, but changed his mind and
joined the Marine Corps instead.
His mother hears from him that
he likes the training and expects
to go to Korea.
City Council OK's
Manager Plan For
Vote of People
A properly signed petition
presented to the city council
this week asked for an election
upon the proposition to adopt
the city manager plan of gov
ernment.
After checking the names of
petitioners, the council agreed
to submit the petition to vote,
and authorized the attorney to
prepare an ordinance calling for
an election. Date of election has
not been set.
A.P.W. to Repair
Sev/er Damage
Repair of damages which oc
curred during the winter to the
recently installed outfall sewer
in Seward are being undertaken
by the district branch of the
Alaska Public Works, it was dis
closed today when invitations
to bid were sent out to the Al
aska chapter of the Associated
General Contractors and to a
large number of contractors
who headquarter in the railbelt
area. .
In addition to the repairs to
the outfall, the invitation to bid
includes the installation of 580
feet of pipe, three manholes,
and an additional outfall.
Plans may be obtained from
W. J. Tweet, construction en
gineer in charge of the APW
office at 326 I Street in Anchor
age.
Coast Guard Issues
Port Security Cards
Lt. H. W. Sherry, USCG, and
Mr. M. N. Green, his assistant,
arrived in Seward Friday to
interview persons wishing Coast
Guard Port Security cards. They
have s-d up office in the ro-om
next to the Commissioner's of
fice in the Federal Building.
Hours are from 9 to 1 and 1
to 4 every day with an addition
al period from 7:30 to 9 on the
evenings of Friday, Monday and
Tuesday. Wednesday is the last
day the office will be open.
Everyone working on the
docks, or who has occasion to
go onto the docks, is to be re
quired to have a card in his
possession or be refused admit
tance to the docks.
Fred Davis Goes to
SiHa Pioneer Home
Seward lost another oldtimer
this week when Fred C. Davis
left aboard the Baranof for
Sitka. Davis has been in this
area for many years, with a
cabin on Russian Lake for the
past 30 years.
Although most of his time was
given to trapping, Davis has
also done considerable prospect
ing. He is badly crippled now
with arthritis, and finally con
sented to the urging of friends
to take up residence in the
Pioneer Home at Sitka after
selling the cabin and other be
longings on the lake.
Former Sowardite
Died Outside
Mr. Lyle Saxton, now living
in Moose Pass, was advised this
week of the death of his father
W. W. Saxton, in Boise, Idaho,
last Saturday, May 2.
The elder Mr. Saxton was a
former resident of Seward,
where he was employed by the
Bur' .au of Public Roads. He was
a member of the Masonic Lodge
in Seward.
Funeral services were held in
Boise May 5.
Interior City Backs Seward
Rehabilitation Request
Basketball Tickets On
Sale Next Week
To finance the local expense
of entertaining visitors from
Seward, Nebraska, the Chamber
of Commerce Committee has
decided to sell “season” tickets
for the three basketball' games
to be played here. Anything
left will start the fund to take
the Seahawks to Nebraska next
year.
Tickets will sell for $2.50
each for adults, $1.50 for chil
dren. No tickets will be sold
at the games, so that anyone
failing to buy the two-fifty tick
et ahead of time will not be ad
mitted to the games. Each ticket
entitles the holder to all games.
Tlie committee fee’s that tick
et sales will give local people
the opportunity to share in feed
ing and housing the guests, and
no other method of fund raising
is planned.
»Show your hospitality and
buy tickets for the family” is
the slogan for the rest of the
month.
Sourdough Shirts and Billikins
Sourdough sweatshirts and
Billikin'key rings will be pre
sented to the Nebraska visitors
as tokens of affection from Sew
ard. These are being furnished
by the Chamber of Commerce.
The whole show is to be given
publicity through a national pic
ture magazine, and means a lot
to both Sewards. It will go a
long way toward proving to the
people of the United States that
Alaska is “civilized.”
Housing Project On
Summer Schedule
Final agreement was reached
between the city council and the
Seward Investment Company
this week which will set the
boil rolling toward construction
of a rental housing project in
Seward.
The investment company was
formerly known as Brady Con
struction Company, operating
under that name when the ori
ginal option was given for the
property. Parts of Block 31 and
32 are included in the sale, in
cluding streets and alley space.
The plans are to include side
walks and curbs, water and
sewer, and cottage type houses
which will rent for $123, as re
quired by Alaska Housing Au
thority rules.
An ordinance of sale is now
in preparation by the city at
torney to conclude the project
sale.
SEWARD PATROLMAN MADE
FAIRBANKS CHIEF
E. V. Danforth. a patrolman
on the Seward police force, has
received appointment as chief
of police in Fairbanks, accord
ing to information received here.
Danforth came to Seward
several months ago from San
Diceo. California, where he
served as police sergeant. He
has not resigned from the Sew
ard densrtment yet, but is ex
pected back in ttie city soon to
wind up his affairs here.
He was named to the Fair
banks cost from a list of 10
applicants. The Seward depart
ment is recognized in the Ter
ritory as one of the best set up
and equipped police organiza
tions for its size in Alaska. It
has received commendation from
FBI and Northwest Police Asso
ciation, of which the chief is a
member. Mr. Danforth is not
the first officer to receive an
appointment to jobs in larger
cities after experience here.
Tommy Bie returned Thurs
day from a trip to Fairbanks
where he addressed the Cham
ber of Commerce, informing
them of the situation in Seward
concerning rehabilitation of the
railroad and need for new docks.
Bie was asked to state the
case for Seward, which he did
both at the meeting and on the
radio. The Fairbanks Chamber
of Commerce as well as the All
Alaska Chamber immediately
sent wires and letters to Wash
ington in support of the rehab
ilitation of Seward.
Reaction in Fairbanks toward
the recent hearing on waterfront
affairs held in Seattle two weeks
ago is, that the city" is deeply
angry at the testimony of Seattle
men in opposition to the Alaska
proposal for national legislation
to settle shipping disputes. Se
attle had concurred with Alaska
in the need for legislation until
the time of the hearing at which
the attitude of that city had
completely changed. All Alas
kan business still insists on leg
islation as the only solution to
the problem.
Alaskans in general and Fair
banks and Seward in particular
are so bitter over Seattle’s atti
tude at the Congressional hear
ing, that Frank Beaver, manager
of the Seattle Chamber made a
special trip to Fairbanks, which
was the reason for the meeting
there and the invitation to Mr.
Bie to attend. Over 150 people
were at the luncheon to discuss
the matter.
The following editorial re
printed from the Daily News
Miner explains the attitude of
Alaska toward the matter and
was considered by Seattle of
enough consequence to bring
about Mr. Beaver s visit.
\Vhc?t Now, Alaska?
(Eds. Note—Following is a
very excellent guest editorial
by Ed Lewis, secretary of the
Fairbanks Chamber of Com
merce, who recently returned
from a hearing on Seattle dock
problems and Alaska transpor
tation.)
By ED LEWIS
Manager of the Fairbanks
Chamber of Commerce
The Seattle waterfront hear
ing has come and gone. Repre
sentatives James Dolliver and
Thomas M. Pellv have returned
to Washington, Alaskans have
come back to the territory, and
the people of Seattle have
heaved a srgh of relief. All
should be well on the water
front. But is it?
Let's see how the hearing
paid off. The Alaskan repre
sentatives traveled far and testi
fied loudly. Dolliver and Pelly
listened attentively and went
back to our nation's capital with
a carload of evidence. And the
Seattle people thanked God that
their city had been spared the
disgrace of exposure.
The prolific mayor of that
troubled port lost no time in
“selling Alaska short" in his
opening testimony. He and
others like him, who just a few
months ago had asked for the
congressional hearing, made
what appeared to be a complete
“about face." He testified that
neither he, nor the Maritime
Advisory committee, favored or
recommended legislation as a
solution to the problem. Seattle
union members. Chamber offi
cials. and a sundry lot of others
took up the chorus. Alaska stood
alone, literally jilted at the altar.
Those of us who attended the
hearing are still trying to decide
what happened. Obviously, a
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