Seward
The Gateway City of Interior Alaska Since 1903.
$ e o P o r t
Record
Seward’s All-lVeather Port is Alaska’s Creates', Asset.
THE ONLY NEWSPAPER IN THE WORLD THAT GIVES A HOOT ABOUT SEWARD. ALASKA
Vol. IX, No. 29
SEWARD, ALASKA, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 1953
Price 10 Cents
Local Telephone Employes Strike Friday
New ARR Diesels For
Seward Run Arrive
The long awaited new diesel
engines were put ashore in Whit
tier this week. The new engine
is larger in horsepower than the
AuRoRa, being 1500 horsepower
as against 1000. Announcement
was made by Tom Jones. Seward
agent, ARR.
At the time of the announce
ment of the plan to use diesels
on the Seward-Anchorage run,
Col. J. P. Johnson stated that
the diesels were on the dock in
Seattle, and had not arrived as
expected, due to the waterfront
tieup in that city. At that time,
the experimental Army diesel
was used to haul the special
into Seward. Col. Johnson stated
that the new ARR engine was
the same type as that of the
Army, except that it would be
streamlined and painted with
the Alaska colors.
We are now waiting for the
first appearance of the perma
nent engine.
Eagles Top 'Hawks,
Seward Basketball
Schedule Announced
Ey Donald Dalberg
The Seward Sea Hawks lost
both of its games at Anchorage
last week. The first game 56-29
and the second one 46-31. It
was just too much height and
experience. The games did bring
out some fine potential for com
ing years and perhaps for the
end of this season. Considering
their lack of experience Peter
Wagner, Soph, Kenny Bahr,
Freshman, and David Hughes,
Freshman, showed a lot of prom
ise. Dale Lindsey played his
usual good backboard game. The
boys learned some valuable les
sons in these games and should
be much tougher when Anchor
age comes down here. In fact,
they are counting on upsetting
the Eagles at least once.
This week the Sea Hawks de
feated the Sanatorium Monday
night 43-20, and Bear Lake
Thursday night 63-50 in City
League competition. Jerry Cale.v
with 10 points and David Hughes
with 9, fed the Sea Hawks Mon
day. Thursday night Jerry Caley,
David Hughes and Billy Evins
all had 10 points and Gene Boe
and Jack Parret 9 points each.
Following is the schedule for
the rest of the season:
Jan. 30-31: Anchorage here
Feb. 5-6: Fairbanks there
Feb. 12-13: Palmer here
Feb. 18-22 Tournament at An
chorage
The Western Alaska High
School tournament to be played
at Anchorage this year, is run
by a committee composed of
the host school principal and one
teacher from the host school
and the executive-secretary of
the W.A.H.S. Athletic Associa
tion;
Officials will be named to
worl4 the tournament before it
starts and assigned to games by
numbers. No official who is em
ployed by a school may officiate
when that school is playing.
The Sea Hawks have a game
scheduled with the Whittier Post
team for Sunday afternoon, Jan.
18, at 2 o’clock.
Vote Tuesday, January 20 Vote
Night 'Hauks' Versus
Sea 'Hauks'
In Annual Thriller
•The appearance o£ numerous
huge balloons on Fourth Avenue
flaunt the challenge of the Lions
Club "Night Hauks” to a battle
with the “Sea Hauks.” The fight
will take place Saturday night
at 8:15 in the Civic Center gym.
The Night Hawks (a very
appropriate name), being the
Lions Club basketball team, will
play the usual comedy game,
which has become an annual
affair. All gate receipts will go
to the Lions scholarship fund.
This game is always a riot of
fun for spectators, although
slightly confusing to serious
minded Sea Hawks.
Schoolground Skating
Rink Popular
With Young and Old
The ice skating rink on the
north end of the school ground
is in fine condition and attract
ing large numbers of enthusi
astic skaters.
One man in Seward is directly
responsible for this recreation
spot. He is *a modest man and
does not expect, and indeed will
embarrassed by this an
nouncement. Jack Jeffery, a
father, member of P-TA and
lover of children, is the spark
that kept enthusiasm ignited for
a skating rink. He has spent long
cold hours on the spot, getting
the rink in shape. He enlisted
the aid of other men and organi
zations in the project and kept
behind the work until it was
accomplished.
"There must be cooperation
between skaters, school children
and others," Mr. Jeffery states,
“if the rink is to be kept in good
condition.” Some boys and small
children deliberately dig holes
in the ice, drop small objects
which immediately freeze on the
surface, and cause other dam
age, because they do not realize
that even a small hole or an
apple core can cause a painful
fall for themselves or others.
The group hopes to build a
warming shack, benches and pos
sibly be able to light the corner
for night skating. These expens
ive additions will only be pos
sible if everybody cooperates in
upkeep of the rink.
B.&P.W. To Sponsor
March of Dimes
Drive in City
The March of Dimes campaign
will be sponsored by the newly
formed Business and Profession
al Women’s Club of Seward. It
is a little late getting started,
but the clubwomen have hopes
of a successful campaign.
A big dance is planned for
Valentine’s Day in the Civic Cen
ter. Other schemes for the drive
have not been announced. Ad
vertising is being done by radio
and newspapers. A very beauti
ful program of music was run
Wednesday afternoon by Jim
Lawson. It was the March of
Dimes program by Fred Waring
ajid the Pennsylvanians. Mr.
Lawson has been asked to repeat
this program at a later date.
1000th Baby Born In
Seward Hospital
Edward Donald, the 7 pound
8 ounce son of Mr. and Mrs.
Everett House, born January 7,
was the one thousandth baby to
be born in Seward General Hos
pital since operation of the hos
pital was assumed by the Wo
men's Society for Christian Serv
ice of the Methodist Church in
1930.
It is estimated that approxi
mately 25 per cent of these are
from out of town. If the remain
ing 75 per cent, or the majority
of them, still live in Seward it
is easy to account for the dif
ference in census figures be
tween 1940 and 1950. These
people should form an alumnus
association for hospital benefit!
Jr. Women Net $608
In Scout Fund Drive
Mrs. Clyde Lovett, president
of Seward Junior Women's Club
reported a total of $608 was
collected for the Alaska Council
of Boy Scouts in the recent drive
which was completed in Decem
ber.
The young women’s group was
asked by the Lions Club to
assist in the drive which was
behind schedule. This accounts
for the delay in Completion of
the drive and its official report.
Fireman's Dance Beat
Ali Previous Records
At their regular January busi
ness meeting, the “members of
the Volunteer Fire Department
heard the results of their annual
New Years Dance. The report
was one of rousing success—as
far as is known, the greatest
in the history of the event. A
total of $2775.00 was received
from all sources.
From these receipts the de
partment paid out all of its out
standing bills. Although expens
es were unusually heavy, a total
of ,$1356.00 was still left for
the Sick and Benefit Fund. This
is a savings fund which is a form
of self insurance by the depart
ment. It is to be used whenever
a member of the department suf
fers some personal loss or injury
as a result of fire fighting.
That the success of the dance
was due in a large part to the
many generous door prizes given
by local merchants, is recognized
by the entire department and
they sincerely thank each and
every one.
To the public, who so wonder
fully supported this event, the
Firemen say, ‘Thank you too’
and pledge this support to an
ever better department.
NOTICE
The Seward Public Utility
Board requests that any persons
reporting water leaks or other
water difficulties, contact the
Seward Water System, Main 230
or the superintendent, Mr. Walt
er Layton, Garfield 492.
Any person or persons opening
or closing any hydrants except
in case of fire or upon orders
of the fire chief shall be prose
cuted to the full extent of the
law.
SEWARD PUBLIC UTILITY
BOARD
Telephone operators and main
tenance crew of the Alaska Tele
phone Corporation office in Sew
ard went on strike at 8 o'clock
a.m. Friday, Jan. 16. The move
was made with full knowledge
and consent of the International
Brotherhood of Electrical Work
ers, Local 1547, of which the
local employes are members.
The Union has been trying
since July 15, 195$ to negotiate
a contract with ATC, a spokes
man said Thursday. No success
was had in negotiations, as all
requests made to the company
to meet with workers have been
ignored.
Emergency Calls
An operator will be on duty
at all times, the Union assures
the public, to accept emergency
calls for fire, police, power fail
ure, water failure, doctors and
hospital calls. The call must be
definitely established, however,
as an emergency before it will
be completed.
Long distance calls may be
made through the booth in the
ACS office in the Federal Build
ing. Hours for such calls are
from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. week days,
9 to 10 a.m. and 4 to 5 p.m. on
Sundays.
ATC employes are striking
for higher wages, a negotiated
contract providing for better
working conditions, sick and
vacation leave, overtime for
holidays. The present rate of
hourly pay is $1.20 for begin
ning pay, reaching $1.60 after
two years of service. The in
crease being demanded is $1.50
beginning pay to $2.00 after one
year. This is considerably under
the scale paid in other Alaskan
cities, which is $1.78 to $2.36.
Being trained and skilled work
ers their demand for higher pay
is commensurate with cost of
living increases in all lines of
work, and will still be consider
ably lower than that paid for
the same work in Anchorage.
Mr. Charles Sim, general man
ager of ATC, Juneau, lias agreed
to arrive in Seward Wednesday
by boat. Dozens of telegrams
from • local businessmen, how
ever, protesting the strike and
epdorsing in support of the oper
ators, may bring about an ear
lier visit and hhsten action by
the company.
ATC Franchise
A franchise was given ATC
by Ordinance No. 205 December
11, 1350, by election of the peo
C. of C. Reps Back
From Juneau Trip
Mayor Russell Painter. Jack
Werner and Tommy Bie, presi
dent of the Chamber of Com
merce, returned today from their
trip to Juneau where they at
tended the All Alaska Chamber
of Commerce, the conference of
Alaskan mayors and other busi
ness.
Mayor Painter is expected to
give a report on the exact status
of priority on the high school
and hospital projects. It is un
derstood here that he made a
special effort to obtain definite
information on the two project
ratings with officials of Alaska
Public Works.
Whether he will report to the
people by radio or not until the
regular council meeting Mon
day, January 19, is not known at
this time.
pie of Seward. According to
terms of the franchise, ATC is
required to:
(Sec. 2, para. K) . .maintain
hnd operate, at all time during
the existence of this franchise,
a telephone system adequate to
serve all residents of the City
of Seward, who request service
and pay the established rate for
the service desired, and the
Company shall increase or ex
tend its service within the City
of Seward as population growth
and service demands shall re
quire.”
The Company also agreed, ac
cording to terms of the franchise
that within three years from the
date of approval (Dec. 11, 1950)
a dial telephone system would
be installed, with adequate fa
cilities to render service to all
then existing customers in the
City and such other persons as
may request telephone service
during the remainder of the term
of the franchise.
This section contains a war
clause which permits a delay
in installation of the dial system
if the government, because of
war emergency, continues a re
striction on the allocation of
strategic materials.
(Sec 2, para n) “The Company
shall not, in any manner dis
criminate between the City nor
any of the inhabitants thereof,
in furnishing telephones to any
and all persons residing within
the city limits. .
(Section 7) “Should the com
pany fail to establish or main
tain adequate facilities, or hav
ing established the same fail to
operate the same, or fail to ren
der to the public reasonable
service as herein contemplated,
during any period of time for
which this franchise !s granted,
or fail to perform the conditions
herein imposed upon the Com
pany, then and in such instances
said franchise herein granted
shall become null and void, and
the failure of the Company to
comply with the provisions of
this ordinance shall operate as
a forfeiture of all rights, privi
leges, and authority herein
granted to the Company.”
Failure of the Company to ne
gotiate with its employes, to
gether with its failure to supply
service to new customers as re
quested, allowing a complete
shut-down of service because of
strike, would seem to some per
sons to endanger its franchise.
Sfiii Time To Make
T.B. Contributions
There is still time to make a
contribution to the TB fund, ac
cording to Mrs. Clyde Gordon,
fund chairman in' Seward. The
Christmas Seal program was
sponsored and carried out by the
Junior Women’s Club this year.
Mrs. Gordon reports some
thing over $800 has been con
tributed to date, but the money
is still coming in. Anyone who
received the seals in the mail,
or who wishes to contribute to
the tuberculosis cause, can get
a check in the mail and be
counted in the 1952-53 cam
paign, as the books are not of
ficially closed until February.
Mrs. Audrey Anthony under
went surgery in Seward General
Hospital recently, but was al
lowed to return home this week.