THE ONLY NEWSPAPER IN THE WORLD THAT GIVES A HOOT ABOUT SEWARD. ALASKA
Vol. IX. No
SEWARD, ALASKA. FRIDAY. DECEMBER 19, 1952
I
Price 10 Cents
Local Republicans
Endorse Turnbull
For U.S. Marsha!
George Turnbull, former po
lice officer here, was endorsed
by the Seward Republican Club
and Seward Precinct for position
as U.S. Marshal for the Third
Division. The recommendation
was made at a meeting held in
the Methodist Church basement
Tuesday night. December 1G. at
which Marvin Viale, committee
man of Seward Precinct, pre
sided.
It was pointed out that with
Seward unrepresented in the
District offices, the “Favorite
Son" candidate from Seward
should take preference for en
dorsement over Jim Heeley, of
Anchorage, whose name was
also presented for the job.
B. Frank Heintzleman of Ju
neau. was endorsed by unani
mous ballot for Governor of Al
aska. In making the endorsement
it was said, “his record of serv
ice in government work and his
untiring and successful efforts
for the well being of Alaska is
unsurpassed. He has been chiefly
instrumental in bringing new
business to Alaska and his know
ledge of government and its
operation make him a natural
tor the job."
As running mate for lh intzle
man, the group endorsed, also
i sly, K. E Ro rtson
of Juneau, as secretary of Alas
ka. “This well known an 1 suc
cessful Jure a i attorney make,-,
the line- e moma'. - \ Alaska
has known in recent years, pos
sible." ft was stated. This was
in line with the Republican plat
form that promised to seek the
best qualified men to fill all
jobs In keeping with this same
promise, endorsements for Wal
ter B. Heisel as Collector of
Customs, and John Manders of
Anchorage as District Judge of
the Third Division were unani
mously made.
It was pointed out at the meet
(Turn to Page 4)
Operator's Licenses,
License Plates
Expire December 31
All Motor Vehicle Operator's
Licenses will expire on Decem
ber 31, 1952. The lie uses for
the two year period 1953-1954
are available at the office of the
U.S. Commissioner. The fee for
the two year license is S2.00.
Motor Vehicle license plates
for 1953 are also available at
the Commissioner's office.
To facilitate the issuance of
license plates all applicants
should bring with them the pres
ent Registration Certificate (li
cense plate receipt.) If the Reg
istration Certificate has been
lost the Certificate of Title or
Certificate of Title receipt must
be presented for examination.
Vehicle owners are reminded
of several provisions of the
Motor Vehicle Act as follows:
1. Registration Card (Certifi
cate) shall at all times be car
ried in the vehicle to which it
refers.
2. Whenever a vehicle is sold
both the Certificate of Title and
Certificate of Registration must
be transferred to the new owner.
3. License plates remain on
the vehicle when sold.
4. If Registration Certificate
of Title is lost, a duplicate must
be obtained, the fee for which is
$2.00.
5. Owner wrecking or dis
mantling any registered vehicle
shall immediately forward the
Certificate of Title and Regis
tration card last issued for such
vehicle to the Motor Vehicle
Division of the Department of
Taxation, Juneau.
\\y \\ As the light of Christmas
\x VS
\ \\
\\ x\\A again brighlens our faces,
sji our eyes, and our hearts, we
\ turn our thoughts to others.
May the inspiration, happi
ness and peace of the holiday
season — cur sacred herit
age, be with us clways.
Y '■•i'x
Post Office Crew
Works Overtime
A record load of mail left Se
attle la.>t week on the SS Bara
nof. Approximately 13,000 sacks,
of which about 5,000 were left
in Souilicaste) n Alaska, were
nort.ibound. The i. st was un
loaded in Seward for the rail
belt. The Seward post office
h a n d 1 e d approximately 6000
pieces, a 1 t h o u g ii Postmaster
Clarence Larson stated that this
was not an unusual load for this
time of year.
In addition to the Baranof
mail, the Alaska Freight Lines
barge has been bringing regular
deliveries for the past several
weeks.
Christmas Day will be a holi
day for postal workers. All Gov
ernment employes have been
given Friday and Saturday fol
lowing the holiday, as well, if
they choose to take it. Mr. Lar
son said that the employes here
have not decided yet, but prob
ably will work anyway, since
the mail has to get out and they
may as well do it one day as an
other.
George Nishiyama came back
on the Baranof. George is a
member of the Lechner house
hold where he has lived for
many years. He went Outside
for a vacation with plans to stay
all winter, but found things not
up to his expectations and
couldn't wait for the boats to
run again so he could come
home.
City Tree Brings
Christmas Spirit
The ever popular city Christ
mas tree was placed and lighted
Friday. "It begins to look more
Tike Christmas," is the general
comment.
Standing at the intersection
of Fourth Avenue and Church
Street, in front of the city hall,
the tree can be seen from far
away in either direction.
It is set up and trimmed by
the boys from the Seward Elec
tric System, with help and ad
vise from all other hty depart
ments and passer.-b;.
Eleven Days Vacation
For School Kids
School will close Wednesday
at 4 o'clock in Seward and not
to re-open until the first Mon
day of the New Year, January 5.
This gives school children the
longest Christmas vacation in
several years.
Room and grade parties will
be held Wednesday, after which
the smaller Children will be dis
missed, but the high school will
not close until 4 p.m.
Two classes held in the Meth
odist Church basment, for lack
of room in the school building,
were dismissed Wednesday be
cause of the flooded basement.
Kiddies had an additional vaca
tion, so there is some compensa
tion for them by not being in
the main building.
Smoke Eaters Eat
Smoke In Early Fire
An alarm at 3:35 Thursday
morning called out Seward fire
men to the building known as
the Lytle and Green warehouse
at the Sam Juan Dock. No dam
age was caused to stored equip
ment or machinery as the blaze
was confined in the ceiling and
roof. Cause was reported as de
fective electrical wiring—which
is now being replaced.
Dense clouds of heavy black
smoke hampered firefighters in
the building, making several
quite sick before it was con
trolled.
Firemen and witnesses severe
ly criticize the crew of an Alaska
Railroad switch engine, which,
they say, failed to give right of
way to firemen responding to
tlie call. The fire apparatus cross
ed the tracks a few feet ahead
of the moving train, but volun
teer firemen were held up at tlie
crossing. Had it been a more
serious fire, this action could
have grave consequences, fire
men charge.
All equipment was delayed
some by the extremely hazardous
condition of the streets, with
sheer ice covered inches deep
in slush and rain. < .
PHONE LINES DOWN
Ice and snow in the mountains
broke the telephone circuits Fri
day—no phone calls to Anchor
age. Seemed like old times.
Seward Curses
Support Hospital
In Coming Election
Does Seward need a new hos
pital? Some people say 'yes,”
some say “no.” Others say the
present hospital is good enough.
But is it? For the past t.venty
years, perhaps it has been ade
quate, but this is not the Seward
of twenty, or even five years
ago. While under ordinary cir
cumstances, by straining, the
hospital is taking care of our
sick—that is, providing for or
dinary needs, what if we have
an epidemic? What if polio or
diphtheria should strike Seward?
We have luckily escaped so far,
unlike other parts of Alaska.
What if the city had a major
fire, a series of dock accidents,
railroad accidents, highway ac
cidents, any or all involving a
number of persons requiring
hospitalization at the same time?
Yes. What then? The present
hospital couldn’t even provide
enough bed space, let alone give
adequate, speedy care.
In the first place, the present
building was not designed for
a hospital, and no amount of re
modeling will eradicate the
awkward features of the build
ing which hamper proper han
dling of patients. In the second
place, it is a frame building
subject to tire. No entrance or
exit is suitable for fast and ef
ficient moving of stretcher cas
nb.SEeiwi ti> <*-:»v*
A special i lection has been
called by the City Council for
January 2(1 to decide on the
$4lK), 00(1 hospital bond propo
sition. This will be the second
election on the1 proposition, the
1 irst being defeated October 2
by a vote of 193 to 121.
The proposition as printed in
full elsewhere in this issue is as
follows:
"Shall the Town of Seward.
Alaska, incur indebtedness in a
sum not to exceed $400,000 for
the purpose of acquiring a muni
eipal hospital, together with the
necessary equipment therefor,
of a permanent nature to be
constructed by the United States
01 America and sold to the town
of Seward, Alaska, at a price
not iii excess of $400,000, said
indebtedness to bear interest at
2 per cent per annum, to be
evidenced by a Project Con
struction and Sales Agreement
between the Town of Seward and
the United States of America
and by general obligation bonds
to mature in not to exceed thirty
years, secured by a pledge of
the full faith and credit of the
Town of Seward, Alaska, and to
levy a tax or taxes sufficient to
pay the interest and principal of
said bonds when due. all as pro
vided by Ordinance No. 223 of
the Town of Seward, passed and
approved the 15th day of De
cember 1952. and assume the
obligation to operate and main
tain said public work?”
The prooosition is quoted in
full here to make certain that
the voters are fully aware of
what they are called to pass
upon. Many oeople at the last
election exoressed the feeling
that they did not quite under
stand the proposition.
Some concern is being ex
pressed about the registering of
voters. All voters have to re
register between January 1 and
January 17. Everybody who is
eligible to vote, even though he
did register and vote during
1952, must register again after
January 1 to vote on the bond
issue.