"News of ^Americas Last Frontier”
VOL. 15 No. 40
KODIAK. ALASKA. DECEMBER 17, 1955"
PRICE 10
Construction Will Begin
On The New Post Office
Actual construction of a new
post office for Kodiak will begin
as soon as weather conditions will
permit, according to word just re
ceived from S.G. Schwartz, Region
al Director, Post Office Depart
ment, Portland, Oregon.
The bid of Donnelly & Acheson
Company has just been accepted
by the Department and calls for
a 15-year lease with two 5-year re
newel options.
The present building housing
the Post Office has been outgrown;
has an insufficient number of lock
boxes, provides no parking ac
comodations, and occupies but
2100 square feet of space, stated
Mr. Schwartz.
The new quarters will be located
within a block of the Kodiak Bank
and specifically situated on the
west side of Main Street between
Bering Way and the Donnelly &
Acheson Docks.
Some 4145 square feet will be
used for the new post office with
200 square feet to be occupied by
the dock platform and another
6720 square feet to provide ample
off street parking space for both
postal employees and patrons of
the office.
‘ Reinforced concrete will be used
in the construction of the new
building, which is scheduled to
have two lobbies. One will contain
the finance section, having the new
low or bank-type fixtures; and the
other lobby will feature an ample
number of lock boxes.
New lighting fixtures, heating
equipment and plumbing will
make this new post office modern
in every respect, stated .Mr
Schwartz, and provide better work
ing conditions for employees and
more efficiency in the handling of
the mails.
Maurice L. Briggs is Postmaster
of the Kodiak Post Office.
George Lewis Petersohn, a sailor
attached to the Air Department at
the Naval Station, narrowly escap
ed serious injury or possible death
when his car careened over to the
side of the base road near the
slide area.
The car, a 1954 Chevrolet, got
out of control in the early hours
of the morning yesterday as Peter
sohn was going to the Naval Sta
tion. He was seen to pass the stop
sign at the Shore Patrol shortly
before the accident,travelling at an
excessive speed. The car apparent
ly got out of control due to the
excessive speed and icy conditions
' of the road. It turned over several
. times apd^is said to be in a condi
tion beyond repair. v ''" ’
% Petersohn was taken to the Na
j^val Station Infirmary for checkup,
*f>ut is reported unhurt.
, A birthday party was given yes
terday for Miss Estelle Marlin,
jEducatibh Director at the* Com
munity Baptist Church, at the Is
land Fountain.; Many ladies gatjier
:ed to honor her on the occasion.
A Sunday School Christmas pro
gram will be held Wednesday eve
ning, December 21, at tb.e Copunp
''nity Bapkk Church. The program
{ will start at 7:30.
GRIFFIN MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
RECEIVES $10,000 GRANT
Griffin Memorial Hospital was
awarded a $10,000 grant from the
Ford Foundation, it was announced
this week. The local hospital was
one of six voluntary non-profit
hospitals in the Third Division,
who received a total of $171,000
from the Foundation.
The Seward Sanitarium at Bart
lett received the largest share. The
other five were Providence hos
pital at Anchorage, Seward Gener
al hospital, Valley Presbyterian
hospital and Cordova Community
hospital.
tnejSojd pre s(uoxiepunoj atjx
includes spending a total of
$200,000,000 in grants to non-profit
hospitals.
FLEEING SON-IN-LAW
WOUNDED BY GUNSHOT
Kelly Jackson Mitchell received
a gunshot wound in the calf of the
left leg as the result of the firing
of a gun by his father-in-law, Ed
Parker. The incident occurred
Sunday at approximately 9:30 p.m.
9:30 p. m.
The alleged cause leading up to
the shooting, according to Parker,
was the disturbance caused by the
gunshot victim. Mitchell entered
the former’s home, demanding
Parker’s daughter return with him
to their home. She had left him
recently. When Parker attempted
to get him out of the house, Mit
chell refused to do so. It was then
Parker brought out the gun. When
Mitchell was outside the door, Par
ker fired several shots in the air,
with the intention of frightening
him away. One shot clipped the
fleeing son-in-law in the leg.
No charges were preferred
against Parker, although he was
later picked up carrying a conceal
ed weapon. •
The Kodiak Rotary will stage a
Children’s Christmas party at the
USO Saturday, December 24. This
is an annual event.
Reservoir Is Low
Council Advised
The water in the City’s reservoir
is dropping rapidly, it was learned
at the Council meeting Monday
night. Consumption is estimated at
the rate of 1000 gallons a day.
There is no need for alarm, ac
cording to city officials, but the
water supply here is not adequate
for wasteful practices such as run
ning faucets to keep systems from
freeezing.
Other business brought up at
the meeting included authorization
for removal of two meters in front
of the Belmont and one at Wod
linger’s Drug Store. This is to al
low room for traffic at intersec
tions. Cab license was authorized
for transfer from Homer Lightfoot
to Herbert and Harold Heglin. Bids
were requested on the 1956 city
fuel delivery.
APW has forwarded transfer
documents for sewer line units 1,
2 and 3. These documents are be
ing studied by the Council before
they will be presented to thevoters.
An unusual request was made to
the Council. Clarence Fry sought
approval for digging his own
trench for a sewer line. The re
quest was granted.
The council is seeking to decen
tralize the Fire Department, by
the placement of a quonset hut
yet to be purchased, in another
section of the city, to house a part
of the firefighting equipment.
Warrants are being sent out to
collect delinquent personal proper
ty taxes, according to City Clerk
Dick Berg.
Four more street lights have
been authorized. One in front of
the door of the new school, one at
Carolyn and north Brooklyn, one
at the City Dock warehouse and
one on top of ACS hill.
The sales tax question is still be
ing studied, as is the wording of
the annexation proposal. It is plan
ned to hold an election on these
two issues at the same time, in the
near future.
Test holes are being dug at the
proposed site of the new airport,
it was learned.
1956 Outlook Good Says Economist
“The coming 12 months can be
America’s best business year. With
few exceptions across the country,
business in 1955 has set new re
cords, and the increase in most
lines promise to continue in 1956.”
This was the prediction of Econo
mist Emerson P Schmidt, writing
in the current issue of Nation’s
Business.
The notecj economist ^oes on to
say retailing strength bringing
the biggest Christmas volume in
history - - should carry over to give
the year a strong start. Unfilled
orders already in manufacturer’s
hands will help maintain this im
petus.
New construction - - exceeding
$41,000,000,000 ip . 1955 - - will also
carry o*er. Auto d^nriaWd promises
to continue high. , ,
T%«- article goes bn to state:
New raw materials, new methods,
. the, growth of automation, plus
competition, "Will force companies
into modernization programs.” The
article says emphatically that in
flation is not in prospect.
A look at some of the economic
indicators justify these predictions.
Production1 of goods and services -
- running at $285,000,000,000 in
1950 - - is now running more than
$100,000,000,000 higher. Net in
come with a previous high of
$304,000,000,000 in 1953, reached a
rate of more than $320,000,000,000
in 1955. *
In the past year, labor income
increased by more tahn $15,00,000,
000, Unemployment dropped to
about 2,200,00, or a shade more
than three per cent of the total
civilian labor force. This level is
generally regarded as close to the
irreducible minimum.
The opinions of men sUph as
Henry Ford and labor leader
George Meany were solicited,
^heir views Correspond with those
of Schmidt. Henry Ford said: “We
are very optimistic.” He thinks
the automobile business will have
- ft ' " -T 'S''
a fine year. He believes the gov
ernment can improve business
next year by cutting taxes, excise
taxes on automobiles as well as
personal income taxes.
Meany is perhaps not as opti
mistic as to the 1956 outlook, but
he does think America’s economy
is basically sound. He cites signs
that are not so good, such as the
farmer’s plight, and indications
that homebuilding has been drop
ping in the past few months.
“There is some question, too,
whether the automobile industry
can maintain the 1955 level of pro
duction and sales,” he said.
He believes if taxes are cut, they
should be for the lower income
brackets. He predicts wages will
go up in 1956, fringe benefits to
the workers will be revised and
\ increased. A shorter work week is
in prospect, due to greater change
over to machine production. The
latter will not increase unemploy
ment, Meany said.,
K Kt Hi.% *'
“Grandfather” Clause
Ruled Out As Illegal
PTA Meeting Replaced
By Christmas Party
The regular December Parent
Teachers Association meeting is
replaced this month by the Christ
mas program of music presented
by the Kodiak Elementary and
High School choral groups. This
program will be presented Thurs
day, December 22 at 7:30 p. m. in
the Community Baptist Church.
At the Executive Board meeting
December 8, held at the home of
Mrs. William Muessel, preliminary
plans were laid for the annual Ele
mentary School carnival to be
held January 27. It is hoped that
the proceeds of this carnival will
complete the funds needed to pay
for the piano ordered by the P.T.A.
for the new school auditorium.
The next scheduled P. T. A.
meeting on January 12 will fea
ture the Cub Scouts whom P. T. A.
sponsors.
RUSSIA VETOES THREE TIMES
JAPAN’S ENTRY INTO U. N.
United Nations, N. Y.—(AP)
Russia has cast the third veto in
three days against Japan’s appli
cation for U. N, membership.
The U. S. has denounced the ac
tion as “abuse of veto power.”
Thursday’s voting ended present
attempts to push Japanese mem
bership in the U. N.
The Icebreaker Northwind now
claims more mascots than any
other Coast Guard ship. Rosie, the
ship’s mascot, has given birth to
10 puppies.
The Public Library will be clos
ed between December 27 and Janu
ary 3, because of the holidays.
Volunteer librarians have been
very faithful in maintaining li
brary facilities, accordng to the
president of the Library Board,
Mrs. A. Holmes Johnson. The Li
brary is open to the public, and
current books are continually be
ing added.
Resident fishermen of Alaska,
and those who have operated gear
in Alaskan waters the past five
years, will not be granted discrim
inatory fishing rights to territori
al waters, as outlined by the Fish
and Wildlife Service. The so-called
“Grandfather” clause has been de
clared illegal by Interior Depart
ment solicitors.
This ruling deals a death blo\*
to the FWS plan to restrict fishr
ing next year to only fishing geah
that has been used in these watery
the past five years. The plan was
being instituted to bar outside
gear, thus curtailing fishing opera
tions in order to increase escape
ments of salmon.
“The new ruling means the FWS
w;ll recommend strict area licens
ing throughout Alaska be estab
lished in the 1956 regulations,”'
Fisheries Administrator Donald
McKernan said. FWS Director Far
ley’s wire said in part: “Solicitor
advices preferential treatment may
not be shown Alaska residents in
issuance of licenses for fishing
boats and gear operations.”
“Limitation of licenses to boats
of historical record also contrary
to existing law.” He added: “How
ever, limitation operation of one
district or area should be possible
with slight changes in registration
requirements.”
Under area licensing plan fisher
men will be required to declare at
the time they register gear which
area they plan to fish. They then
will be restricted to that area
only.
VALUE OF FISH
DOWN FROM LAST YEAR
Victoria, B. C.—(AP). The value
of this year’s fish catch will be
less than last year’s $69,422,000,
British Columbia Fisheries Depart
ment say. It was largely due to
the poor sockeye run.
The Department’s annual report
for 1955 just issued says the sal
mon catch was valued at $50,281,
000, herring at $7,340,000, halibut
at.$5,965,000. There was a bumper
crop of pink salmon this year with
830.000 cases packed against the
1954 total of 335,000. Coho salmon
was up to 175,000 cases from the
124.000 pack recorded for 1954.
Chums are down to 125,000 cases
from the 580,000 cases packed last
year.
ELLENSBURG COLLEGE PLAY
BASKETBALL AT FAIRBANKS
Ellensburg— (A P). The first col
legiate basketball team to invade'
Alaska, Central Washington Col
lege Wildcats, headed north Fri
day. It is due to arrive today in
Fairbanks.
The team will play five gamfes.
in the Fairbanks area. They will
play the University of Alaska
twice, Eielson AFB, La^d AFB
and Sportland AAU.
Mrs. Don Hansen and daughter
Debbie arrived last week from
Issaquah, Washington to spend'
the holidays with her parents, Mr.
and Mrs. Clyde Goudie on the Na
val Station, , ;
■ , . ... ■ *+, ' A :