''News of oAmencas Last Frontier■’
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VOL. 15 No. 40
KODIAK, ALASKA, DECEMBER 10, 1955
i?RiCE 10 efiN'rs
Na|> Capital Site
Convention Issue
The future site of Alaska’s capi
tal city under statehood arose as
an issue on the floor during a con
stitutional convention session. The
delegates found the issue too hot
to handle.
The matter has been brewing
for some time. It was introduced
on the floor when Thomas Harris
of Valdez made the motion propos
ing the convention be silent on the
question. His main argument was
that the issue was no business of
the convention, and that a direc
tive regarding it does not belong
to the convention. Several propos
als and resolutions had been intro
duced previously calling for a ref
erendum by the people of Alaska
to decide where the capital should
be.
These proposals are now in com
mittee, as is the proposal of R. E.
Robertson of Juneau, that the capi
tal remain there.
There has been a great deal of
hallway discussion since the mat
ter was brought up 10 days ago.
The effect of tabling action today
lives those who favor including
the issue in the constitution extra
time. It was tabled mainly because
the delegates had been in plenary
Session for three hours and were
debate weary.
The cooperation of Alaskans
who are planning Holiday Season
telephone calls to the States was
requested today by Colonel M. R.
Kunitz, Commanding Officer of
the Alaska Communication ^System.
Col. Kunitz stated that an ad
vance call reservation is the best
assurance that the call will be com
pleted during this period when
the tremendous volume of requests
often exceeds the available facili
ties and may result in disappoint
ments to those persons who fail to
make reservations in advance. Pa
trons are requested to contact the
local ACS office at the earliest
possible date for reservations.
Even with the filing of an ad
vance reservation, patrons are
cautioned that no positive assur
ance can be given that their calls
will be promptly handled at the
reserved time due to the extreme
ly heavy loaded circuit conditions
that may exist throughout the U.S.
during the Holiday Season.
Telegraph patrons may file Holi
day telegrams early for Christmas
Or New Years Day delivery. Sug
gested greeting texts are available
at the local ACS office.
RAY MARTIN RETURNS
FROM STATESIDE TRIP
Ray Martin, agent for P. N. A.,
returned Tuesday from a month
long vaction outside.
He visited his son, Raymond, Jr.,
in Los Angeles for a short time.
Then they flew to Mexico, going to
Acapulco and Mexico City. Ray
stated they found the cathedrals
. and gardens in both Mexican cities
very beautiful and interesting. He
ook several rolls of movies while
there. ;
The Martins then flew ack to
the jStates, and went to the Grand
Caqyon.. They also stopped tn
Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Tie
vade and El Paso, Texas.
JAPANESE SALMON SOLD
ON THE AMERICAN MARKET
Seattle brokers are importing
between 200,000 and 300,000
cases of Japanese salmon be
cause of the short American catch
this last season, trade sources re
ported.
Sam Rubenstein, whose broker
age firm is Whitney & Co., handl
ed most of the Japanese imports,
made the estimate. Most imports
are cases of 48 half pound cans or
half the size of American cases of
48 one-pound cans. “It is a very
fortunate thing for the industry,”
Rubenstein said, “We are able to
supply the American market and
keep salmon on the grocery
shelves. Fishermen in Alaska had
a disastrous season this year. The
Puget Sound pack fell below ex
pectations.”
Rubenstein said that in some in
stances Japanes salmon was sold
to American wholesalers for the
same price as the American pro
duct. He said that in other cases
lower prices were quoted where it
was felt advisable to encourage ad
ditional consumption.
AUTO LICENSES ISSUED
Automobile licenses may be pur
chased at the City Hall after De
cember. 15, according to Dick Berg,
(City Clerk1.
Licenses for taxicabs and buses
have already been issued. Licenses
purchased December 15 can be
used anytime after that date.
BODY OF MRS. ANDERSON
TAKEN TO AFOGNAK
Funeral services were held this
week for Mrs. Anderson, mother
of John Anderson, who apparently
died following the burning of a
boat he was said to be on.
• Mrs. Anderson’s body was taken
to Afognak Wednesday. She died
at the Griffin Memorial Hospital
early Sunday, of heart failure. She
is survived by a daughter, Maj-y
Lane, who is postmistress at Afog
nak, and two sons, Bill and Nick
of Kodiak.
PROSPECTORS COURSE
ENDED LAST NIGHT
The prospectors course conduct
ed by Ed Barnes came to a conclu
sion last night. This course was
sponsored by the University of
Alaska, and is given in many of
the cities throughout the territory.
More than thirty people in town
attended the course, and keen int
erest was evinced by those who
attended. During last nights ses
sion, a party was held by members
of the class as a gesture of appreci
ation to their instructor. Mr.
Barnes was presented with a Sam
sonite brief case as a farewell gift.
Coffee and cake was served.
While in Kodiak, Barnes con
ducted classes here in town until
8:30 p. m, and conducted classes
on the Naval Station from 9 to
11 p. m. ;
The Territory’s births have al
most doubled since 1950 with 7040
recorded in* 1954. Alaska’s 1950
population figure was 137,000
while last year’s was (estimated)
208*000. There were 1,232 ^deaths
reported In 1050 as compared with
1,105 in .1954. ^
*"fj ''
J. Anderson Death
Probed By Jury
An inquest was held in the death
of John Anderson who disappear
ed following the burning of the
fishing boat he was purported to
have been on. The verdict of the
pury was death by drowning.
The boat, the GPC 14, was an
chored in Litnik Bay at the time
of the accident. The date was De
cember 1. There were several
bots around it and the GPC 120
was tied to it. Fire apparently
started next to the bunk on which
it is believed Anderson was lying
at the time.
The circumstances laeding up to
his death are obscure. It is not
known for certain if Anderson left
the boat previously, and fell into
the water, as he had stated he was
going home. His skiff was still
tied to the GPC 120 following the
burning of the boat.
Witnesses called were Roy Noya,
Billy Yearioff, . Oscar Peterson,
Fred Fomin, and Nick Anderson.
U. S. Marshall Dizney testified al
so, having made a trip to Liknik
and Afognak investigating the ac
cdent.
Court convened at the U. S. Com
missioner’s office, December 5 at
10 a. m. and again the 7th of De
cember, when, witnesses testimony
was completed. The jury consisted
of George Frank, Howard McLinn,
John Malutin, W. A. Cannon, Clar
ence King and Ardis Fenner.
Delegates Battle
Over Recess Cost
Fairbanks. (AP)—The longest
tussle to date broke toose at the
Constitutional Convention. The
delegates engaged in a verbal bat
tle lasting more than three hours
over the cost of the year end re
cess and the expenses on the pro
posed territory wide hearings.
In an economy fight which Yule
Kilcher of Homer led, it was final
ly decided the delegates should
get transportation costs plus per
diem allowances during recess,
both ways, but no salary. This
means a reduction in total costs
from $10,000 to $6,543. This
amount includes $1,640 per diem
allowance for out of town dele
gates who remain in Fairbanks.
The delegates also decided
against the payment of salary, per
diem and travel costs of hearings.
This was contrary to original re
commendation by the administra
tion committee. The session also
set the dates for the recess from
December 20 through January 3.
BOY SCOUTS TO HOLD
COURT OF HONOR DEC. 19
A court of honor will be held
Monday, December 19, by the joint
Boy Scout troops from the Naval
Station and Kodiak. The Court
will be held at the Elks Club.
The Kodiak troop will engage in
an all out drive to get as many of
their parents out for the meeting
as possible. They have won . the at
tendance contest for the two pre
vious honor courts, and with a win
this year, they will have perhiam
ent cutody of the “Totem,” the an
nual award for the troop having
biggest representative attendance
9i paints .and iater&sU^l people.
ESKIMOS CLAIM RUSSIANS
DEPLETING WALRUS SUPPLY
The Russians are engaging in a
large scale slaughter of walrus, it
was disclosed by a missionary who
returned from St. Lawrence Island
in the Bering Sea. As a conse
quence Eskimos are no longer
hunting walrus for food, as has
been their custom.
These facts were reported by
Rev. Elmer E. Parker who return
ed to Fairbanks after five months
on the Island as a Presbyterian
missionary. The missionary said he
was shocked at the resulting poor
economic condition of the island
natives. He stated they are now
turning to whales to save them
selves from Starvation. He added,
however, ice was “coming in when
I left last week and they are get
ting a few walrus.”
Parker said Eskimos saved them
selves from starvation this summer
by consuming a small number of
whales brought in by native hunt
ers this spring. He said they re
frained from hunting the shrink
ing herd of reindeer introduced
into the island by the Presbyterian
missionaries half a century ago.
USO Difctor Syphers
Transfernd To Stoul
Ancil (Zero) Syphers, Director
of the local USO, will be leaving
Kodiak shortly after the first of
the year. His replacement, Mr.
Howard Demarest is expected to
arrive next week.
Syphers has been director for
about two years, having arrived
here December 18, 1953. He came
here from Porto Rico, where he
served a year. Previous to that he
was General Program Secretary of
the Armed Services YMCA at
Charleston, Massachusetts.
Syphers stated he enjoys travel
ing around and being stationed in
various parts of the world. He
finds it interesting. “I have enjoy
ed working in Kodiak, and the
people have been very coopera
tive,” he said. His next assignment
will take him to Seoul, Korea.
VA PREPARING TO MAIL
ANNUAL INCOME QUESTIONS
Annual income questionaires
$oon will be mailed to nearly a
million veterans and widows and
children of deceased veterans who
are receiving disability and death
pensions, the Veterans Administra
tion announced.
Of this total, approximately
25,000 questionaires will go to resi
dents of the four Northwest States
and Alaska. VA urges all those
who receive the questionaires to
fill them out completely and re
turn them immediately to the VA
offices which sent them.
Unless properly filled-out ques
tionaires are returned to VA with
in 30 days, pension payments, un
der the law, must be stopped, VA
said.
Christmas trees are being offered
by the Kodiak troop of Boy Scouts
and will be'on sale hear the USO
on Saturday and Sunday, Decem
ber 17 and *8 ;»
During Operation “Deepfreeze,”
the Navy’s newest Antarctic Expe
dition, Navy planes will take off
ang Ishd *1 Q*e.&p,tfc Pole.
Death Toll Down
Says ADH Officer
Results in the fight to control
tuberculosis, Alaska’s first cause of
death for decades, are tremend
ously encouraging, according to C.
Earl Albecht, M. D., Commissioner
of Health in Alaska, in his annual
report. The death rate among the
native peoples, where it takes the
highest toll, has dropped from
584.3 persons per 100,000 popula
tion in 1949 to 225.1 in 1954.
i “Chemotheraphy or drug treat
ment,” he said, “plus hospitaliza
tion of larger numbers of patients* •
have shown us we can predict that
within five ye.irs tuberculosis Will
be down to a level much more easi
ly controllable.
“But now we find we have an
other health problem to overcome.
Accidents, nearly all of yhich are
preventable, are now our chief
cause of death with the proportion
of accidental deaths being nearly
three times that of the states.” ;
Health department work in 1954
55 was carried on hrough three re
gional offices in Anchorage, Fairy
banks ahtl Juneau, an adrittnistra
tive office in Juneau, public
health nurses working: out of. 26
health centers througout Alaska;
and the M|S Hygiene serving resiy
dents along the Alaska peninsula
and Bering Sea Coastlines. Total
hospital staff, including profession
al technical and clerical, number
ed 175 members.
Expendtures for the year July
1, 1954 through June 30, 1955 were
$1,621,102.96, including territorial,
federal and local monies. These
were expended for the following
health programs and services: Can
cer; Crippled Children’s Services;.
Heart Disease; Health Education;.
Laboratories; Maternal and Child1
Health; Medical Social Services;
Medical Facilities; eMntal Healtp,
Sanitation and Engineering; Tu
berculosis Hosptalization and Con
trol; Venereal Disease; Vital Sta
tistics; and Administration.
Varied services are available to
Alaskans through their Territorial
Department of Health. Some o
these are: Diagnosis and treatment
are available for children under
21 years of age who have rhuema
tic or other heart conditions. Care
is provided by heart specialists at
San Francisco hospitals throug
the Alaska Department of Health
under the U. S. Children’s Bureau
Regional Congenital Heart pro
Working on an itinerant basis,
the ADH mental health teams bold
periodic clinics in Fairbanks, Sew
ard, Nome, Cordova, Kodiak, Sit
ka, Ketchikan, Wrangell, Peters
burg, Haines and Skagway; health
films; inspection of water supplies,,
vaccines; birth cards; inspection
of public eating, drinking and
housing installations for compli
ance with sanitation regulation^;
orthopedic clinics and diagnosis
and treatment of eye, ear and
throat defects of Alaskan children.
During the past fiscal year, Al
aska statistics on chief cause of
death became available over a con
secutive five year period for t^e
first time and showed accidents
at the top of the list as a ,takei^ yt
lives. Heart dieases were in seco&i
tuberculosis iaUbitd,
• ■ v' I *.