Gov. Egan Will Not Reinstate
Sherard as Chief Highway Engineer
JUNEAU UPI — Gov. Wm. Egan
Thursday advised Highways Com
missioner Sam Johnson he could
not “in good conscience” agree to
the reinstatement of Thurman D.
Sherard to a position of responsi
bility in the Alaska road program.
Sherard was fired as the Director
of the State Division of Highways
on Jan. 25, eight days after the
Department of Public Works an
nounced it would need $4,008,333 to
carry out the state road program
for the balance of fiscal 1962.
Johnson was named as Sher
ard’s successor. Sherard was a key
witness during a month-long in
quiry into the state’s road program
by a special Senate Investigating
Committee.
Last week, Egan made the High
ways Division a full-fledged de
partment and appointed Sam John
son Commissioner.
Wednesday, a letter in which
Johnson asked Egan’s permission
to hire Sherard as Chief State High
way Engineer was made public.
In brief, Johnson indicated there
was a desperate need for engineers
and that the rehiring of Sherard
might induce some top highways
personnel now planning to resign to
stay with the state.
Expressed Great Displeasure
Egan expressed great displeasure
in his letter to Johnson that the
contents of Johnson’s letter had be
come public knowledge.
Egan said that when Sherard was
hired as chief of the Highways Di
vision in late 1959, “the magnitude
and complexity of the task was not
discounted by me or any member
of my administration.”
Egan said he and Sherard were
criticized publicly and privately
after the state assumed control of
its own road program on July 1,
1960, about the progress being
made.
“Knowing that Mr. Sherard had
a difficult job to do and that a
great many problems were bound
to arise, I felt that any attempt to
judge him during the early months
of his administration would be pre
mature.
“Slowly, however, my confidence
in him and his ability to manage
a program as important as the
highway program is to Alaska, be
gan to erode.
“This was not due to any question
of his honesty or integrity. Neither
did it occur because I believed that
more miles of road should have
been built or could have been built
during the relatively short time
since the Highway Division’s cre
ation.
“It is difficult to say about any
man that you no longer have con
fidence in his administrative judg
ment or ability. But, this is the
conclusion I reached, and it was
not reached hastily.
“Compounding my lack of faith
in Mr. Sherard’s judgment was the
fact that financial aspects of the
road program were running into
difficulties.”
Egan said Sherard’s testimony be
fore the Senate Committee that he
had not seen his division’s 1962
1963 budget before it was sub
mitted was a “shocking admission
by one directly responsible for the
administration of more than $40,
000,000 of public funds.”
Wanted to Resign
Sherard, Egan said, indicated last
June he wanted to resign and that
he was seeking employment else
where. The governor said Sherard
changed his mind and decided tc
stay with Alaska.
Egan said that during the pas
few months he had refrained fron
Young Republicans Will Show
Movie On Tuesday Night
The Young Republicans reported
today they had realized $200 from
their dinner last night toward their
“On To Ketchikan” fund. Secretary
Ann Chambers said they now have
about half what is needed to pay
the transportation of their delega
tion to the convention being held
the first week in April.
The next scheduled money-rais
ing event that the group has ar
ranged is a movie to be shown at
Nomerama at 9:30 p.m. on Tues
day, March 28. The picture will be
“Tall Story,” with Anthony Per
kins and Jane Fonda.
With the scheduled activation of
a Juneau Young Republican club,
there’ll be 8 active members in the
Alaska Federation. The others are
located in Ketchikan, Fairbanks,
Anchorage and Palmer, and at the
University of Alaska and Alaska
Methodist University.
saying anything publicly about j
Sherard because of the effect state
ments might have on Sherard’s
opportunities for future employ
ment.
The governor told Johnson he
was aware that some highway per
sonnel have indicated they planned
to resign because of Sherard’s dis
missal.
“To this I can only say that any
one who accepts a position with
the state, is paid for his services
with public funds, must first be
loyal to his employers, the people
of Alaska.
“Those who cannot understand
this we are better off without.
“Every effort will be made to
replace those people with compe
tent and dedicated workers in
whom we can place our confidence.”
Egan closed by saying he wanted
to commend the “overwhelming
majority of the Highway Division’s
personnel . . . whose devotion tc
the cause of a good highway sys
; tem and a good Highway Depart
i ment are of the highest order.
POOL TOURNAMENT
The Polar Bar's annual pool
tournament is shaping up again. At
stake is the championship of Sew
ard Peninsula, currently held by
Perry Kagoona.
The tournament will start as
soon as enough players enter the
contest which will be governed by
Brunswick rules. An entry fee of
$3 will provide prizes for 1st, 2nd,
3rd and 4th place winners.
O. D. Davis, who is organizing
the tournament, and Keith Hed
reen, owner of the Polar, invite all
persons interested to enter the con
test or to kibitz.
BATTLE IN OUTER SPACE
FEATURED AT NOMERAMA
Battle in Outer Space, which
comes to the Nomerama this week
end, is a most unusual picture, re
ports Willie Brown, and outstand
ing in many ways. It is in Toho
scope and filmed entirely in Japan
and the cast is of Japanese stars.
If you like something different
and unusual, this is the picture you
shouldn’t miss, says Willie.
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i PIONEER CARD PARTY
TOMORROW EVENING
Tomorrow evening the Pioneers
of Alaska will hold the second
in their series of card parties, start
ing a 8:00 p.m. at the Pioneer
Igloo.
Persons who were unable to at
tend the first game and who wish
to participate, starting tomorrow,
will be given an average score for
the first game so that they can
not only play toward winning the
evening prizes but also for the
grand prizes given for a series of
games played at the four parties.
Hillary to Visit Alaska
WASHINGTON UPi — Sir Ed
mund Hillary, New Zealand moun
tain climber who was the first to
scale Mt. Everest, has agreed to
suggest ways of making U.S. na
tional forests more inviting for
foreign visitors.
The Agriculture Department an
nounced Hillary will serve for a
month or so as a consultant on
the suitability of present camp
grounds for such visitors and what
improvements might be needed.
A western camping trip will in
clude visits to national forests in
Oregon, Washington and Alaska.
At Vancouver, B.C., he will take
off for Alaska for two weeks of
camping and fishing, then drive
back to Chicago by way of the
Alcan Highway.
Hillary said specific details of
the tour and dates for visiting each
of the national forests are yet to
be worked out.
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