COST OF LIVING ALLOWANCE
CUT PROTESTED BY GOVERNOR
.Eimpnauc ana aeianeu i
against discontinuing the 25 per
cent cost of living allowance to
department of agriculture em
ployes recruited in Alaska, has
been sent by Gov. Ernest Gruen
ing to 21 members of the U. S.
senate appropriations committee.
The protest followed last week’s
action by the house of representa
tives cutting off the allowance.
The policy may affect other
government agencies, he said, and
will cut buying power of em
ployes in business communities.
Highlights of the protest were
the allowance in the case of agri
culture dates from 1924. Cost of
living surveys demonstrate its
justification, the latest showing
Fairbanks to be 47 per cent and
Anchorage 40 per cent above Se
attle costs.
Discrimination Charged
Discontinuance of the allow
ance to employes hired locally
would promote “a caste system”
by establishing higher paid re
cruits from outside to work with
a lower paid resident Alaskan.
Direct increased costs would re
sult from outside recruitment
travel costs being met by the gov
ernment from point of hire to job
location. A greater turnover rate
and longer training periods would
add to such costs. Finally, the
proposal undermines national pol
icy which aims toward permanent
acivitriucui ui niaoiva. it vv
mean the domination of federal
agencies by transient workers
having roots and basic interests
elsewhere, the governor’s protest
states.
The senate appropriations com
mittee was urged to block the
proposal not only as it affected
the department of agriculture but
in its application to any other
federal agency in Alaska.
The governor pointed out that
the matter is of general interest
to the business community since
federal employes are so widely
distributed that their loss of buy
ing power would be felt through
out Alaska.
31-Million Payroll
In the Anchorage area, for ex
ample, the railroad had last fiscal
year an average year around to
tal of 1400 employes; the CAA,
663; road commission, 290, and
civilian employes of the military
totaled 3200. All of these pro
grams are directly related to de
fense.
In the Fairbanks area there was
an average of 2000 year around
federal employes during the pe
riod, most of them railroad and
military employes. The average
total for the Juneau area was ap
proximately 600.
Most of these received the cost
of living allowance.
The annual federal payroll for
the Anchorage area during fiscal
1950, exclusive of military per
sonnel but including seasonal and
wage board employes, totalled
$31,321,669. Were this payroll
cut back by the amount of the
cost of living allowance probably
as much as five million dollars—
all business would suffer sharply
reduced volume as lowered fed
eral salaries were stretched to
meet rising costs.
“The danger of Alaska's econo
my is real and immediate. It is,
I think, obvious that this discrim
inatory treatment would not oc
cur were Alaska a state with two
senators and a voting representa
tive,” the governor said. “Mean
while Alaskans can protest to the
members of the two committees.
If the senate eliminates the pro
vision, the bill will go to confer
ence and the house conferees will
be chosen from the house appro
priations committee.”
Community Chorus
Organizing For
Summer Opera
Fifteen new singers have signed
up for the Palmer community
chorus planned for this summer,
Bill Remple, organizer and di
rector, said today.
Some of the chorus whom he
had organized for the Kiwanis
minstrel show have gone for the
summer, but others have replaced
them. More voices are needed
but practice must start soon if a
summer production is to be pre
sented. Remple urged that any
one interested contact him at
once.
He plans a popular light opera
and has music on the way for
selection. Probable production
will be the “Red Mill,” or it might
be “Oklahoma,” depending upon
the number of singers who will
go into regular rehearsal.
Valley Frontiersman Classifieds Get Results
SUMMER TIME IS MUSIC TIME!
When school is out, young people need other activities to
absorb their surplus energy and bubbling enthusiasm.
Group music is one of the best outlets for supercharged per
sonalities. It meets all seven of the major objectives of
education.
Beginners who start now will be ready for concerts in August,
and for school band in September. Instruments loaned free.
TRADE & HOBRY SCHOOL
Box 1528 (JUAN P. MILLER) Moutain View
I
...and back/
WITH 60,000 MILES TO SPARE
Alaska Line ships have to keep "on the go" to
provide adequate transportation service to ALL the
Territory. Last year they traveled 539,528 miles-an
average of more than 1,400 miles every day I —serving
the needs of scores of small communities as well as the
larger Alaskan ports. Using this 1950 mileage on a trip
through an imaginary ocean in outer space, one of
our ships could travel to the moon and back —and
have enough miles left over to go around the world
more than twice.
ALASKA STEAMSHIP
COMPANY...
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RANDOLPH
SCOTT
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Sunday—Three Shows
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