Employment on Alaskan
Defense Construction
Tops 9,000 in August
ANCHORAGE—Defense con*
struction in Alaska reached its
seasonal peak this month with
over 9000 employees at work on
U. S. Army Corps of Engineers’
contracts here, at Fairbanks,
Whittier, Nome and elsewhere.
Interviewed at his local office
today. Colonel L. E. Seeman.
.Alaska District Engineer, sum
med up the present state of con
struction affairs by saying:
“Although there has been a tre
mendous increas this year over
the construction program of last
year, a great record of prod
uction and cooperation is being
set.
There have been some grow
ingpains. which are only reason
able to expect; for example, we
have had to house and feed a
great many more people. So far
during fiscal year 1951, we have
^awarded 114 contracts, which are
now underway.
“Many of these projects are
concentrated in Anchorage and
Fairbanks, and the facilities are
taxed to the utmost. Far flung
jobs are feeling the pressure
which is brought to bear on the
servicing facilities. The 51 con
tractors engaged in construction
currently are employing 7,885
men. There are 1,184 civilians
and officers working for the
.District and Resident Engineers.
It is estimated that 1800 engineers
were employed on the 65 design
contracts, which included- archi
tect-engineer firms in the North
west and West Coast, as far away
as Los Angeles.
“August,” Colonel Seeman
pointed out, “is normally the
heavest construction month for
COMPETITIVE EXAMS
FOR CIVIL SERVICE
URGED FOR ALASKA
Delegate Bartlett has renewed
his request that Civil Service
competitive examinations be giv
en in Alaska for federal employ
\ ment.
For many years the Commis
sion has applied to the Territory
a formula known as Schedule A,
a list of positions excepted from
! competitive examination. The ap
plication of the formula has de
prived federal employees from
being eligible to transfer to a reg
ular civil service position in any
of the States or the District of
Columbia.
the Territory. Transportation is
most apt to snarl up, and labor
management problems develop
acute stages. It has been impos
sible to predict exact employment
and housing needs, even if there
were time to construct workers’ i
accomodations for the highest
peak employment, which lasts
but three to four weeks, it would
be poor economy to do so. Con- j
sequently, tented facilities are
used for the peak period, and
some crowding is experienced,
but the slacking-off period is sure
to follow soon, and space will be
ample.
“The impact of the bigest pro
gram ever can be grasped most
readily by the housing situation. .
With all transient space in An- i
chorage and Fairbanks filled, the !
construction camps at the mili
tary bases are well filled. At An
chorage, we are now housing and
feeding about 2,000; at Fairbanks
and Eielson Air Force Bases,
about 1900. There is certainly
congestion, but there is also fine
cooperation. Transportation agen
cies, contractors, and labor are
all doing a Herculean job, and
all deserve a pat on the back.”
Toil's Service Station
We have the New...
GATES AIR-FLOAT
"COLD RUBBER" TIRES, all sizes
— also —
Gates Tubes and Batteries
In Down Town Palmer, Alaska
Good Food and Hospitality Are Yours
to Enjoy at—
jaae
Room
Your Favorite Steaks, Chops, Sea Foodsand Appetizing Drinks
All Preparedthe Way You Like Them.
VALLEY VISITORS WILL ALWAYS FIND A HEARTY WELCOME
DIAL 49371 • H ST. BETWEEN 4lh & 5th •
Governor Pretests
ARR IG°o Freight Boost
Scheduled for Oct. 15
Governor Ernest Gruening pro
tested the scheduled ARR freight
rate boost of ten percent in a j
wire Saturday to Secretary of i
Interior Oscar Chapman.
The increase announced Fri- j
day called for an overall increase
to become effective October 15. j
Higher operating costs including ;
the recent $1,300,000 wage in
creases were given as the reason
lor the boost. It was also pointed
aut that the Alaskan rates had,
remained the same for 14 years
while railroads in the States have
increased their freight rates 65
percent during that period.
Consensus of opinion among |
Anchorage merchants seemed to
be that the freight rate would
■aise the cost of living in Alaska
still higher. With freight costs
already considered as a leading
‘actor retarding the development
af the Teritory, it was believed
:hat the present increase would
nardly help in plans for expan
sion of Alaska.
A survey of several Anchorage
firms indicated that some were
determined to answer the ARR
freight hike by bypassing the
•ailroad altogether and utilizing
truck transport from the port
af Valdez. With the completion
af the road linking Anchorage to
Seward, this threat will become
2ven more feasible.
Inflation is defined as a “rise
in purchasing power without a
compensating rise in the supply
of things people can buy.”
NORTHERN
NEON
1 CORP.
SIGNS
Trucks, Cars Lettered
Manufacturers of
Neon Signs, Marquees,
Store Fronts and Tube
Lighting
540 Barrow - Dial 43734
ANCHORAGE. ALASKA
Announce Appointment
Of New Rent Control
Head for Anchorage
A. Bandettini. Area Rent Di
rector for Alaska, announced in
Juneau today the appointment of
Robert S. Furst effective Sept
ember 6 as Associate Area Rent
Director in charge of the An
chorage Rent Office. Mr. Furst
has had considerable experience
in the housing field having been
associated with the Alaska Hous
ing Authority and more recently
with the Federal Housing Ad
ministration in Juneau.
Dorothy D. Tyner, the Area
Rent Representative in the An
chorage Rent Office for the past
nine months, has been appointed
Area Rent and Litigation Attor
ney for the Territory of Alaska.
Miss Tyner served as an Enforce
ment Attorney for the Office of
Price Administration for several
years in the Territory. Miss Tyner
has recently spent several weeks
in the San Francisco Regional Of
fice conferring with Regional Di
rector, O. H. Peterson, Regional
PALMER
SHOE REPAIR
located near
Valley Theatre
Rent Attorney. William Gold
bauni. and Regional Litigation
Attorney. Sydney Fein berg. She
will assume her new duties im
mediately.
LET US HANDLE YOUR
UPHOLSTERING NEEDS
USED FURNITURE BOUGHT
AND SOLD
G. A. KRISE
Basement Palmer Drug
HOMESTYLE COOKING AWAY FROM HOME
HOME-MADE PIES
MAURINE AND EVELYN
V
GOODRICH MACHINE WORKS
Welding and Machine Work
Located in the ARRC Shop Bldg,
behind Fair Grounds
Phone 20Y1
Palmer
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When you feel like relaxing—
Drop in and try our fine foods,
Served the way you like them ! !
FINE WINES AND LIQUORS
~o;
COCKTAILS
'°C
r x
"1 -Tv?! o- -6~ & ;9v /v
ALPINE INN
Mile 61. Glenn Highway
Phone l-J-31
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