WASHINGTON NEWS-LETTER
By MARY LEE COUNCIL
Secretary to E. L. (Bob) Bartlett, Alaska’s Delegate to Congress
interior ueparxmenl Appro
priations.
Alaska items in the Interior De
partment appropriation bill fo:
the 1952 fiscal year suffered n<
cuts on the House floor in pas
sage of the bill last week.
As the bill goes to the Senat<
the over-all budget request o
$559,286,000 for the Interior De
partment was slashed approxi
mately 11 percent.
The Alaska program includec
in the House-approved bill pro
vides $7 million for the Alask.
public works program, $2 milliox
for the rehabilitation program o:
The Alaska Railroad, $20 millior
for Alaska road construction, $2,
600,000 for road maintenance
$10,194,141 for Alaska activitiei
of the Bureau of Indian Affairs
$763,763 for the Bureau of Lam
Management, $2,752,000 for th<
Geological Survey, $401,384 foi
the National Park Service, $512,
k 000 for the Bureau of Mines anc
$1,896,037 for the Fish and Wild
life Service.
Although cuts were sustained ir
the budget for the Bureau of In
dian Affairs, Delegate Bartlet
has been informed that there
would be no detrimental effed
on the Alaska program. The ful
budget request for Alaska total
ling $10,194,141 is broken dowr
i into $7,088,956 for health, educa
tion and welfare services, $433,
685 for Indian resources man
agement, $2,409,000 for construe
tion and land acquisition anc
$262,500 for administrative ex
penses.
Other budget requests allowed
in full include $502,141 for the
care and custody of Alaska’s in
sane, $5,761,400 for the Eklutna
hydroelectric project near An
chorage and $96,140 for the Gov
ernor’s office.
Cosi-of-Living Allowance
Delegate Bartlett was success
ful in having language stricken
from the Interior Departmenl
appropriation bill which would
have eliminated the 25 percenl
cost-of-living allowance to Interi
m
or Department employes recruit
ed within Alaska.
The language stated in effect
. that the additional compensation
, paid to federal employes outside
the continental United States for
' the Department would be allowed
only to persons recruited within
• the States.
“Alaskans who have been re
cruited in their homeland and
work for the federal government
do not have access to mysterious
l sources which would enable them
■ to live for less than their co
1 workers from elsewhere,” Bart
j lett said. “They must patronize
: the same grocery stores, go to the
1 same clothing stores, pay the
• same rent as their fellow work
> ers from the States.
’ “We have talked much about
: developing Alaska, inducing more
| people to go there to live so as
; to build it up economically. Such
discrimination as is proposed by
| section 112 will not aid in this
cause. In this day, for reasons
which are apparently sound, the
government pays the transpor
1 tation costs for the majority of
its workers. If section 112 is en
; acted, Alaskans will have to quit.
They cannot exist without the
differential. Then what will
government do? It will recruit
others to take their places from
the States, and they will receive
the full differential plus trans
portation costs. Where is the
saving there? It simply does not
exist.
“If section 112 should prevail
we should not only find outright
discrimination against territorial
residents but varying practices
among the departments them
selves.”
Delegate Bartlett said he will
continue to do everything possi
ble to safeguard the cost-of-living
allowances provided by law
should appropriation bills not yet
referred to the House contain
language similar to that found in
the Interior bill.
Port of Entry
An executive order signed by
Interior Freight Lines
Clay Prewitt and Cliff Steadman, Owners
Freight Hauling Between Valdez and Palmer
Phone 62-J-3
GUARANTEED
Sheet Metal Work
Furnaces Stokers Pre-fob Chimneys
Stainless Steel Work
Free Estimates
PALMER SHEET METAL & HEATING
Box 866 John Weisenberger Palmer
| CUB SCOUT NEWS |
The Cub Scout leaders’ skill
shop will be conducted May 14,
7:30 p.m. at the Central Jr. High
School, Anchorage. The program
planned for all leaders of this
area will include summer activi
ties and hand crafts.
William A. King, energetic dis
trict chairman of Chugach dis
trict for the past two years, and
well known in Palmer, has moved
from Anchorage to Fairbanks.
Bill’s leadership had much to do
with the growth of the district’s
membership and program. Ac
tively participating in training
programs, Courts of Honor, char
ter presentations, he also did an
outstanding job as chairman of
the Anchorage Finance Cam
paign in 1950. Chugach dis
trict’s loss is Midnight Sun dis
trict’s gain. And the Alaska
Council benefits in either case!
In Palmer from Big Timber
Lodge is Jim Dunn. He’s chef
there, although he claims to he
a plumber by trade. He was
looking for a cook.
President Truman designated
Pelican as a port of entry.
The designation will provide
Pelican, in southeastern Alaska,
with a customs officer assigned
with authority to accept entries,
sucri as Canadian-caught fish, to
collect duties and to enforce the
various provisions of customs and
navigation laws.
INSURANCE
Health & Accident
Life Fire
Casualty and Auto
Majority of Claims Handled
in Our Office
238 5th Aye. Anchorage
Phone 40431
M. B. Marlin & Son
Biggest Train
In History Pulls
Out of Palmer
Bigest train ever to leave Palm
er—43 cars groaning under their
weight—pulled out Monday for
Anchorage.
Half were loaded with coal;
2,458 tons. The other half were
“converted” cars, made into liv
ing quarters for crews on con
struction work.
“One more car, or grade up in
stead of down, and a second en
gine would be required to pull
it,” C. L. Nelson, general agent
at Palmer for The Alaska Rail
road, said. Of the converted cars,
which have been painted, over
hauled and equipped in the Palm
er yards, 10 each will be assigned
to different tracks to house work
ers on the various jobs now under
construction.
Shipments coming into the
Matanuska Valley through Palm
er were 30 tons of powdered milk
from Seattle.
Owen Ferry of Matanuska
breezed into town from Hurri
cane.
f
Master Sergeant Warren West
and Mrs. West visited friends in
Palmer, Wasilla and at Willawaw
Lodge last week end. With them
as their mascot was their Boston
terrier “Champ.” Sgt. West soon
on rotation detail, leaves shortly
for Outside.
Insurance
of All Kinds
Real Estate
Now a New
Magazine Subscription
Agency
Pioneer Insurance
and Realty
Wright Building Palmer
AIRPORT MACHINERY CO., Inc.
Box 539, Anchorage—Dial 43401
R. G. LeTourneau—Jeeps—White Trucks
Complete Line of
Auto Replacements and Farts
TOST’S
SERVICE STATION
• GENERAL REPAIRS
• EXIDE BATTERIES
• RICHMOND TIRES
• STANDARD PRODUCTS
in
Downtown
Palmer, Alaska
Best Atmosphere—Best Entertainment—Best Food
The
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Plus the Finest Menu in Anchorage
Jade
Room
Valley Visitors Will Always Find a Hearty Welcome
Tempting Foods and Appetizing Drinks in Our Dining Room
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