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VOLUME S. NUMBER 2*
PALMER. ALASKA. THURSDAY. MARCH 27. 19S2
Jm
PRICE TEH CEMTS
ANNUAL KIWANIS MINSTREL SHOW PREMIERE TONIGHT
Jonesvilfe Miners Get 25 Cent
Hourly Pay Boost and Pension Fund
Local 7901, United Mine work
ers of America, and the manage
ment of the Evans Jones Coal
Mine of Jonesville agreed last
night on a 1952 contract that will
mean a blanket 25 cent hourly
raise tor company employees anil
the establishment of a welfare
and retirement fund financed by
a 30 cent per ton royalty to b<
paid into the fund by the manage
ment.
The agreement was announced
by Irwin "Curley” Doyle, presi
dent of the union, following ac
ceptance of the contract last night
by the union negotiating commit
tee consisting of Doyle; Chester
White, recording secretary; Car
los Driggers, shop machinist;
James Ord, miner; and Willard
McLaughlin, track man. Harry
Hill, president of the coal com
pany, had already approved the
contract stipulations, negotiations
having been in process since Fri
day. The contract will be signed
some time this week end by both
parties at the mine.
The agreement becomes effec
tice April 1 and will remain in
effect until March 31. 1953. Hoc, -
ever, the raise is subject to the
approval of the Wage Stabiliza
tion Board. Paychecks will not
reflect the increase until WSB
gives it an okay, but when it
does, the raise will be retroactive
to the effective date of the con
tract, April 1.
This wage increase, said Doyle,
is in line with increases received
by other classified employees, al
most all of which have settled on
1952 wage rates except the car
penters. These other increases,
also, are subject to approval of
WSB.
Establishment of the welfare
and retirement fund represents an
outstanding victory for the Jones
/ille miners’ union since it will
be the first such fund set up in
the Territory. Contracts are sign
ed individually with the mining
companies in the Territory, and
the union and management of
Evans-Jones Coal Mine are first
to arrive at such an agreement.
The new fund will mean pen
sions for widows and pensions for
Evans-Jones employees over 60
years of age who have qualifying
years of service. The fund also
provides hospitalization benefits
for employees and their families.
Setting up the administration of
the fund awaits the advice of a
representative of the United Mine
Workers of America who will
come to Alaska to help negotiate
that phase of the contract. In the
States such funds are usually ad
ministered by a three-man board
consisting of one picked by man
agement, one by the union, and
one disinterested person accept
able to both parties.
Along with the 25 cent blanket
increase, which means a boost to
$3.60 per hour for the greater
share of the 150-odd employees,
special reclassifications w e r e
agreed upon for cutting machine
operators and loading machine
operators, both of which classi
fications will get 15 cents above
the 25 cent increase for a total
of $3.75 per hour.
Unions of the Healy and Jones
ville mines have been negotiating
for a joint working agreement
for union recognition, including
rights and privileges. The union
Continued on page 5
SIGN UP FOR
BLOOD TYPING
A reminder was issued this
week to sign up for the blood
typing program being sponsor
ed locally by the Matanuska
Valley Health Council.
For those unable to sign lists
that have been posted around
town, a call to the Health Cen
ter will be sufficient. A date
for the blood typing can not
be set until authorities are a
ware of how many will partic
ipate in the program, so get
your name into them as soon
as possible, they have asked.
Anchorage To Lease
Manual Telephone
Equipment to Palmer
Palmer was assured of im
proved manual telephone facilit
; ies Friday night as a result of a
j request made of the Anchorage
; City Council by Palmer Council
men C. A. Sandvik and Lloyd
Severns.
The Anchorage council agreed
to lease to Palmer two positions
of its central office equipment
that has been in storage since the
installation of dial telephone
facilities in Anchorage in 1949.
Severns stated this week that the
two positions are relatively new,
having been purchased in 1947
and used only two years.
“They will be a great improve
ment over our present facilities."
j tie said this week, “and should ac
commodate at least double the
present number of customers.”
The new facilities will permit
! selective ringing, Severns said,
and there are many other featur
es that will improve telephone
service. According to Bill Con
nally. manager of the Anchorage
Telephone system, the Anchorage
equipment is superior to that the
Palmer Council was contemplat
ing having sent from the States.
Although no rental figure was
mentioned, it is believed that the
Anchorage Council is generously
lending the equipment to Palmer
at a nominal figure until dial
equipment is available. Said O 1
Manager Robert Sharp, “We
might as well be neighborly and
not mercenary."
Cost of repairs, materials, and
installation, will be borne by Pal
mer.
Asked when the new board
would be in operation. Council
man Severns was unable to say.
“First of all we’ve got to get the
wires fixed up or the board is
going to light up like a Chirst
mas tree every time it gets wet
around here.”
Repair of lines and cables has
been keeping Maynard Sands so
busy all this week that he could
not be reached for comment on
the new equipment.
Palmer to Have
New Office Building
Work begun this week will
! transform Severn’s Cabinet Shop
into a modem office building
with room for three large offices
on the first floor and space for
seven offices on the second.
Lloyd Severns, who is doing his
own contracting and will do the
greater share of the work expects
to have the building completed in
three months.
Construction includes finishing
and remodeling of the first floor
and the addition of a second floor,
the outside finish of which will
be of frame and stucco. Each of
fice will be well ventillated and
lighted, Severns said.
Severns’ Cabinet Shop will not
be homeless when its present lo
cation becomes an office build
ing; the shop will be moved to
its former temporary quarters
located behind the present shop.
Phone Directories
Free at MVTC Office
The new All-Alaska telephone
directory is free to telephone cus
tomers and may be picked up at
the Matanuska Valley Telephone
Company office. Distribution was
started last week, but there are
still many directories left to be
picked up.
Published by the Alaska Tele
phone Corp., the book was made
possible through the cooperation
of city-owned and independent
phone companies throughout the
Territory.
Defense Potential
Of City and Valley
Assessed by Council
A huge step forward in Civil
Defense planning for the Anchor
age-Palmer area took place last
week when the City Council as
I sessed the defense potential of the
j city of Palmer and the Matanuska
I Valley in line with a possible eva
I cuation of civilians from the An
I chorage metropolitan area.
According to estimates made.
Palmer and the Matanuska Val
ley can receive and shelter about
15,000 evacuees at the present
time. Some 2,000 can be accom
modated within Palmer, and the
remainder would be distributed
throughout the Valley and adja
cent mining areas. Food supplies
normally stocked in this area
would suffice to feed such an in
flux for two days.
According to the estimate pre
pared for Ed Fortier. Third Divi
i don coordinator of Civil Defense,
there are 258 dwellings in Palmer
I that could take care of an esti
mated 1,548 persons under winter
1 conditions and 2.734 in the sum
l mer. In the rest of the Matanuska
Valley, 719 dwellings could take
care of 5.752 persons under win
ter conditions and 16.234 in sum
mer. In the mining area are 231
dwellings that could accommo
date 2,310 in winter and 4,250 in
summer. It is assumed that ad
ditional persons could be accom
| modated in sheds and barns ad
j joining dwellings in the summer
! months.
The present feeding potential of
, the Valley is based tin estimated
! ‘domestic supplies” and retail
i stocks in Palmer and Wasilla. It
! ~.J estimated that there are
j enough staples in retail ware
(Continued on page 8)
Boy Scouts to Cover
Valey Saturday
3n Red Cross Drive
Once again the American Red j
Cross is calling upon all coinmun- J
dies to aid by contributing to the j
Red Cross in order that the or- i
gamzation can carry on.
Vernon Fridley has been nam-1
>;d drive chairman tor Palmer j
I and has announced local plans i
will parallel those of the past
/ears, with Boy Scouts of Troop
654 combining their efforts in a
jne-day drive.
Scheduled to start Saturday
morning at 9 a.m., scouts will be
assisted by volunteer drivers who
will help speed up the canvass of
the Palmer area. Fridley announ
ced the area will be broken into
four sections with at least one
carload of scouts covering each
section.
A plea for additionl drives has
been made by Mr. Fridley. Any
who will be able to assist in this
manner are asked lo meet at the
United Protestant Church at 9:00
a.m.
The Red Cross acts as the chan
nel through which millions of
Americans fulfill their desire to
serve others. Contributions made
by individuals make it possible
for all to help in the many ser
vices offered by the Red Cross.
Among these are, services to
the Armed Forces, services to
veterans, the national blood pro
gram, disaster services, safety,
nursing, food and nutrition ser
vices, the Junior Red Cross, and
foreign operations.
Membership cards and stickers
will be given to all who contrib
ute.
Part of the funds realized in
the drive will remain in Palmer
for local use. The balance will go
to aid in the world-wide program.
1
Bob Reeve Blasts Interior Dept, for
i 127 Million Acre Land Grab in Alaska
!
“Figthing Bob” Reeve demon
strated effectively in his speech
to local Republicans gathered at
the Valley Theater Tuesday night
his right to that pugnacious moni
ker when he blasted the present
national administration and Ter
ritorial Delegate to Congress for
land withdrawals in Alaska total
ling 127 million acres, represent
ing an area only slightly smaller
■ than the whole of Texas.
The Republican candidate for
Delegate to Congress cited the
I Secretary of Interior for failing
to take Alaskans into his confi
dence in the matter of with
drawals, which concerns so many
people, and deliberately misrep
resented the reason for them.
One of the reasons, Reeve said,
was for the purpose of coloniza
tion, “which would lead to great
er power over a supposedly sub
ordinate people by a government
supi me.” Present Delegate Bart
lett was cited for negligence in
failing to stop these "land grabs”
until he. Reeve, charged him.
Then, said Reeve, Bartlett an
nounced last week that he was in
troducing a bill in the House that
would require public hearing on
all present and future withdraw’s
from homesteading in the Terri
tory of Alaska—a bill that will
put a limit of five years on all
withdrawals.
Phony gesture, says Reeve
“His words bear witness to his
failure to do his duty to prevent
these withdrawals,” Reeve charg
ed, “for ■dnce he has been dele
gate I nave never heard, read or
saw one word of protest from him
on the matter. And now during an
election year he is trying to ap
pease you for his negligence and
buy your vote!”
Delegate Bartlett’s words as
quoted from a recent newspaper
article were: "Federal agencies
have reserved land from home
steading in Alaska almost to the
ultimate extreme .... about a
third of the Territory or an area
just short of the size of Spain has
been withdrawn.
“So many reservations have
been made in the Territory,” the
quotation continued. “That the
i Interior Department has not been
| able in a year and a half to com
pile a complete list.”
‘‘Why does he let them take
any more land at all?” asked
Reeve in referring to the new
Bartlett bill. “Why must any
more land be withdrawn?"
“Well, I’ll tell you what! This
is about as phony a gesture as
was ever made. In effect it con
dones the continued withdrawal
of any land they want in multi
ples of five year periods through
the period when we are all dead
and buried and then into eternity
and have our kids suffer the same
as they make us . . . Eternity
broken up in five year periods.
“What does he think Alaskan
people are—a bunch of saps?
They used to bum people at the
stake for less than this. I’ll bet
you people sure burn at the polls.
If I know Alaska people, you
will!
Withdrawals
Reeve held up especially the
list of withdrawals during Dele
gate Bartlett’s administration in
the past eight years: Withdrawal
by the Secretary of Interior in
1942 of 8,320,000 acres of land in
a 40-mile wide strip extending
along the Alaskan Highway from
the Yukon Territory border to
Big Delta. The strip was reduced
to five miles on either side of the
highway in 1945 and in 1947 to a
strip 600 feet in width for the
entire length of the Alaska High
way, together with 20 additional
specific withdrawals at strategic
sites along the highway.
“These withdrawals,’’ Reeve in
sisted, “were made to accommo
date plans of the Secretary to
engage in the business of con
structing and operating tourist
resorts and other commercial en
terprises, including the transpor
tation business, in competition to
private enterprise along the Alas
ka Highway.”
Bartlett, Reeve charged, sup
ported a bill that would have
provided such an enterprise on
the highway, but it failed to pass.
Now he has introduced a new
bill for the construction of a
(Continued on page 8)
Combined Community Efforts Produce
Best Talent Show for Hospital Fund
TWO FILE FOR
SCHOOL BOARD;
ELECTION TUESDAY
By noon yesterday only two
persons had filed for the two
Talmer Independent School Dis
trict Board terms to be voted on
at the school election Tuesday,
April 1.
Candidates have until noon
Monday March 31 to file for the
five-year term or the one-yea"
term to be filled this year.
Polls will be open between the
hours of 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Tues
day in the Palmer School Gym
nasium and the Eska Post Office.
Qualified electors are those
who are citiezns of the U. S. 21
years of age or over; who have
been continuous residents of
Alaska during the entire year im
mediately before the election:
who have been continuous resi
dents of the school district 30
days before election: and who are
able to read and write the Eng
lish language.
New Bakery to Open
Soon in Palmer
After five months of being
without a local bakery, everyone
in the Valley will be glad to
hear that a new one will open up
soon at the location of the former
Shamrock Bakery.
Leonard Solev, who will be
manager of the new bakery, ar
rived in Palmer with his wife
this week end to look over the
equipment which he purchased
along with Robert Hoover of the
Fairbanks Baking Company.
Soley has been associated with
Hoover for the past year, having
come to the Territory with near
ly 20 years of experience in the
baking business. Soley has one
third interest in the local com
pany and Hoover and the Fair
banks Banking Company have
the remaining Uyo-thirds interest.
The new bakery will be known
as the Palmer Baking Company.
The retail outlet will be Clara's
Variety Store, behind which the
bakery is located. A complete
line of baked goods is anticipated
—bread, rolls, pies, cakes, cookies,
doughnuts, and friedcakes. The
bakery will specialize in wedding
cakes and special orders.
Soley figures that it will take
five or six weeks to redecorate
the bakery and overhaul the
equipment. He will have the
Alaska Department of Health
sanitarian inspect the premises
before opening for business. Four
key employees will be brought
to Palmer and the other employ
ees will be hired locally. The bak
ery manager anticipates a staff of
12 when the establishment is in
full swing. There wall be delivery
service in Palmer and nearby
areas.
Visitors will be welcome to in
spect the new bakery as soon as
it is in operation. A special in
vitation to visit the shop will be
extended to various organizations
in the community.
Mr. and Mrs. Soley are living in
a house trailer at the present
time, but will live in the Matt
Perkins house a little later.
CLUB 49 ROBBERY
STILL UNSOLVED
Police Chief Bernard Bouwens
reported this week that further
developments in the $1,000 rob
bery at Club 49 on March 10 are
being held up by the fact that
finger prints taken from the
scene have not yet been returned
from Washington where they
were sent.
Three persons were brought in
for questioning but were releas
ed when nothing concrete revel
oped. Bouwens stated that ilie
Marshal’s office and the Alaska
Highway Patrol are all working
with him on the case.
lunifiht iit 8 30 colorful new
curtains open on the first per
formance of the third annual Ki •
warns Minstrel Show in the Pal
mer School gymnasium. Other
performances will follow tomor
row' and Saturday nights.
Nearly four months of effort,
joined in by approximately 150
people drawn from the entire
community, are respresented in
this year’s show. Imagination,
talent, humor, and hard work
have been combined in making
this the best and the most color
ful production this community
has ever seen. Everyone partici
pating has been inspired by a
dual goal—furnishing entertain
ment and boosting the local hos
pital fund to which all proceeds
go. Those who attend the three
performances will not only get
good entertainment for their
money but will have the added
satisfaction of having contributed
again to a most worthy cause.
24 Voices in Chorus
’’Minstrel Fantasy,” the title of
this year’s show, was written and
directed by Joseph Hudock. First
nighters tonight will see and hear
a chorus of 24 voices directed by
Bill Rempel and accompanied by
Virginia Carle. Among other
1 numbers they will sing the spirit
i uals ‘•Roll Jordan Roll” and
: ‘ Joshua Fit the Battle of Jeri
i cho.” End men George Small,
j Keith Stanton, Tom Day, artt*
Harold Stephan are the' black
faced boys who will furnish most
of the fun making, with Interlo
cutor Allan Mick reading the
straight lines. Bristling with tal
ent, they will entertain with
special songs, dances, and skits in
addition to the usual telling of
hilarities.
Queen Pageanf is New
Appearing in the queen page
ant, which is a new' feature in
this year’s show, are Wanda Lind
sey, Norma Nelson. Betty Harris.
Bobby Jo McRae, and Mary Ann
! Herman. These girls have helped
j in the ticket sales and the three
who have sold the highest num
ber will reign as queen, each for
j one of the three nights. The one
who reigns Saturday night will
be the Honorary Queen of the
Show1. All five girls have been
furnished glamorous evening
gowns, and each reigning queen
will wear a luxurious robe. De
signed and made by Hudock and
Dave Algarin, the robe was used
for two consecutive years in a
coronation ball held at the Los
Angeles Breakfast Club.
Many Special Numbers
Appearing in special numbers
are last year’s talent favorites.
Mel Munson, baritone, and the
inimitable Dana and Robin Nie
mann. Munson will furnish the
climax for this year’s show with
a stirring rendition of ‘‘Old Man
Lois Thompson, Margaret Con
way, Sweeny Ross, Don Phillips,
and Munson will sing “Shrimp
River.” A quintet consisting of
Boats’’ and “Chatanooga Shoe
Shine Boy” as well as other selec
tions. Two new voices to be heard
on this year’s show are those of
Ray Nelson, who will lead the
show1 with “Mr. and Mississippi,”
and Norman Rousey, who will
sing “The Little White Cloud that
Cried.”
(Continued on Page 8)
SATURDAY TICKETS
NEARLY SOLD OUT
Minstrel Show Ticket Chair
man Donald Coe reported this
morning that all reserved seats
for Saturday night’s performance
have been sold. From all indica
tions the unreserved seats for
that performance will be sold out
before Saturday night. To avoid
last minute disappointment peo
ple are urged not to wait until
the last performance if they have
not already purchased tickets.
There are still a few reserved
seats left for Friday night’s show,
but the best chance of getting a
good seat will be at tonight’s
opening performance, Coe stated.
There will be no “Standing Room
Only.”