Alaska Steamship
Company Adds Up j
Losses Due to Strike
The Alaska Steamship Com
pany last week added up its losses
from the 53-day Sailors Union of
the Pacific strike that lasted
through July 14, and came up
with a total of $3,308,500 in rev
enue losses.
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Over 2550 northbound passeng
ers and tourists were denied
transportation. Losses of revenue
from jthis passenger service were
estimated at $528,000.
On a projection of last year’s
freight traffic during the period
from May 22 through July 14, it
was estimated that losses due to
interruption of freight service
were $2,780,500.
Wage lost to crew members and
stevedoring workers on the basis
of cancelled voyages for 13 pas
senger ships and 15 freighters
were estimated at $1,087,102.00,
including $175,692 for Alaska
Stevedoring workers.
These losses do not take into
account the even greater losses
to the Alaskan economy because
>f the strike. Coinciding with the
opening of the tourist season, the
strike was estimated to have cost
Southeastern Alaska more than
$650,000 in anticipated tourist in
come. Losses of wages due to
shortages of materials for Alaska’s
short construction season would
probably add millions more to the
total loss to the Territory.
CONSTRUCTION TO
TOP $109 MILLION
WASHINGTON D.C., Special—
A $109*2 million defense con
struction program for Alaska was
authorized in the final days of
the 82nd Congress when both
houses agreed upon a conference
report spelling out Army, Navy
and Air Force installations to be
built inside and outside continen
tal United States in the total
authorized amount of $2,398,282,
800.
The Alaska program includes
public works, troop housing and
utilities, storage plants, airfield
and communications facilities and
other construction. The Army
projects are earmarked at six
locations and total $39,826,000, as
follows: $5,109,000 at Big Delta;
$2,969,000 at Eielson Air Force
Base; $3,907,000 at Kenai; $4,
737.000 at Ladd Air Force Base;
$20,257,000 at Fort Richardson;
and $2,847,000 at Whittier.
The largest authorized alloca
tions are- for the Air Force in
the total sum of $65,504,000 to
include $14,479,000 for Eielson Air
Force Base: $31,325,000 for Elm
endorf Air Force Base; $130,000
for Galena Air Force Auxiliary
Field; $14,856,000 at Ladd Air
Force Base; $3,914,000 for Nak
nek Air Force Auxiliary Field:
and $800,000 for communication
and other facilities at various
locations in the Territory.
The Navy authorization which
brings the Alaska total to $109,
510.000 comprises $2,700,000 for
marine barracks and facilities at
the Naval Station at Adak and
$1,480,000 for airfield lighting,
operational facilities and water
front facilities at the Naval Air
Station at Kodiak, for a total pro
ject program for the Navy of
$4,180,000.
Buffet Supper and Party
Is Birthday Surprise
A surprise birthday party was
held in honor of Mrs. Gladys
Dawson and Edna Poore at the
home of Mrs. Dawson Sunday
afternoon, »Tuly 20. A beautifully
arranged buffet supper was serv
ed.
Those attending the party in
cluded: Mr. and Mrs. John L. Sul
livan, Mr. and Mrs. Jack Frost,
Mr. and Mrs. Bob Hughes, Mr.
and Mrs. Warren Rice, Mr. and
Mrs. Tommy Hyde, Mr .and Mrs.
Warren Sanders, Mr. and Mrs.
C. J. Triplett, Mr. and Mrs. Bob
May, Maurine Collins, Betty Mac
Donald, Ferae Barber, Walter
iCnopps, Harvey Cordwell, Art
Grooms, Bernie King, Bill Os
borne, Charles Young, Floyd Kin
son, Archie Browning, Jim Stev
ens, Pete Peterson and George
Ellwell.
Those unable to attend but who
Little or no damage was report
d by the Co-Op Garage from an
xplosion Friday night, caused
fhen the safety valve on the
cetylene welding tank let go
lobert Burnham who was using
be machine at the time was un
ijured.
jnt presents were: Mr. and Mrs
tarold Myers, Mr. and Mrs. Louis
.anning, Mr. and Mrs. Frank
irane- Mr. and Mrs. Duke Dugas,
Ir. and Mrs. Danny Daggs. Wil
am Elliot, Curley Doyle, Carl
eterson and Dale Martin.
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GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
REPORTS ON ALASKAN
URANIUM SURVEYS
Secretary of the Interior Oscai
L. Chapman announced today the
publication of preliminary results
of reconnaissance for uranium de
posts in Alaska during 1951, and
the open-file release of a repori
on the uranium possibilities oi
the territory. The investigations
i were made by geologists of the
i Alaskan Geology Branch of the
; Geological Survey on behalf oi
j the Atomic Energy Commission
Encouraging leads to radio
active deposits were investigated
at Brooks Mountain and in the
headwaters of the Peace River on
the Seward Peninsula, and in the
vicinity of Salmon Bay in south
eastern Alaska. No radioactive
materials were found during the
reconniaissance of areas believed
to be favorable for uranium in
the Alaskan Railroad and Gulf of
Alaska regions.
The results of the 1951 studies
are described briefly in a pre
liminary report that has been
published as Geological Survey
Circular 196, “Preliminary sum
mary of reconnaissance for urani
um in Alaska, 1951” by M. G.
White .and others. These studies
were conducted in the southeast
ern Alaska, Gulf of Alaska. Alas
ka Railroad, and Seward Penin
sula regions. The circular may be
obtained free by applying to the
Geological Survey, Washington
25, D.C.
Also announced today is the
open-file release of a report en
titled “Interim report on an ap
praisal of the uranium possibil
ities of Alaska.” by Helmuth
Wedow, M. G. White and R. M.
Moxham. It summarizes the min
eral occurrences in Alaska and
indicates which are more favor
able for the occurrence of
uranium. Much of the report is
based on the results of the Geolo
gical Survey's Alaskan uranium
investigations program for the
period 1945-1950.
Copies are not available for dis
tribution but may be inspected at
the Geological Survey’s Alaskan
offices, including the one in Pal
mer.
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UNITY HAS BROUGHT PROGRESS
Ships of the Alaska Steamship Company are once more back at work serving all Alaska.
This, we believe, is an opportune time to express well-deserved recognition to the. many
persons and groups who played such an important part in helping to resolve the recent strike.
It can be said quite fairly that no one ever really "wins” a strike, and this, frankly, was
no exception. Under the terms of the new contract our operating costs have been increased
once again, businesses throughout Alaska have suffered an incalculable set-back and the
strikers themselves as well as men in affected unions have sustained a severe loss of income.
But there is a bright side to the picture. We held out for a long term agreement with the
striking Sailors’ Union and achieved our objective. The contract concluded runs until
September 1953 and, therefore, is a step toward truly dependable, uninterrupted service
which could mean new stability for Alaskan businesses as well as for our own company.
During this recent strike the Alaska Steamship Company sensed an atmosphere of
genuine unity between itself and the entire Territory of Alaska. This spirit of cooperation
gave positive recognition to the close inter-relationship existing between the welfare of
Alaska and the operation of the Alaska Steamship Company.
In addition Alaskan communities manifested a high degree of unselfish cooperation in
helping each other during this time of stress which certainly deserves sincere commendation.
As a result of the vigorous participation of Governor Ernest Gruening, the Chambers
of Commerce of Alaska and many of Alaska’s fine citizens, Mayor Allan Pomeroy of Seattle,
Mr. Tom Pelly and members of the Alaska Lifeline Committee and the Seattle Chamber
of Commerce, we of the Alaska Steamship Company were able to present a solid front
throughout the negotiations.
While we cannot say that all troubles have been resolved, we are confident that this
demonstration of unity has brought real progress. In this respect it is significant that the
Alaska Lifeline Committee plans to continue its activity on a long-range program to assure
continuous, uninterrupted service to Alaska.
D. E. Skinner,
Vice President & General Manager
ALASKA STEAMSHIP COMPANY
Sewi*ty ?4ll /UoA&a