ARR Raises Dsmurrage
Rales to Combat
Shipping Bottleneck
The Alaska Railroad revised
its car demurrage rules and
charges on August 1 to conform
with an Interstate Commerce
Commission order which has been
in effect on all Stateside railroads
since May 1.
"The Alaska Railroad hoped to
side-step this drastic action,” ,T.
P. Johnson, railroad general man
ager, said today, ‘‘but a critical
car shortage and the interests of
national defense makes the move
imperative.”
Unloading delays are “bottle
necking” the most critical ship
ping movement in territorial his
tory.
The new order boosts minimum
daily demurrage charges from
$3.75 to $5 and the maximum as
sessment from $7.50 to $20 a day.
The railroad’s action followed
an urgent request to make more
railroad cars ready for handling
vital construction materials ear
marked for military work. A
newspaper and radio campaign
for Alaskan consignees—partic
ularly contractors — to expedite
unloading has been only minutely
successful. Ships are being de
layed at the military port of Whit
tier and at Seward for lack of
railroad cars to take their cargo.
Meanwhile, the volume of freight
moving into the territory is the
heaviest on record.
Despite the staggering freight
undertaking, the car shortage is
ridiculous, railroad officials point
ed out. The bottle-neck has orig
inated in the unloading of cars,
held unduly past the allocated
free time. On several occasions
more than 1.000 freight cars have
been “tied-up” at one time await
ing unloading.
Free Limit 48 Hours
Permission to raise demurrage
charges on The Alaska Railroad
to those set down by the ICC for
Stateside railroads was granted
by the Department of Interior.
Under the new demurrage sched
ule. shippers are still given 48
hours of free time to unload cars.
After that time, however, the rail
road will assess a $5 demurrage
charge for each of the next two
days; $10 on the third and fourth
days and $20 for each succeeding
day. Previously The Alaska Rail
road charged consignees $3.75 for
the first four days the cars were
held after the free period and
$7.50 for each subsequent day.
Saturday is also eliminated as a
free day.
Shippers qualifying under the
"average” demurrage charges are
still entitled to credits for dis
charging cars early. These credits
can apply against debits accrued
in the first two days of penalty
time. But under the new ruling,
two credits—instead of one—are
now required to cancel a debit.
Coffey Insures Everything—
Remember?
Wease/s Paradropped
On Taku Glacier By
C-82 "Flying Boxcar"
ELMENDORF AFB, Alaska
July 26 (AMNS)—Eighteen thou
sand pounds of heavy equipmen
and supplies were tossed out the
open door of a 54th troop carriei
C-82 “flying boxcar” Tuesdaj
over the Taku Glacier, climaxing
a paratroop operation aiding the
Juneau Icefield Research project
Among heavy equipment chut
ed down were two weasels, oi
over-snow vehicles, becoming the
second and third of their kind te
be dropped, according to Drop
master Captain M. K. Downe:
of the 925th Aviation Engineering
Battalion.
Maynard Miller of the Depart
ment of Exploration and Fielc
Research, American Geographie
Society of New York, heading the
ice-cap expedition, stated that the
weasels will be invaluable to th<
scientists and their work in the
field. Miller and his party of II
ascended the glacier for the firs
time this season on July 7. Dr
Terris Moore, president of the
University of Alaska, flew the
expedition up to the ice-cap ir
his Piper Super Cub. In the day:
following, Dr. Moore made a to
tal of 22 flights to the glacier ir
his ski-equipped plane.
Miller and his crew of scientist:
have now opened five of the ice
FRONTIER CAFE
Featuring Home-made Pies and Breads
MAURINE DAVE
field’s 12 outpost camps. The ex
pedition’s primary objective is
the study of snow, ice and related
weather. At the same time, the
crew is testing equipment for the
military under actual cold-weath
er operating conditions. “Over a
period of time, the icefield sim- (
ulates every condition common ]
to the arctic,” said Miller.
The expedition is sponsored by ,
the American Geographic Society
and the Office of Naval Research.
The paratroop operation re
quired three trips to the ice-cap
by the C-82 and was termed a ,
“complete success” by radio re
ports from the glacier party. All
equipment arrived in excellent
condition. !
CONSUMER SURVEY .
STARTS IN ANCHORAGE
John J. Mechling of the Agri- |
cultural Economics department of i
the Alaska Experiment Station i
began working this week on the <
consumer’s survey project.
Housewives all over the Anch- i
orage area will be questioned re- ]
Homemaker's :
Council
The Valley Homemakers’ Coun
:il will meet Monday at 10:30 a.
n. in the extension craft room.
Vice president Blanche Ryan
vill assume the presidency at the
neeting since the former presi
lent, Mrs. Eloise Swaboda has
eft the Valley. Election of new
)fficers will come in October after
he individual Homemakers have
:hosen their representatives.
Plans for the Homemakers^
Short Course to be held again
his fall at the University of
\laska will be discussed at the
Council meeting Monday.
'arding their purchases of agri
:ultural products and their pre
erences regarding locally pro
luced or Stateside foods.
Mr. Mechling completed a sim
lar survey in the Fairbanks area
ast wreek.
Tosl'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
B. I. Goodrich Bicycle
(New complete deluxe model - horn, light, carrier, and accessories)
Made by Schimm
WILL BE AWARDED TO THE BOY OR GIRL SELLING THE GREATEST NUMBER OF
YEARLY SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR THE VALLEY FRONTIERSMAN.
ALL HIGH SCHOOL AND GRADE SCHOOL STUDENTS LIVING IN THE MATANUSKA VALLEY ARE
ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE EXCEPTING FRONTIERSMAN EMPLOYEES OR THEIR RELATIVES.
Contest Starts IDonday, duly 23
Ends Saturday, September 8
Subscription blanks and instructions are available at Frontiersman office where
bicycle is on display.
4