WASHINGTON NEWSLETTER
By MARY LEE COUNCIL
Secretary to E. L. (Bob) Bartlett. Alaska'* Delegate to Congress
INTERIOR APPROPRIATIONS
The Interior Department appro
priations bill for the 1953 fiscal
year now being considered in the
House was reported from the
House Appropriations Committee
with $51.110.814 earmarked for
Alaska activities.
The budget request had totalled
$88,585.393 for Alaska including
$12,380,579 for the activities of
the Bureau of Indian Affairs in
Alaska. The $51,110,814 earmark
ed in the bill as reported to the
House does not reflect appropria
tions for the Indian Bureau in
Alaska as the House committee
made deep slashes in the total
amounts for many of the activ
ities of the agency throughout the
country and no final determina
tion or allotment of the funds al
lowed has yet been made by the
Department of the Interior.
ALASKA PUBLIC WORKS
The budget estimate of $20 mil
lion for the Alaska Public Works
program was reduced to $7 mil
lion by the committee.
In allowing the same amount
appropriated during the 1952 fis
cal year, the committee report
concluded, “The committee re
ceived testimony during the hear
ings which would indicate that
very little effort has been made
by the Alaska Public Works Of
fice or by the municipalities
benefiting from this program to
raise their half of the cost of the
desired project or even to pre
pare final plans and specifications
on which solid estimates could
be based, before seeking feder
al funds from the Congress. It is
not the committee’s intention to
appropriate in a vacuum. Defi
nite evidence to the effect that
the municipalities seeking bene
fits from this program have made
positive efforts to assume their
share of responsibility will be
required for all projects here
after.”
“I am concerned,” Delegate
Bartlett informed the members
of the House, “because appropria
tions for Alaska public works
have not been at the level con
templated when the basic act was
approved.
“The practical effect of some of
the committee's remarks if fol
lowed to conclusion would be to
set up a different set of require
ments for participation in this
program than are contained in the
basic law (1949) and hence would
introduce not expedition but con
fusion and delay.’
THE ALASKA RAILROAD
The sum of S9.094.090 sought
for reconstruction of the Seward
Portage portion of The Alaska
Railroad was denied by the com
mittee in allowing only $3,906,000
of the reauested S16 million for
V -! Railroad activities. In ad
a cut of S:; million was
from the requested $6,906
(jn j d f.-cight equipment and
t-. . r-'-ha’ ilitation funds for the
;ward-Portage program were
ronglv recommended to the
■mm ittee bv the Department of
efm e through representations
ade by Lt. Gen. William E. Kep
?r. Commander-in-Chief of the
la’«kan Command, and Assistant
ecretary of the Army Karl R.
endetsen. , A
General Kepner strongly urged
>e appropriation of the funds
* . i ..rm_v-ir\ r-vrar*
ana cunuiuucu. , V I
tical alternative to rehabilitation!
of The Alaska Railroad line be-1
tween Seward and Portage and1
the providing of adequate dock
facilities at Seward that can meet
the strategic requirements impos
ed by the magnitude of the Alas
kan defense effort.’
ALASKA ROADS
The largest sum allowed in the
bill for Alaska was the full bud
get request of S20.318.000 for road
construction and maintenance.,
S17 million of which would go for
construction and $3,318,000 for1
road maintenance. .
The funds would permit the
construction of a new bridge
across the Chena River at Fair
banks, winter maintenance of
Thomnson Pass out of Valdez,
and partial construction of the
Cordova-Richardson Highway
road. In addition, funds would be,
available in the amount of $11,
800,000 for asphalt surfacing of>
the' Alaska. Glenn and Richard
son Highways, continuation of
construction work on the Taylor
Highway in the amount of $540,
000. work on the Richardson
Highway—Mt. McKinley Park
Road in the sum of $500,000. wid
ening the road between Fort
Richardson and Anchorage to a
four-lane highway in the amount
of $960,000, with the remainder ol
the funds to go to local farm, in
dustrial and military access roads
in the amount of $400,000, im
provement of existing roads and
bridges in the total sum of $*,
• 250,000 and preparation of plans,
$300,000.
The funds earmarked for the
Cordova road and the Chena
River bridge total $1,250,000.
$550,000 slated for the road and
$700,000 for the bridge. Congress
1 allowed $100,000 for initial work
on the Cordova-Richardson High
way road last year. •
BUREAU OF .ECLAMATION
The full budget request of $13
| million for continuation of work
j on the hydroelectric project at
i Eklutna was allowed and special
i mention was made by the com
j mittee of the importance of the
: survey and investigation program
i of the bureau in Alaska in ear
marking $250,000 for this work.
Although making a 40 percent cut
i in the bureau’s request for gen
eral investigation, the committee
! stated: “The full amounts pro
grammed for investigations of ex
isting projects and for Alaska in
vestigations are to be expended
for these purposes.’’ The bureau’s
1953 fiscal year program for Alas
ka includes general surveys and
investigations at Lake Dorothy
near Juneau, Swan Lake near
Ketchikan, the Devil’s River pro
ject on the Susitna River, Blue
Lake at Sitka and Beaver and
Wiekersham Creeks near Fair
banks.
FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
The committee allowed SI,737.- j
720 for the Fish and Wildlife Ser
vice program in Alaska and in
addition approved a provision'
permitting 25 percent of the net
proceeds from the fur-seal activ- j
ities on the Pribilof Islands to go
to management and investigation
of fish and wildlife resources in
the Territory. At the present time
60 percent of the net proceeds are
HEALTH CENTER
RECEIVES GIFT
OF REFRIGERATOR
In use at the Health Center for
the past week has been a new
four-foot table model Westing
house refrigerator for vaccines,
biotics and other materials used
for clinic work.
The refrigerator is the joint
gift of the Palmer P-TA and the
local Beta Sigma Phi chapter and
was purchased through the
MVFCA with a generous dis
count.
The refrigerator answers a need
of long standing, since the ma
terials formerly had to be kept in
privately owned refrigerators as
space v.as offered and carried
back and forth to the Health Cen
ter.
BREEDERS TO MEET
The Matanuska Valley Breed
ers’ Association will meet Tues
day. April 8. in William Sweet
man’s office at the Alaska Ex
periment Station. j
Territorial Commissioner of!
Agriculture Clyde Sherman will
discuss the new meat slaughter
ing regulations and the Terri
tory’s Bang’s disease program.
returned for administration of
the Pribilof Islands, bringing to a
total of 85 percent the funds ear
marked from the net proceeds for
work in Alaska.
The SI.787,720 allowance in
cludes $873 218 for administration
of fish laws and $366,453 for game
law enforcement. Other items in
cluded are $81,430 for predatory
control. $72,192 for mammal and
bird reservations, $178,298 for
fish and fisheries research, $10,
335 for bird and mammal re
search. $28,413 for development
of fishery resources. $60,000 for
fish facility construction and
SI 17,331 for administration of the
regional office.
Chitna Limousine Service
LEAVES PALMER FOR VALDEZ
10:45 a. m. each Monday (leaves Anchorage at 9:15 a. m.)
RETURNS TO PALMER AND ANCHORAGE
8:30 a. m. Tuesday
LEAVES PALMER FOR CHITINA
10:45 a. m. each Thursday (leaves Anchorage at 9:15 a. m.)
RETURNS TO PALMER AND ANCHORAGE
8:30 a. m- Friday
ALL THROUGH ONE-DAY SERVICE—NO STOP OVERS
Sheet Metal Work
Furnaces Stokers Pre-fab Chimneys
Stainless Steel Work
— Free Estimates —
PALMER SHEET METAL & HEATING
Box 1797
John Weisenberger
Phone: 62J3
Palmer
DINING?
DANCING?
BRING THE GANG
FORA
REAL GOOD TIME!
Here's Where You'll
Find The Very Best in Food
And Drink — And At
Reasonable Prices!
Stop In For
An Evening of Fun.
ALPINE INN
Mile 61, Glenn Highway
Phone l-J-31
fcjYtVaV'if"'' 4<*..'4'7*4 Vi.Y4S" fiiVir?4ViP(6X1 PAlPViP?4>V'P^4\PPjfrViP/4V YiY■ /e. .'4
Republican Pa'iy
April 14 tc Hrar Talk
On Party Princi l:s
Herald E Stringer acting Re
publican divisional committee
man will speak on "Party Prin
eiples" at the new Grange Hail
Monday. April 14 at 8 pm.
Everyone i* invited to come
and get acquainted v. ith their Re
publican candidates, who will
also be present.
Coffee and cookies will be •ser
ved by the Women’s Republican
Club of the Matanuska Valley.
Special music will be furnished. ■
L. M. PUCKETT TO SPEAK
ON LAND MANAGEMENT
Mr. Lowell M. Puckett, region-1
al administrator for the Bureau j
of Land Management, will be!
speaker at the regular meeting
of the A A AC, Cook Inlet Chapter
April 4. His subject will be "Land
Development in Alaska: Hit-or
Miss or Planned?"
The meeting will be held at
the Artie Health Research build
ing in Anchorage at 8 p.m.
to#m#*»awoman.. mjSjm
WEDNESDAY. THURSDAY
APRIL 2 and 3
Shows: 7:i5 and 9 00 p.m.
FRIDAY & SATURDAY
APRIL 4 and 5
Shows: 7:15 and 9'00 p.m.
Sal. Mai: 2:00 p.m.
SUNDAY & MONDAY
APRIL 6 and 7
Shows: 7:15 and 9:00 p.m.
Sun. Mai: 2:00 p.m.
f X PER! WENT STATION
\*~N GO TO FAIRBANKS
• Enrrinwnl Sta
men are in Iurtankn thi*
wk Hugh Johnann drove t«*
the Tanana Valley city over thr
A**ek end and planned to l** the. c
all week taking farm manage
ment record* in the aurmunding I
agricultural area* Director Don
'Irwin amt William Sweetmaft
,»m by tram mwh1 % sml p*p«*(i
to br bark tbi* wrrk end
Mr* Jovrr Fun and small !.«u
ghter, Cathy, of Houston Texas,
arrived in the Valley last week
for a visit At the present time
Mr* Fun i» nuest of her mother,
'll* O Huntley
MOOSE LODGE
BENEFIT DANCE
Saturday, April 5, 1952
MOOSE CLUB ORCHESTRA
SI SO p«r couple 10:00 p.m. until
Public Invited
Here f* your OPPORTUNITY
to equip your car with GUARAN
TEED, first-line tires fortified with
long-wearing COLD RUBBER —the
toughest and longest-uearing rubber
ever developed for tire treads—anu
at NO EXTRA COST.
AMAZING *MIRACLE" RUBBER
COLD RUBBER, as you may
know, is the amazing "Miracle” rub
ber described in Readers Digest,
Popular Science, and other leading
magazines. COLD RUBBER outwears
even statural rubber when used tn ore
treads by as much as 30%.
FULLY GUARANTEED for UK
•gainst defects in workmanship
and material
Scientifically
Designed Tread
Reduces Slippage,
ADDS MILES
The firm grip of this
scientifically -designed
tread mini mires the
slippage that causes
tire wear — adds miles
and miles to the life
of the tire
's Service
Down Town Palmer
/\TA 'S IMDESFENSA6LE
To uS! WE MUST DEPEND
om low-cost air-freiC-HT
AND TRANSPORTATION
FOR OUR STANDARD
OF LIVING-/