Bartlett Explains-—
Continued from page 1
$13 million appropriation under
the original authorization. The ap
propriation was subsequently ap
proved and included in the In
terior Department bill signed
early this month by President
Truman. Approval of the addi
tional authorization was deferred
pending decision from the Depart
ment of Justice and the Comptrol
ler General of the legality of
Bureau action in proceeding with
a project beyond the authorization
set by Congress.
Bartlett said that the Congress
men's fight was not with Alaskans
nor with the Eklutna Project:
their quarrel was with the Bureau
of Reclamation. They wanted to
put a stop to an ever-recurring
Bureau practice of getting a pro
ject okayed under a low estimate
and then returning for additional
funds under a revised estimate
when Congress was faced with
the alternatives of junking a pro
ject already begun or complying
meekly with the request for ad
ditional funds.
Another question raised by the
request for additional money,
Bartlett said, had to do with re
vised estimates on cost of Eklutna
power. Higher construction costs
meant higher unit power costs in
order to have the cost of the pro
ject amortized over the planned
50-year period. Congressmen were
not certain that Alaskans in the
area wgnted Eklutna power at
the revised cost. The inquiries
they sent out on this question re
assured them. The Eklutna Pro
ject, they learned, is absolutely
essential to the Anchorage-Matan
nska Valley area.
Asked if the Eklutna investiga
tion would hold up approval on
other power projects in the Ter
ritory. Bartlett said he feared that
proposed Ketchikan and Susitna
projects might be slowed. How
ever, he asserted, the evidence
pinpoints clearly that Alaska’s
development will come during the
next 50 years with the develop
ment of hydro-electric plants
throughout the Territory. ‘They
are running out of power in the
’ continental states." he said,
‘‘while in Alaska there are almost
unlimited power potentialities.”
During the question and answer
period Bartlett touched on other
legislation and trends that would
affect Alaska. He mentioned the
Alaska Native Service trend of
■petting out of the school business
and permitting the Territory to
take over more of the responsibil
ities. The Alaska Mental Health
bill. e\7en though shorn of its hos
pital provisions, lost out in the
last days of the session when it
was objected to by Congressmen
Homer Angell of Portland, Ore
gon. Alaskan mental patients are
hospitalized at a private institu
tion near Portland.
‘‘The transition from federal to
Territorial control (when Alaska
becomes a state) will be iaide",
Bartlett warned as he reported
the failure of two of his bills
which would have given the Ter
ritory control of committing its
insane (through the Alaska De
partment of Health) and control
of its fisheries. In addition to J
these departments the new state i
would have to set up its own judi-1
cial system, its own law enforce-;
ment, and many other functions
now controled by the federal
government.
Pat Carter of Wasilla brought
up the question of road develop
ment in the Valley, claiming that
needed Valley developments and
improvements were being neglect
ed while the Alaska Road Com
mission builds roads to no
where.” Other opinions were voic
ed regarding the paltry appro
priations in the Valley area.
The work of Oliver Onkka, ARC i
foreman in the Valley was prais-i
ed, but it was agreed that he;
was handicapped by insufficient
funds even for maintenance. j
Bartlett suggested that the Val-j
ley Chamber of Commerce ask
Road Commissioner Ghiglioni to
come to Palmer to hear their com
plaints and proposals. He said he
would communicate with the
engineer in charge of the Third
Division area immediately.
In closing, Bartlett promised to
be back in the Valley in a few
weeks.
New Palmer school teacher al
ready settled at the Lodge is Miss
Stephanie Sobczak of New York
state. She will teach second or
third grade next fall.
| Reporters—
Notebook.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Seiber and j
their three children recently ;
visited the Ev Yohns.. Many will
remember her as the former j
Peggy Alfsen who used to teach
second grade in Palmer. Bob is
an old Valley resident, son of the
late Colonist Joe Siber who lived
out at the Butte. His mother had
remarried and was the wife of
Slim Hayes when she died here
a short time ago. Bob recently has
been transferred from PNA's
Seattle office to the Anchorage
office and the family is living in
Anchorage.
Bud and Francis Summers,
formerly of Phoenix, Arizona,
recently purchased the restaur
ant lease at Alpine Inn and
have started their meal servce.
A1 Grasser formerly operated
the restaurant. The Summers
extend an invitation to the
Valley folk to drop in anytme.
Mrs. George Smith and infant
daughter have returned to their
home in the Butte area. The new
member of the Smith family
is the third child and first girl.
She has been named Barbara
Jean and weighed seven pounds
thirteen ounces at birth. Mr.
Smith is manager of the Ketchi
kan Spruce Mills in Palmer and
president of the local Kiwanis
Club.
Harriet Bell returned to Pal- !
mer Monday night from a visit
to Moose Pass and the Portage
area where she visited the A1
Brantains who are vacationing
near Portage. She said she did
a little prospecting but wasn't
too specific about her results.
John and Agnes Colberg also
drove to Portage for the week
end.
Mrs. Pearl Loberg is a new
employee at the local Post Of
fice.
Jenny Perkins writes that she |
and her husband Matt are doing
fine with their new bakery in
the Cincinnati area. “Matt pro-;
luces it, Tony and Dale put on
the icing, sugar and glaze, and
Mama counts the cash.” Inured to •
Alaska, the Perkinses have put air
conditioning in their new home at
1807 Van Zandt Road. Cincinnati,
14.
Virginia Carle returned to
Palmer last week from a visit
in California.
Waller Stewart of Ketchikan,
member of the University of
Alaska Board of Regents, was
looking over the Valley for two
days this week and expects to
return again.
Marvin and Jane Slaughter
flew to Juneau last Thursday.
They plan to drive back this week
by way of Haines.
Visiting Russ and Rusty Dow
are Mr. and Mrs. Harry Moore
of Dayton, Ohio, who arrived in
Alaska Tuesday morning on the
Denali's first trip since the
strike. The Moores usually
spend their vacations big game
hunting in Africa, but this year ;
they headed in the opposite di- I
reclion to visit the Dows in
Alaska.
Baptized at the United Pro
testant Church Sunday were
the Washburn twins, Catherine
and Rebecca. nearly-five
months-old daughters of Dr.
and Mrs. Richard Washburn.
Eklutna Project employees and
their families will christen the;
new Bureau warehouse at the
project site with a party on Aug
ust 2. They will have a pot luck
dinner and music by innumerable'
name bands.
After postponing her return j
trip to Washington three times
in order to go by boat, Mrs.
Mable Dilts. mother of Mrs.
C. A. Brewer, left Tuesday
night on the Denali's Seattle
bound trip.
Personal Use Salmon
Continued from page 1
grass, ‘'is not sport fishing; it’s
subsistence fishing.”
“Fish are a considerable part i
of our diet,” Stock added. "It i
means money to us.”
Asked by Delegate Bartlett
about an estimate of the number j
of fish needed per family and the j
total number of fish involved, the |
Sportsmen’s guesses varied. Snod
gras estimated an average of 16
salmon per famly with the total
not exceeding 2,000. Bruce Gra
ham thought the total might be
closer to 3,500.
“Being realistic about this,”
said Bartlett to Thompson, “if this
is true that they want to fish only
when the commercial fishermen
do and less than 5,000 salmon are
involved. I can’t see that this is
unreasonable.”
Thompson was inclined to
agree. “You’re right in stating
that the crux of the whole thing
(regulations) was the taking of
fish from streams,” he admitted.
“We thought that you wanted to
be permitted to fish unrestricted
in the streams.” He added that
the regulations were made string
ent to prevent an abuse “which
has been growing” and that it was
possible the regulations had gone;
too far.
After itemizing the Sportsmen’s
proposal as to its limitations and
the number of fish involved, he
observed that the story was “quite
a different one than we under
stood it.”
“This meeting we have had
with the Sportsmen has been
educational,” he added. Delegate
Bartlett concluded “I think you
made a perfect case. It ought to
be acted on by FWS immediate
ly.”
Later, however, Thompson stat
ed that there could be no immedi
ate change in the regulation. He
said the time element would pre
clude any change which would
benefit the personal use fisher
men of the Valley during the cur
rent red salmon season. Any
change regarding the Knik Arm
withdrawal area would require
secretarial (Secretary of Interior)
approval and publishing in the
Federal Register.
During the meeting another
Sportsmen proposal was submit
ted to Thompson for his opinion.
■■■■a
HOT
?r
You can count them on
your fingers — they're
scarce as hen's teeth —
But we've finally latch
ed on to:
ONE OF PALMERS BEST HOMES!!
Commodious concrete
block construction.
Modern/ 2 Bedrooms
on main floor. Note: a
neat rental unit in
basement. Priced $5,
000. under par. See by
appointment only —
so hurry.
Palmer Realty
Ken Westenbarger, president of
the Sportsmen, asked the Bureau
of Fisheries official what he
thought of the possibility of mak
ing salmon in streams a game fish
and having such stream fishing
for salmon subject to all game
fishing regulations. Thompson
said he thought it might be possi
ble “but I don’t want to hold out
too much hope to you.”
Altogether, the meeting was a
very fruitful one. from the stand
point of the Sportsmen, the
Bureau of Fisheries official, and
the Alaska Delegate who had
brought them together. The
Sportsmen made a good case for
personal use fishng which should
bear fruit next year, if not this
one. And Thompson’s report on
commercial fishing—its impor
tance to the Territoral economy,
the actual number fishing the
Inlet, and the percentage of resi
dent fishermen—was an educa
tion for the Sportsmen.
TRAVEL
E IS FUN i
i via i
PASSENGER LINERS
From Seward
Tues., July 29 Thurs., July 31
S.S. ALASKA S.S. BARANOF
Juneau
Petersburg
Wrangell
Ketchikan
Seattle
Valdez
Sitka
Ketchikan
Seattle
FREIGHTER SERVICE
' From Seattle
S. S. JOHN QUICK
Sailing July 30, calling at Sew
ard and Valdez.
S, S. VICTORIA
Sailing August 4, calling at
Seward only.
FOR INFORMATION
T. J. MALONEY. AGENT
OFFICE: WESTWARD HOTEL
Phone 22001
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA
STEAMSHIP COMPANY
HIGHEST PRICES PAID
For Cottonwood and Spruce Logs
GOAT CREEK LUMBER CO.
You Are Inviled!
FOR COFFEE AND.
GRAND OPENING MON., JULY 28
AT OUR MEW LOCATION IN THE WRIGHT BLDG.
Lots of New Things will be on Display
Come In and See Our New Store
Interior done by- contractors Jack Land and Carl Nyland
jQeityl'
BETTY MEARS MINNIE CLARK?
William W. Head
CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT
Announces the establishment of an
office in the
NEW WRJGHT BUILDING, PALMER, ALASKA
for
GENERAL ACCOUNTING PRACTISE
and
SPECIALIZING IN INCOME TAX MATTERS
Enrolled to practice before the Treasury Department
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