The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, March 31, 1940, Page 28

THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE “ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME” PROGRESS AND DEVELOPMENT EDITION Fiscal Gains Great SEVEN MILLION DOLLAR CITY Juneau Annual Tax Assessment REFINANCING OF BONDS T0 JUNEAU, ALASKA, SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 1940. | Year Real Personal 1930 . $3682780 $1218125 1931 3817507 1081725 1932 3,898,733 1,079,700 1933 3,972,367 1272,700 . . . 1934 4,093,995 1,126,050 City Administration Puts o = simsr 1omaso | 19036 4,285,895 1,062,750 Into Effect Plan fo 1937 4,561,433 1,007,400 | 1938 4708939 1079220 Reduce Debt 1939 5048240 2,066,925 | Increase in ten year period: Early this month, as the culmin- $1355460 § 848,800 ation of a year of effort, the City of Juneau perfected and enacted Autos Total Tax $178,660 $5,079,565 $ 91432.17 152,125 5,051,447 90,926.04 130,275 5,199,708 93,594.74 129,935 5,375,002 96,750.04 137,000 5,357,045 96,426.81 148,900 5,390,537 97,029.66 136,835 5.485,480 98,738.64 119,950 5,688,783 102,396.09 133,400 5.921,659 106,588.06 190,650 7,305,815 131,504.67 $2,226,250 $ 40,072.50 $ 11,990 JUNEAU CHAMBER REPORTS YEAR OF a plan of bond refinancing which | will save taxpayers thousands of | dollars in interest and will pay off | the City's debt under a painless au—i tomatic schedule. | Under the refinancing plan, two old bond issues on which six per- cent interest has been paid in the past were called and reissued atv three percent, thus cutting the an- nual interest in half. Issues so refinanced were $90,000 in school bonds and $44,000 in sew- .r bonds. A cash payment on March 1 of this year retired $5,000 of this total, leaving $129,000 outstanding. Large Saving The tax saving in the first year alone will be $3,810. The saving over a 15-year period will pay off the entire principal represented in the refinanced bonds. An important feature of the or- dinance which the Council passed to put the refinancing plan in ef- fect creates a special fund to be known as the 1940 General Obliga- tion Refunding Bond Fund into which taxes will be paid annually to be used for no other purpose than to pay interest and principal on the new issue. By 1955 the bonds will (IVIC PROGRESS Organization Active Dur-| | ing 1939 for Upbuild- ing of Community By RAY H. STEVENS Secrelary, Juneau Chamber of Commerce The past year was a busy one for the Juneau Chamber of Commerce, both in tasks brought to comple- tion and in groundwork laid for civic and Territorial progress of the future. Memorable among the Chamber’s activities was opposition to the threat posed by the Slattery report which would have opened Alaska to colonization by - European refugees. A Chamber brief exposing the fal-| lacies of the Slattery report and have been retired. By 1859, under | a schedule worked out for the City, | all of Juneauw's present bonds will | answering its arguments in effect- ive fashion has resulted in shelving of the refugee resettlement scheme at least for the present. The Juneau small boat harbor, long advocated by the Chamber, was under construction most of the year and will be open for use in the spring. Due to the Chamber’s ef- forts, plans have been completed for establishment of a marine ways adjoining the harbor. Channel Dredging Looking to the date when Gas- tineau Channel will be dredged to afford readier access to the city by the boats from Lynn Canal and points northwest and west of Ju- neau, a Chamber committee of which R. E. Robertson is chairman prepared an exhaustive report on the economic desirability and physical feasibility of such a project. As a result of this work the War Depart- ment has ordered the project reop- ened for further study. Under the plan being considered, material dredged from the Channel bar would be used to provide a large airport on Mendenhall flats, The spring clean-up campaign of the Chamber met with wide coopera- —— = t cvic PROGRESS tion and resulted in removal of sev- | eral specific civic eyesores and gen- eral improvement in the appearance | of Juneau | A move launched by the Chamber | for closing of herring fishing for reduction purposes in the waters FIFTH SECTION surrounding Douglas Island was re- | warded by a Bureau of Fisheries or- | der prohibiting such fishing in Bar- | Jow Cove, the fall and winter school- | ing ground of the area's herring| population. Endorsements The Chamber urged during the year that a second Coast Guard cut- ter be assigned to Juneau. that the Juneau gold belt surveys of the Geo- logical Survey date, that the Glacier Highway be paved and possibly extended to Ber- ners Bay, that further navigation aids be installed throughout Alaska waters, that a wing be built on the Federal Building to accommodate Government offices and that resi- dent Alaskans be employed on Gov- ernment projects in the Territory. Endorsement of the work of the Forest Service in Alaska ‘was voted, as was support for the International Highway, a change to Pacific Stand- ard Time and a Territorial habitual criminal act Plans for a tunnel into Evergreen Bowl were formulated by the Cham- ber and turned over to the Juneau School Board. For 1940, the Chamber plans to continue its work for establishment of regular air mail service between Seattle and Juneau and extension of the present Juneau-Fairbanks service to all major communities of the Territory. be brought up to Concrete Example of Improvement | | | { | P.W.A. FEDERAL EMERGENCY 2| Lu Liston photo. This modern paving machine worked in Juneau last summer as the city paved more than a mile and a half of new streets. OFFICIALS Of Your City Mayor Harry 1. Lucas. Council Sam Feldon. E. J. Blake. Harry Lea. Ralph Beistline. E. E. Ninnis. Henry Messerschmidt. City Clerk JUNEAU'S HARBOR CAN ACCOMMODATE LARGESTSTEAMERS CITY LAYS MORE THAN MILE OF NEW SEWERS New sewers costing $51,353.20 were laid down in Juneau during the past the R. J. Sommers Construction Company. A total of 5899 feet of main sew- ers and 3,03¢ feet of house con- nections were installed to serve Wil- loughby Avenue, Marine Way, Shat- tuck Way, Ferry Way and Admiral year under a City contract awarded | PAGES 1 TO 8 Juneau Paves Streets YEAR'S WORK GREATESTIN CITY HISTORY Area of Paving More than Doubled — Mile and Half Added The area of pavement in Juneau was more than doubled in 1939 as the result of a municipal project which laid 1:59 miles of concrete streets. Financed by a $93,500 bond issue and a WPA grant which made a total of $170,000, the street and sew- er improvement work performed in the past year has been the most ambitious in the history of the City of Juneau. New concrete paving, varying in width from 20 feet to 30 feet, was laid last summer on Willoughby Avenue, 12th Street, Calhoun Ave- nue, Marine Way, South Seward Street, Shattuck Way, Ferry Way, Admiral Way and E Street 217,147 Square Yards The 8,400 lineal feet of new pav- ing consists of 27,147.81 square yards of what used to be gravel and dirt and which is now the finest con- crete paving to be found anywhere. In lineal feet, the new paving work comprises 48.8 percent of total Juneau pavement to date. In square yards it represents 54 percent of the total. Juneau laid 5600 lineal feet (13,000 square yards) of pave- ment in 1935 and previous to that time had only 3,200 lineal feet or 10,000 square yards of such streets. Today the City boasts 3.26 miles of paved streets. Cost Is Low Cost of the 1939 paving was $89,- 571.13. The per square yard cost of $3.30 was considerably below that Dredging J unreau’; 7Boat H arbor in 1935 when the figure was $3.62. have been retired. Way in downtown Juneau. Many contributed toward making this forward step possible. Mayor Harry I. Lucas has been working a year to bring it about. of Alaska E. L. (Bob) Bartlett has been helping. Alaska Delegate An- thony J. Dimond obtained an Act of Congress making it possible for mu- nicipal corporations in Alaska to refinance outstanding bond issues. CITY OF JUNEAII RETIRES $14,400 BONDS IN YEAR Tofal 0ulslgang Munici- pal Indebfednessls Now $323,000 City of Juneau bonds totaling $14,400 have been retired during the past year, according to a compila- tion by Mayor Harry 1. Lucas. Payments on bond principal in the | municipal fiscal year have been as follows: PWA four percent paving and sewer bonds, $3,000 paid last Octo- ber 1. PWA four percent 1935 paving bonds, $4,000 paid June 30. Old six percent sewer bonds of 1929, $5,000 paid March 1. To this $12,000 total will be add- ed the redemption on April 1 of $2,- 400 in four percent boat harbor bonds. Indebtedness $323,000 Total bonded indebtedness of the City of Juneau on April 1 will be $323,000 consisting of $90,000 in four percent PWA paving and sewer bonds; $58,000 in four percent PWA 1935 paving bonds; $39,000 in old | six percent sewer bonds of 1939; | $46,000 in four percent boat harbor | bonds, and $90,000 in six percent | 1627 school bonds. | Juneau Building In Lasting Brick and Mortar That Juneau is building “for keeps” is markedly apparent to infrequent visitors to the commun- ity. Among those who have re- marked on this fact recently is E. L. Sampson of Ketchikan. New buildings here reflect, he said, that “Juneau has an acute case of concrete-itis,” a condition which he described as a mark of progress and prosperity. .- Tin cans form the largest im- ported item to Alaska. They are Secretary | | small boat harbor. Note roc ELKS BUILDING 10 SPROUT NEW ANNEX IN 1940, $37,500 Concrete Unft Wil Be Added to Juneau Lodge Plant Construction of a $37.500 addition to the Elks Building here is expect- | ed to start this spring. The lodge recently authorized the Board of Trustees to proceed with the pro- posed plan. The new concrete annex to the building will be a unit in the con- struction of a new building and will expand the facilities of the present club until such time as a complete new building can be erected. To Build in Hillside Blue-prints of the. annex, as pre- sented by the Trustees and the Building Committee, show the unit will measure 75 by 90 feet and will lie at the rear of the present sec- ond floor on which is located the main Elks hall. It is proposed that the present third story will be re- moved. The unit will contain four new bowling alleys, a recreation room, locker room, shower room and rest rooms. Moving of the bowling alleys will permit the present card room on the ground floor to be tripled in used in the canned salmon indus- try. size and will provide an additional ! {lounge measuring 19 by 32 feet. l You Wouldn't This big dipper dredge worked from August to January scooping k breakwater around edge. Recognize The Old Place Has Juneau changed through the years? It has changed so much that un- less you have visited the town re- cently you will have trouble finding your way around. D. H. McCloy, assayer for the Min- ers and Merchants Bank of Nome and who had an assay office here in 1899, came to Juneau last Jan- uary for his first visit in 40 years and “walked all over town looking for a landmark” he could recognize. The old Occidental Hotel, “then the fanciest place in Juneau,” the Russian church, the Episcopal church and Behrends store were about the only places he remem- bered. Many Marriages; Only a Few Divorces Here Marriage is still a highly popular institution in Juneau. Last year 145 couples took marriage vows here, according to the records of U. 8. Commissioner Felix Gray. Down the hall in the office of Clerk of the District Court Robert Coughlin they will tell you that in 1939 the Court granted only 58 di- vorces. - e — The first steamboat ascended the Yukon River in 1866. uch | Lu Liston photo out Juneau's new ERA OF ALASKAN 'HISTORY PASSED WITH WICKERSHAM ‘Death of Former Delegate in Past Year Removed Colorful Figure Alaska lost one of her grandest old men last October 24 when Judge James Wickersham, Delegate to, Congress for 14 years, died in Ju-j neau at the age of 82. | As Delegate from 1909 to 1921 and from 1931 to 1933, Judge Wick- | ersham’s principal acnievement was the Alaska Act, known as the Wick- ersham Act, giving a measure of | | home rule to the Territory and set- | | ting up the system of Government which still prevails. 39 Years in Alaska Judge Wickersham came to Al- |aska in 1900. He lived a year at| Eagle, a year at Nome, two years at | Valdez and 16 at Fairbanks. Since | 1921 he had been a Juneau resident, maintaining an office in the Val- |entine Building and appearing ‘hrixht and early almost every morn- |ing, even though in retirement. His “Bibliography of Alaskan Lit- | | | | | to be the finest Alaska library anv- where. Harley J. Turner, Clerk . Etta Mae Duckworth, Assistant. Police Dan Ralston, Chief. Kenneth Junge, Assistant. City Engineer Lagergren. Wharfinger J. E. Kearney, Wharfinger. J. L. Gray, Assistant. Librarian Ann B. Coleman. Fire Department V. W. Mulvihill, Chief. Willlam Niederhauser, Assistant. Magistrate Grover C. Winn Health Dr. W. W. Council, Health Officer Magnhild Oygard, Health Nurse. Street ¥oreman Bert Lybeck. Cemetery Caretaker Hans Nielsen - e JUNEAU TO VOT ON CHANGING TO STANDARD TIME Ballot to flc}de Argued Question-Now Hour Behind Seattle Citizens of Juneau will vote at the municipal election on April 2 on a proposal to adopt Pacific Standard Time as the official time here. This was deocided last month when the City Council passed a resolution placing the matter on the ballot at the request of the Juneau Chamber of Commerce. The ballot question will be: “Shall Juneau time be changed permanently after April 30, 1940, to Pacific Coast Standard Time by ad- vancing it one hour?” 116 ALASKA PLANES FOR EVERY ONE IN STATES, PER CAPITA From statistics recently furnished a Congressional Committee in testi- mony relating to delivery of mail by air in Alaska it was shown that in the fiscal year 1939 there were 116 times as many commercial planes in Alaska as in the United Milton States; 70 times as many air miles | the bogs north of Juneau recently | 'Waterfront 2% Miles Long Flanked by 15 Docks and Floats Juneau'’s deep-water harbor, sit- | uated on Gastineau Channel eight miles from the main “Inside Pas- | sage” from the States to Alaska, | provides a waterway for ocean-go- |ing craft of all sizes. | The harbor is naturally protected lon two sides by the mainland and | Douglas Island, and partially closed on the north end by the extended base of Mount Juneau which en- croaches on the channel to leave only a comparatively narrow pas- sageway at the upper end of the Jarbor. This band of water is span- sed by the $375,000 Douglas Bridge. On the south end, from which yint the steamers enter and leave he harbor, a huge fill made by waste rock of the great Alaska Ju- neau gold mine extending out into he Channel has served to create he bowl-like dimensions of the har- 01, The actual harbor area surround- =d on one side by wharves is some two miles across and a mile and one-half long. Approximately two and one-half miles of this protected shoreline is flanked by docks and floats. Of 15 main docks, 10 are equipped to accommodate large craft for load- ing and unloading. - - | "Fore" Sounds |0n $8,000,000 Juneau | Golf (ourse_ Juneau boasts what has been called “the most expensive golf | course in America.” Located three | miles south of the City at Thane, its cost is figured at $8,000,000. But it has to be figured this way: The nine-hole layout rests on waste | material deposited from the old Alaska Gastineau Company gold mine, a venture which cost $17,000,- 000 and returned $9,000,000. “The only thing left to show for the $8,- 000,000 difference is the golf course. It has other claims to fame. Its | “turf” consists of semi-silty sand, | residue from the old mine operations. Playing winter rules, the golf ad- dicts of Juneau are able to come |in consistently with figures around | par. I - e, Half a ton of muskeg peat from Average cost of the work per lin- eal foot, including appurtenances, was $5.75. A PWA grant supplemented City funds used for the Iimprovement. ———,——— Business Is Good At Juneau's Scores of Slgr_e_s The business life of Juneau is active and varied. Retail outlets in the immediate trading area are as follows: Grocerles, 20; Restaurants, 18; Bakeries, 4; Hardware, 7; Hard and Distilled Liquors, 11; Beverage Dis- pensaries, 19; Hotels, 8; Electrical and Heating Supplies, 8; Building Materials, 7; Florists, Banks and Loan Agencies, 4; Women's Clothing, 10; Meat Markets, 7; Men's Outfit- ters, 10; Shoes, 8; Laundry and Cleaning Establishments, 8; Gar- ages and Automobile Dealers and Supply (Gasoline), Drugs, 6; De- | partment Stores, 2; Tobacco Dealers | (Besides Groceries), 30; Radio Deal- ers, 8; Theatres, 2 (one more near- ing completion); Barbers, 14; Beau- ticians, 17. CITY ELECTION ON CALENDAR; FIVE OFFICES | Mayor, Three Councilmen, School Board Member fo Be Chosen Municipal politics, as well as Di- visional and Territorial, will be to the fore in the coming month. The City election takes place April 2, with a Mayor, three Councilmen and a School Board Director to be elected. Offices at stake are those of Mayor Harry I. Lucas, Council- men Sam Feldon, Ralph Beistline and Harry Lea, and School Director Grover C. Winn. ALASKA HAS 361 NOTARIES; MOST INFIRST DIVISION Alaska has 361 Notaries Public, aceording to a compilation made by flown in Alaska as in the United was cut, dried and baled by enrol- | the office of the Secretary of Alaska. Btates; 23 times as many passengers fiying in Alaska as in the United erature, 1724-1934” won him lasting | States; 1,034 times as many pounds | for fame as an author and scholar. His Of freight and express carried by | ‘persoml library, which has been | air and 48 times as many pounds of | velopment of | kept intact in Juneau, is admitted mail carried by air in Alaska as in | extensive peat nited States—population con- investigated by vegetable packers | pas 55 Ketchikan 29, the U , or per capita. !lees of the Montana Creek CCC |camp for shipment to the States The Pirst Division, with 122, has the most, followed by the Third experimental purposes. Possibilities of commercial de- Southeast Alaska’s deposits are being |of the West Coast. |and Fourth, tied at 103 each, and | the Second with 33. | Juneau has 59, more notaries than any other city in Alaska. Fairbanks Anchorage 28, The total contract for paving last year, including curbs, gutters, drain- age appurtenances, etc., was $101,- 934.18. Paving was laid by the L. J. Dowell Company, Inc., under con- tract. Work was planned and su- pervised by City Engineer Milton Lagergren. S RO SEARCHLIGHT SCANS CLOUDS OVER JUNEAU Ceiling ligit_Projedor Is Installed for Weather Bureau Work A giant searchlight has been in- stalled here to stab into the night over Juneau at three hour intervals to measure the height of clouds above the earth. The apparatus, known as a “ceil- ing light projector,” is operated by the U. 8. Weather Bureau. Throwing a beam from a 450 watt lamp, the searchlight measures cloud height accurately up to 75,000 feet. The light has been installed at the Forest Service warehouse and is op- erated from the Weather Bureau office in the Federal Building by remote control. Wires Leased A pair of telephone wires have been leased for turning it on and off. A switch in the office operates a relay switch at the warehouse, which trips the light on As the light throws a vertical beam, and the distance from the Federal Building to the warehouse is known, all that must be learned to determine the height of the clouds is the a'jle between the building roof observation point and | the illumination on the cloud. This |angle is measured with an instru- ment known as a clinometer. —————— O CUTTER TO MAKE SPECIAL CRUISE 10 BRISTOL BAY A special cruise to Bristol Bay for the purpose of fisheries patrol work, observations and oceano- graphic study will be made this year by the Coast Guard cutter Redwing, which bases at Port Angeles, Wash- ington. The Redwing will carry scientists from the U. 8. Bureau of Fisheries on the special trip, scheduled from July 1 to September 1. S NS The ancient Romans are said to have named the salmon. They called | Nome 23 and Seward 13. it “salmo, leaping fish.”