The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, March 31, 1940, Page 6

i Daily Alaska Empire Published_ever: evening except Sunday by the EMP) TRE PRINTING COMPANY Second and Main Streets, Juneau, Al WELEN TROY BENDER _ - R. L BERNARD - - - . - President ent and Business Manager Entered In the Post Office n u as Sucond Class Matter | 11V | | | = SUBSCRITTION BATES. Jeltvered by earrier In Juneau and Douxlas for $1.25 per By mall, postage paid. at the following rites: One ear. in advarce, $12.00; six months, in advance, $6.00; month, ip advance, $1.25. mlm‘w» will conler a favor if they will promptly notiy the ‘Bumness Office of any failure of irrewularify in the de- livary of their papers Pelephioncs: News Office, 602; Business Office, 374. MEMBER OF ASSOCIATED PRESS. Tho Associeted Press is exciusively entitled to the use for pepublication of sl news dicpatches credited to it or Dot wise credited in this paper and slse the local news other published berein. “TALASEA CIR JULATION GUARANTEED TO BE LARGER THAN —GAT OF ANY OTHER PUBLICATION. GBORGE I'. CLOSE. Inc, National Newspaper Representa- Aves, With officos in San Francisco, Lot Angeles, Portiand, Beattle, Chicauc, New York and Boston SEATTLE REPRESENTATIVE Cillbe” A. Wellington. 1011 American Bank Butlding. THE YEAR IN ALASKA | Here is Alaska, as much of it as can be set| down on paper and captured in ink. Here is the | story of a land One-fifth the size of the United| States and a people who treasure almost fiercely their rights as full citizens of the Nation. To the thousands who people its broad expanse, Alaska is not a distant and politically indistinct | tourists | Burope has amounted to $357,000,000 more annually | world | usual Alaska process. Territory last December that Congress would be hesitant about extending Statehood to the first non- | contiguous Territory. Alaska must continue her for- ward march along the present road until such hesi- ancy will be overbalanced by the pressing desirabil- ity of having Alaska a State, bringing a 49th star | | to the Nation's flag. DELEGATE (Continued from Page One) | ~Meyers Chuck small -bg;t-fmrbox_-. It has been a good year and, we hope, a pr('ludey‘nfi.ooo. to an eveén greater year to come SEE ALASKA There seems littlé doubt but that the travel h\—‘ dustry in the United States, and in Alaska in par- ticular, will reach a new high in 1940. The war in Europe, with the accompanying restrictions on Amer- movements in the war zones, will divert the to this hemisphere. American travel In ican than foreign tra These millions will be added in 1940 to the six bil- lions spent every year for travel in America. sitka small boat harbor. $109,000 Kodiak Harbor, $70,000. Recently the Secretary of War [ has submitted favordblé reports fot the following: Craig small boat harbor, $80,000. Port Alexander small boat har- bor, $31,000. Elfin Cove smal $38,000. 1 THe last thréé projects are not yet included in thé bill which is pending In the Bénate ‘and it'is not lers have spent in this country.|known whether they will be includ- ed. Every effort will be made, of course, to have these projects also embraced in the bill when it is Alaska, offering the refreshing noyelty of a "eu‘passed by the Senate. voyage on waters which are never rough, is certain to attract a good share of the tourist business. From | present indications, the number of persons who will | gre also seeking authority for the isit Alaska this year will be limited only by the|preliminary éxamination and sut- steamer accommodations available. the summer months will be a sellout. an- All steamship lines serving Alaska have nounced extra cruises on their 1940 schedules. A| few tourists, but of a highly desirable type, will come this year by plane ovér the new Pan American Airways route from Seattle to Juneau. There is also the prospect that several large cruise ships, unablé | to visit European waters, will come to Alaska from the East Coast. One such ship, the Duchess Richmond, touched here last summer in the course of a trip which took a large tourist party from Mon- {real to Panama, across the Pacific to Hawaii and back to Alaska. Alaska has a wonderful fascination for travelers. The sea level scenery here, that which can be seen from deck chairs, is the most magnificent in the The steamers, as transportation companies have long advertised, literally cruise among the mountain tops. Tourists are an exceptionally profitable crop for the Territory. They hring many thousands of dol- lars north and leave them here, the reverse of the And they take nothing away from us in return, except the memory of a delightful sojourn in the northland. OQur seenéry remains just “possession.” To them, first of all, it Is a part or'% lovely fof the next boatload. the United States of America—an integral part, which is being drawn closer to the hedrt of thé Nation every year as transportation facilities and mutual understanding are improved. This ‘year finds- a regular air service between Seattle and Juneau being instituted. Next year may find work started on a highway which will link Al- aska overland directly with the States. It is typical of Alaska that the airplane arrives ahead of theé automobile. Use of planes in the Territory is the highest per capita anywhere in the world That the interest of the Nation in Alaska is {ncreasing rapidly is attested by recent developments in many fields. Delegate Dimond speaks of this| growing interest and understanding in an article hich he has prepared for this edition. Washing- tyn is paying more attention to Alaska today than | at any time since the Territory has belonged to the | United States. And it might be said with equal truth that Alaska is paying more attention to Washing- | ton than at any time in the past. Most of the| decisions which, for good or evil, are shaping the future of the Territory are being made at the Na- tional Capital The past year has brought many cnanges to the north. Politically and economically Alaska continues to grow. There has been a noticeable quickening of pace since the new year, which promises to make 1940 one of the most important years in the Ter- ritory’s history , Fish and gold are still the mainstays of Alaska industry. Last year the Territory shipped some 38 million dollars’ worth of canned salmonto the world, while its mines were turning out about 24 millioh dollars’ worth of minerals. Other commodities bulk- wg large in the modern -Alaska economic picture are furs, lumber and tourists. The last two can be developed enormously yet. . ' Shipments into Alaska in 1939 were the greatest in history, which is about as good a sigh as there could be that things are booming in the north., While growing and prospering, Alaska has become a rich market for the products of the States. This is a census year, and results so far an- nounced reflect a large population growth in the past decade. It is worthy of note that this increase has come about out of the natural development of the Territory and not by artificial promotion. An expansion of the Nation's plans for defense works in Alaska and actual start of' work by both the Army and Navy on airbases are important de- velopments of the past year. The Navy is spending more than $13,000,000 in the ‘current program of installing airbases at Sitka and Kodiak. This work will continue well into 1941. The Army is building a cold weather experimental airport of large dimen- sions at Fairbanks and contemplates' work of even greater magnitude at Anchorage. Every City of Alaska at the present time is en- gaged in a program of civic improvement. In Juneau, this is reflected in the miles of new concrete streets and sewers; in Fairbanks, in the beautiful buildings of Capt. A. E. Lathrop and in municipal improve- ments similar to Juneau's; in Ketchikan, in the re- meval of wooden streets and sidewalks; in Anchor- age, in a new school and a new hospital, and in every town in Alaska to a greater or less extent. The fact that the fisheries produced less than they did the previous year, that mineral production was down slightly and that Alaska furs brought a little less in world markets than in 1838 is only a ‘testimonial to the very high and prosperous plane on which Alaska economy has continued in recent rs. last year was a good year, even though it did not quite reach the 1938 heights. Alaska has no reason to be ashamed of producing only 5,000,000 cases of salmon, $24,000000 wofth of minerals and $2,000,000 worth of furs in a year. The output is still phenomenal. Gov. Ernest Gruening speaks in his message in fifl! ?X‘Wfl! and Development edition of some of gbals toward which Alaskans should work in 5 and the future. One is a greater economic ficiency, based on a diversification of in- . Another is better transportation facilities on dand, sea and in the air. With the accomplish- &dmm'mMmhlnsetwm ‘mmmmxmmmwmu Alaska Invites the people of America to come up |and see us. OUR IMPORTANT FISHERIES The many changes in the administration of fisheries matters during the past yéar have been of great moment to Alaskans, for they bear directly iipon the Territory’s foremost industry. As one feature of the President’s reorganization proposals, the Bureau of Fisherles was transferred from the Department of Commerce to the Depart- ment of the Interior. Since that time the Buredu has been operating on & temporary basis, with per- manent organization waiting upon appointment of | a new Commissioner and untangling of other admin- istrative difficulties. Last summer a Subcommittee of the House Com- mittee on Merchant Marine and Fisherles visited all the principal fishing centers ih Alaska and held hearings on what changes were desifed in the ad- ministration of the fisheries. At the same time the Bureau held hearings of its own on suggestiors for 1940 regulations. | One important development is 'the construction of a new fisheries experimental station at Ketchikan to develop new uses for Alaska's marine products. 1t is to.be hoped that out of all the far-reaching 1939 and 1940 developments the industry will emerge in a healthy and vigorous condition. The fisheries mean everything to Alaska. : COME NORTH, YOUNG MAN, BUT . . . The Alaska of 1940 is not the Alaska of thé gold rush days or even the Alaska of a decade ago. It is a modern land with modern problems. One of these is a serious unemployment situation caused each spring by an influx of job-seekers from the States. The chance of a newly-arrived worker finding 2 job in Alaska is practically mil, as many have &is- covered to their sorrow. Unless the newcomer has funds to support himself during a stay of ral months in the norfh (where living costs are co paratively high) and enough money left to take him back to the States in the event he does not find work (as will probably be the case), he had better stay out of Alaska. This may appear to be a brutal statement, but it is good advice because it is based on things as they ate and one the experence of many who joined the northward frek. Industries of Alaska, by their nature, are per- force seasonal In character. The fisheries employ a good many men in the summer months. 5o do the placer mines. But the workers in these fields are for the most part Alaskans to whom laying ofi in the fall and going back to work in the spring Is as natural as a weekend layoff to the worker in the States. They are steady employees of the com- panies involved. Furthermore, most industries fn Alaska are subject to strict union agreements. leaves very little room for the new man from. Out- side, no matter how willihg & worker he may be or how badly he needs a job. . "For persons with capital, in additon to talent, to invest, Alaska is stilf the great land of oppor- tunity. For others “the last frontler” is a hard mit to crack. gt IN APPRECIATION As was the case with the Daily Alaska Empire's six foregoing Progress and Development editigns, it took more than the Empire staff to produce th one. For several months, Alaskans and others whose interests normally lie far from the field of jotirnal- ism have been cooperating wholeheartedly with the Emplre In its annual effort to present a clear, con- cise, factual picture of progress in the 'Territory during the past year. A great many persons, including Territorial and Federal officials, municipal authorities and private citizens, have helped. Their aid has made this a truly représentative Alaska edition. To these many who have assisted, the Empire ‘ i fo coime fn thelf wake, ultimate Statehood is ‘macurad. The Governof ‘Sild on 'His ‘aitival in the extends its warmest thanks, of | Gastineau Channel Survey In the bill now in the Senate, we Every voyage in yvey of Gastineau Channel, Alaska, |with 'a View to impfovement for| navigation, both water and air, and flood control, both tidal and run- off. 1 invite your attention to the authorization desireéd. If thé pro- ject 'for the dredging of Gastineau ing tideland and thus be ‘used for the construction of such an airport as the City of Juneau should have. Preliminary examinations and surveys also are asked for Neva Strait and Olga Strait, Alaska; for a small boat harbor ‘at Skafway, and for a small boat harbor dt Ko- diak. 'The last two items are not yet in the bill, but it is anticipated Ithey will be embraced In the bill by ameéndment when it comes up for cohsideration in 'the Benate. A ‘small boat harbor for Sitka was oncé approved and thé money allotted, But then the Navy De- partment determified upon its ex- pansion there and it wds neces- sdry to change the location of the small ‘boat harbor, and so we are pot obliged agaln to get further authérity of Congress for the new cofistrictioh which s planned. Employment For Alaskans Durlng the past year an issue has ¢otie to the front of Which' prob- ably more will be heatd. And that i§ that the residents of Alaska should be able to seécure erfiploy- nient in Alaska industries. ‘With- out going into detail and in‘ order that thé facts may be known, it may be' well to say here that this is npt an endeavor to monopolize Alaska jobs for residents of Alaska. 1t 1§ not an attémpt to prevent im- migration into Alaska, or the set- tlement of people In Alaska,” quite the contrary. It is not a mave in opposition to any labor ufiion, again quite the contrary. What we pro- poseé to do will strongly support true Jabor unionism. It is scarcely necessary for me to say that I now suppott as 1 have always supported ldbor unions. And I repeat what I'have said many times before, that if labor unions did not exist ‘we ghold have to invent them to pra- mote the public welfare. It is a protest against and a re- sistance to the arrogant attempt of those who live somewhere in one of the 48 States to monopolize all of the good jobs in Alaska themselyes and to say that nd ‘one residing in Alaska will be permitted to work in Alikka without the gracious con- sent of those who so réside in the States’ and who look upon Alaska as a land suitable for exploitation by non-residents. Unforturidtely, that sentiment is not confinéd to any stratum or class of busifiéss or labor or soclety. It appears to permieate all, and those who livé in Alaska aré the suffer- €rs, It is Just a8 well that the issue bé faced riow. If in order for us to makée our lving in Alaska it is fiecessary for US 'to maintain our |residence in the States, it will be 88 well thit we know it at an early Qhte so weé'cani make provision ac- coraingly. o Many Gains interest to review some of the other measures enacted by Congress and some of the other administrative actions takén by the Executive for jhg benefit ‘of Alaska during the iinf.'ygp Congress passed bills to provide for the refunding of bonds of mugldp’almes. Wwhich probably :1’_?1 savée the cities of Alaska ev- K t!ll]lj! a great deal of money; to for benefit of the Alaska HICKORY Natural Bottom Ridge Top SKIS $2.75 A PAIR Write Von Behren boat . harbor, ferm “both water and alr” in the| If space permitted it might be o(; _THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE, SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 1940. Delegate | Anthony J. Dimond is ‘Al aska’s very capable Dele- gate to Congress. | ; | | Railroad employees the Alaska Rail- | boat employees; to protect the wa- | ter supply at Ketchikan; to author- |ize Postmasters to administér oaths | and affirmations in matters involy- |ing Federal laws, of great conven- |lence to those who teside in the more remote and sparseély settled sections of Alaska; to provide for the sale of timber and minerals on | school lands; and to authorize the | Postmaster . General to require the | boat carrying mail along the Al- |1s)dnds reglon to provide accommo- daticns for transporting passéngers jand freight. | Agencies at Work | ‘The CCC work in Alaska has been | continued on a substantial scale and |has been of outstanding benefit, particularly in the rehabilitation of Indian towns and villages. The | Works Progress Administration has {provided funds for relief and those funds have been largely employed in the construction of useful pub- lic works. Progress has been made ih the development of air com- merce between the United States and Alaska and the operation may be authorized even before this is printed. Similar progress has been made in the development of the plans for building the International Highway. Altogether the voice of Alaska in the National Government has been heard in increasing volume during the past year. Of coyrse, not all has gone well and often we have been disappointed but we are mak- ing progress: we are forging ahead. aska Peninsula and in the Aleutlan | PROGRESS AND DEVELOPMENT EDITION ALASKANS PAID | $960,000 FEDERAL TAXES LAST YEAR Per Capifa Internal Reve- | i nue Collections Higher ’ than in 28 States | | Alaskans pay Federal taxes, exact- ly the same taxes as residents of | the States. Total Internal Revenue | collections in the Territory last year | | were $960,000. ‘The per capita Internal Revenue | | collection in Alaska last year was | $15.61, which was higher wnan taac| in 28 States, including Oregon, Ida- | ho, Kansas, Towa, Arizona, Montana, lina, Vermont, oming and all | States. | Grants to and expenditures with- |in Alaska by the Federal Govern- ment in the fiscal year 1839 amount- ed to $2.456,000. This is less than |any State or other Territory receiv- ed. Hawaii, with a population rough- ly six times Alaska's, received more than eight times as much Federal West Virginia, Wy- of . the Southern 1 Chanriel ' is undertaken the spoils road Retirement Act and to include | money. will be spread over the surround-|in the beneftis of the Act the river | — e 84 INSURANCE FIRMS OPERATE IN TERRITORY Premium Taxes for Single Year $30,257 Besides License Fees ‘ | The business of insurance in the | Territory of Alaska is handled by | {a total of 84 insurance companies, | consisting of 83 foreign corpora- tions and one domestic non-profit | corporation. Territorial Auditor Frank A. Boyle | is Insurance Commissioner and fur- nishes these statistics. | Agents’ licenses have been issued | to 77 residents, three non-residents, and also one non - resident broker’s license, making a total of 81 licens- |es issued to representatives of in- surance companies authorized to |sell and solicit insurance in the Territory during the calendar year | 1939 | The premium taxes for 1938 busi- ness, payable on or before March 31, 1939, amounted to $30,257.59, while | the fees for certificates of author- ity and agents’ license fees totaled | $3,962.50. -, Empire want ads bring results. tor birth certificates males, 932 females and five not 1938 was year a stated. 1,830, which gives the past net gain of 33. on certificates were Drowning STORK FAR OUTDISTANCES REAPER IN ALASKA; 1939 BIRTHS 1,963, DEATHS 1,246 Births increased and deaths de- of Alaska, creased in Alaska during 1939, ac- cording to a report from the Audi- ex-officio Registrar of Vital Stattistics. During the year a total of 1963 The total for were filed, 1,026 Deaths in Alaska totaled 1246 in Nebraska, New Hampshire, Nortn|1939. Males totaled 797, | Dakota, South Dakota, South Caro- | 447, With two not stated there were 1402 deaths racted females In 1938 recorded, 156 more than in the past year. A total of 860 marriages were con- during the year, as com- | pared with 877 in 1938, a decrease of 17. Among the causes of death given 29 the following: 1939 1938 55 Premature Birth 22 29 | Broncho Pnéumonia 9 24 Cancer 46 35 Cerebral Hemorrhage 21 10 | colds 9 16 | Coronary Thrombosis 37 14 | Heart Disease 73 111 | Hemorrhage 19 50 3 Measles 33 1 Meningitis % 41 Mpyocarditis 35 32 Pneumonia 133 126 Senility 3% 28 Suicide 25 19 Tuberculosis 254 274 ‘Whooping Cough 25 48 -+ The glaciers of Alaska lie mainly between 56 and 61 degrees north | latitude, in a ‘belt about 1,000 miles {long and 80 to 100 miles wide - D e Gold is plentiful in Alaska, but ;(‘0.\(. of extracting it often is pro- hibitive. Wit “INCOMPARABL SUPERIOR” SAYS JOSE ITURBI This tribute to human effort by such a top- ranking artist must considered seriously by any piano buyer. Such a tribute is a com- pliment to ‘the best in men, methods and ma- terials combined in the Baldwin grand piano. ‘To this major consider- ation we add the sug- gestions of leading decorators: Their crea- tions of rooms for the grand piano will be of interest to you. May we show you this unusual portfolio, at your convenience. n PIANOS ALASKA MUSIC SUPPLY Second Street, Juneau, Alaska ALASKA FEDERAL SAVINGS & LOAN ASSOCIATION OF JUNEAU JUNEAU, ALASKA PHONE 3 This institution, like our Nation, is founded on homes, occupied by their owners. You cannot find a safer place for savings and but few that are as profitable. OUR CURRENT RATE ON SAVINGS: 4% .