iVinSSS PA ESS A/JJNEP
Vol. 1.
DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF MOOSE PASS AND KENAI PENINSULA
Moose Pass, Alaska - July 27« 1939 _
No. 25
DELEGATE DIMOND KEEPS IN MIND
INTERESTS OP WESTERN ALASKA
When the President sent a special re
quest to the Speaker of the House of Rep
resentatives on June 26 for $500,000 with
which to initiate construction on the
Coast Guard station and air base, which
had been authorized for Alaska by an Act
of Congress approved June 2, it marked an
other step toward fulfillment of the three
point program of defense Delegate Dimond
has built up during the past six years in
Congress. The balanced program that the
Delegate advocates for defense of Alaska -
incorporated this year in the President’s
plan of national defense - involves and
depends upon the Army, the Navy, and the
Coast Guard, for its full development.
Estimated cost of construction of the
Coast Guard station, which has the approv
al of the President and of the Bureau of
the Budget, is $2,733,000. At a hearing
on the bill the testimony disclosed that
the Coast Guard must serve the dual func
tions of providing for national defense
and maritime police duties, that their
vessels are constructed for both peacetime
and war purposes, that in time of war the
Coast Guard passes automatically under the
Navy Department as a part of the naval for
ces of the country. The Navy Department
after a survey of many sites has selected
one near Kodiak to be built contemporane
ously with the Navy Base.
TRANSPORTATION SERVICE ON
WESTWARD MAIL ROUTES
Hearing was held before the House Com
mittee on Post Office and. Post Roads June
30 on Delegate Dimond's bill to provide an
adequate passenger and freight transporta
tion service from Seward to points on Ko
diak Island, the Alaska Peninsula and west
ward to Unalaska, Umnak Island and points
in Bristol Bay as far north as Goodnews
Bay. The proposed legislation would auth
orize the Postmaster General to contract
for the delivery of the nail on the route
in a "safe and seaworthy boat" of suffi
cient size to provide adequate space for
mail, "passengers and freight."
Under present law the Postmaster Gener
al has the authority to contract for de
livery of the mail, but this authority
does not permit the specification of a
vessel capable of meeting transportation
needs as a common carrier.
In a statement he made before the House
Committee on Postoffice and Post Roads,
Delegate Dimond told them"that there is
every reason to expect a consistent in
crease in the population and business in
the westward area if suitable transporta
tion facilities are provided."
ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF INTERIOR
7/ILL VISIT SOUTH CENTRAL ALASKA
The Hon. Oscar L. Chapman, Assistant
Secretary of the Interior, will visit Al
aska in August and will cone to Seward.
He plans to spend three weeks in the Ter
ritory and will precede President Roose
velt, who is also coming in August. The
president, however, will cone no further
'into Alaska than the panhandle.
Mrs. Helen Troy 3ender, daughter of
Governor John W. Troy, has been visiting
in Washington, D.C. She was the house
guest of former governor of Alaska Thomas
Riggs and Mrs. Riggs.
The money grant for flood control at
Fairbanks also includes "relocation of a
part of the Richardson Highway outside of
the flood area."
Mr. and Mrs. Merritt Shellhorn of Sew
ard won the all-Alaska championship in the
World Olympic Bridge tournament.
The Matanuska Valley Farmers Coopera
tive association is really and actually
going to be allowed to function as a co
operative. At least the ARRC has turned
over three important units - creamery pro
duce, meat, and egg departments to the ac
tual management and operation of the Far
mers Cooperative.
The new manager of the Cooperative, L.
C. Stock, with 18 years of successful co
operative administration experience behind
him and IF he is allowed to function, will
bring the Cooperative to a model point
where the w*"*ld at large will recognize
its success instead of seeking it flaws.
At a meeting of 400 interested cooper
atives in Palmer July 15, Mr. Stock said
in part: "The deal that had its beginning
"with the administration of the producers
units and has just recently been further
strengthened with the complete turnover
of control together with an operating fund
so we can do the buying and selling, hand
le our own bookkeeping and establish our
own procedure along cooperative lines is
in my opinion the turning point in the
history of this project."
This month the House of Representatives
passed a bill introduced by Delegate Di
mond, providing authority for employees of
The Alaska Railroad, or annuitants under
the retirement system to designate the
beneficiary they wish to receive the paid
in value of their retirement accounts in
the event of death.