WDL. 7 NO. 21
KODIAK, ALASKA JULY 19, 1947
PRICE 10 CENTS
Derby Set
For August
Kodiak's Second Annnal Sal
mon Derby, with cash prizes and
dory awaiting the fishermen and
fiaherwomen who can hook the
largest salmor, will be held on
Snday, August 31, it was an
noun red this week by Marcus
Meyer, chairman of the Center
program committee.
The derby will be open to all
■■■dents of Kodiak and vicinity
and of the Navy Base.
Announcement of the Salmon
Darby provided another attrac
awn for what promises to be a
gala Labor Day weekend observ
aane in Kodiak Members of the
Kodiak Carden Club have re
served the Community Center
tar their Second Annual Garden
aad Flower Show on the same
nay while on Labor Day, Sep
tenaber 1. the Veterans of For
eign Wars are planning an all
day program of athletic compe
tition, dancing, barbecue and
entertainment for all the people
of the area.
The Labor Day weekend
festivities will began with a sum
mer formal dance at the Com
munity Center on Friday, Aug
ust 29 Reservations for this af
fair, limited to sixty couples,
■rill be opened within the next
frw days.
Agent Promoted
Walter Sipprell, who has been
local agent for the Alaska Steam*
ship company, has been promot
ed to grneral agent with head
quarters at Seward H. N. Peter
son, passenger traffic manager,
Seattle, announced this week.
Mr. Stpprell left Sunday for
Seward to take up his new
duties.
He will route shipj for the
Prince William Sound, Cook In
let and Kodiak island areas from
the Seward office. Mrs Sipprell
■a temporary acting agent in
Kadiak.
Forest Fire
Still Spreading
Ancho age (■£*)—The Kenai
peninsula forest file turned south
after making a last, stab at the
town of Kenai earlier in the
week, and is now advancing
southward toward Cbickloon bay
and the town of Kaeilof.
A swampland 10 miles from
Kasilof is expected to act as an
affective banie to the flames. I
Bulldozers are being used for
eompleting a new fire barrier
around Kenai. Dense smoke
hianketiiig the area forced planes
to halt spraying in an attempt
•a control mosquitos that ara
tormenting fire fighters.
Russian Boats
Visit Harbor
Two boats, the Mousson and
Passat, manned by Russian
crews, arrived at ErskiDe’s dock
i Saturday morning and remained
here waiting better weather until
Tuesday morning.
The vessels were former Army
tugs, purchased as surplus by the
Russian government, and the
vessels had been picked up at
San Francisco and were being re
turned to Vladivostock.
Local residents and childrt ■
visited the boats daily and the
crews seemed to enjoy meeting
local Russian-speaking residents
Denali Due Today
According to a message from
the ship yesterday the Denali
will arrive in Kodiak this after
noon, Mrs Viola Sipprell, acting
agent for the Alaska Steamship
company, reports It has 2(>6
tons of freight for Kodiak.
Building Permits
Building permits granted ly
the ouneil this week included:
Clarence Selig, sun porch on
residence, $500
J®e Marino, washroom addi
tion on home, $100
Grace Sabanoff, Dorch on
trailer house, $!00
Stanley Alvine, move shed to
site of new Clark Garage for
period of construction
Mill and Anna May Vokaeek,
12 by 24 extension to new shop,
Lot 12 G Block 16, $400
Basil W. Clark, new garage
building N. Brooklyn, 56 by 54
feet, frame building with trussed
roof, $10,000
Boat Hits
Reef, Sinks
A Halibut boat struck a reef
near Hog Island in the Afognak
area Monday and sank, a total
loss, i ut the crew all got off safe
ly in a skiff, it was reported here
ibis week.
A navy vessel was dispatched
rom Kodiak to br tig the crew
members to this city.
The boat, named "Rainbow,”
out of Seattle, was registered at
a gross 139 tons and had 18,090
pounds of fish aboard when lost.
Captain of the vessel was B.
R. Giske, of Seattle.
Other crew members were his
son, Burton Giske, Norman Nil
ten, Herbert Sather, Jacob Hen
ricksen, J.ars Aurstnes, Albert
Bogeness William Hammoh,
Hans Kartsnes and Ole Hanson,
nil of Seattle; and Ed Berg, of
Ketchikan. >"
Deputy U. S. Marshal Paul
Herring is trying to arrange
transportation to Seattle for the
men.
Test Case
Stymied
Fairbanks—Harry E. Pratt,
presiding judge of the 4th Divi
sion court, bas sustained a gov
ernment demuner and given the
city of Kodiak 30 days to amend
a complaint in a suit which at
tempted to give that city power
to tax natives owning property
in the city.
Earl Cooper, assistant district
attorney, represented the govern
ment, and attorney Buell Nes
bett, of Anchorage, represented
the city of Kodiak.
Judge Piatt ruled that “the
court has no jurisdiction over the
subject matter of the action."
The puit was brought by Kod
iak in the name of Tom Nachand
against Tom Parks, townsite
trustee, and Secretary Krug of
the Interior department. It was
•losely watched because of ter
ritiorai wide implications.
Nesbett sought to prove a
Congressional act unconstitution
al which prevents Kodiak from
taxing natives owning property
within the city. The act compels
the natives to obtan consent
from tbe Interior department
when they want to sell their land,
by insertion of a restricted deed
clause.
Technically the suit was an
attempt to remove a cloud of
title. Actually it was an attempt
to prove the congres-ional act
unconstitutional. Forty-eight
Kodiak natives are now tax ex
empt.
Cooper, in his arguments, said
the United .States govern nem
should have been made a defend
ant in the sut Because the
court ruled in Cooper’s favor it,
will be impossible for Kodiak to
bring the suit unless Congress
passes a law authorizing it to sue
the federal government.
A check of records shows that
& deed held by Nachand dales
hack to the Russian owne ship
of Alaska. The original de< d to
the property was hc< ed ly
Prince Matsoukof, ret resenting
Russia, in 186S.
Nesbett declared that since he
sould trace the property back it
should be recognized as private
property and no restrictions ap
plied. The assistant district at
torney claimed that the natives
ire wards of the government and
therefore the government should
oe included in any such suit.
Kodiak boys and girls between
the ages of 7 and 11 are invited
to take a hike Monday under the
<pnnsorebip of the Community
Center. The group will leave the
Center at 11 am under the lead
ership of Ken Wada. The leturn,
will be made before 6 pm. The I
hikers are expected to provide j
(heir own lunch.
2 Excursion
Flights Sunday
Two flights, instead of one as
originally announced, will be
made Sunday by the 55-passen
ger DC-4 coming to Kodiak with
55 passengers from Aucherage
The 2 flights will enable 110
to make the trip, and ti6 have
signed up so far, Ray Martin*
local PNA agent, announced to
day. Passengers are asked to
pick up their tiukets today if
possible so as to avoid delays on
Sunday and others wanting seats
should make their reservations
at onee.
The plane is due in Kodiak
around 10 am.
The flight will be longer than
similar excursions last year. Mr.
Martin said, and included in this
year’s trip will be a flight over
Katmai mountain, the volcano
pe ak on the mainland responsible I
for the ash covering Kodiak
island.
The fare is $10 plus $1.50 tax.
__
BP W Meeting Monday
The Business & Professional
Women’s club will meet at 8 at
the Community Center Monday
for their July evening meeting
Following the business meeting
the program, in charge of Mrs.
Edythe Smith, cha rman of the
membership committee, will h**
presented
All members should be pres
ent.
The board of directors meeting
this month was held at the home)
of Mrs Justine Hmckel
Deeds recorded this week in
cluded:
Jack Allman to O. L. Chand
ler, duplex on Shelikof, portion#
of Lot-i 10 & 11 of Block 18.
Clarence Selig to Harvey Ed
wards, portion of lot 15 of
Blork 16
Alaska Bills
Are Passed
Washington (JP)—The Senate
parsed yesterday House bills »o
authorize the Governor of Alaska
to grant pardons and to empow
er the Alaska legislature to zone
public lands near municipalities.
The bills now go to the Presid
ent
Other Alaska legislation passed
by the Senate included bills to:
Reserve to the United States
rights-of-way on lands deeded try
the government.
Authorize citizenship certific
ates to Metlakatla Ind ans.
Permit government employee
lesiding in Alaska to trace' in
Army airplanes to and from the
United States.
Street Work
Planned
It will cost approximately
$30,000 to bring the main street
up to grade line with other work
preparatory to final surfacing,
according to an estimate pre
sented to the city council Mon
day by J. F. Eaton, who ha*
drawn the plans for the work
Plans provide for storm sewers,
curbing and building or cutting
to grade, with culverte near
Blinn’s and the Commissioner’*
office and a retaining wall on
the south side of Alaska Way
near Brooklyn. The grade lino
has been established so no build
ing floors are below it, al
though some will be higher than
the sidewalk, Mr Eaton said.
Mr. Eaton said the work eou d
be completed in about 120 cal
endar days if all matei ial is avail
able The project was referred to
the street committee for deter
mination of the per cent of cost
to be assessed propeity owaeis
and for other steps toward ask
ing for bids.
The council approved a hill of
$1525 f<>r Mr. Eaton’s wo k.
The council approved extend
ing the water penalty date to the
15th of the month to conform
with the other utilities. It was
reported 81 places so far have
been surveyed that are not con
nected to the city sewer
Notice was given that the
Pinch apartments will be closed
un ess sewer woik is authoriaed
by August 1 by the owner.
The matter of a city clean-up
was referred to a committee con
sisting of Tuck Wheeldon, chair
man, Blackie Patterson and
Vic Ellis to draw up plans for
the campaign.
A 25 cents reduction in wharf
age and handling charges was
granted the Frank McConaghy
cannery for canned salmon now
!>emg handled ov« r lie «ity dock.
Mayor Bettinger reported that
a'1 data on the pr >p -*d cold
storage site at the citv dock had
beeu sent to the ernri eers for
preparation of estiin eg.
A letter was read from the
CIM hospital, regarding noise
trim small planes taking off m
the channel near the hospital,
and pilots a;e to be contacted to
obtain their cooperation in tak
ing off and landing fartho from
the hospital building
Taxi permits were transferred
from Chester Peterson *o Art
Dee ring, and Art & Ixrrena
Kiser to Merle Phillips
A refund on a permit declared
invalid was granted to J. .1
Springhill
A request for a lease on a
niesshall building at. the city
dock, by Jack Cirohe for use »»
an automobile repair shop was
iled for later reference.