Eodiak fllirror
"&(e<nh of America's Last frontier
Published Bvery Saturday at Kodiak, Alaska
Yearly Subscription Rate $5,00
Entered ia Ike Peetofftoe at Kodiak, Alaska’as Second
Class nutter eader act of Congress of March 3, 1878.)
MIRROR PUBLISHING COMPANY
Melton L. Crawford, Editor and Publisher
Jeanne R. Crawford, Associate Editor
" . . . (hat government of the people, by the people,
for the people shall not perish from the earth■'—Lincoln
MEMBER OF ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the use
for reoublication of all news dispatches credited to it
or not otherwise credited in this paper and also the
local news published herein.
JUVENILE, COURTS NEEDED
What to do with juvenile lawbreakers is a question that1
jdaguesour territorial courts and will continue to be a problem1
until provisions are made for funds with which to build cor-]
factional institutions and pay probation officers. I
Judge Anthony J. Dimond recently told an Anchorage
PTA group that the biggest problem an Alaskan judge faces
is “what to do with youthful offenders." j
Kodiak has long tried to meet the problem. A case in ■
which 12 and 13 year old boys were found guilty of looting
parked cars at the naval station, heard in commissioner’s
court Monday, is among the most recent instances.
The U. S. Marshal and city police have had numerous
reports of such incidents locally and in cases where the offen
ders were caught, they proved to be youths who had repeat
edly been before the commissioner.
Because of a lack of juvenile institutions and because
•f the desire to keep young offenders out of jail, away from
hardened criminals, they are either given suspended sen
tences, put on probation to their parents, or judgement is
withheld by the court in the hopes that the threat of a future
bearing will prevent further wrong-doing.
Judge Dimond said he considers the territorial law
governing the treatment of juvenile delinquents an excellent
law. He added, “in addition to a good law and good will,
money is needed”, for institutions where the juvenile could
be separated from old and hardened criminals.
The cost of maintaining a prisoner in a federal jail
amounts to $2.43 a day, Judge Dimond said. “It seems to me
that we can well afford to spend money on the prevention of (
crime by helping the adjustment of youthful wrongdoers.”
He further pointed out that environment, not heredicy,:
is the cause of most juvenile delinquency.
The problem should be immediately presented to the
Territorial Legislature, which is now in session in Juneau, for
consideration. We suggest you write your representative now.
Alaska’s problems should be solved within the territory and
through territorial financing. Most of the states have juvenile
■ courts and it is evident that they are needed in Alaska.
BANK MONEY ORDERS
To send money to other cities, use
Bank Money Orders. They are easy to buy.
They are cheaper than postal money ord
ers, safe in the mails, and can be cashed
without red tape. Quickly replaced if lost.
Next time ask for a Bank Money Or
der. Any teller will serve you.
SCHEDULE OF COSTS
Less than $10.00 10 cents
$10.01 — 15.00 15 cents
$15.01 — 20.00 20 cents
$20.01 — 100.00 25 cents
Over $100.00 25 cents
per $100
Otosad •▼erf Thursday
fiuktei Mnrioi at N. O. Fridays, Old Administration Building, 6:00 IJO P. M
MEMBER FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION
LEGISLATIVE FARGE: ACT I
The memorial introduced into the Territorial Legislature
this week by the seven representatives, all Democrats, from
the Third Division, is as foolish a piece of business as any we
have ever heard.
; Republicans may find solace in the thought that it was
; the other party that spawned this ‘.‘well-thought out" piece of'
wisdom but they should remember that Labor Commissioner i
Henry Benson, a Republican, proposed in Washington, two i
months ago, that in the event Alaska was not granted state
hood by Congress the question of Alaskan independence be
placed before the United Nations.
For the benefit of those who came in late, our recently
elected representatives from the Third Division, all Democrats, |
presented a memorial this week to the Territorial Legislature
that “Alaska have the right to declare absolute independence
i from the United States and to form the Republic of Alaska”
in the event a statehood bill fails to pass Congress.
I The seven representatives have been compared to a'
I child that wants its birthday present before it has a birthday.
| We are of the persuasion that they are just making a
! lot of unnecessary noise to convince their constituents that
they are working for their interests.
We suggest that the seven Democrats introduce another
memorial demanding that they and Benson be given a barren
1 island far out the Aleutian chain, that they move there and
| set up a republic for themselves and the seals and that they
now stop taking up other legislators’ time and using the tax
payers money to bring themselves to the attention of the
public.
Town Tidbits |
Until we hear otherwise, we *
nominate as Kodiak’s youn-j
gest grandmother Mrs. Wil- j
liam Fish of the Donnelley i
and Acheson women’s depart-1
ment.
Mrs. Fish, 34, says she]
, thought she’d at least be 35
before having to retire to
grand motherhood, but her
daughter Audrey the wife of
5 Ft. Greely FFC Rodney Isaac
son, gave birih to a five pound:
baby girl Sunday at the base
hospital. The little girl has
been named Ruth Audrey.
The mother is 17. . .
Although they like to do i
their own “copping”. Kodiak,
police are grateful sometimes.
for the help of one of the
town's “elderly playboys.”
thej
On occasions when
police have been ready to re
proach drinking offenders,
they have been beaten to the
draw by the e. p. who
snatches away the bottle,
meanwhile thoroughly con
vincing the tottering offenders
by showing his Dick Tracy
police badge. . . .
A mayor gets all sorts of
mail, as Lee C. Bettingefr will
tell you.
A recent day brought two
communications from outside,
one from a young man who
said he had served in the navy
here during the war.
At that time, he wrote, he
had obtained an * ‘ice worm
cerificate” and had recently
mislaid it. Would the mayor,
he wanted to know, be good
enough to purchase another
and send it to him,
and the ex-gob would send the
re-imbursement immediately.
The mayor did.
The other letter started out
“Yon don’t know who the
h—I am, but I’d like to come
to Kodiak and start in busi
ness. I have four lovely girls
ready to come with me. .’’The
letter asked hizzoner to give
his assistance and suggestions
about a possible business set
up here. The mayor didn’t. .
The Kodiak MIRROR’S ad
vertisers, bless their hearts,
are supposed to have their copy
ready to be picked up on Tues
days. Some do, some don’t,
and others have to be gently
prodded.
! This week we had a
J pleasant surprise from one ad
writer. Roy Arneson, D and
A butcher and copy-writer,
had his ad ready as usual.
The amazing thing was that
Arneson prepared it in a
j hospital bed, where he was
recuperating from an ap
pendectomy, and had it ready
on schedule. . .
Hospital ’Veins
BIRTHS:
To Mr. and Mrs. Pete Olsen,
a son, Jan. 30, 8 lbs., 11 oz.
jname, Mark Edward.
I Minor surgery: Richard
I Crittenden. Medical attention:
Mrs. Wilton White.
Mrs. Paul Herring has been
added to the staff of Griffin
Memorial hospital as part
time nurse, replacing Mrs.
Gertrude Wickett who re
signed.
Suggests Police
Juneau (-•?) — A bill to cre
ate a department of territorial
police, introduced by two
Third Division Democrats in
Juneau last week, provides for
a $7,200 yearly salary for the
superintendent.
The bill would put enforce
ment of all criminal laws into
the lap of the proposed police
department. The present high
way patrol would be abolished.
Written examinations would
be specified in the selection of
men for the police force,
“without regard to race,
creed, color, political affilia
tions or other considerations.”
The bill would prohibit any
political activity by members
of the force.
The measure was introduced
by Reps. Wendell Kay and
Jack Scavenius, both first
term Democrats.
BOOK REVIEW
By Sister St. Hilary
PATHWAY TO THE STARS
by Harnett T. Kane
This is a novel based on the
-life of John McDonough of
New Orleans and Baltimore.
It traces the fabulous career
of a man who was perhaps the
most misunderstood and at
the same time the wealthiest
man of his time in New Or
leans, just one hundred and
fifty years ago. John Mc
Donough started to carve his
career in the shipping busi
ness, when he left Baltimore
for the colorful city of New
Orleans, but turned to the
land when he experienced
some of the hazards of his
first choice. With an almost
uncanny ability to choose the
property which would bring
him the greatest profit, he
eventually became the largest
land-holder in the country.
His success was partly due
to his disappointment in the
beautiful and wealthy Micaela
Almonester, who ridiculed his
offer of marriage from the
pinnacle upon which her
wealth and family position
had placed her. Determined to
‘‘show the Almonesters” he
proceeded to build a house to
rival theirs, but when he met
the lovely and gentle Susan he
was to find that money was
not the answer. He had few
friends—Ed, his partner,
generous, warm-hearted De
siree and her son Francois,
who launched him into the
social life of New Orleans;
Elaine and David, her boy.
gifted, musical David, who
was to taste of the bitterness
that comes with the possession
of a tawny-colored skin.
Life could have been much
kinder to McDonough, had he
faced his problems with less
pride and a little more effortt
to understand people as he
wished to be understood. It
was only after his death,
when his will was published,
that the astonished people of
New Orleans realized that
through his philanthropy,
public education for the child
ren of the city was assured.
His bequest is the basis of
the public school system in
New Orleans; thirty-fivn
schools bear his name, and
every year thousands of school
children, at his expressed re
quest, place flowers at the
foot of his statue. There are
children in the procession of
every color and race.
Harnett T. Kane is a native
of the South; he has written
eight books portraying life in
Louisiana, and is now at work
on two others, one a noval on
the life of Mrs. Robert E.
Lee. The present book is ab
sorbingly interesting; the
reader is amazed to find one
individual undergoing so many
colorful experiences in a life
time, yet remaining so much
alone and withdrawn from the
world.
Frank McConaghy, Whix
Halferty executive was an ia-r
coming PNA passenger from.
Seattle Thursday.