"News oj oAmencds Last Frontier’’
)L. 4 NO. 39
KODIAK, ALASKA FEBRUARY 10, 1945
PRICE 10 CENTS
lew P. O.
n Prospect
Only two possible stumbling
ocks stand in the way of a new
et office building for Kodiak
plans were made this week for
nstruction of a new building
pressly for the po-^t office, now
sated in a W. J. Erskine corn
ay building adjacent to Er
ine’s store.
In answer to an advertisement
rbids on new quarters Ben
raft, local merchant, has sig
hed his intention to construct
building for the post office
uth of the Bank of Kodiak.
, W. Sellers, postal inspector,
is been in town several days in
mnection with the planned
hiding and other postal mat
es.
It is reported the projected
hiding would have a frontage
approximately 30 feet on Mill
jy road and extend 80 feet back
irallel to the bank building,
he building would provide for
stallation of approximately 600
nt boxes and would have a rear
itrance on the alley behind the
ink. If approved the construc
on will necessitate moving the
raft residence south to make
>om for the new building.
The two possible stumbling
ocks are: (1) approval by the
>st office department, Washing
n, D. C., of terms of the lease
ivering rental of the building
i them; (2) release by the War
•eduction Board of materials
scessary for the construction.
If approved and if materials
e released it is expected con
ruction contracts would be let
unediately.
ax Collector
>ue Next Week
A. Verle Collar, deputy col
:tor of Internal Revenue, of
e Anchorage office, will arrive
Kodiak Feb. 18 (transporta
>n permitting) to assist with
some tax returns and other
k matters.
As his stay this year will be
orter than previous visits, Mr.
•liar requests that those wish*
5 assistance get their informa
® together for filing their re
ms so the largest number of
ople can be accommodated in
8 shortest possible time.
1. The 1944 Revenue Law
ikes it necessary for every in
ridual required to file a return
submit a copy of his Form
2, Employees Receipt of Tax
Withheld, with his return.
(is is very important.
2. Every individual regardless
age must file a return if his
her income during 1944 was
X) or more. Thus, children
ving income of $500 or more
$50,000 For New
School Sought
Action of the local Chamber of
Commerce in seeking a $50,000
appropriation for a new school at
Kodiak has received approval of
Governor Gruening, who wired
the chamber this week offering
suggestion for effective action in
contacting legislators
Wires have also been sent by
the city clerk to members of the
legislature, referring to the re
port of the Territorial Commis
sioner of Education James C.
Ryan on the inadequacy of the
local school. Commissioner Ryan
promised any help possible from
his office in securing an appropri
ation.
Seeks Son's
FullCustody
Anchorage—A request made
by Mrs. E. G, Branham, (form
er Maxine Shaw) for modifica
tion of a divorce decree to give
her complete custody of her
child, is under study by Judge
Anthony Dimond.
Little Howard Shaw, over
whom a court fight is being
waged, is in Arizona where his
father, Linnie Shaw, former Ko
diak bus line owner, fled with
him early last fall in defiance o"
a court ruling. The father has
refused to divulge his wherea
bouts despite threat of a kidnap
ing charge.
At the time of the couple’s
divorce in 1941 the oourt grant
ed complete custody of the 2
year old child to the father. In
1943 Judge Hellenthal modified
the decree and gave custody of
the child to each parent for al
ternate periods of one year, with
the stipulation the child remain
in the Territory under the court’s
jurisdiction.
Mrs. Branham appeared be
fore the court last Saturday in
the latest sequel to the suit in
which the father is also charged
with being in contempt of court.
must file their own return and
pay any tax due over and above
the amount withheld. In the a
bove instance, the parents are
liable if the tax is not paid and
the parents may not include the
child’s income on their return or
claim the child as a dependent.
3. Individuals who had in
come of less than $500 and on
which tax has been withheld
must file a return to obtain re
fund of the amount withheld.
Anna E. Confaglia is employ
ed at the Patrick Lynch com
pany until the return of Mrs.
Dorothy Haag.
DeathTakes
Old-timer
Fred Sargent, one of Kodiak’s
best-known old-timers and son
of a pioneer Kodiak family, died
suddenly of a heart attack on
February 6 in Corte Madera,
Calif., according to word sent
here by Mrs. Sargent to two of
their children, Walter and Alvin
Sargent, No further details were
given except that the funeral
was arranged for tomorrow (Sun
day) at San Francisco,
Mr. and Mrs. Sargent left
Kodiak in September to visit
with their children in the States
and expected to return to Kodi
ak in the Spring. While there
Mr. Sargent planned to take
treatment for a stomach ail
ment.
Frederick Sloan Sargent was
69 years of age, having been
born in Kodiak on Dec. 27, 18
75. His father was a member of
the army of occupation station
ed at Kodiak after transfer of
the Territory from Russia to the
United States.
Mr. Sargent lived in Kodiak
all his life and engaged in fish
ing; for a number of years he
operated a saltery at Shuyak.
Besides the widow and sons
Alvin and Walter of Kodiak,
Mr. Sargent is survived by the
following children: Mrs. Fern
Cleghorn and Mis. Corinne Pet
rich, both of San Francisco;
Mrs. Esta Schmidt, Los Angeles;
Mrs. Mary Case and Mrs. Nettie
Menchaca, both living in Texas;
a son, Ted, in the Army Trans
port Service, last heard from on
his way to Australia; and three
sons in the Army; Bill, in a hos
pital in Spokane; Neil, stationed
in California; and Edward,
somewhere in France. He is also
survived by 8 grandchildren.
Harbor Bill
Washington, D. C.—A survey
with a view toward improve
ments of Kodiak harbor is pro
vided in the present rivers and
harbors bill now pending in Con
gress. Also listed are Anchorage,
3itka, Cordova, Neva and Olga
Straits Upper Kvichak, Skag
way and Valdez.
None of the projects listed, if
the bill passes, would be author
ized until 6 months after the war
unless it is recommended for
quicker action by a military a
gency.
Washington, D. C. (JP)—The
Alaska salmon pack for 1945 is
expected to total about 5 million
cases, 15 per cent below normal
production but slightly more
than the 1944 yield of 4,856,000
eases, smallest in many years.
Gabrielson said shortages of
manpower and equipment are re
sponsible for the decline.
Register Foils
Theft Attempt
An unidentified party broke
into the back door of the An
chor Cafe Wednesday night aft
er its closing, made an unsuc
cessful attempt to open a locked
cash register, and left without
taking anything.
Police said the person evident
ly replaced a small night light
with a larger globe to see better
and then sat the cash register on
the floor behind the counter and
removed about five screws from
it with a knife before giving up.
There was about $20 in the
register.
Hospital Bill
Asks $9000
Juneau (Special)— House Bill
41, introduced Tuesday by War
ren Taylor, asks for a $9000 de
ficiency appropriation for the
Griffin Memorial hospital at Ko
diak, Alaska.
The deficiency appropriation
is to cover debts of the hospital
remaining after transfer of the
hospital, owned by the Territory
and operated formerly by a local
board of trustees, to the Grey
Nuns of Philadelphia. The lease
between the Grey Nuns and the
Territory provided the institu
tion should be transferred with
out assumption of obligations by
the new operators.
Juneau (Special)—The Senate
passed the House bill on equal
rights, 11 to 5. Voting against
the measure were Rogge, Col
lins, Scott, Shattuck and Walsh.
It is being returned to the House
for minor amendments.
Four Senators and 12 Repre
sentatives left Thursday night
to visit the Pioneers Home at
Sitka and will return Sunday.
Alfred Harsch, tax expert,
was quizzed Thursday afternoon
over the proposed tax measure
at a public hearing in the Sen
ate.
Mike Metrokin
Dies At Sitka
Juneau (Special)—Mike Me
trokin, a native Alaskan, born
in Kodiak on November 21, 18
84, died at the Pioneers Home
at Sitka on Jan. 30 of this year.
Mr. Metrokin, who lived in
Alaska all of his life, was a cook
and a fisherman by trade. He
served for many years on the
old Steamer Dora. He was ad
mitted to the Home on Novem
ber 18, 1943.
Oil Shortage
Looms Here
The local supply of fuel oil is
critically low, Merrill Coon, local
igent for the Standard Oil Com
pany announced today, and be
ginning this week oil to all local
consumers will be rationed.
“There is no need for great
concern,” Mr. Coon said, “if
everyone will cooperate in con
serving oil in every way pos
sible ”
A plan has been worked out,
Mr. Coon explained, whereby all
persons desiring oil must order
through the Standard Oil office,
naming the transfer they wish
to have deliver it. The avail
able oil will be apportioned
among users and no oil will be
delivered to any consumer who
has oil storage until he has used
that storage first.
Of the small amount of oil on
hand a reserve has been set aside
for the school, mission and hos
pital, Mr. Coon said. There is a
possibility, he added, if all oil is
consumed before new supplies
are received, that a much strict
er rationing may have to be em
ployed The present plan was a
dopted in the hope of making
the present supply la6t as long as
possible with as little inconveni
ence as possible to everyone.
The situation is not so acute
as it was a year ago, he explain
ed, as many took heed of the
warnings of the company to in
crease oil storage and fill them
before the arrival of the oil tank
er last Sprimr. If more had done
so, he said, enough oil might
have been stored to last through
the winter period. The oil supply
would have been completely ex
hausted now if the winter had
been as severe as a year ago.
People can not only help by
conserving oil themselves, Mr.
Coon pointed out, but those with
oil storage supplies of more than
two months can aid the situation
by selling their surpluses to
other consumers they know to
be in need of it
Consumers’ storage in town is
well-filled as of this week, be
said; otherwise the company’s
oil supply would last normally
only a week longer.
A fire alarm was turned in at
7:07 pm Friday when a chimney
of the A1 Fenner apartment burn
ed out and showered sparks on
the roof. There was no damage.
The building, owned by Harry
Howe, is located next to Rhoades
Furniture store on Harbor Ave.
Washington, D. C (<#*)—Rep
resentative DeLacy introduced a
bill for construction and opera
tion of a hospital at Seattle for
Alaskan insane patients.