"News oj oAmencd’s
VOL. 3 NO. 16
KODIAK, ALASKA JUNE 10, 1943
PRICE 10 GENTS
City Dads
Have Meet
The city council met Monday
night at the city hall in regular
meeting, Mayor Nick Miell pre
siding.
Resigns
At the beginning of the meet
ing Jim Pierce, police chief and
council member, submitted his
resignation as councilman, which
the council accepted. Charles
Skinner was appointed to fill out
his unexpired term.
Taxes
The council set the rate of
taxation at 20 mills, same rate
as last year, and tax notices will
be mailed next week. Adjust
ments on appraisals will be made
by the board of equalization
I which will meet from 7:30 to 9
pm from July 6 to 12.
A fee of $2 per hour was auth
orized to pay Assessor A1 Nixon,
and a bill for 130 hours for the
work was approved.
Docks
The matter of construction by
the city of a municipal dock was
focussed, and $1000 was author
ize for investigation of possible
sites. P J. Watkinson, vice pres
ident of the W. J, Erskine & Co.,
owners of the only present dock,
said that dock was available for
lease or purchase by the city and
the committee was instructed to
consider that offer also.
uiner Business
The council approved expend
iture of $2350, estimated needed
for road improvements, includ
ing widening of of Tugorra, ex
tension of a street across the
school grounds and other work.
The school committee was in
structed to look into the matter
of a slide type fire escape for the
schoolhouse, reported a necessity
by Fire Cheif Win. Neiderhaus
er The chief said he had made a
survey of fire extinguishers, and
asked that all persons having fire
extinguishers furnished by the
city turn them in at the fire hall
for servicing.
A lease between the city and
the Public Works Agency on the
two fire trucks was also approved.
As plumbing is not covered in
the building code the city clerk
applied to Seattle for sample or
dinances on the subject as a
model for one here. The sewer
committee was also asked to in
vestigate the present connecting
of private users to the sewer
system.
Councilman Pearson reported
investigation disclosed that a 30
by 40 room could be constructed
in the unused third floor of the
school for not less than $3000
(continued on page 4)
Kodiak Version: “For
Whom the Belles Peel”
Will California papers please
copy?
A. Californian (Sacramento, to
be exact) arrived on the latest
boat, and on her first day in
Kodiak was her face red!
Reason: sunburn.
Former Resident
Dies In Seattle
Word has been received here
that Violet LaFollette, former
well-known resident here, died
in Seattle June 12 after a short
illness. She is survived by her
husband.
The deceased left Kodiak last
September after three years’ re
sidence.
Mrs. Walter Evans underwent
an appendectomy Wednesday
morning at the Griffin hospital.
Explosion
Burns Two
Andrew Petersen and Norman
Hangartner, fishermen, are being
treated at the Griffin Memorial
hospital for burns received in an
explosion aboard a fishing boat
near Uganik fisheries June 12.
Petersen suffered burns on the
face and hands and Hangartner
on his arms. Both are recovering
nicely under the new paraffin
treatment.
The men were entered at the
Army hospital when first, brought
here because of furnace trouble
at the town hospital but were
transferred this week.
Neither patient could account
for the cause or the explosion.
Mrs. Al Nixon has been ap
pointed by the city to check on
business licenses.
News Highlights
Pacific Front
In one of the greatest air bat
tles of the Pacific, American
planes shot down 77 Japanese
aircraft from an armada of 100
over Guadalcanal Wed against
the loss of 6. The Navy an
nounced that never before had
the enemy’s air losses in that
area been so heavy. The total
was almost double Jap losses of
April 7 when 39 dropped in a
single raid. In this latest toll of
Jap planes were 32 bombers &
45 Zeros, a 13 to 1 score com
pared with US losses. Indications
were not clear why the enemy
force was so large unless the Japs
believe Guadalcanal plays an
important role in plans for the
next American push. At Kendari
in the Du ch East Indies, Allied
bombers dumped 16 tons of ex
plosives on a Jap airdrome, des
troying many parked aircraft &
starting large fires. Ventura med
ium bombers attacked Kiska,
scoring hits on the main camp
area, runway & anti-aircraft, bat
teries. From Alaska 1000 See
Bees of the 4th battalion arrived
at Oakland, the first to leave &
the first to complete a year’s
work Members said they didn’t
aaind the work but did mind the
piercing cold.
Atlantic Front
The fleet of over-age destroy
ers turned over to the British by
US in 1942 has sunk or damaged
25 Axis subs.
Russian Front
Soviet reports early this week
claimed 1050 Germans killed by 1
Red airmen in their massed raids
of the 2 preceding weeks. More
than 150 Nazi aircrrft were said
destroyed this week in raids of
700 Soviet planes, concentrating
on German lear areas.
African Front
Surrender of Italy’s Lampe
dusa & Linosa islands eliminated
2 more small strongholds of the
Italian defense ling Combined
bombardment by air & sea pow
er brought garrisons of both to
their knees. It was revealed the
surrender of Pantelleria was ord
ered personally by Mussolini.
Port of Messina in Sicily was
heavily attacked by Wellingtons
at night with 2-ton blockbusters
& incendiaries. RAF planes of
Malta attacked rail & industrial
targets in Sicily & Italy
European Front
More than 2000 tons of bombs
on Dusseldorf & Munster by
RAF bombers. Other targets in
cluded Wilhelmshaven, Cuxbav
en, Bochum, Oberhausen, Keil&
Bremen. German bombers drop
ped explosives in a London area
& an English south coastal town
& at least 6 attacking planes
were destroyed; 12 villagers were
killed.
Asia Front
Jap positions in Kiangsi prov
ince in SE China were bombed
by Mitchell bombers & strafed
by fighters of the American air
force. In the same area, 14 US •
planes engaged 32 Jap aircraft
& shot down 6 of the enemy.
Madame Chao Yutang, 68-year
old, commands a Chinese gueril
la brigade which has killed 7000
Japs & captured 200 machine
guns, 6000 rifles & 300 motor
trucks. Japs have offered 10
grand for her capture. Chinese
continue to advance in southern
Hupeh province & have recapt
ured Sungtze on Yangtze river
in the drive on the key Jap base
at Ichang.
Paternal Parent
Rates Attention
It doesn’t matter whether you
eall him pater, dad, papa, gover
nor, father, or, affectionately,
“the old man”—tomorrow is
his day.
That’s right—Sunday, June
20, is Father’s Day.
City Changes
Taxi Rules
At the combined request of
the OPA and the base, “local”
' taxis were i uled out by adopt
ion of a new ordinance at the
special meeting of the city coun
cil Tuesday.
The new ordinance provides
that city taxi driver’s licenses
will be automatically suspended
or revoked to correspond with
similar action by the base, and
in addition requires deposit of
a cash bond of $100 to the city
clerk
The ordinance applies to all
licenses now in effect and the
bond is subject to forfeiture by
the council upon conviction of
liquor or traffic violation. As a
taxi operator’s license will be
granted only to those with a
base pass, drivers without base
passes operating locally are auto
matically out of business.
The ordinance was also
amended to provide that each
app ication of transfer of taxi
business license require a fee of
$5.
Youth Found
Insane
Basil Davs, 18, of Ouzinkie,
was committed to an institution
in Portland, Ore. after a jury
hearing Tuesday before Probate
Judge C. C. Naughton at. which
time Davis was adjudged insane.
The jurors were L. F. Nachtweib,
Stuart H. Nuckols, Jack Delane,
V. J . Tyler, F. G. Ayers and L
K. vVod inger. Testimony was
given by Dr A. Holmes John
son, Paul Herring, Evelyn Bres
lich and Basil’s mother.
The complaint in the case was
signed by deputy U. S. Marshal
Paul Herring, and followed dis
covery of Davis in a house on
Mission road which he had brok
en into and ransacked. When
caught he was hiding in a closet
dressed only in women’s gar
ments belonging to the occupant
of the residence. Evelyn Breslich.
In February. 1942, Davis was
held for investigation in jail here
at which time he confessed kill
ing his brother, 6 years old,
but repudiated the confession
after a search by Herring failed
to disclose the body where he
lmd said he buried it. The miss
ing brother has never been
found.
Utilities
Transferred
Announcement is made else
where in this issue of the dis
posal of the W. J. Erskine com
pany interest in the Erskine
water system to the Kodiak
Water Works, as of June 30.
Announcement is also made
that all pipes connected to the
main water line, that are not the
property of the W. J. Erskine
company, will be severed after
July 1 and re-connected after
application at a place to he de
signated later and in accordance
with the possible capacity of the
system.
A spokesman for the system
said the action was not taken to
deprive any user of water, but
merely to determine ownership
of water lines, many joined
"unknowingly” to the lines.
A communication from W. J.
Erskine, addressed to P. J. Wat
kinson, Vice President of the W.
J. Erskine Company, has been
received, announcing the con
summation of a lease of the dock
properties operated by them in
Kodiak to the Kodiak Dock &
Warehouse Company, a com
pany organized for this purpose
and consising of local and San
Francisco capital. The agree
ment of this matter had been
completed last year before the
death of Airs. Erskine, except
for minor details, and the illness
of Mr. Erskine in San Francisco
has contributed to the delay in
this announcement.
Mr. Erskine has been under
doctor’s care fo some months
past and is now in a hospita1 re
covering fr. m a spin us operation.
The transfer ot the dock facil
ities to the Kodiak Dock &
Warehouse Company and the
transfer of the Erskine Water
works System to the Kodiak
Waterworks marks the definite
withdrawal of the W. J. Erskine
Company from the public util
ity business. It is undeistood
that the capital which will in
future operate these two enter
prises is interlocking.
The local management of both
utilities will remain in the hands
of Mr. Watkinson pending the
recovery and return of Mr.
Erskine and the setting up of
their local offices here
Tax Quarter
Payment Due
In answer to a telegraphic in
quiry to the Collector of Internal
Revenue at Tacoma, Warren A.
Taylor, local attorney, received
the following reply:
“The second quarterly install
ment of the income tax was due
June 15.”
The1 payment is due despite
the new income tax law.