ALASKA, 1955 SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1955 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON TERRITORIAL AND INSULAR AFFAIRS OF THE COMMITTEE ON INTERIOR AND INSULAR AFFAIRS, The subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 4:20 p. m., in the city council room, Hon. Gracie Pfost presiding. Mrs. ProST. The Subcommittee on Territorial and Insular Affairs will now come to order. This is a beautiful valley. We had a wonderful flight over, and saw some of the most spectacular beauty we have seen since coming to Alaska. Members of the committee join with me in expressing our appreciation to you for the nice reception afforded us at the airport a few moments ago, it was heart warming indeed. Mr. O'Brien, of New York, chairman of this subcommittee, conducted the hearing in the Matanuska Valley today, but was unable to come on to Seward. He asked me to express his regrets for he wanted very much to meet the citizens of this community. I would like at this time to introduce members of the committee to you. On my left is Congressman Utt, of California, and Congressman Dawson, of Utah. Your Delegate, Bob Bartlett, needs no introduction—I am sure all of you are acquainted with him. Our staff members are Mr. McFarland, our engineering consultant; Dr. Taylor, our Territorial consultant; and Mr. Veley, our reporter. Colonel Libby sees that we make our appointments on time, and we all owe him a deep debt of gratitude for his loyal efficiency. This is a hard-working committee. In 3 weeks we will have held some 75 to 80 hours of hearings and will have heard from 1 out of each 500 residents in the Territory of Alaska. Our time is very limited this afternoon. Colonel Libby tells us we must leave on schedule this evening, due to flying conditions. It will therefore be necessary for us to divide the time among those testifying. We have found in some of the recent hearings that the first 1 or 2 witnesses were heard quite at length, usually due to the enthusiasm on the part of members of the committee, in asking questions. We would then find our time short and other important witnesses could be heard only very briefly. To resolve this problem I believe at the beginning of the hearing today, we should divide the time equally among the witnesses present. Those of you who wish to allot your time to someone else may do so. This is your hearing. We are here to listen to your problems, and to learn more about this section of Alaska. 85 The short tour around town was most interesting. We saw the location for your new post office, and saw your tuberculosis sanitarium that is operated by the Board of Missions, Women's Division of the Methodist Church, and your fine school building. I understand you are also getting a new dock. You people are truly thriving in this community. I am told you have one of the largest harbors in Alaska, perhaps one of the largest in the world. Congressman Utt suggests each of you highlight your testimony and file your statement in full for the record. (Discussion off the record.) Mrs. PrOST. There will be approximately 8 or 9 minutes for each witness. Committee members will want to ask questions, therefore we would like each witness to use approximately 5 minutes to highlight his general statement, and then we will proceed with the questioning. As you people know, if you had statehood with the resulting vote, Bob Bartlett would be in seniority, next to the chairman of the full committee today, because of his years of service. For that reason and because I know he is especially acquainted with your problems, I wish to turn the meeting over to your very able and competent Delegate, Bob Bartlett. Mr. BARTLETT. Thank you very much, Madam Chairman. I want to say to those who are here that the committee deeply regrets we will not be able to give more time to this hearing. If we could detail for you the schedule under which we are operating, I think you would have a better understanding. We had hoped to be here a bit earlier, and we only wish we could stay a bit later, but two more hearings have to be held tomorrow. I think you will agree with me that the important thing is to have these Members of Congress come and see Seward and hear you, even if briefly, and then when you file your more complete statements they will know what it is all about, and they will know you personally, and they will know something about the geographic situation here. Reverend Malin is the first witness. STATEMENT OF REV. CHARLES MALIN, PRESIDENT, CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, SEWARD, ALASKA Reverend MALIN. I am Rev. Charles Malin, the president of the Seward Chamber of Commerce on the side. Mr. BARTLETT. A minister of which church. Mr. BARTLETT. I note you have two subjects outlined. I am very happy to have the committee here in Seward to see what we are doing here, and we are very thankful for the help the Federal Government has given us in times past. Seward, like most Alaska communities, is having a few growing pains that the Government can help us with a little bit, but mostly I think we are ready to go on our own, and I think we are doing that in large respect. I would like to present these two items. The city of Seward is Alaska's largest seaport. The major portion of all freight destined for the interior of Alaska is handled through this port. This applies to general cargo as well as bulk cargoes. Because of this we are naturally very interested in all aspects of transportation, waterborne as well as rail and trucking. For a port to be able to function effectively and with a minimum cost, it is very necessary that adequate and modern facilities be established. During the last 2 years, Congress has appropriated funds for the rehabilitation of the south end of the Alaska Railroad, as well as for new dock faciliities at Seward. This in itself is a tremendous improvement and in the years to come, will save untold millions to Alaskans. The rehabilitation of the Portage-Seward section of the Alaska Railroad is now nearly at its completion and by the end of 1956 the dock facilities under the present program will also be completed. The present construction of docks calls for two 500-foot berths. However, only the one berth will have a warehouse. No money has been made available for a warehouse on the second berth. With the type of cargo coming into Seward for handling and forwarding, it does not seem practical to construct a berth without a warehouse. To begin with, the weather in Alaska 6 months out of the year is such that cargo cannot be stored outside because of freezing. There is also a large amount of rain and snow. At the present time we have approximately 3 ships a week calling at this port-I might add, right at the moment there are 4 in town at the dock-and undoubtedly when the docks are completed, both berths will be taken up most of the time. The warehouse at the one berth will not be sufficient to adequately handle and protect the cargo from two ships discharging simultaneously. There is no doubt that for practical reasons a warehouse on the second berth will have to be constructed and it seems to us that this would be the time to do so while the contractor is still working, has his equipment here and the job can be completed at a reasonable cost. If a new warehouse on the second berth is not constructed, it would almost seem a waste of money to build the new docks since the warehousing capacity will be less than what the old docks provided. We therefore urge that money be made available and the present contract for the building of the docks be extended to include a second ware house. In connection with the shipping industry we have one other problem that the local chamber as well as the various steamship companies have attempted to solve. One of the steamship companies, Coastwise Lines of San Francisco, that calls at Seward approximately once a week has to clear for a foreign port each time, since they make a call in Canada on the southbound voyage. To be able to clear at the present time, it is necessary for the master or one of his officers to go to Anchorage to the Customs Office in order to provide proper clearance of the vessel. On arrival and departure of foreign ships and American ships coming from foreign countries, it is necessary for the customs officer to come down from Anchorage to enter and clear the ships. This at times is very inconvenient and a hardship to both the ship and the one and only customs officer in Anchorage. It seems very strange that the largest seaport in Alaska should not have a customs officer or at least a part-time customs officer, since several other ports in Alaska have and Seward did have in years past. We strongly urge that a customs officer be appointed to serve this port. Mrs. Prost. Thank you very much, Reverend Malin, for a very concise statement. Mr. Dawson, do you have any questions? Mr. DAWSON. I assume the reason for the customs officer being at Anchorage is due to the fact that they have the port at Whittier. Reverend MALIN. No, that is a military port. The reason for the customs officer being at Anchorage is because of the international airport. Mr. DAWSON. I see. Reverend MALIN. It is sort of strange a small port such as Cordova has a part-time customs officer. Why, I don't know. Here in Seward we have got a Japanese ship in right now. About 2 weeks ago we had a Liberian ship in. All of this could be handled very easily and very competently and very cheaply to the Federal Government by the mere appointing, we will say, the United States commissioner as part-time customs officer, someone that could handle it right here. Mr. DAWSON. In regard to the construction of the new dock, do the plans call for two warehouses? Reverend MALIN. The plans actually call for three. Mr. DAWSON. What was the reason for just giving you one? Reverend MALIN. There was an economy move. The dock calls for 3 berths and 3 warehouses, and they cut it down to 2 berths and 1 warehouse, which might be perfectly all right stateside, but we have Alaskan weather conditions here that are a little bit different. Mr. DAWSON. Who are the engineers on this dock? Mr. MCFARLAND. Is the dock being constructed by the Alaska Railroad? Reverend MALIN. Yes, they have put it out, but I can't think of the engineers. It is Earl & Wright. Mr. DAWSON. I am primarily interested in who has the plans and who made the request, to which committee in Congress, and the reason for turning it down. Reverend MALIN. The Railroad has it, and they made the request, and apparently, according to the head of the Railroad, the military also made a request for the second warehouse here, and when it got back before committee the Pentagon didn't particularly go along with the second warehouse, so it was not presented. The Railroad had thought it was going to be. Dr. DEISHER. I remember Mrs. ProST. Please identify yourself for the record. STATEMENT OF DR. DEISHER, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF Dr. DEISHER. Dr. Deisher, chairman of the board of directors. Dr. DEISHER. When the thing came up before the committee, the military was asked if they considered this a necessity, to have a second warehouse, and they would not go so far as to say it was a necessity, but they thought it was advisable. We have letters in the chamber of commerce files from the military authorities in Anchorage saying it was advisable, but I guess they didn't put it strong enough. Mr. DAWSON. Which committee is this? Mr. MCFARLAND. I believe, Mr. Dawson, the Interior Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee. Dr. DEISHER. Clair Engle's committee. Which one would that be? Mr. DAWSON. He is chairman of our full committee. Dr. DEISHER. I have an idea information was directed to Mr. Engle. Mr. MCFARLAND. I believe that is right, but it is the Appropriations Committee, Interior Subcommittee, that would have the responsibility for the appropriations to the Alaska Railroad. Mr. DAWSON. That has nothing to do with this committee. That is the Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior of the Appropriations Committee that handles that matter. I would suggest, Mrs. Pfost, we do as we have in other cases of this kind, take this information to the appropriate committee and see what we can do about it. Mrs. Prost. Thank you. Mr. Utt? Mr. UTT. I have no questions. Mrs. ProST. Mr. Bartlett? Mr. BARTLETT. I have no questions. Mrs. ProsT. Dr. Taylor? Mr. TAYLOR. Some 16 months ago we heard there was considerable ill feeling existing in Seward between the Railroad personnel and the trucking association members over the dock facilities. Have those difficuities been ironed out or were they stronger in Washington than they were here in Alaska? Reverend MALIN. I think to a large extent they have been taken care of and ironed out. The new warehouse will definitely be suitable to both. The overhead doors will adequately handle the trucking. It is my understanding that the Railroad definitely wants to play ball with the truckers and actually carry vans piggy-back and so forth in bad weather when the roads are rough. I believe that the Railroad and the trucking group have pretty well ironed it out. Mrs. Prost. Mr. McFarland? Mr. MCFARLAND. No questions. Mrs. Prost. Thank you very much, Reverend. Reverend MALIN. Thank you. Mr. BARTLETT. The next witness is Mr. Hardinge, city manager. Will you identify yourself for the record? STATEMENT OF HARRY HARDINGE, CITY MANAGER, CITY OF SEWARD, ALASKA Mr. HARDINGE. Harry Hardinge, city manager, city of Seward. Mr. BARTLETT. Would you proceed in your own way? |