Kodiak Mirror

Statehood Discussed

Practically unanimous in the advocacy of statehood for Alaska, several Kodiak residents appeared before the Congressional Committee on Statehood which visited Kodiak last week. The public hearing, lasting nearly 3 hours, was held at the Kodiak Community Center with forty-five local residents in attendance.

Two members of the City Council, A. A. Owen and Jack Hinckel, were the first to testify. They pointed out that if Alaska attains statehood the territory will be able to defray a part of the extra cost of government by having authority to tax outside capital which is now benefiting from Alaska resources while local government has little to say about its operations. Mr. Owen also pointed out that, so far as Kodiak is concerned, there has been a minimum of labor capital disputes in this area and that the local longshoremen have never refused to unload a general cargo ship at this port. His explanation of local labor-employer relations brought praise from Chairman Crawford and other members of the Congressional group.

Mayor Lee Bettinger repeated the arguments for statehood that gained wide recognition when he appeared before a similar hearing in Washington. An alternate proposal that all of Alaska but the Second Judicial Division embracing the far north where the majority of residents appear to be against statehood, be made a state was advanced by Mr. Karl Brunstad. Other witnesses included Leo Sears, Talmage Smith, H. F. McDonald and Robert Burgers, president of the N.O.B. Civilian Club whose protest against transportation difficulties and freight rates brought forth a hearty statement of approval from Chairman Crawford.

The last witness was Marshal Paul Herring whose description of his "chicken coop jail" was so intriguing that after the hearing the committee immediately inspected the local bastille. That evening the visitors were honored guests at a public dinner held at the VFW club where 100 were served. Delegate Bartlett introduced the guests who responded, and chairman of the committee Fred Crawford gave a resume of some of the aspects of statehood. If Congress were to approve statehood at the next session, he pointed out, it would still be at least 4 years before any of the benefits of statehood came to the area.