Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-07-18
HIGH POWER STAFF
assent TO ALASKA
Trouble Shooters Are Turn
ed Loose on MatanuSka
Valley Colony.
BY AWHILE SCHALEBEN.

BY AWHILE SJhALEbEN.
PALMER, Alaska July 10 MA.
N.AD.-As high-pcwr:ed a staff as the
Roosevelt adm,nis ration has ever
turned loose On 4Iv tloubled project
has settled in the Mstanuska 'alley.
Yet, despite this, ttere is no COM
plete assurance that the colony con-
struction program can be accom-
plished by Winter without drastic plan
changes.
S. r. Fuller, f., New York corpora
ton president. Is il supreme command
here. He calls ..l.nselt special ad-
ministrative lssistan+ of the T E.
r. A.. with authority from Adm:nistra-
tor Hopkins But oack home ne calls
President Roosevelt Frank and
Roosevelt calls him Dick" They
have long been warm friends.
To all practical purposes Fuller is
Washington moved hcIe He has alb
solute power 70 make such decisions
as routine or emersehCy problems de-
mand.
Fuller said that Ms staff Is here
to inspect first end then help out
where needed. The Necessity 20 help
became apparent at once. so Col l.
H. Hunt has slerTec into local au-
thority right under Fuller. He will
stick with the project until It's out
of the Woods. Fuller will have to re-
turn sooner.
Col. Hunt has brilliant ieputa-
ton as an organizer His title is ex-
ecutive assistant on he whole project,
but he'll pay pa-ticu ar atten<'Un to
home construction.
Under the realignment of admin
istrative personnel. Co-ordinator Carr
and Capt. c. E. Parsons will handle
supplies and go into accounts of the
commissary, check purchasing orders
and round up materials already on
hand.
Dave williams, an ace Government
architect. will be supervising archi-
tect. There have been complaints by
colonists about the way some OF the
Is houses now under construction are
being thrown together" However,
all houses must pass the architects
inspection.
Health Conditions Probed.
DR. r. J. Davis, a navy commander,
has the reputation of being one OF
the best physicians in military serv-
ice. On Fullers staff with him are
Drs. J. r. Murdoch and H. B. HON.
mon, sanitary experts. Already
Davis has given Camp Doctor e. E.
Ostrom authority to order anything
Ostrom thinks necessary. They are
busy now inspecting health condi-
tons.
In general I've found them fine"
Davis said. The morale Of the COL
onists is high"
When Fuller hurriedly gathered his
experts he asked Attorney General
Cummings for the best man to look
into law enforcement necessities.
Cummings sent Daniel E. McGrath
with the title of Special Assistant
Attorney General.
Fullers staff is completed by H. v.
Martin, described as civil engineer;
A. M. Goodman. an agricultural ex-
pert from Cornell University who will
report on farming possibilities Of the
valley. and H. w. Scott, personal aide
to Fuller.
Other new arrivals are building
superintendent, six construction fore
men and one millwright.
poIifical EavOriteS EcliDSed
Howard Lying, whom the colonists
call a Juneau political appointee, has
the title Of assistant general manager.
Since Carr came he has been dis
patching trucks. Ed Cronir, classed
with Lying by the colonists, has been
purchasing and disbursing agent. II ne
makes any ma or decision at all 1t
will be through Carr and Parsons.
Thus have men favored by Alaska
territorial political powers been rele-
gated to lesser roles. In fact the
whole Alaska Rural Rehabilitation
Corp. is inconsequential now except
for bookkeeping purposes
Some families continue to talk
about going back and. three have signed
for the next trip Of the North Star.
Others are talking about staying
around until Fall. In truth much
trouble still lies ahead and the adj
ministration's Alaska baby remains q
loudly bawlbag. brat.
(Copyright. 1895. by the North American
Newspaper Alliance. lncJ
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