The Wrangell sentinel., 1942-02-13
THlR0UGlBI TH1E P0InIIfICAl
 PIER RTSGOPE
9 aR

Now that all the candidates have declared themselves for the various Territorial and Divisional offices and the campaign before the prim- ary April 28 is starting to get un-I derway, municipalities throughout the Territory are becoming interest," ed in their own local problems and pointing for spring city elections Wrangell voters will be going to the polls on April 2 this year to elect a Mayor and three Councilmen whoseI terms expire. Mayor E. J. Wheeler isl completing his first term (mayors are elected for one year under Ter ritorial law and Councilmen wind ing up their statutory tWo-yea1 terms are Leth Meadows, George Gunderson and Jorgen Roaming. Holdoyer Councilmen elected last year are Neil Grant, H. H. Hunger 1 ford and John Coulter.
 More than usual interest appears to center in the local political arena this year with economy the appar- ent campaign watchword. Charge is by those who follow closely the 1 towns expenditures that the estim- ated normal income has been exceed ed and it has been found necessary to borrow $10,000 from the light department funds to take care of the expenses Of the general fund Those who stress the expenditure angle contend too much has gone into administration. Against this ar gument, it is pointed out that sub stantial improvements have been made in harbor facilities, that the town has acquired a modern fire station building and that other bus mess of the town has been carried along as usual. During the next seven weeks before eelctiOn we'll be hearing a lot more about it. Heal thiest sign is that local voters are taking sufficient interest in their towns affairs to be talking about it this early before election day.
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 Territorial Treasurer Oscar Olson, who can point out that he is such a good caretaker of Alaska's money that no one filed against him on going to be one man in the forth coming campaign who probably isu even going to remember there Is a ] contest on for Labor Commissioners. I Chances are the husky Treasurer will immediately switch the conver- sation to strip fishing, his favorite sport, if you even mention Labor l, Commissioner to him. The reason dates back. Some years ago. in the ], dawn of that new era when the Democrats got a new lease on fife and Cordova's Olson was candid ate for Treasurer for the first term, a young chap by the name of Walter Sharpe was quite instrumental in garnering a lot of votes in the First Division for Oscar, whose known strength lay in the Westward, his long habitat. Afterwards Sharpe served faithfully in the Treasurer office until he moved up to head Unemployment Commission. Sharpe is now candidate for Labor Con- missioner.
 During the intervening years up in the Third Division there came along another young man named i, Michael (prefers Mike) Haas. Mike was an ardent supporter of Treas urer Olson and was quite success ful in keeping the political fences in good repair in the Tihrd Division. Il Came Democratic convention a couple of years ago in Juneau. and into it walked one MT. Haas with a pocket full of votes which said in substance that Oscar Olson was go- il ing to be elected Democratic Nation J al Committeeman for Alaska You'll l recall that Treasurer Olson was el-