The Wrangell sentinel., 1942-05-22

seat in the First Division will be undecided. Unofficial tally with all but one batch Of absentee ballots in gave Walker a I3-vote lead over Shattuck after shattuck had held the lead throughout the larger pre- cincts and appeared virtually cer- tain Of election. Walker began gain ing as the smaller precincts checked in and finally forged into the lead. All absentees except Ketchikan, where 1t was reported nine absentee ballots had been cast, have been counted. Thus, If the unofficial count proves to be correct Walker will be the next Senator from the First as there is no contest in the general election. Walker, who used to live at Craig and now calls Pell- can City home, has served two pre- vious terms in the House---in the 1885 and 1889 sessions.
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 Visitor with the Periscoper this week was Territorial Highway En- gineer William A. Hesse, who was returning to Juneau after road bus mess in Ketchikan. Affected by the war like everyone else, Engineer Hesse had this to say on the road situation:
 Aside from the regular and es- sential maintenance requirements amounting to about $135,0O0 there will be little new road construc- tion by the Territory this season and whatever new construction may be undertaken will probably be confined to aviation fields There Is a strong probability that our road work. which cannot be regarded as having a military value, will auto matically terminate because men and equipment will continue to be- come scarcer as the war continues.
 Aviation field construction, on the other hand, might have a po- tentiaI war value. if for no other reason than that it greatly facilit- ates travel throughout the Territory that now makes travel almost any where easy and rapid.
 The Territorial treasury is in a splendid condition and curtailed road expenditures are expected to compensate an anticipated shrink age in the revenues during 1942. What the picture will be in 1943 cannot be forecast at this time"
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 Man with one of the worst head aches in the Territory is John Me- COrmick, Territorial Director of Sel- ectiye Service. Human nature being what 1t is, s. S. head would natur. ally be no path of roses. In Alaska it is virtually a bed of thorns due to the very different conditions ex- isting here and in the States. Ex- ample was necessary pOstponing of registration in the Territory to May 20 because supplies failed to arrive from Washington. But that's only a starter Point Barrow, way up there on the Arctic coast, is still wondering about the February reg istration. Director Mccormick was | iGOt4Iiy QuSllGu lIum bdTFOW Ou whether that Board should combine the February and May registration | when supplies arrive" Seems nee essary forms dispatched to Barrow in January for the February reg. istration hadn't yet arrived early in May. Winter transportation tc Barrow being nil, Point Barrowite' may find themselves registering 1T time for the next war.
 Then local politics provides s. s Director with a few sleepless nights Due to great distances many Boards are virtually isolated from head quarters except by wire much o the time. What goes on behind thu scenes on occasion often ism brought to the attention of head quarters until the milk is spilled There's the Board, for example which inducted a group of men