The Wrangell sentinel., 1943-04-16

 similar Indian Service schools in the several Sates. For some un- known reason the appropriations for the maintenance and repair of Indian Service schools in Alaska have always been considerably be- low the standards Of like schools in the States, and although consider able improvement has been made in the last ten years the appropriations for such purposes for Alaska run as much as ten percencl and in some cases more, below like appropria- tions for use in the States.
 Explanation was made to the subcommittee that Indian Service teachers in Alaska are rendering a highly important service in the war program because more than half of them are active members of the AL aska Aircraft Warning System un- der the Alaska Defense Command and thus in many areas supply the only possibility of advance warning of hostile aircraft The teachers also serve as local captains of the Ter ritorial Guard under the Governor; they supervise reindeer work, com munity gardening. arts and crafts and native stores. administer first aid and undertake leadership in var ious types of social welfare Some of them act as game licensing and tagging officers. So, an Indian Ser vice teacher has few, if any idle moments The explanation of the various duties of the Alaska teacher was made particularly because many members of Congress are in clined to carry economy measures to extreme limits even to the extent of dispensing with vitally necessary Governmental services.
 It seems probable that the bill will be reported to the House of Re presentatives and acted upon some time after April 15. Until it is so reported no one knows for certain what it will embrace in the way of appropriations for Alaska or for any other part of the country.
 0PA In Alaska
 Quoted below is copy of self-ex- planatoryy letter dated March 23 addressed to me by Price Adminis- trator, Hon Prentiss M. Brown. re- latiye to a letter I wrote him re- garding the application of food ra- tioning to Alaska:
 This is in reply to your letter of March 12 regarding the applioa- tion of food rationing to Alaska.
 "We are indeed happy to have your counsel and guidance in this regard. The views which you ex- press do not depart in any material way from those which have consist ently been held here. Right along from the beginning we have recog- nized the administration difficulties of establishing a system of ration ing which could be expected to ac- eomplish any measurable food con- servation under Alaskan conditions and which, at the same time, would not work an unnecessary hardship upon people who, as you say, can not buy groceries from day to day, week to week, or even month to month. For these reasons, we feel fully justified in the position which we now hold with respect to food rationing in Alaska and which has previously been expressed in a joint Press Release by the Regional Ad- ministrator for Region K, and our Territorial Director for Alaska. We would be inclined to state the same position more firmly today than we did at that time.
 "On the other hand, the author ity vested in the Office of Price Ad- ministration with respect to ration ing carries with it the moral obli- gation to take any necessary pre- cautionary measures for any crisis Or emergency which might arise and which could be mimtigated in whole Or in part by resort to ra- tioning Conscious of our moral ob- ligation and responsibility to the Congress and to the people of Alas ka in this regard, we are giving consideration to such precautionary measures, At no time, however, have We had in mind definite ra- tioning plan for Alaska, nor have We ever seriously contemplated a. dopting in Alaska the complex ra- tioning patterns now effective in the States. We are definitely of the opinion that the Alasan food prob lem is mainly problem of supply.
 q am therefore glad to be able to assure you that the Office of Price Administration has no in tention whatsoever of introducing in Alaska the food rationing pro- grams now in effect in the rest of the United States nor would any rationing programs be adopted for the Territory without thorough ex- animation of Alasa's special needs and problems You are at full liber- ty to use this statement in writing to your constituents or in any pub lie statement you may choose to make,