The Wrangell sentinel., 1945-04-20
THROUGH THE SENTINEL PERISCOPE

Conference of wester Governors in Reno this week end was eXpeeted to go on record again endorsing statehood for Alaska. but what they would do on road funds for Alaska was quite another matter. The Chlei Executives of the Il western states were going to be asked to support the Territory's request that 1t De inoluded under the Federal highway act Ii would be a big boost for Ai- aela development if it could get a share of the fund allotted to the various states under the highWay act Ioker is that should the act be avtended to Alaska it will mean inst that much less for the states and some of the western states are among the biggest benefieiaries or Irncle's road pot Gov, Gruenlhg left last Sunday to attend the con ference. hoped to be back In the Territory by the 25th.
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 Creating more than a little inter est around the Territory at the mo- ment is the Governors report on the recent legislature which IS De ing circulated in pamphlet form nndar the title A Message to the Paopla of Alaska The Chief EN- ecutive goes into some detail on what was accomplished and on what he had hoped would De ae- complished but wasn't. Hes talrly strong in his praise of the House and somewhat critical of the 9eu- ate which harpooned some Of the Governors pet bills and disregard cd large number of House DlIls inst as if they hadn't existed. UT the House, the Governor had thls' among other things, to say in ms message:
 As far as the House was con cerned it was a truly representa- tive assembly, with every interest in the Territory represented. It's members could go home with the conscious satisfaction of having served the people of Alaska admir- ably"
 Said he of the Senate:
 The Senate's record - despite some excellent individual perform ances - contrasts lamentably with that of the House. It petered out ln a shabby fiasco; even its own mem bers were disgusted with it's per formance."
 IJpshot has been a new high in the newspaper shops of the Ierrl- tory in letters to the Editor from some of the irate lawmakers. Editor Bill Baker of the Ketchikan Chron- icIe sums it up rather neatly, to wit: Tt is good, however, that life can go on in spite of the laWmak- CTS"
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 One of the most suspicious starts any Territorial body has made Tn recent years is that of the Alaska Development Board, created by the late sometimes lamented, legisla- ture The Board. made up of Jack Talbot of Ketchikan, Tony Polet of Nome, Leslie Nerland of Fairbanks and Wilbur Wester of Anchorage with Gov. Gruening as Chairman, met. drew up a comparatively sim pie program with emphasis on act ual accomplishment and went to work to see if it could get some thing done in a development way. There was no fanfare, blare Of trumpets and public statements. The Poard seems to have settled down to just saving wood. We're going to keep our eye on that develop ment board. We suspect its got something.
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 Heard at a Juneau dinner party Did you know that every member of that Development Board the Governor appointed is Republi' can?"
 Nobody present seemed to know but it developed-one of the first pieces of development- that tho Republicans were just as much in terested in development of th' Territory as Democrats, and it wal hoped the Board would ever con tinue to have no political com plexiOn.