The Wrangell sentinel., 1946-11-01
THROUGH THE SENTINEL PERFSCOPE

Ln nUuse Ul AculCsC4L t7 tlFSS
 from the Fir-t Division hv a
 seven vote majority over Joe
 Krause. Democrat. of Ketehi-
 kan. according to an official
 tally of First Division returns
 completed today by the Terri
 torial Canvassip- Board. This
 gives the House a Republican
 majority B to II. The of
 fieial count gave Price 2537
 and Krause 2530. Garnick was
 high with 3O93 and James
 Nolan second with 3409
 ##& *#
 Territorial Canvassing Board was meeting this week to canvass the vote from the various pre- cincts which voted in the October $ election. Going into session yes- terday. the Board. made up of the Governor. Collector of Customs and Secretary of Alaska, began its work on the First Division. It would come up with the answer to just who was officially elected tJ eighth position for the House from the First Division Complete un- official tally showed that Joe Krause of Ketchikan, Frank Price of Sitka and John Smith of Metla- katla were knotted with but six separating the high and low man. Price at last report was high man Lut it was anybOdy'S ball game until the official tabulation had been completed If Republican Price was successful it would mean Republican control of the House, 13 to Il. If Democrats Krause or Smith were lucky it would mean q divided House - 12 to 12
 Official cheek on the other Di-I visions might take some time as all official returns had not beeL received from some of the distan, precincts; might not be received for several weeks due to the trans portation conditions. Board could wait until December 10 for stragr- glers. Unofficial returns indicated there were no particularly close contests in the other Divisions
 $
 A neat Republican gain under his belt after 10 lean years. COP Boss Albert White was away this week to report. to the Republican National Committee, accompanied by Mrs. White the Republican Ma tiOIal Committeawoman. The man who took over the Alaska Repub- lican party at Douglas in 1886. and has been running it with aa iron hand (and pienty of proxies) ever since. was more firmly en- Irenched in the COP drivers seat than ever. A national Republican upsurge and Boss White would be calling the turns in the Territory making a speech or two between Meanwhile. he probably would be now and the November , elections for the national committee. Boss Crump may run Tennessee. but Boss White runs the Republican party in Alaska. and for a decade l no one has challenged his leader ship.
 Alaska's new Commissioner or Labor, Henry Benson, protege of Boss White. had confronted md | surmOunted a lot of obstacles since. l as Secretary. he helped Al White carry the COP ball at Douglas 2 decade ago. After hitch in the Army during the war. he had come out to capture the Republican cl- dorsement and nomination for La bOr Commissioner. He had hurtled through Democratic and Independ- ent opposition to win handily n the general election. But this week Henry had run into a real stickler. With his wife and two boys, he came down from Anchorage to re- sume his residence in Juneau and take over his Commissioner duties the first of January. But that wasn't what had the Commis- .siOner-elect on the ropes. What was really causing him sleepless nights was where in the heck to find a place to live. A roof over the head. any kind of an old roof, fs a prized possession in Juneau. from hotel room Henry surveyed the situation with a jaundiced eve Victory was sweet. but this bu i- ""7s nf finding place to live in the Capital City was somethi 2 else. Henry. like many others, hal name for 1t, but it didn't help He was just house hunting, and the going was tough.
 && < < His brief case packed with data, Gov Ernest Gruening would be wfngins down to Washington. D. e. next week for Interior Depart ment conferences, consultation