The Wrangell sentinel., 1947-03-14
AUTOMATIC PHONE SYSTEM
 TOPS BUSINESS AT
 FIRST CHAMBER MEETING

Main business of the first meet ing of the year Of the Wrangeh Chamber of Commerce. held last night at the fire hall evolved from report on automatic telephones for the Town of Wrangell from a report brought home by Leo Mo Cormack who returned this week from the south.
 MT. Mccormack said that when he read in the Sentinel that Wran- gell was to lose it's telephone sysem, he contacted the Automatic Electric Company in Seattle on an automatic system for the Town. He learned that a 150 telephone system could be installed for approximately S2O,000 with a down payment of $5,O00 and the balance to be taken out of the earnings of the system IL was explained to him that an automatic set-up requires mini mum of labor to operate. The com pany trains but one man to uake l care of the board and lines, and the switchboard can be installed in a room not larger than 10 by 12. | feet. A switchboard this isze will handle 210 telephones. A unique feature pointed out by the cont pany to Mr. Mccormack was that in three or four party lines only the line in operation can be heard, therefore giving them the same privacy as a private line.
 The Automatic Electric Company is installing a system in Anchor age and Fairbanks and is sending man northh in April to be sta tioned in Alaska. It signified its willingness to have him stop in Wrangell on his way to Fairbanks, at no expense to the town, to look over Wrangelps needs and give definate estimate of what such a system would cost the town in the way of lines. Poles are already up and the only epense besides the switchboard, would be for lines.
 The Chamber went on record on the motion of Fred Hanford, and requested that the Chamber write a letter to the City Council urging them to write the Automatic Flee tric Company representative to stop here next month and make "a sur vey of the situation The motion carried unanimously.
 SCHOOL EXPANSION
 Second, but by no means lesser matter of business considered by the Chamber last night was the need of additional schooling fac ilities for Wrangell. Superintendent George Fabricius spoke, pointing out the critical situation which exists at present He said that in 1881 when the school was built, itI had a daily average attendance of PA pupils. It gradually increas- ed until 194O when the average daily attendance was 184. During the war, when many people left Wrangell, the enrolment decreased but now has stepped up to a daily attendance of 230 pupils, with pro spects of a still higher number to come.
 MT. Fabrieius pointed out classes which are now doubled up under one teacher, such as the fifth anG sixth grades and others, are so large that each should have it's own teacher in order that the child ren get greatest benefit from their schooling. However, lack of space ROW peryents such separation.
 In the matter of physical educ ation MT. Fabricius pointed out the need for a new gymnasium. A, present children must walk across town for any physical education classes, therefore gym classes must
 be planned for the last periods in order to save time in their not having to return to school He also said that if the gymnasium were situated near the school in indictment weather recess periods could be held in the gym and child
 ren would not have to go out into the cold and nain.. Also at present 1 there are no showers available fo- l the gym classes. Plans now are for gymnasium-auditorium building
 which would also have class rooms
 Rough estimates place the cost of
 such a building at S50,000 which
 would have to be raised by a bnod (Continued on Page Four)