The Wrangell sentinel., 1947-11-28
THROUGH THE SENTINEL RERISCOPE

Prospects for the reopening 9f the Wrangeu sawmin are bright oning. Certain members Of Con gress. including some influential Senators who do a little weight pulling in connection with Army appropriations. have interested themselves in the proposition. Cen ferences are on in Washington with Army chiefs. contractors, owners and others involved with the aim Of getting the wheels turning. Army spent some money in connection with the Wrangen project, Army contractors agreed to spend more Nothing has hap pened. Something may soon.
 
 Elsewhere in this matcnless newspaper may be found a state nent of condition of the Territor- ial treasury as prepared by Treas urer Oscar c. Olson. In il may De noted that the Territory has the neat little sum of Sl,S25n95I.62 as of November b, but of that a. mount $1,645,261.60 is in special or earmarked funds, leaving an ac- tual balance iL the general fund, from which general operating eN- penses are paid, Of SlS0,6I6.V2. This means that the Territorial payroll of around $l20,O0O will be met for November.
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 Territorial Board of Public Vel fare will gather in Juneau next week to figure out if and how it k going to come out for the bal ance of this biennium. At its spring meeting in inaugurated a 'bare necessity program and culled down It's relief rolls. The cry has been long and loud in some sources that the program was too bare for decent living and some pioneers brought a court action a. sainst the board challenging its authority and demanding that old age assistance be upped to the for mer level. Now the Board is go- ing 10 re-check. K's greatest fear is that the bare necessity pro gram may have to become more bare after a squint into the Terri torial Treasury for unless the Ter ritory can guarantee funds in ad- vance for it's welfare program the Federal government will refuse to put up its matching money which is a siderable item.
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 While push for a special session of the Legislature to try and iron out the Territory's financial dif- faculties continues the momentum has died down. Senator Joe Green, Chairman of the Senate Finance committee and one of the spark plugs of the movement. has taken a job cooking at Pioneers Home in Sitka and is reported to like the work fine" The Senator was long a candidate for the posit- ion of Superintendent of the home in which he always has evidenced a great interest.
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 Office of Indian Affairs. known in the Territory as the Alaska Ma tive Service, came in for a bit of a rough time at the recent ANB convention in Hydaburg. Says the minutes, to wit
 That Congress, by this petition, be requested to censure the Office of Indian Affairs, because: ID It has utterly failed to make any ef- forts to preserve our fishing rights; (2) to make economic re- ports to the Secretary of tie In terior showing the condition of the Natives; (3) that it has utteriy failed to protect our interest when legislation affecting us comes be- fore Congress as in the Gal Wal gren fish bill, (b) H.JR. 205. or Timber bill, tcl H R 190. bill to extinguish Indian claims, (d) he so-called fishtrap lease bill now be- fore Congress, beng SB 144e, and Gel by its incompetent manage ment of our aboriginal rights less than 10 per cent have been ap- proved" -
 Aside from that. the Indian Off, flee is apparently o. k