The Wrangell sentinel., 1948-03-12
THROUGH THE SENTINEL PERISC0PE

Maudamus action brought by COP Boss Albert White in Federal court to determine the validity Of Section 15OS of the election Ia" which provides fer declaring party utilization when voting in the pri- mary was tossed out of court this week by Judge George N. Folta on grounds that the action was not the proper legal remedy. Although losing a legal point. Boss White won a neat victory because now you are going to have to declare yourself al the polls either Demo cart. Republican or no party Thar is, you are unless somebody brings some other action between now and the April 2 : primary.
 Judge FOlta in dismissing Jhe case held that the law did not clearly make il the duty Of the Clerks of Court to instruct election judges on the question but rather. in carrying out the provisions oE the Territorial election laws. that they were agents of the Territory. Although federal officials. and should look 10 the Attorney Geuer- al of the Territory for instructions. Attorney General Ralph Rivers who had previously given his Opjn- ion that section 1880 had been re- pealed by implication in the pass age of the new blanket primary law. came up with a compromise after failing to get a court deeIs- ion.
 In effect. based on failure of the last Legislature 10 repeal section I50S, this latest opinion by the At torney General nullifies one of the main obiectiyes Of the blanket pri- mary ballot which the voters Of AL aska two years ago demanded by a vote of about five to one: that is, to eliminate the declaration of par ty utilization. IL was argued then as now that many voters stayed a way from primary elections be- cause they either weren't affiliated with any party or were afraid 10 declare themselves because of hold ing some job under the anti-politi- cal-aetivity Hatch Act Party polit- ical bosses. however, were jubii- ant. This was what they wanted; keep the boys and girls on record. Boss White had expressed it when he argued his point on the manda mus action we want to know who these people are.n In other words. following this years elec- tions. there might be some politi- cal plums 10 award and it would be well 10 know just who these people are.
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 Don't be too surprised to see quite a shakeup in the Fish and Wildlife Service in Alaska. IL was put in the works at the Alaska Game Commission meeting in Ket- chikan recently. Game Commission has never been particularly happy about it's amalgamation with the old fisheries bureau of the Depart ment of Commerce as a single ser vice in the Department of Interior. It has felt it played sort of second fiddle to the fisheries. and this feeling, coupled with low wages paid its agents, has lost 10 wildlife management some of it's top men The result has been a letdown Tn morale as well as management Fisheries has suffered from simil- ar inertia. Meanwhile. game and fish have been on the down grade. At the Ketchikan meeting. the agents put their cards on the table h1 Ta
 they would have to seek employ ment elsewhere. In these days ot imitation they just couldn't mafn- tain their families on their in comes. The Commission was sym pathetic and so were top flight of ficials in Interior. The result pro- bably would mean a reshuffle Man who might get the nod to head up game was Clarence Rhode. former Assistant Executive Officer of the Commission, who had left to enter private aviation and more recently had returned to Fish and Wildlife in charge of it's airpIane fleet. Chief Pilot Rhode is considered one of the best game men in the Ter ritory.
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 Territorial tid-bit:s Louis Od. sather of Anchorage has dropped out of the race for a Republican House seat from the Third Division due to pressure of private busi- ness. Alfred A Owen. Jr., of Kod- iak has become an applicant for
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