The Daily Alaska empire., 1948-06-03
NEWS ITEMS
 FROM sITKA
CORRESPONDENCE

| eXaCtly HOW d pOl1liCdl CAUCUS IS handled" said Mondays Sitka Sen tinel. This was the first intimation , that most Sitkans had that the fol- lowing morning was to be a red letter day in Sitkas history We were to te honored by having 5he Terri torial Republican Convention meet herel Our first.
 Well-us local yokels learned plenty! A more fragrant job of rail- reading was never seen in these parts. Everyone in favor of MT. White was treated with the utmost respect. Everyone against him had to fight for recognition on the floor; his motions were ignored.
 One of the most awe inspiring side shows-equal to the zacchinis cannon act-was the attempted fence straddling of Republican can didates. They had come to aid and abet MT. White-but oh goshl it was obviously losing them so many Sitka votes!
 A finer brawl was never staged in Sitka. All that was lacking was a concentration camp for the dis senters.
 After the morning session we picked up three wonderful remarks three from Sitkans: If those are Republicans, I'm going to change my party and vote straight Demo cratic ticket",; If the Democarts had any sense they'd spend all their campaign funds holding Republican Iconventions in every town in Alas ka,"; Gosh, you Republicans aren't any different from us Democrats. And one from one of MT. Whites leading supporters-"S Sure, you shouldn't go away mad. You should leave with smile
 Needless to say we left without the smile-tut not without telling MT White just what we thought oi him and his convention. And we left mad cause he said if we didn't like his way of running tnlngS we Ishould stay home!
 Bobby McDaniels, aged 10, was drowned in Swan Lake late this afternoon He had borrowed a home made kayak and was padding with his hands when the craft overturn- ed in the middle of the lake. A fire alarm shortly before six called out all the Volunteer Fire Department members and. the police force who rounded up skiffs in an attempted rescue. It wasn't until shortly before nine pm. that Herbie Gray found the body with grappling hooks.
 Bobby was the son of MT. and Mrs. Robert c. McDaniels. MT. McDan- iels, an ANS employee, brought hls family to Juneau last August, rom Long View. Washington, then moved to Sitka in March, and is now em- ployed on Japonski. Two of the McDaniels children remained in the States. Bobby, and and elgnt- year-old sister Sandra, were brought. to Alaska.
 As only ten residents appeared refore the special Council hearing Monday evening to register com plaints against the City Sales Tax, there will probably be no change made in the tax ordinance. X Councilmen expressed relief that no immediate change seems neces- sary. in view of prospective plans for q Lutheran Hospital in Sltka Ill the near future-plans contingent on the City's ability to carry DOT tion of its support. No Alaska town of comparable size needs hospital more desperately-or is less able to tuild one of it's own under present circumstances.
 Commencement exercises at Shel- don Jackson Junior College were held Monday evening with Commis- sioner of Education Dr. James C.. Ryan as guest speaker. Graduates were Irene Benson, Mark Davis ana Herbert Didrickson, all Sitkins.
 Mt. Edgecumbe High School heio it's first graduation exercises Friday evening with AS students from all narts of Alaska receiving their d. thomas. Speakers on the program included Gertrude Hope, salutator- ian. Mary Loller, Valdictorian' freo 1eeslin. Alfred Lawrence, Max penrod Rev, Ernst Nygaard and o,est speaker, B. D. Stewart of the territorial Department of Mines.
 Sitka Harbor was bustling With activity which will continue over the weekend, boats of all description ana innumerable planes were returning students to their homes for the summer vacation.
 Sheldon Jackson High School graduated eighteen students at Commencement exercises held Tuesday morning at Sheldon Jack con Junior College. Principal speak CTS were Miss Gladys Whitmore and
 ,. uou, S,,nerintendent of the