The Wrangell sentinel., 1948-06-11
THROUGH THE SENTINEL PERISCOPE

ing off period might be invoked in the threatened June 15 maritime strike seemed likely this week af- ter the appointment by President Truman of a fiye-man Board of In- quiry to look into all U. s. mari time labor disputes under the Taft Hartley law Should the Board s report be such that the President feels the national health and safe ty might be endangered by the strike he could, under the law, ask for a cooling off period while er- fort is made to settle the dispute, which largely centers around the control of hiring halls.
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 Alaska will get approximately fifty million dollars for Interior Department activities in the Ter ritory during the coming fiscal year if the bill passed by the House last week passes muster in the Senate which has the record. breaking measure before il this week. More than double any pre-. vious Interior appropriation for AL aska, its largest items are fifteen million for the Alaska railroad | thirteen million five hundred thou sand for roads and nearly six mil lion for 400-bed tuberculosis sanitarium, probably located att Sitka Other major items includeI four and a half million for the AL Aof lei of the tuberculosis sanitarium; more than two million for the Fish and Wildlife Service and a half million for the Geological Survey While the Senate still had the measure under consideration there was more than an even chance that most of the items would stay a. bout as passed by the House.
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 While it appeared that Federal money in large amounts would be spent in Alaska, the Territorial treasury was not exactly affluent. At the end of May 31, Territorial Treasurer Oscar c. Olson reported a bank balance of $1,402,522, of which $1,142,27O was in special or funds not available for general operation of the Ter ritory, leaving a balance in the general fund of s260,252 to meet June salaries, school refunds, etc. School refunds would amount to over $300,000 and this was the time of year for little tax | return. It looked from the Terri | tory's financial inspiration point that things might get little worse before they got better.
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 Army engineers are scheduled to hold a series of hearings this month on harbor improvements in Southeast Alaska The engineers will be at Hydaburg on June 19; l Angoon, June 21; Tenakee, June 22; Pelican, June 23; Gustavus, June 23 and Juneau, June 25.
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 Some two years ago, about a year after the 1945 legislature createed it, the Alaska Develop ment Board prepared the back ground for a development program for the Territory and began push ing it. Interior Department be- came actively interested and with the cooperation of other agencies and individuals a live Alaska de- velopment program was born. Part, of this effort is reflected in more than $50,OO0, 1000 in appropriation which Alaska probably will get this year in the Interior Depart ment bill. Even more sharply 1t was reflected in President Tru man sercent message to Congress when he urged statehood for the Territory at the "earliest possible date" and outlined the major things necessary to give Alaska economic and political stature on equal level with the other states. The Development Board has been cussed and discussed, but it can not be overlooked that to it must be given part of the credit for making Congress and the nation Alaska conscious.
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 Indicating definite govern ment policy in regard to aboriginal rights, the President in his Alaska message to Congress had this to say relative to native lands:
 "A special legal problem is at present hampering the develop ment of Alaska. This is the ques- tion of whether or not Alaska na- tives have claims to the ownership of certain lands. Until this prob lem is settled, it will continue to create some question concerning the title to land needed by individ- uals and companies for develop ment of many parts of the Terri tory, including the national for ests The determination of native claims under existing law would require a considerable period of