The Daily Alaska empire., 1950-06-16
WASHINGTON CCA
 OFFICIAL C0NFERS
 ON JUNEAU NEEDS
Surveying Southeast Bases During Six-Week Stay
 in Territory

Optimism was expressed today by local aviation authorities that extension of the Juneau airport will receive a favorable recommendation before the Civil Aeronautics Author ity in Washington, DC.
 Joseph w. Johnson, assistant to the chief of the CAA airport plan ming office. is at present on tour of the Territory looking over proposed airstrips and those already under construction zose
 He conferred yesterday with Gov. Ernest Gruening and group of Juneauites on the proposed ex- tension of the present 5.000-foot strip to 7,5O0 feet, and was expressed as being "very sympathetic" to avi- ation problems here.
 T am sure he has good grasp of the local situation" said Tom Dyer, chairman of the chamber of commerce aviation committee. and we have reason to hope he will make favorable recommendation for action on our airport requests. We went over the entire problem with him. and felt that good prog ress has been made" ~s'Ie'
 Johnson has looked over some, and will remain in Alaska some six weeks to see most of the 25 air strips and seaplane bases now under way here, he said.
 M Looking Over SEE Bases
 He will be accompanied by Ed ward G. Fisher, in charge of air port construction for the CAA in Alaska. and George s. Schwamm, director of the Alaska Department of Aviation.
 Schwamm will take the CAA men to Petersburg and Wrangell this weekend, to look over seaplane bases there.
 The three returned from Skag- way yesterday after looking over the newfstrip under way there. Con- struction was to start today, Schwamm said, dependent upon ar rival of equipment
 A possible seaplane base adjacent to the present Juneau runway was proposed at the conference in the governors office, believed to be an economical way of obtaining it, because machinery would be on the site for extension of the strip and could be used for creating the sea- plane base.
 sSchwafiifn said, during an inter val between conferences with the CAA officials, that bids on five seaplane floats in Southeast Alaska were let yesterday to the Paddock Brothers of Tenakee. They are: Sitka, Baranof, Gustavus, Port AL thorp and Hood Bay.
 Bid on the Todd float was won by E.fJ. Carter; at Ketchikan by E. J. Warren and at Tamgass Harbor, Ed Bokke.
 The department will readvertise for bids for floats at Craig. Hyda- burg and Hyder, because Schwamm said all bids received were too high.
 He said he wanted to show John- son all locations the department will work on this year as well as next. hence the trip southward to start soon.
 The airstrip at Dillingham; has finally got under way, Schwamm said, and will be rushed this sea- son. It was held up because of lack of transportation to the Bristol Bay area during the salmon dis pute in Seattle. ea
 The Palmer airport is about one- third done. Schwamm said. and Seldovia has been under way two weeks. Ninilchick has gotten under way in the past few days, and Fort Yukon will start in the near future.
 Those who attended the confer ence here with Johnson, Fisher and Schwamm were: Mayor Waino Hen drickson. Sheldon Simmons and Alex Holden, co-managers of Alaska