The Wrangell sentinel. (Wrangell, Alaska) 1909-current, 1952-11-14
THROUGH
THE SENTINEL
PERISCOPE
New Secretary


was laundering around rudderless
with the absentee Governor run
nIng around the country looking
for new job and Secretary Joe
lNehoe's resignation accepted indi-
Gates there is still somebody in the
befuddled. decadent Interior De-
partmeut whose ouija board tells
him how to reach a sound decision.
Burke Riley is a capable man. It's
too bad they didn't appoint him
Governor. too. He does most of the
work anyway.
For background. review. you
may recall that Secretary Kehoe
rendered his resignation last Aug
ust, after a year in the Secretarys
office, agreeing to stay on until
they appointed somebody else.
As expected, nothing happened
until after the Nov 4 election. But
a few days thereafter, while the
boys were still licking their
wounds from the Eisenhower land
slide. Joe got "a typical Truman "as
of now" acceptance of his resigna-
tion, reached for his hat and said
my terms ended Meanwhile, the
Governor was off for Washington
on what was reported important
business he had to clean up. Of.
course. looking for a new job is
always important business to the
job seeker.
Result was that the Territory
was without a Governor in position
to act or a Secretary of AlaskaI
who by law takes over the Cover
nor's duties when he is outside the
Territory. No authorized official on
hand even to sign pay voucher.
With no disrespect to Burke, out
of the hat they came up with his.
appointment. If all appointments
are as good as this one, we'd sugl
gest they draw them all out of
hat.
tiley is rising young lawyer,
who first came to Juneau from
Fairbanks as assistant to Ralph
Rivers when the latter was Attor-
ney General. When Ralph's term
expired Burke went over to the
Governors office as an administra-
tive assistant and legal advisor
where he has done an able job ever
since despite the handicap #.
working for boss who is inclined
to shun legal advice unless it a
grees with his viewpoint, as for e,t-
ample the ill-famed Reorganization
Bill
It's comforting to know the Ter.
ritory is in capable hands, at least
until Ernest gets back from his
Washington job-hunt.
Kehoe Back to Law
Resigned SECRETARY Kehoe is go
ing back to law practice in Jun
eau, according to report. In step
ming out of the Secretary's office
he was winding up some 20-odd
years of service for the Federal
government. He's been U. s. Com
missioner at Ketchikan. District
Court Judge at Nome, member of
the Legislature two or three times
and handled an assortment of other
posts, all with competence and "a
bility.
Anybody Got % Million?
That probably will be the first
question arising when the new
Legislature meets on the fourth
Monday of January in juneau.
Board of the Budget last week APP
proved for presentation to the Leg
islature a budget for $27.0OO,OO0
for the 1885 bennium, about
100000 more than appropriated
by the 1851 Legislature, Topping
the list is the University of Alaska
with a request for 5000. 600 as
against $2,241,655 given the insti-
tuition last session. OF course, they
may need it if the rumor going a.
round is true - that the Governor
is a candidate for President of the
University to succeed ferris Moore,
recently resigned With only a pal
try five million to spend, Ernest
would figure the cards stacked a
gainst him.
Most of the other departments
in the budget want a boost "a
ISOLATION which asks $487 600 as "a
gainst $4,000 granted the group
at its inception two years ago. The
Alaska Development Board wants
$4,000 as compared with $780,
900 granted it two years ago.
George Sundborg probably wants
a raise in pay; once told the Leg
oil a
man.
1t appears that the Ways and
Means committee of the House and
Finance committee of the Senate
have a considerable task mapped
out for them come the so days
startino in January.
What's An Agreement
Last spring when the steamship
Continued on Page Four