1942: Alaska

The outstanding factor of Alaskan history during 1942 was the impact of the war. Preparations for defense had been pushed since 1940 and were speeded after war was declared. Actual hostilities began in Alaska early in June when the Japanese bombed the United States naval base at Dutch Harbor and shortly after occupied Attu, Agattu and Kiska, the three western Aleutian Islands. So thoroughly has Alaska been transformed by the war that five of the major government agencies in the territory found it necessary to withhold the usual information submitted to the public in the Governor's Annual Report. The report of the Governor for the year ending June 30, 1942, in consequence is considerably condensed.

Canadian-Alaska Highway.

Important not only for the prosecution of the war but for the future of Alaska was the opening on Nov. 20 of the Canadian-Alaskan (Alcan) Highway. This highway, stretching from Edmonton, British Columbia, to Fairbanks, Alaska, and approximately 1,600 mi. long, was begun late in March and opened for traffic in less than eight months. Originally planned to be only 9 ft. wide, it was found practical to make the road twice that width and still maintain a construction pace of eight mi. a day. As a whole the road varies from 15 to 30 ft. wide with no grade over 15 per cent.

Much of the construction was in mountainous regions, necessitating the bridging of more than 200 rivers and crossing the continental divide more than 4,000 ft. high. Construction was supervised and much of it done by the Engineering Corps of the U. S. Army. They were aided by the skilled experts of the Public Roads Administration, by civilian contractors and by 6,000 civilian laborers assembled by the Public Roads Administration. Although the road is now open and can be used, some of the construction is temporary and the project is far from finished. The Public Roads Administration which will take over much of the work of completion expects that this phase of the project will take from three to four years before conventional 'maintenance' will begin.

Communication.

The effect of the war can be seen particularly in the statistics of communication.

During the year 146,400 pounds of mail were carried to Alaska from the United States, an increase of 310 per cent. The increase of mail carried to the states was 274 per cent. The regular program of road construction maintained by the Alaska Road Commission through Congressional grants was continued through the year. The principal new project was the grading and surfacing of over 75 mi. of the Glenn Highway and the practical completion of this project by the end of the year. The Glenn Highway leads west from Anchorage, base of the Alaska Defense Command, to the Richardson Highway at Copper Center and thence by connecting roads to the new Alcan Highway. The government-owned Alaska railroad of 500.8 mi. between Seward and Fairbanks was kept open throughout the year with substantial increases over the previous year both in passenger traffic and freight tonnage.

Economic Life.

No statistics are yet available for the fishing industry for 1942. The products of the Alaskan fisheries for 1941, however, showed a marked increase in quantity and value over the preceding year. The increase in quantity was chiefly in salmon products, while the value of all fishery products was considerably higher. Salmon products represented about 83 per cent in volume and about 93 per cent in value of the total fisheries' output in 1941 as compared with 81 per cent in volume and 91 per cent in value in 1940. Over 26,000 people were employed in the commercial fisheries in 1941 with the total value of manufactured fish products estimated at $63,439,593, an increase of $26,998,933 over the previous year. The number of fur seals taken at the Pribilof Islands in 1941 was 95,013, the largest since 1889 and an increase of 29,750 skins over 1940.

As far as possible activity in both the forest and mineral industries was coordinated with the program of defense. Nevertheless, there was a decline in mining. During 1941 the number of men employed in mining was 5,988, a decrease of 405 from the number in 1940. Drafting of men for the army and the lure of higher wages in defense industry brought a shortage of experienced mine labor, the closing of some of the smaller gold mines and curtailment in the operation of some of the larger mines. Despite the war the U. S. Geological Survey and the Territorial Department of Mines continued their work of exploring, surveying and studying the mineral possibilities of the territory.

For the first time in its history the Territory of Alaska established a Department of Labor which began functioning on July 1, 1941, in charge of a Commission of Labor. During its first ten months of operation it conducted an employer-employee educational program, carried out safety and sanitation inspection, surveyed the situation regarding workmen's compensation insurance, enforced the provisions of the women's minimum wage act and negotiated labor disputes. Only three strikes have taken place in Alaska since the Department was established, none of these in 1942.

The aggregate banking figures for the 14 territorial and four national banks doing business in the territory for the fiscal year closing June 30, 1942 were: capital, $972,000; surplus and net undivided profits, $1,464,811; deposits, $28,099,866. These figures were approximately the same as in the previous year except deposits which showed an increase of $5,989,167.

Federal Aid.

Under the War Public Works program Alaska secured allotments of $1,278,000 which have been used to build schools, hospitals, recreational centers, sewer systems, power plants and other services increased by the war. On the other hand the regular Civilian Conservation Corps field work ceased on the last day of the fiscal year, when Congress approved liquidation of the CCC. During the nine years that this Corps had operated it had done much in improving air, sea and land transportation facilities as well as improving sanitation and living facilities in certain areas.