Minidoka's housing congestion appears to be nearing a sorely needed solution, Housing Superintendent Lorne Huycke declared yesterday.

Large apartments in four buildings out of each block will be partitioned to assure separate apartments to every family.

Other steps to relieve the overcrowded conditions are the construction of a new block, begun at the center's southeast end, and the partitioning of all dormitories into apartments.

More apartments will become available after members of the hospital staff are transferred on September 19 into Blocks 4 and 6 with their families, Huycke said.

Non-hospital residents of Blocks 4 and 6 will be moved into Blocks 7 and 8, beginning September 16.

Extending "grateful thanks" to the colonists inducted on August 22, who have been living in "unprivate quarters," Huycke promised they will be moved into Blocks 10 and 12, beginning September 14.

"Solution of the housing problem," he said, "will be greatly aided if some of the families which are crowded will ease the pressure on the Housing Reassignment Division."

Everything possible is being done to ease the situation for families without individual apartments, Huycke declared.

However, it is impossible now to give a definite answer to the questions of people in Block 23, which is reserved for school rooms, Huycke said.

Off project employment opportunities are forthcoming, it was announced this week by Harold James, Employment Supervisor. Requests for workers are flowing steadily into the Minidoka Placement office.

Residents have shown interest in this phase of the work program. Up to Monday, over 250 had expressed a definite desire to enlist for farm labor work.

Sugar beet workers will start about September 15, according to James. Under terms of the agreement they will live at the job sites with housing, working, and wage levels guaranteed by prior contract arranged by the employer and the government. Laborers will receive prevailing wage scales.

Workers will be allowed to cook their own meals or board with the employers, depending on the job location. There will be no board charge levied against the workers' families who remain in camp, James emphasized.

Off project employment will be offered by both private farmers and by big sugar refining companies.

(cont'd on pg. 6)

I deeply appreciate the cooperation of the colonists in this center in meeting the chaotic conditions which presently exist. It is only a matter of a few weeks when the basic construction work will be completed and we can begin planning improvements to our community.

Upon completion of movements into this community the colonists can begin thinking about self-government plans which will be instituted just as soon as conditions warrant.

Harry L. Stafford,
Project Director.

Portland's first contingent to Minidoka -- exactly 500 people -- arrived here Monday afternoon, two hours overdue, and stepped off the hot busses into a savage dust storm.

The people were too tired to have many first impressions. A number were awed by the size of the project. Many were grateful to find organized crews ready to handle baggage and distribute beds and bedding.

Volunteer advance kitchen workers had dinner waiting for the new registrants and the labor crew had rooms and buildings swept clean.

The Rose City evacuees will continue to arrive here through Friday afternoon. It was learned that about fifteen families of the North Portland Center connected with the hospital staff were assigned to Heart Mountain Relocation Project at Cody, Wyoming.

First Portland family to be registered was that of Akira Kaga, #15614. It included his wife, Mura and children Toshiko, Fumiko, Osamu, Shoji, and Sumiko. Chiaki Yoshihara, #16141, registered second, the family including Natsuno and Misao.

EDITORS ... Dick Takeuchi, Dyke Miyagawa, Rube Hosokawa
Reporters ... Daiki Miyagawa, Taka Oka, Makiko Takahashi, Tadako Tamura, Jackson Sonoda, Sumie Itami.
Staff Artists ... Tak Hirai, Karl Fujimoto
Circulation Manager ... Thomas Yamauchi
Typists ... Shizuko Kawamura, Takako Matsumoto, Gertrude Takayama

The stage on which the IRRIGATOR introduces itself is 68,000 acres of untamed desert.

Minidoka, as we know it now, is a vast stretch of sagebrush stubble and shifting, swirling sand -- a dreary, forbidding, flat expanse of arid wilderness. Minidoka, in September of 1942, is the sort of place people would normally traverse only to get through to another destination.

But we, the ten thousand, from the climatically temperate cities and the lush, verdant valleys of coastal Washington and Oregon, are not passing through to a ready-made civilization. With minor exceptions, we are here to stay until Twentieth Century tyranny is routed from its seats of power in the Axis capitals.

We are not here by choice. But it is not likely that protest will alter the fact that we are here, or dissipate the probability that we will be here until we win the war.

We, the ten thousand, then, can have but one resolve: to apply our combined energies and efforts to the grim task of conquering the elements and converting a wasteland into an inhabitable community. Our obligation to ourselves is to wrest the nearest possible approximation of normalcy out of an abnormal situation.

Our goal is the creation of an oasis. Our great adventure is a "repetition of the frontier struggle of pioneers against the land and the elements." Our future will be what we make it, and there is no reason to despair.

Volume One, Number One of the IRRIGATOR is conceived and launched with a determined eye focused upon the Minidoka of tomorrow. The IRRIGATOR is and will be a partisan of progress.

A temporary patrol force of 50 policemen, identified by green arm bands and headed by Captain Sanni Kaneko, are now serving the project as peace officers, Captain Clarence D. Lee, Internal Security Officer, revealed today.

Captain Lee asked the cooperation of colonists in keeping clear the restricted areas where construction is still going on, and in obeying the temporary police now on his staff.

"We are asking this cooperation of the colonists for their own and the public safety," he said.

Assisting Kaneko for the tire being are Lieutenants John Funai, Bob Masumoto and Harry R. Oguchi.

Captain Lee, a retired captain of detectives formerly connected with the Berkeley, California, Police Department, stated that the permanent police force will include some 100 men, with headquarters to be located as close as possible to the central section of the project.

An extensive program designed to integrate the lives and social welfare of the residents of Minidoka WRA into a harmonious whole was announced last week by George L. Townsend, head of the community service department.

"Through their living here, we hope the residents will not only be able to take away with them new skills, that their lives may be enriched," Townsend stated.

A graduate of Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, where he earned his spurs in basketball and football, Townsend has been engaged in social welfare and YMCA work for about 20 years. Under the community service department which he heads come education, activities, social welfare, internal government and religion.

"The department will attempt to contribute to every activity at the center. The program, of constructive nature naturally will aid in keeping up the morale," added Townsend.

Preliminary steps toward community activities were taken last Friday when a meeting of about 60 select representatives, was held in Block 23 at which time George Ishihara, community activities supervisor, outlined a comprehensive leisure-time program which he hopes to get into swing as soon as possible.

Supplementing Ishihara's talk, Townsend reported activities would be based upon the interested and desires of the residents here and would further "promote interests which the residents here have heretofore never experienced."

Minidoka's first newlyweds are Dan Kita and Mary Fujia, who were married on September 1 at Jerome.

Anyone eligible and willing to work within Minidoka will be assigned employment in due time, WRA Employment Supervisor Harold James, said today. Of 3,000 already interviewed by his office staff, half have been placed in various occupations.

"Job opportunities for residents within the project are better than any average community," James stated. "Here we are building and expanding at the same time, and we have just begun."

Late arrivals will have the same opportunities to seek responsible jobs in their field as those who preceded them, it was pointed out.

Classes for schooling apprentices in various trades will begin within six weeks under a program for training workers, James said.

Job seekers are asked to report for preliminary registration and interviews at the Employment and Placement office, Block 22, Bldg. 11.

A total of 114 Pierce and King County voters cast their absentee ballots for the State primary election. The ballots were notarized by Miss Yasuko Koyama, of Nampa, at the Counselor's office.

Minidoka's first schools are tentatively set to open October 1 according to statements issued by Jerome Light and Mildred Bennett, high and elementary school principals respectively.

Pointing to the signs is the call for young men to work with boys of the 9-10-11-12-age group. Those interested may apply with Miss Bennett at the administration office.

School enrollment started last week in Blocks 1 and 4. This week's schedule is as follows:

Monday -- Blocks 5 and 16
Tuesday -- Blocks 6 and 17
Wed. -- Blocks 13 and 19
Thurs. -- Blocks 14 and 21
Friday -- Blocks 15 and 22

Recreational activities for the 6-7-8 age group are under way in the dining halls. Games, a story hour, and a rest period run from 2 to 3:30 p.m. daily except Sundays. Classes were opened in No. 15 Sept. 7; in No. 16 Sept. 8.

Under the nursery school plan 42 children of the 3-4-5 age group have been enrolled in Recreation hall No. 2. Plans for organizing all blocks are under way.

High school enrollees will register for courses after school is opened.

Five student evacuees have obtained releases here to date to indicate that individual relocation is still going apace.

"Although most of the student releases will come too late for fall quarter, it is to be hoped that many can be get through for winter quarter," Carl Sandoz, Counselor, said.

Final work on the release of students is up to the National Student Relocation Council in San Francisco, but the local office helps the student get the necessary information, he explained.

Minidoka's first payroll line formed in the Housing Office yesterday as approximately $3,700 were disbursed by Marlow Glen, Principal Fiscal Accountant, to 650 colonists who were employed during August.

Workers in every division except mess, transportation, and supply were paid in cash. The majority of the workers were from the Housing and Placement Offices.

Minidoka's sixteen wing hospital compares favorably with city hospitals and is much better as far as facilities are concerned, Mrs. M. Evans, head nurse, declared yesterday. The building is completed and the hospital directors are now awaiting equipment of the latest type.

Headed by Dr. L.M. Neher, chief medical officer, and Mrs. Evans, the staff consists of seven Japanese doctors, four Japanese and two Caucasian graduate nurses. Additions will be made from Portland's medical staff.

The general hospital will handle all cases including major operations, with the exception of active tubercular patients. The 200-bed hospital will be served by its own kitchen and laundry.

The Out-patient's clinic, located in wing 5, will handle all pharmacy, dental and optometry cases from 1:30 to 4 p.m. daily.

First aid stations will not be set up as the hospital expects to meet all medical needs. However, a dispensary is scheduled to open at the east end of the camp in two weeks.

Visiting hours at the hospital are 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 8 p.m. daily with two visitors per patient. Visiting in the maternity ward is between 2:30 and 4 p.m. daily.

Two new doctors at the hospital are Dr. M. Hasegawa from the Tanforan Assembly center and Dr. G. Takeno from the Tulare assembly center.

The boom spot of the project is the Community Store in Block 6.

According to manager Yoshitaka Takayoshi, last Saturday's receipts alone totaled a record of $1,012; and until August 31, accounting for ten actual business days, the store sold $7,400 worth of merchandise.

Plans are being worked out where by not earnings will revert to the purchaser. All customers are for this reason reminded to save their purchase receipts.

In order to better serve the huge project, three enlarged stores will eventually start business at Block 40, Building 1, Block 30, Building 15, and Block 12, Building 15. Each of the three permanent stores, plans for which are being drafted by Frank Toribara, will occupy an entire building.

At present, nine clerks assist Manager Takayoshi in handling the ever-increasing daily patronage whose huge demands for ice cream, fruit juices, pop-corn and potato chips far exceed the stocks available. The daily supply of 350 dozens of "Creamsicles" and other frozen stick novelties are exhausted long before the day is over, children consuming the bulk of the iced sweets.

Store hours are: daily: 9-11:30 a.m.; 1-5 p.m. and 6-7:30 p.m., Sundays; 1-5 p.m.

Block managers for the camp have been appointed on a temporary basis. Permanent appointments will be made at a later date, according to Seiichi Hara, acting head block manager.

Duties of the block managers will be:

1. Maintenance of light globes for the barracks.

2. Distribution of mops, brooms, and pails.

3. Giving information as to whom to see in regards to business concerning the [illegible] of WRA staff members.

4. Distributing mail.

5. Summoning the doctor if any sickness or injury is reported.

6. Being helpful in any way to the residents of the block.

Temporary block managers are H.R. Hatate, S. Hara, Frank Okada, Shisuo Yamada, at 2-11-A; W.S. Terazawa, Setsugo Hosokawa, at 6-9-A; Frank Ozawa, Hideo Mori, Yoichi Matsuda, Masaru Harada, at 16-1-A; C. Yamagiwa, Frank Nagamine, at 19-11-F; Genya Oye, Ted Saito, Pete Yorita, George Kashiwagi, at 24-1-A; Tatsumi Goto, at 29-1-A; and Kenichi Nakatani, George Tajima, at 38-1-A.

Minidoka's population Wednesday morning, September 9, was 7,566, according to the Housing Office. 1,400 more from the North Portland Center and 75 clean-up crew members from Puyallup will bring the total to 10,000 shortly.

Centrally located just south of the administration building, a modern post office which will serve every conciebable [conceivable] postal need will be opened "any day now," according to George L. Townsend, temporarily in charge of this department.

Government postal inspectors declared a postmaster would be sent here immediately to get it started.

A mail order department covering all the larger mail order houses opened today with offices temporarily located in the

(cont.'d on pg. 6)

BIRTHS
Mrs. H.T. Matsudaira, Sept. 3, girl, Area D, Camp Harmony
Mrs. M. Kanetomi, Sept. 1, boy, Area A, Camp Harmony
Mrs. R. Shigeno, Aug. 30, boy, Area A, Camp Harmony
Mrs. N. Arai, Aug. 22, girl, Area A, Camp Harmony
Mrs. Nosho, boy, Area A, Camp Harmony
Mrs. Ojima, boy, Area A, Camp Harmony
Mrs. Chiseko Nagaishi, Sept. 6, girl, Blk. 28-8-F
Mrs. Suteko Fujino, Sept. 7, girl, Blk. 42-7-A

DEATHS
Mrs. Mitsuo Terao, Age 57, Block 5-9-A, at Project Hospital, of cerebral hemorrhage.
Mr. Fusa Hiramatsu, age 66, at St. Valentines Hospital Wendell, Idaho, of cerebral hemorrhage.

Minidoka's fire department [illegible] the arrival of one of two fire trucks, completely new and equipped with sirens, hose and all necessary accessories. Fire Protection Officer W.L. Yeager revealed today.

One truck, a Seagrave model identical to the massive trucks used by big city fire departments, will be capable of pumping 750 gallons of water per minute.

Each, according to Yeager, will carry a thousand feet of 2 1/3-inch hose, 200 fast of 1 1/2-inch hose, and a minimum 150 gallon water tank.

(cont'd. on pg. 6)

NOTE: The Fire Department requests all colonists to observe the rule forbidding private use of the fire hoses attached to the outer walls of the laundry rooms. The hoses are not made of the most durable material, and are for emergency use only.

This is Minidoka, 68,000 acres of land to accommodate the "duration" activities of 10,000 transplanted residents. The project consists of thirty five blocks of barracks and additional areas for the huge hospital, Administration buildings, Warehouses, Military Police and Sewage.

Four walls, 400 feet deep, will eventually supply the center's water. To date the No. 2 well located near Block 13 is the only one operating. The other three still being drilled will be near Blocks 35, 22 and 28.

Rich sediment loam soil covers the project. Principal crops of the tableland vicinity are sugar beets, beans, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, alfalfa and grains.

Towns nearest Minidoka are Jerome, Twin Falls, Milner Dam and Rupert. Climatical statistics for 1942 obtainable from Rupert show a low of 21 degrees below zero in January and a July high of 104 degrees. Twin Falls reported a snowfall of 10.7 inches in January.

This map of Minidoka does not show the proposed sites for the school buildings, athletic fields, parks, and other public locations. Officials are now determining sites with the tentative community program in mind.

She's a sweet old lady with kindly brown eyes and wisps of graying hair. But she is a person non grata because she spreads rumors and is the kind of resident Minidoka and the war effort can do without.

There was a cluster of donkey-eared women around her by the canteen, and in her juiciest rumor tone she was saying... "I heard it on the radio today. Seattle was bombed to destruction by the Japanese. Ketchikan too."

Well, sister, it ain't so. Back in the old town things are still humming. The Flying Fortresses thunder over the city. They are tossing rivets like potatoes at the shipyards. The trolleys and the lotteries are still running and the Rainiers are in the first division.

Maybe the little old lady was the one who "just knew" President Roosevelt resigned the other day. Or she was telling about how 2,000 more from Santa Anita would be in any day now.

Another vicious tale to spike is about the Placement office putting enemy aliens strictly on a $12 basis because they are not citizens. This one made mild eyed Harold James burn and his bushy hair crackle.

Don't believe a word of it if the old geezer with the moustache lets drip the mendacious jewel about how much profit the canteen manager and clerks are pocketing. Fact is the profits revert to the community on a plan now pending.

Get the facts, people, and only the facts. He on guard to kill each idle rumor. Don't be a rumor spreader.

recreation room of Block 21. A temporary post office for the sale of stamps only was set up in the same place. C.O.D. packages and registered mail may be claimed there.

All mail for Minidoka colonists should be addressed to Hunt Branch, Twin Falls, Idaho.

However, freight, express and telegrams for this area must be addressed to Minidoka WRA Project, Eden, Idaho.

are expected to be completed by the end of this week. The main station is located close to the water tower in the administration area, while the second station is at the intersection of sectors C and D. Both stations will have quarters for the firemen.

Yeager, who is permanently assigned here, stated that present plans call for a fire-fighting squad of 75 men. The department, which will function day and night, is to be headed by a chief marshall, three assistant marshals, and seven captains.

Included with the 75 will be 15 or 20 men to be selected from among the colonists arriving from the Portland assembly center.

A skeleton squad of 15 men under Chief Kaz Tamura and Assistant Chief Dick Setsuda, is temporarily stationed at Block 4, Barrack 11. The squad is already busy with drills, day and night patrolling, and installation of emergency fire extinguishers.

In addition to the regular members of the fire-department will be 24 volunteer fire fighters in each block.

"The Minidoka project has the finest possibilities of any project thus far, and should walk away with the honors," he said.

For those who like their literary diversion, either Steinbeck or Supermen, a library will be housed in the high school, according to William Makino, acting head of the book department.

Temporary libraries will be set up in Recreation halls 31 and 7. 'Rec' 31's library will be ready for readers Monday or sooner. Number 7 will open at a later date.

Assistants to Makino are Tamako Inouye and Alice Togo. Others on the library staff are Haruko Inamura, Sanro Murayama, Tomiko Sato, Miyo Yamagishi, and Mrs. Janet Tanaka.

The permanent library will be under the supervision of a WRA staff member but the staff will be selected from community residents.

Camp Harmony's system will be used in the temporary set up.

James stated that a number of workers may be able to find year-around work with their employers.

"Any citizen of unquestionable loyalty to the United States with a bona fide offer for work in a state outside the Western Defense Command's jurisdiction can apply for release from the project.

"This release may be obtained for the individual and his family. Once the individual leaves the restricted territory he may be considered a free agent," James said.

The owner of a pair of gold-rimmed glasses found in Block 34 may claim the spectacles upon proper identification at the Internal Security office in the main Administration Bldg.