™s NOME NUGGET
f _OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
VOL. LL No *24 NOME, ALASKA, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1949_Per Copy—15c
NEWS IN BRIEF
*
WASHINGTON, (/P) — Delegate
» Bartlett of Alaska today asked
the Senate appropriations com
mittee to provide $700,000 to out
fit a new steamship for the Alaska
Native Service.
The 5,000-ton vessel as ac
quired last year from navy sur
plus to replace the 1,000-ton
North Star, which, Bartlett said,
has been badly batiere.l in war
service, a trip to the South Pole
and its nearly 20 years service in
the Arctic.
GREAT FALLS, Mont., (/P) —
The first scheduled tiuck ship
ment cf perishables from Great
Falls to Fairbanks, Alaska reach
ed there in good condition after a
11-day journey>
A spokesman for the Alaska
Truck Lines announced the truck
reached the Alaskan city Satur
day after a three-dav delay at
Dawson Creek caused by blizzard
plugged highways.
The truck line said it had re
ceived inquiries from firms in
New York, Chicago, St. Louis and
Calgary, Canada, asking a report
on the success of the temperature
controlled truck haul.
JUNEAU, UP) — Juneau high
school suffered its first loss of the
Southeast Alaska “Gold Medal”
basketball tournament last night—
a 30-25 defeat at the hands of the
Metlakatla Vets.
Mike’s five scored a 53-49 win
over Petersburg, eliminating the
latter five from the tourney, and
Mt. Edgecumbe defeated Wran
gell, 53-37.
JUNEAU, (IP) — In Southeast
Alaska “Gold Medal” basketball
tournament play last night, victo
ries ere posted by Mt. Edgecumbe,
Juneau High and Metlakatla.
Mr. Edgecumbe beat Mike’s, 40
38, the Juneau Preps beat Colum
bia Lumber, 51-32, and Metlakatla
defeated Sitka A. N. B. 76_62.
Play continues tonight and to
morrow nights.
ANCHORAGE, (IP)—Still hold
ing hopes of completing her crash
halted flight around the world,
Mrs. Richard Morrow-Tait, Bri
tish flier, said yesterday she plans
to hitch a plane ride to Seattle
Monday. 1 •'
After visiting Seattle, the red
haired aviatrix plans to return to
Edmonto©, Alta., where she has
been working several months to
earn money for another plane.
She is in Alaska on a two-weeks’
visitor’s pass.
Mrs. Morrow-Tait went to Ed
monton after her plane crashed
near Tok Junction, between here
and Fairbanks.
SEATTLE, (£>)—Bids will be re
ceived here today on conversion
of the 300-foot motorship Coastal
Rider as a supply ship for the
Alaska Native Service.
V. R. Farrell, administrative as
sistant here for the Alaska Native
Service, said bids also would be
taken on overhaul of the motor
ter vessel would make at least two
ship North Star, and that the lat-!
trips to Alaska next summer.
The Coastal Rider is intended
C-47 Nearly Saves
Wrong Village
.•_
ANCHORAGE—The Tenth Res
cue Squadron nearly rescued the
wrong village when it sent a Jato
equipped C-47 with food and sup
plies to Hooper Bay.
This was the story the crew told
on themselves when they return
ed from their mercy mission re
cen'ly. Flying over terrain that
looked no different for as far as
they could see, they took their
shipload ’of supplie.- down when
they winged over a large group of
natives.
They thought they were at
Hooper Bay where Father O’Con
nor of the mission there, had sent
world that stocks were dangerous
ly low.
Fortunately some one thought
to ask where they were.
The place turned out to be Kie
vak, 25 miles this side of Hooper’s
Bay.
A hundred gallons of gas and
some minutes later the much
needed supplies were brought
down at the proper destination,
bringing joy and gratitude from
Father O’Connor and some 300 na
tive people. .
4
International News
At A Glance —
I
—
Thursday. February 24. 1949
*By The Associated Press'*
Egypt signed a general armis
tice today with Israel on terms
giving the new Jewish State a
great victory and an established
place in the Middle East.
The six other Arab states, which
have iwarred sporadically against
! the Jews since last May, began
dropping quickly in line, despite
their loud 'avowals last spring to
destroy the new country. A last
ing peace seemed near between
the Jews and Arabs in the strate
gic area.
The Jews kept most of their
gains in fighting of Oocober and
December, including Arab Beer
fContinued on Page Two) ‘
*
to replace the North Star event
ually.
YUKON, Okla. i/P) — Need an
all-purpose shotgun? •
The weekly Yukon (Okia.) Sun
published this classified ad today:
“For sale—12-guage shotgun,
single barrel, full choke, ideal for
squirrels, rabbits, weddings, etc.,
P. O. Box 151.”
WASHINGTON, (/P)—President
Truman today chose James Grover
McDonald to be the first United
States ambassador to Israel.
McDonald has been special rep
resentative of the United States
in Israel since June 22. It had
been understood that he would be
made ambassador after full recog
nition of the new Jewish state.
That recognition was extended
some time ago.
The White House announced
Mr. Truman’s selection of McDon
ald for the ambassadorship. The
nomination must be approved by
the Senate.
Truman will Stump
For Legislation
(By Jack Bell)
WASHINGTON, (/P)—President
Trumans notice that he may stump
the country for his legislative pro
gram drew a “hop to it” response
from Republicans today.
Mr. Truman, in the down-to
earth lingo he used successfully in
last year’s campaign, told enthusi
astic Democrats at Jefferson
1 Jackson Day dinners last night
i that Republicans are trying to
“cripple” labor unions and hold
i minimum wages to a “starvation
level.”
i And the capacity crowd cheer
ed as he declared that “special in
terests” on Capitol Hill may com
pel him to board a train again
soon “to tell the people how their
government is getting on.”
, The Republicans, the President
charged, want to destroy the farm
<Continued on Page Four)
•
I
Marooned Wreck
Victims Build
j Shack on Island
—
i CORDOVA, (#*)—A woman and
two men, grounded on their power
barge since Monday, have built a
makeshift shack on treacherous
Grass Island, aerial observers re
ported yesterday.
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Haword and
i their son-in-law, (Robert Zentmire
! waved to the plane from their
plywood and timber shelter and
I indicated they were not suffering,
i Merle Smith, Cordova Air Serv
ice president who flew with three
observers, said a 60-mile north
wind was blowing off the Cooper
River delta and holding breakers
to a minimum, although spray
from the combers had iced down
the barge, the North Cloud, from
stem to stern.
He warned that the breakers
were picking up in severity due to
a rising southeast wind and that
the marooned party would “be in
(Continued on Page Eight)
LIFTING THE LID
AT JUNEAU
—
Thursday, February 24, 1949
(By James Hutcheson)
JUN)AU, (/P)—A bill to estab
lish a Territorial department of
fisheries with broad regulatory
powers passed the Territorial
House with a unanimous vote last I
night.
It carries a $250,000 appropria
tion and provision for a $12,000 a
year director to be selected by
four board members named by
the Governor.
The department would work
with federal agencies but in the
event of statehood would assume
powers now exercised by the fish
and wildlife service.
The House passed, 19-2, a bill
to establish a Pioneers* Home
commission and provided a home
for aged or incapacitated women
at Sitka. It carried a $250,000 ap
propriation.
The House also passed three
(Continued on Page Five)
Truman Grins; Is
WASHINGTON. f/P)—President
Truman declared yesterday that
the Marshall Plan should be push
ed forward until European recov
eryh is assured — the full four
years if necessary, but with due
recognition that it may take less
time.
He expressed pleasure over the
Israel-Egvpt armistice.
And he told a news conference
that he isn’t taking back a word—
or a letter—of his denunciation of
critics of his official family.
When reporters asked what re
action had been received to his
Tuesday night speech declaring
that no “S. O. G.” was going to
tell him whom to hire or fire in
the government, Mr. Trumlin
grinned.
The reactions, he said, were
very satisfactory to him.
Drew Pearson, columnist and
radio commentator had criticized
Mr. Truman’s army aide, Maj.
Gen. Harry H. Vaughan, for ac
• cepting a decoration from Presi
1 dent Peron of Argentina,
i The Marshall Plan comment
, was called forth by questions
about yesterday’s statement from
a British spokesman in the United
Nations, to the effect that Britain
has reached the point of ceasing
to be concerned with recovery
and is now interested in long
(Continued on Page Six)
Fish And Wildlife
Service Closes
Nine Fish Traps
(By Vern Haugland)
((#*) Special Washington Service)
WASHINGTON, (JP) —Alaskans
who voted last year for the grad
ual elimination of fish traps from
Territorial waters will realize a
part of their goal next summer.
The fish and wildlife service
said today that for local conserva
tion reasons nine traps along the
mainland in the eastern district—
where the salmon runs have been
most seriously depleted—will be
closed.
All other types of fishing in the
same waters, except trolling, are
likewise prohibited in order that
the runs may be rebuilt.
Gradual elimination of fish (
traps was approved by an 8-to-l
majority of Alaskan voters in a'
Territorial refereudum.
Seton Thompson chief of Alas
kan fisheries for the fish and wild
life service, said in announcing
the 1949 Alaskan commercial fish
ing regulations that an act of Con
gress would be necessary to com
plete such action. Delegate Bart
lett has introduced legislation for
their elimination.
Several major changes have
been incorporated into the regula
tions for Southeastern Alaska,
Thompson said.
The general trap and seine sea
sons were set for Aug. 22-Sept. 4
in the Icy Strait, western and
eastern districts, and for Aug. 15
Sept. 3 in the Sumner Strait,
(Continued on Page Three)
General Motors
(aits Wages
And Pi •ices
(Bv Harold W. Ward)
WASHINGTON, (/P) — General
Motors corporation today cui
prices and wages as the cost of
living index dropped for the
fourth straight month .
The price cuts ranged from $10
to $40 on all G-M passenger auto
moblies and Chevrolet trucks.
The wages, tied to the cost of
living index, were reduced two
cents an hour for 273,000 produc
tion workers. The firm's 68,000
salaried employees took a flat $10
cut in quarterly living allowances.
G-M, the nation’s biggest auto
maker, attributed the price cuts
partly to the pay reductions and
partly to lower costs of certain
materials.
The wage reduction was estim
^Continued on Page Four)
Navy Well Pleased
With Maneuvers
At Kodiak
SEATTLE, (/P)—No ice shroud
ed the guns of first navy units re
turning to Seattle yesterday from
Alaska cold weather maneuvers
in the Kodiak area.
“They were too hit for ice,”
said a crew man patting a gun
aboard one of the hard-hitting
navy “rocket” ships berthed at
Pier 91. “As a matter of fact we
were all too busy to notice whe
ther it was cold or not.”
A gray convoy of 12 units from
the first task fleet stopped here
to take on fuel and stores before
going on to California ports. Other
fleet vessels sailed directly south.
Capt. M. M. Riker, senior offi
cer of the group, said he could
speak only on the performance of
vessels and personnel under his
supervision, and these, he declar
ed, were quite sati sfactory
throughout the North Pacific war
games.
Eighteen thousand sailors and
marines aboard 34 ships engaged
in the wide-scale tests of mock
war under adverse weather condi
tions. Vessels ranged from the
(Continued on Page Eight)
Will Start Rail
Link In Canada
VICTORIA, B. C., (/P)—Provi
sional government officials said
yesterday work will begin as soon
as weathers permits on the exten
sion of the Pacific Great Eastern
rialway between Quesnel, B. C.,
and Prince George.
The P.G.E. has been mentioned
in connection with a rail line link
ing Alaska and Yukon Territory
with the Pacific Northwest- pro.,
ject now being considered by Con
gress.
Canadian officials also said sur
veys will be made on construction
of a highway between Vancouver
and Squamish, at the head ot
Howe Sound, the southern term
inus of the Provincially-owned
hail line.