OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS _■
VOL. LIII. No. 26 NOME, ALASKA, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 1951~ _Per Copy—15c
NEWS IN BRIEF
TAMPA, Fla., (/P)—The death
here Wednesday of Joseph P. Roub
les, 104, leaves only 19 survivors
o fthe million men the South mob
ilized to fight the Civil War.
Robles joined the Confederates
resisting Union forces invading
Florida. He spent his entire life
in this state. ,
SAN FRANCISCO, (JP) — The
San Francisco police department
has disbanded its pigeon detail.
A three-man squad was created
18 months ago to patrol the Civic
Center — favorite feeding ground
for San Francisco’s pigeons. Their
job was to keep San Franciscans
from feeding the birds—a misde
meanor punishable by six months
in jail and a $500 fine.
In 18 months the detail didn’t
arrest a single pigeon-feeder. And
the pigeons never went hungry.
CHALFONT ST. GILES, Eng
land (/P)—Villagers took a look at
the River Misbourne yesterday
yesterday and heaved a sign of
relief.
It was flowing for the first time
in nearly 12 years.
A local tradition says the river
dries up before a period of nation
al calamity, re-appears when good
times aer coming.
It dried up just before World
War I. It dried up again in the
summer of 1939.
SEATTLE, (/P)— Funeral ser
ces were held today for Earl C.
Modini, 57, a former mayor of
Nome, Alaska, with burial here.
Modini, a meat-cutter, died Mon
day.
Born in Phillipsburg, Mont., he
lived in Alaska about 25 years be
fore coming to Seattle in 1927. He
was serving as mayor of Nome
when he returned here.
Surviving are his widow. Myr
tle; and a daughter, Mrs. Hazel
M. Doherty, Colorado Springs^
Colo.
NEW YORK, {/Py—In 1931, An
drew W. Mellon, the late multi
millionaire secretary of the treas
ury, bought Raphael’s “Alba Ma
dona” from the Russian govern
ment for $1,166,400—the highest
recorded price for a painting.
The masterpiece has been hang
ing in the National Gallery of Art
in Washington since 1941.
The Russians now claim in a
Soviet publication that the cele
brated art work is hanging in the
Hermitage Museum in Leningrad.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. </P)—
Sen. Vandenberg (R.-iMich.), suf
fering from complications that fol
lowed two tumor operations, is re
ported to have had a relapse that
will prevent his return to Wash
ington any time soon.
The 66-year-old Republican for
eigh policy leader had counted on
returning to his Senate seat early
this year.
But his personal physician, Dr. j
A. B. Smith, acknowledged this
week there had been “unforseen
developments” in his condition in
recent days.
‘‘The Senator’s condition is not
(Continued on Page Two)
Nome Praised, For
Defense Program
Special guests at the Civil De
j fense meeting held Wed. evening
I were Col. J. H. Alexander, Civil
Defense Director for Alaska, and
, Mr. S. C. Campbell, Civil De
i fense Administrator for Alaska.
Col. Alexander reviewed his
work with the legislature in the
formulating of the Alaska pro
gram for which the Territory is
j to assume its share in the ex
penses, sharing with the national
j appropriation. He stated that the
legislature was most willing to co
| operate and that the bill has pro
gressed satisfactorily.
Mr. Campbell expressed the
! opinion that he was impressed
j with the development of the pro
gram in Nome and his work
I called for a careful survey of the
■ situation, realizing the urgency
j and close contact with the possi
ble field of action. He stated that
the national organization is very
| anxious to help in the financial
field with the co-operation of the
territorial officials.
Acting Chairman Bronson ex
| pressed appreciation for the valu
able advice received, in the ab
sence of Director Harper and As
sistant Director Glavinovich.
Warden Ben Young of .ZoneXretr
ported that zone’s organization
virtually complete. Zone 3 will
' report next Wednesday.
A. Polet, Director of Publicity,
who has just returned from a trip
to Juneau, reported on the inter
est shown by the people and in
the preparation of shelters as a
(Continued on Page Seven)
ACS Celebrates
88th Birthday
Alaska Cmomunication System
installations from Seattle to Bar
row, Alaska, will celebrate this
week the 88th birthday anniver
sary of the formation of the Uni
ted States Army Signal Corps on
March 3, 1863, of which the Alas
ka! Communication System is one
of the larger signal units, Colonel
Fred P. Andrews, Commanding
Officer of the system, announced
today from headquarters in Se
attle.
In a birthday message to civili
an and military members of the
ACS, Col. Andrews said, “Satur
day, March 3, commemorates the
88th anniversary of the US. Army
Signal Corps. Since its inception
in 1863, the Corps has provided
the nerves of the Army, advanc
ing from the wig-wag days of its
founder, Gen. Albert Meyer, to
the present-day intricate electron
ic devices. Hand in hand with ov
erall progress of the Corps went
that of the ACS, which, by its
half century of progress in the
field of Alaskan communications,
contributed much toward the de
velopment and defense of the Ter
ritory.
“My sincere thanks to all mem
bers of the ACS, who by their
loyalty, initiative, knowledge and
devotion to duty have made vital
contributions to the development
of the AOS and the Signal Corps.”
Senator Says
Alaska Defenses
Neglected
By Dan Market
WASHINGTON, Feb 22.—Alas
ka and its defenses, vital to the
U.S., are takeing “a kick in the
I pants” because it is not a state,
Sen. Lester C. Hunt (D-Wyo.),
chairman of the Senate Armed
Services subcommittee on Alas
kan preparedness, charged today.
The committee in a sensational
report earlier in the day told of
plans to abandon parts of Alaska
in event of Soviet attack and de
f e n s e construction bottlenecks,
need for additional combat troops,
sky-high prices and bureaucratic
red tape.
Hunt, who visited Alaska lor
the investigation, added details
this afternoon. Because Alaska is
not a state, he said:
1— Drastic cutbacks in utilities
vital to defense construction have
been inflicted.
2— Airstrips costing 15 million
dollars each and up have gone to
ruin.
3— Development o f resources
and industries which would sup
continued on Page £ignts
Truman ^ot
Worried” ‘Over
Labor Unrest
11
(By The Associated Press)
A big labor settlement was an
nounced by the White House yes
terday—between the railroads and
IE non-operating unions— but la
bor unrest over the mobilization
program still was a thory prob
lem. .. , !
The pay settlement for a million
railway workers came after four
months’ negotiations. It granted a,
wage boost of 12Vfe cents an hour
retroactive to Feb. 1. In addition,
the non-operating workers Will
get a cost of living adjustment
which should give them four or
five cents more an hour April 1.
But where the defense mobiliza- j
' tion program was concerned, la- j
bor was bucking like a wild stal
lion. The nation’s top labor chiefs
flatly refused to participate in the
program—and instructed union of
(Continued on Page Seven)
Team Appreciation
Dinner As Success
ful As Team Was
Over sixty guests were seated
last evening at the stag dinner
reception given at the Pioneer
Hall honoring the basketball team
which returned home from the
Anchorage Fur Rendezvous with
the coveted Class B trophy, which
is now on display at the Nome
Drug Store.
After a turkey dinner, toastmas
ter John McNees told the young
men of Nome’s basket 'ball team
and their coach how proud the
town was of their accomplish
ments and of the fine record they
have made this year.
M. J. Walsh gave a history of
the colorful, background Nome
had in athletics and recalled the
famous basketball team of the
early days which toured the
United States.
Superintendent W. Angell gave
a fine address on education,
sportsmanship and athletics and
their co-ordination.
C. C. Tanner was introduced as
the outstanding booster of basket
ball, having shown a keen inter
est in all the games which the
team played this year. He gave a
resume of their development and
progress as they worked together.
Coach Hawkinson introduced
the team: Clarence Willoya, Vin
| cent Ahkolik and Gilbert Ozenna
who made the all-star team; John
. i
ny Hudert, Issaac Larsen, Alfred
Sahlin, Larry Okpealok, Peter
(Continued on Page Five) *->■
r »*» \ *r • -•
Many Exhibits at
Anchorage Alaska
Market Week
Buyers from every corner of
the Territory and stateside exhibi
tors who will show their wareg in
booths at the American Legion
log cabin will jam Anchorage on
March 4, 5, and 6, at Alaska Mar
ket*Week.
“Every potential buyer in Alas
ka was contacted by mail and in
vited to attend Alaska Market
Week!’, states Ernie Garda, Ex
ecutive Secretary of the event
‘*As|a result we received scores of
^Continued on Page Sew)
^ s • , , . _ , ._
.V - • - *•
Getting organized to handle buyers and exhibitors who will de
scend on Anchorage for Alaska Market Week March 4, 5 and 6 are, left
to right: Bennie Leonard, Director of Anchorage Chamber of Commerce,
Wilbur Wester, Manager of Westward Hotel, Harry Peebles, Manager
of Anchorage Hotel, and Bruce Kendall, Manager of Parsons Hotel.
Picture was taken in the lobby of the Westward Hotel.
•
Lifting The Lid
At Juneau
Thursday, March 1, 1951
JUNEAU, (^)—The Senate and
Houes of Representatives of the
Alaska Legislative convened -a
joint session at 9:00 a.m. today Uf
hear a report on a plan to over
haul financial operations of the
Territorial government.
H. Clyde Reeves, a Kentucky
revenue commissioner sent here as
a consultant by the Council of
State Governments, was to explain,
the plan to the joint assembly.
Reeves outlined the program
before a special legislative com
mittee Tuesday night. Among oth
er things, he suggested creation of
a department of finance to be
headed by an official who would
be a general financial manager
for the territorial government.
Reeves also suggested creation
of an independent auditing sec
tion and revision oi the board of
administration to include legisla
tors in plice of elective officials
whose budgets are considered by"
the board.
D u r i ng yesterday’s legislative
session, the (House passed a com
promise school bond issue propo
sal.
Agreement on the memorial to
Congress was reacted after Rep.
Glen Franklin (D-Boundary) of
fered an amendment proposing
that if Congress granted the Ter
ritory power to bond for school
construction, the legislature could
take no action without a refer
endum.
Sixty percent of the voters
would have to approve bonding
in the referendum election before
the legislature could act.
The vote on the compromise
version of the original memorial,
which asked for the right to issue
up to $9,000,000 in bonds, was
20-4.
Agreement came after a bitter
forenoon debate over school needs
and politics.
The House also voted 13-10 to
repeal experience rating credits
under the unemployment compen
sation act. The vote was a Repub
lican victory as Rep. Alden Wil
bur (R-Fairbanks) moved to table
the measure, sponsored by Rep.
Jack Scavenius CD-Anchorage).
Experience rating credits are'
given employers on the basis of
their good employment records,
thereby cutting down their pay
ments for the next period. Credits
check the growth of the compen
sation fund and labor groups have
opposed them.
The House pearlier in the day
passed 19-3 a bill by Scavenius
and Rep. Andrew Hope (D-Sitka)
to allow summer vacation work
for boys between 16 and 18 where
labor contracts exist.
The lower chamber also a p
proved Scavenius’ memorial ask
ing the Territory to take steps to
complete the Naknek health cen
ter.
Rep. Amelia Gundersen (Di
Ketchikan) introduced an amend
ment to the court-contested gen
eral property tax law to ease the
levy on miners and fishermen.
She proposed reducing the tax on
(Continued on Page Two)