IS NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
VOL. LI. No7 48_NOME, ALASKA, FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 1949_Per Copy—15c
NEWS IN BRIEF
NEW YORK, W-Two children
being wheeled by their mothers in
baby carriages, lost their lives and
four other persons were injured
Wednesday when hit by a one-ton
truck in the Bronx.
The truck skidded out of con
trol on wet cobblestones and
plowed into a group of women
and children as they were cross
ing an intersection.
Dead were Janet Gotesky, 2,
and Barry Levy, 2. Their mothers,
and another child and woman
were injured. The baby buggies
were smashed, and one of them
dragged 50 feet.
Police planned further ques
tioning today of the driver Giu
seppi Vendett, 48.
ANCHORAGE, CP)—William A.
Smith Co., of Kansas City, Kas.,
and Brown & Root, Houston, Tex.,
entered a joint low bid Wednes
day for re-laying of 101 miles of
Alaska Railroad track.
They offered to do the work for
$1,944,655.80.
Morrison-Knudsen of Seattle
entered the only other bid—$2,
381,981.96.
The work is scheduled between
Caswell and Curry, and between
Nenana and Fairbanks. The pres
ent light-weight rail will be re
placed by 115-pound rail. The pro
ject also calls for respacing and
replacing ties, building sidings
and turnouts and ballasting.
Railroad engineers are studying
the bids and said they expected to
award the contract later.
PORTLAND, (jP> — Fire swept
through a downtown office and
apartment building early today,
routing 60 tenants.
Eleven persons were overcome
by smoke.
Firemen went up fire escapes
and aerial ladders to rescue pan
ic-stricken persons on the upper
floors of the five-story Morrison
Park apartments on S. W. Morri
son street just off Broadway.
Two aged tenants, Clara Jones,
73, and Cora Wilson, 74, and two
firemen, were hospitalized for
treatment after being overcome by
smoke.
CHICAGO, (/P)—Ned H. Dear
born, president of the National
Safety Council, spoke on a radio
program about accidents. Then he
put on his hat and coat and waited
for a car he had ordered from a
livery limousine service. He had
to wait some time.
“Sorry,” the tardy driver said. |
“I was sailing along the Outer
Drive on the way to pick you up
and listening to the car radio.
There was a program about acci
dents that scared the dickens out
of me. I took my foot off the gas
and took it easy all the way over
here. That’s why I’m late.”
■ .■— ■
PORTLAND, (/P)—Planes from
the Oregon National Guard and
the McChord Field air rescue servr
ice stood ready today to renew the
hunt for a missing B-26, overdue
on a flight from Hamilton Field,
Calif., to Portland.
The aerial search was called off
last night because of Wad weather.
The names of two of the missing
Alaska SS. Seeks
Injunction Against
Tax Commissioner
JUNEAU, (£*) — Arguments in
the Alaska Steamship company’s j
suit, to prevent the Alaska tax
commissioner from collecting in-1
come taxes on the pay of crews
operating between Seattle and
Alaska will be heard April 28.
The company seeks a perman
ent injunction against the com
missioner, who is permitted by
law to take action against com
pany property in Alaska if the tax
is not paid by April 30.
Frank Mechem, Seattle attorney
will be company counsel.
The hearing was originally set
for today.
The company filed the suit in
Juneau after it was caught in a
“squeeze” between orders of a
Alaska tax commissioner. The
Seattle court ordered the company
to put tax monies withheld from
seamen’s pay into a special fund,
pending a court decision on the
seamen’s challenge of the with
holding tax legality. But the Alas
ka tax commissioner ordered the
company to pay the withheld
taxes on schedule, despite the
Seattle court order.
Harry Again Asks
For Compulsory
Health Insurance
WASHINGTON. (/Pi—President
| Truman asked Congress again to
day to vote compulsory medical
j insurance as part of a national
, health program.
In a special message to the leg
islators, Mr. Truman said the
“traditional method” of paying for
medical care “cannot meet the
health needs of today.”
He recommended that Congress
provide for a system of govern
ment payments of medical bills
from a fund to be collected by
special taxes.
Mr. Truman also asked:
1. Government financial aid for
the expansion of medical schools.
2. Federal aid for “construction
of hospitals and other medical fa
cilities in communities where they
are needed.”
3. Increased federal grants to
help state, and local governments
in “controlling certain diseases”
and promoting “maternal and
child health services, services for
crippled children and general pub
(Continued on Page Seven)
plane’s three passengers were dis
closed. They were air force Col.
Archibald Y. Smith, 49, and army
Col. Walter W. Hodge, both at
tached to armed forces headquar
ters for unification of facilities
and services in the western area.
The army said the pair was en
route to Portland on a study of
service unification in the nine!
western states.
POZNAN, Poland, </P)—Sixteen
countries and the Soviet zone of
occupation in Germany have an
nounced they will participate in
the international fair here April
23 through May 10.
42 Dead On British
Ships From
Communist Fire
(By Fred Hampson)
SHANGHAI, (/P) — The known
dead from Chinese communist at
tacks on lour British warships
reached 42 Thursday night.
British naval authorities said
the cruiser London had 15 dead
and 20 wounded and the sloop
Black Swan had five wounded.
These two latest vessels to be hit
by communist artillery on the
Yangtze river near Nanking ar
rived back in Shanghai Late to
night.
I Behind them they left to crip
' pled sloop Amethyst which they
; had sought to aid. The Amethyst
had some 20 dead and 30 to 40
wounded aboard, survivors who
|
| reached here said late yesterday.
' Among the Amethyst wounded
was her captain.
In port here undergoing repairs
; from Wednesday’s battle is the
(Continued on Page Six)
I
Senate Approves
Vast Long-Range
Housing Bill
(By Marvin L. Arrowsmith)
WASHINGTON, (/P) — The long
range housing bill landed in the
i House today after Senate approv
al at a stormy session.
The bill authorizing a vast slum
clearance program and construc
tion of 810,000 public housing
units during the next six years
I was passed by the Senate a few
i minutes before last midnight. The
vote was 57 to 13.
The measure also provides for
a $275,000,000 farm housing pro
gram and for a research program
designed to spur home construc
tion by cutting building costs.
The fate of the bill in the House
—which is in recess until Monday
—is uncertain. Somewhat similar
bills passed by the Senate last
year and in 1946 died in the other
branch of Congress.
House opposition in the past
was directed against the public
housing feature. Some influential
House members still are contend
ing that it would lead to socializa
tion of the building, industry.
That argument was raised dur
ing the five days of Senate debate
on the bill, too, but it was over
ridden.
On final passage, 33 Democrats
joined 24 Republicans in voting
for the bill. Against it were two
Democrats and 11 Republicans.
Sponsors of the bill—11 Demo
crats and an equal number of Re
publicans—were able to bring
(Continued on Page Three)
HEAVY SNOWS STARVE
REINDEER ON NUNIVAK
Heavy snows on Nunivak Is
land this winter have caused a
ravishing of reindeer herds, ac
cording to Charles Mountjoy, of
the A.N.S.
He states that reports from
there indicate that the deer have
been dying by the hundreds.
New City Council
Takes Office
The Nome Council met Wednes
| day night to transact the business
I of the term and to swear in the
new members elected April 5th.
Mayor Luther Dunbar, told the
i members of the council he was
i pleased with the work accomplish- i
i ed during his terms of office and
: that he praised the individual
members for their sincere coop
eration. Dunbar also thanked Mrs. i
McLain, city clerk for the assist-1
ance she had given him in the op
eration of his duties as mayor.
The new mayor, Steve Anderson
manager for the Northern Com
mercial Company Caterpillar de
partment, was sworn into office,
followed by the three new Coun
cil members: Albert Anderson, op
erator of the Pioneer Water De
livery; Lester Bronson, owner of
■Bronson Water Delivery (re-elect
ed); and Jacob Lencer, jeweler.
The three hold-over members
were Fred Cavota, T. A. McAllis
ter, and Gordon Osborne.
The financial report showed
receipts to be $13,165.88 over dis
continued on Page Three)
Pilot Left Plane
“Like A Bullet”
j _
ANCHORAGE, (/P) — “He went
i
out the door like a bullet,” co
pilot Rudy Billberg of Fairbanks
said today in describing the acci
dent which killed Dave Huycke,
Sourdough Air Transport com
pany crewman, yesterday.
Billberg was standing only
about three feet away from Huy
cke when the plane’s third pilot
was “sucked” out of the craft
early Wednesday shortly after
leaving Annette Island, near
Ketchikan. Huycke’s home was
Los Angeles.
The plane arrived here Wednes
day night and was to continue on
to Fairbanks.
Billberg, who served as co-pilot
on the flight from Seattle to An
nette, turned the job over to Huy
(Continued on Page Six)
"SIMON PETER, FISHERMAN'
TO BE SHOWN OVER WEEKEND
The Ladies Aid of the Federated
Church have received a religious
film named “Simon Peter, Fisher
man,” which will be shown at the
Federated Church this evening at
8 o’clock.
It has been announced that I
there will be musical numbers
with the picture which should be
of special interest to many who
have been reading Lloyd Douglas’
book, “The Big Fisherman.”
Mr Ray Tweter will lead the
singing and Mrs. Ken Rank will
be in charge of the music, and Mr.
C. Haberman will be operator.
Chairman for the showing of
this film is Lois Morgan who an
nounces that there will be a spe
cial showing for children on Sat
urday afternoon in the social
rooms of the Federated church.
The film is also scheduled to be
shown at the Nazarene church fol
lowing regular Sunday evening |
service, at 8:30 p.m.
Reds Advancing
Along South Bank
Of Yangtze River
(By Seymour Topping)
NANKING, (A5)—South Yangtze
valley ports, cities and towns fell
like clay pigeons today before a
mounting Red onslaught.
So weak was government oppo
sition that wholesale desertions to
the communists were feared. For
eign military observers said a gen
eral troop withdrawal may have
been ordered.
i Nanking was fast emptying of
j officialdom. High level Chinese,
wearing white helmets for the
tropics and many swinging tennis
rackets, bolted for depar ting
j planes.
Acting president Li Ttsung-Jen,
premier Ho Ying-Chin and Gen.
Pai Chung-Hsi, commander of the
| central front, flew to Hangchow
for an important meeting with re
tired president Chiang Kai-Shek.
Chiang may be asked to take over
the government again.
Most important cities below the
Yangtze in Red hands were Kiang
yin, 85 miles east of here, Kwei
chin, 130 miles southwest, and
dozens of lesser places between
Wuhu, 60 miles southwest of here
and Anking, 150 miles southwest.
From Kweichin the communists
! could march straight to the sea at
; Hangchow, less than 200 miles
(Continued on Page Four)
Rearmament Cost
Surprisingly Low
(By Don Whitehead)
WASHINGTON, (/P) — The $1,
; 130,000,000 price tag on the first
; year program for re-arming North
Atlantic nations occasioned some
j surprise among Senators today.
Several said privately they had
expected more.
Secretary of state Acheson gave
| the estimate yesterday to the Sen
at foreign relations committee,
i concerned with the cost of bolster
ing Atlantic defenses.
However, Acheson and secretary
of defense Johnson made it clear
to Senators this price is only a
j start on the program to strengthen
I nations which have joined in the
' North Atlantic security alliance.
Chairman Conally <D.-Tex.) of
{ the foreign relations committee
said the pact and the military as
sistance program are “in the in
terest of peace” and are “purely
defensive.”
Connally announced that Ache
son’s plan calls for about $1,130,
000,000 in the year beginning July
1 for the 11 nations joined with the
United States in the pact. t
In addition, it provides about
$320,000,000 for military aid to
Greece, Turkey and possibly other
nations.
The actual estimated cash cost
to the United States was not dis
closed.
Senator Wherry <R.-Neb.\ Re
publican floor leader, said he was
not satisfied by Senator Connolly’s
report on the Acheson tes imony.
“I \v,ant a complete break-down
of the figures and policies.” Wher
ry said.