m NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS_
VOL. L. No. 26. NOME. ALASKA. MONDAY, MARCH 1. 1948_PER COPY — 15c
NEWS IN BRIEF
The Alaska Steamship company
announced today that their Seattle
City ticket office will be located at
823 Second Avenue, corner of
Second and Marion. The move
from Pier 51 to new quarters in
the Exchange Building reflects a
return to the company pre-war
practice of maintaining uptown
offices and is an indication of the
greater passenger and tourist trav
el anticipated during the coming
and future seasons.
WALLA WALLA, P)—A boy’s
love for, fishing ended yesterday
in his death.
Raymond Elliott, 4, drowned
while “fishing” with two young
companions at Mill Creek on the
city limits.
Police said the three youngsters
were using sticks and string with
rocks tied on the end for bait.
Raymond fell into the water. His
body was recovered a block away.
PARIS, </P)—The war ministry
said today Lt. Gen. Francois Se
vez, 56, commander of French oc
cupation troops in Germany, was
killed in a hunting accident yes
terday in the French zone.
He was a French signer of the
1945 German Surrender at Reims.
The French news agency said in
a dispatch from Baden Baden that
Gen. Secez died when a bullet
richoted from the pony part of a
boar into his heart.
ANCHORAGE, (/P) — The win
ner of the Fur Rendezvous Buick
was George Matuck, Ft. Richard
I
son.
OLCOTT, N. Y., (JP) — His
friends call him “Buck” but he
. says his name is John Hodge Op
era House Centennial Garglin Oil
Samuel J. Tilden Ten Brook.
He explains that in 1876, the
year of the Philadelphia centen
nial observance, he was named in
honor of the late John Hodge,
owner of the Hodge Opera House,
manufacturer of Gargling Oil and
supporter of the late Samuel J.
Tilden for President.
ANCHORAGE, G*P) — Fairbanks
high school held the Fur Rendez
vous basketball championship to
day after ending a two-year 34
game Anchorage winning streak in
the tournament finals Friday
night. Fairbanks upset the local
Malemutes, 28-25, after having
bowed to them four times during
the regular season.
Seward took third place with a
crushing 63-14 victory over Kodi
ak public high school.
BUFFALO, N. Y. (/P)—Hijack
ers got away with a truck load of
beer cases here before they no
ticed the 800 cases were empty.
WASHINGTON, (^—Yester
day was an unusual day. Not for
28 years will we have another
February with five Sundays.
In answer to a query, the naval
observatory said that the last five
Sunday February was in 1920 and
the next will be in 1976.
SEATTLE, (/P)—A dispute over
wages and “fringe” issues kept
buses operated by the Northwest
Grueniiig May Con
tinue As Governor
(By Charles D. Watkins)
<(/P) Special Washington Service)
WASHINGTON, (/P)—Some ob
servers here think Gov. Ernest
Gruening of Alaska may continue
in office after his term expires
next month without benefit of a
renomination.
Gruening’s second term expires
the middle of March. Because the
Republicans control the Senate a
renomination may not be sent to
the Capitol. He is a Democrat.
Some Democratic leaders say it
is doubtful if the Republican Sen
ate will confirm a Democrat for
another four-year term as gover
nor or Alaska since the Republi
cans have hope of winning the
next national election. In that
event a Republican probably
would be appointed governor of
the Territory.
Interior department officials say
they have heard of no opposition
to Gruening’s reappointment but
they conceded it might be better
politics if the nomination is with
held.
Officials of the Democratic na
tional committee likewise say they
know of no opposition to Gruen
ing from Democrats. Delegate
Bartlett of Alaska has said he be
lieves Greuning will be reap
pointed.
Tiie committee officials are of
the opinion that the Republican
Senate would not withhold con
firmation of Gruening if his nom
ination is sent to the Senate.
The final decision in the matter
will not be known until time for
his renomination to be made.
Salestax Possible
iFor S. E. Alaska
JUNEAU, f/P)—Possibility of in
creasing municipal revenues
through a salestax \vill be dis
cussed at the three-day conference
of Southeast Alaska mayors.
Other discussion topics include
police problems, and the operation
of small boat harbors.
Mayor Waino Hendrickson of
Juneau will preside , at the ses
sions.
Other mayors in attendance in
cluded Doris Barnes, Wrangell;
Robert Ellis, Ketchikan; Carl Ve
velstad, Petersburg; C. A. Carroll,
Skagway; Mike Psuich, Douglas;
City Clerks Frank Calvin of Sitka
and Hilda Schoonover of Hoonah.
Jack Henckle arrived last eve
ning on the Pan American to be
employed as cook for the North
Pole Bakery.
Greyhound Lines idle today.
About 200 drivers walked out
at midnight Saturday, halting
service from Seattle to the Olym-1
pic Peninsula, east through Idaho
to Helena and Butte, Mont., and
from Portland, Ore., to central
Washington.
The company’s 225 buses are
tied up at terminals in the four
states.
The strike was called by the
AFL motorcoach union after nego
tiations with company representa
tives colapsed last Saturday night.
Appellate Court j
Orders Ouster
Proceedings
SAN FRANCISCO, (JP) — The
Ninth U. S. Circuit Court of Ap
peals late Friday ordered renewal
of the government’s ouster pro
ceedings against the mayor and
members of the city council,
school board and public utilities
commission of Anchorage.
The government chall e n g e d
their election on April 1, 1947, on
the ground that 653 voters were
not legally registered. With a reg
istration of a little more than
1,000, the election drew 1,738
votes.
Federal District Judge Joseph
W. Kehoe was ordered by the Cir
cuit Court to resume hearing the
ouster proceedings. He had thrown
out the government’s action, hold
ing the city ordinance under
which it was brought was uncon
stitutional. He held the election
then reverted automatically to a
. previous election ordinance which
required no registration but pro
vided for challenges of any person
t
suspected of not being a qualified
voter.
The appellate court held Kehoe
had not supported his opinion that
the ordinance was unconstitution
al and it could find no reason for
its being unconstitutional. Under
these circumstances it held if the
government proves its contention
the district court has no discretion
t to refuse the ouster.
The government sought to have
the entire election ruled out and a
new election held. Its proceeding
j was brought against Mayor-elect
i Francis C. Bowden, city council
j men John E. Hoekzema, Edward
! G. Barber, L. McVee, Chris Poul
I son, Fred Mayer and Dr. F. N.
J Dorsey; school board member
| Robert Baker and utilities board
member Anton Anderson.
Gottwald Will
“Get Rid Of”
All ‘Reactionaries’
"
(By A. I. Goldberg)
PRAGUE, (/P)—By request, the
U. S. information service renrtdved
from its windows Saturday a c6py
of the three-power denunciation of
events in Czechoslovakia.
The foreign office made the re
quest. A large crowd had gathered
outside the information service’s
offices in one of the main streets
off the public square, and it was
represented that they were hos
tile to the display.
These other developments came
Saturday:
1. Dr. Prokop Drtina, minister
of justice until last week was
found badly injured—an attempt
ed suicide, according to the offi
cial police account.
2. The government withdrew
broadcasting privileges from for
eign radio men. Dr. Oscar Kosta,
head of the foreign press section:
of the ministry of information,
said: “They did not show in their
broadcasts a true understanding
of the situation.”
3. Premier Klement Gottwald,
Continued on Page Three
Finns Resigned
To Soviet Paet j
HELSINKI, Finland, (JP)—Pres
ident Juho E. Paasikivi is expect
ed by Tuesday to name a delega
tion to discuss with Moscow a
friendship treaty requested by
prime minister Stalin.
It seems likely the delegation
will be headed either by premier j
Mauno Pekkala or by foreign min
ister Carl Enckell, Russian- speak
ing diplomat of long experience in
Mascow negotiations.
Persons close to the cabinet said
the preseident, meanwhile, has
asked parliamentary groups to tell
him their attitude toward he pro
posed treaty by Tuesday.
The mood of the Finnish people
seems resigned. Outwardly they'
prepared for another fine week
end, skating championships as the
main issue, but wherever two
Finns met, the Russian proposal
was the principal topic of conver
sation. Sources close to the gov
ernment said Friday Stalin sent
his note Monday.
The conservative newspaper
Kauppalenti called for calm. It
said, “We do not know what is in
reality happening.” The paper
spoke of Finland’s parliamentary
traditions and said, “We will not
yield from this, our right.”
A defense treaty with Finland
would give Russia a chain of such
pacts with neighbors from the
Black Sea on the south to far
north of the Baltic.
—
HELSINKI (T*)—President Jipio
Paasikivi opened discussions with
in the Finnish government today
! on prime minister Stalin’s propos
al for a Finnish-Russian treaty of
friendship and mutual aid.
Paasikivi conferred at the presi
dential palace for three and a half
hours with Premier Mauno Peek
ala, foreign minister Carl EncKeil,
vice foreign minister Renhoid
Svento and Lt. Gen. Aaene Sihvo,
commander in chief of the Finn.sh
army.
Gov. Proclaims
Red Cross Week
JUNEAU — “During the past
year we have witnessed the mag
nificent work of the American
Red Cross in assisting victims of
disaster here in Alaska and
throughout the United States. We
have seen the value of Red Cross
health and safety programs, which
are constantly being expanded.
Our veterans and their families
have received many vital welfare
services through their local Red
Cross chapters, and field and hos
pital workers continue to serve
our troops.
“Besides maintaining these es
sential activities, the Red Cross is
expanding its new national blood
program, which will ultimately
provide blood and its derivatives
without charge to everyone who
needs them for medical purposes.
“In order to fulfill its’ obliga
tions, the American Red Cross
needs the generous support of all
the people. The national goal of
the 1948 fund campaign, to begin
March first, is seventy-five million
(Continued on Page Eight)
Lomen, Jackson
Testify Against
Reservations
WASHINGTON^ </P>—The son
in-law of Andrew J. Volstead,
father of the 1918 prohibition law,
told a Senate committee Friday
“liquor is the curse of the Eski
mos in Alaska.”
Carl J. Lomen, of Nome, hus
band of the former Laura Vol
stead, testified he had tried to get
government agents to stop the sale
of liquor to Eskimos around
Nome, but no action had been
taken.
Lomen represented the North
west Alaska Chamber of Com
merce and is president of the Lo
, men Commercial company of
Nome. He urged passage of bills to
abolish Indian reservations in the
Territory, prevent establishment
of others and turn all Indian bur
eau activities in Alaska over to the
Territorial government.
He testified his company oper
ated a barge service at Nome and
that Eskimos formed a large part
of its employees. He said the Es
kimos made as high as $125 a
week during the working season
and grossed as much as $5,000 a
year.
He said that after the Eskimos
were paid off weekly most of the
pay of some of them went for li
quor or disappeared while the men
were intoxicated.
Lomen said reservations would
prevent development of the Terri
tory and be a step backward for
the Eskimos. He said they enjoy
equal rights, in a way are wards
of the government, and can roam
where the white man is not al
! lowed to go.
i “One of these days the white
man is going to come out and de
mand equal rights with the Eski
mos,” Lomen said. “The native
population (Eskimos, Aleuts, Indi
ans) properly organized can con
trol elections in most sections of
Alaska.”
He said five Eskimos were can
didates for the Alaska legislature
Grant Jackson, president of the
Nome Miners and Merchants Bank
testified he believed the Indian
(Continued on Page Six)
Declare Partv l ies
‘Yes’ Or ‘No?’
- %
JUNEAU, (JP)—A court test on
the legality of the blanket pri
mary ballot passed by the 1847
legislature has been initiated by
Albert White, General Counsel for
the Republican party in Alaska.
White filed a petition in federal
court Friday for a writ of man
damus against the clerks of the
Territory’s four judicial divisions.
Atty. Gen. Ralph Rivers was or
dered by the court to appear Mar.
8 in behalf of the clerks.
White said he will seek to prove
that the blanket primary law did
not amend or repeal provisions of
Territorial election laws pertain
ing to a declaration of party being
made at the time voters secure
their ballots.
Rivers has issued orders to the
four clerks for them to ignore that
feature of the election laws and
print blanket ballots.