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Emily Boucher .Local Editor
j®, Entered as second class matter October 14. 1943, at the postoffice
}m. at Nome, Alaska, under the Act of March 3. 1879.
; Nome, Alaska, Monday, February 7, 1949
ALASKA MAY GET MORE FISHERIES RESEARCH
\
(Alaska Development Board)
V Expanded fisheries explorations in Alaska waters
^and slightly increased research in the fisheries indus
tries field are provided in the budget of the Fish and
Wildlife Service recently sent to Congress, the Alaska
Development Board was advised recently by A. W. An
derson, chief of the branch of commercial fisheries.
A base appropriation of $125,000 for exploratory fish
ing and gear improvement for the present year would;
be increased under the budget now being considered by1
Congress to $155,150 for the fiscal year commencing;
next July 1.
The increase will provide from two to three months’ j
additional operation of an exploratory fishing vessel in
North Pacific waters. Anderson explained to the Devel
opment Board that the current appropriation is suffi
cient for about six months’ operation during the year
but if the increase is allowed, the work can be extended
to cover eight or nine months.
The Development Board had requested the Service to
assign its exploratory fishing vessel for work in South
eastern Alaska during the period of the year when it can
not operate in Bering Sea. Anderson reported that the
extra operating time will be devoted especially to in
shore projects which can be conducted during periods
of bad weather usually encountered in Alaska in late
fall or early spring.
Budget estimates will *be sufficient also to permit
some research in and development of new and improved
types of fishing gear and vessel operation for handling
that gear, the Development Board was advised. j
The estimates approved by the Budget Bureau and
recommended by the President also contain an item of
$30,000 for completion of the second floor of the Ketch
ikan laboratory of the Fisheries Experimental Commis
sion and small increases for work in commercial fisher-1
ies statistics and economic investigations. The estimates
will allow for some research on freezing, packaging and
processing of fishery products, on clam toxicity, on bac
teriology and sanitation, and limited work on fish oils;
and vtamin assays.
- !
ALASKA MUST HAVE TB. ISOLATION HOSPITALS
(Alaska Native Service) j
Every Alaskan community should have its own tu
* berculosis isolation hospital acording to Bob Druxman,
Juneau public relations counsel, who recently made on
inspection of various Native villages for the Alaska Na
tive Service.
This recommendation was revealed by Don. C. Fos
1 ter, ANS general superintendent, who said that Drux
man declared such a move would save the Government
considerable money over the years and also help reduce
Alaska’s present large number of tuberculosis cases.
Druxman suggested that small isolation hospitals,
preferably Quonset huts or similar buildings, be erected
in each village having more than 200 population, where
they would be supervised by a resident registered nurse
and a traveling doctor. They would be manned, accord
to the Juneau man, by trained volunteers from the com
munity. These volunteers would be given more intense
training than that given American Red Cross Gray La
dies during World War II and that they would be re
quired to perform more duties.
Druxman states that transportation of indigent pa
tients to and from hospitals, many miles from their
homes, is too expensive. He pointed out that most Na
tive patients cannot pay their own transportation costs
or the expense of hospitalization. He declared that his
r*ian would save monev bv the use of volunteer nurses,
GEOGRAPHY IN THE MAKING
reduction of transportation costs and do away with need
to construct larger, more expensive hospital buildings.
He says that these community hospitals could be used
to care for patients in the early stages of tuberculosis as
a preventive measure. More serious cases would still be
sent to the present central hospitals where they could
receive more thorough treatment because of full time
medical staffs and better facilities.
CANNONADE
(Daily Alaska Empire)
Speaker Rayburn would be justified in resenting
statements by Republican leaders that under the new
House rules he will be a czar with powers exceeding
those of the late Uncle Joe Cannon. Those statements
have given rise to considerable misunderstanding. The
Speaker has no power to deny recognition to commit
tee chairmen with respect to legislation previously
blocked by the Rules Committee.
Actually the new rules provide that when a bill stuck
in the Rules Committee is called up for debate in the
House on discharge days, “the Speaker shall recognize
the member seeking recognition for that purpose as a
question of the highest privilege.” There is no room for
czardom here.
In our opinion, Speaker Rayburn deserves a great
deal of credit for his part in forcing through the far
reaching reform limiting the cirtually absolute power
of the Rules Committee—an undemocratic abuse that
plagued the Eightieth Congr.ess.
To be sure, in his new post Mr. Rayburn will com
mand considerable influence with committee chairmen,
but this can scarcely be called dominance, especially
since the rules provide specifically that chairman mus*
be recognized by the Speaker irrespective of his own
views. As has always been the case, the Speaker will
continue to wield broad powers of discipline over the
House, but the direct power to stifle legislation is not
one of them.
NOT SOBER, BUT HONEST
The phrase “sober as a judge” never has been accept
ed unqualifiedly by members of the legal profession and
others who are in position to realize that even the bench
is heir to the weakness of common flesh. However, the
incident recently at Harlan, Ky., where anything can
happen, adds new ambiguity to the old saying.
Circuit Judge, Clean K. Calvert (what’s in a name?)
recently ordered a sweeping investigation of bootleg
ging in the county. When he showed up in court nevt
day he was—well, not quite himself. The following day,
completely himself again, he announced in open court:
“I fine the court $10 for being drunk yesterday, and I
want to see that entered on the books.”
Members of the jury and others were so impressed by
the judge’s candor and self-chastisement that they took
up a collection to pay the fine. So, it would appear, there
is public respect for judges even when they’re not sober,
provided they admit they’re drunk.
LIFTING THE LID
I AT JUNEAU
i _
■ Continued from Page one)
Barnes, Wrangell
Mrs Barnes had said previously
she favored retaining all precau
tionary regulations for safety’s
sake
George Sundborg, Alaska devel
opment board consultant told the
House yesterday that safety regu
lations were not involved because
the CAA governed them
The lone vote cast against Rep.
Essie Dale’s housing authority bill
was by Aimer Rydeen, Nome
Democrat. It passed without floor
debate after E. Glen Wilder, ex
ecutive director of the Alaska
housing authority, explained the
initial appropriation was needed
for surveys, for studies of possible
sources for cheaper Alaska build
; ing materials, for partial match
ing funds and to convince Con
gress Alaska is “trying to help it
' self.”
He said the project might be
able to get started by summer, and
that the budget bureau had' ap
proved a $10,000,000 federal grant
and may make $15,000,000 avail
able.
Wilder said a large part of the
program would be in loans to in
dividuals. Veterans would get first
call on 50 per cent of the units.
The bill provides the housing
authority move in only where pri
vate financing is lacking, and the
authority can acquire land or fa
cilities by purchase or condtmna
tion. The bill now goes to the Sen
ate.
Sen. William Munz, Nome Re
publican, cast the lone vote
against the public retirement bill.
Art Hedges, director of the Ter
ritorial employment service, told
the Senators 37 Terri orial em
ployees would be eligible to pj»
't:cipate. He estimated they would
pay in about $76,000 and the Ter
ritory about $31,000 yearly. Em
r>loyees would pay five per cent "f
their salaries. The bill now goes
to the House.
I
The House also had up today a
bill to set up an apprenticeship
program for the Territory but fi
nally tabled it after long discus
sion over whether regular appi en
tice arrangements between un’or.s
and employers didn’t fill the na
med iate needs.
Many member? ques :oned ad
visability of the expenditure,
which one es imated at $15,0'l0
yearly to establish the program
under a specially appointed dep
uty commissmner of labor.
Strongest support care from
Reps. Alfred Owen, Jr., Anchor
age, and Frank Angerman, Fiis
banks, both Democrats.
A new bill introduce! in the
House by Owen provides for cre
ation of an Alaska fisheries de
partment under the board of fish
eries. It would work with the fed
eral fish and wildlife service or
separately in regulation and con
servation.
The House Saturday unanimou
ly approved Senate memorial ask
ing Congress for a fifteen dollar
an ounce bonus on Alaska golr.
Essie Dale, Fairbanks Democrat,
urged the solid backing of the
House to show a solid display of
the Territory's feelings. She said
the industry got a wallop during
the war when it wa ^ordered to
lockup for the duration.
Frank Angerman, Fairbanks
Democrat, reassured the fit n \
districts^ explaining the bonus
will be chargeable to the federal
government overall program in
stead of to the Territory.
The House also approved -the