m NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
VOL. L. No. 56.NOME, ALASKA. MONDAY. MAY 10, 1948.PER COPY — 15c
NEWS IN BRIEF
ANCHORAGE, — (/P) — The
Sheet Metal Workers Union have
scheduled a strike for tomorrow.
The Anchorage contractors and
builders association said it would
stop all building in the city.
Most sheet metal shops already
were closed up Friday night, lay
ing off their crews.
The sheet metal workers called
the strike in support of demands
for $3 an hour wages and double
time on Saturday. The contract
ors have offered $2.71 1/2 an hour
with time and a half on Saturday.
Keith Young, secretary of the
Sheet Metal Contractors, said
pickets would stop other craft
unions from working. Eight other
unions would be affected, he said.
PENDLETON, Ore., — UP)—Rol
land C. Ingram, U.S. Superintend
ent of Public Roads in Alaska
for the past 25 years, died at Sew
ard April 19, his parents reported
here yesterday.
Ingram, an Oregon State Col
lege graduate in 1915, was bur
ied in Seward May 1. He was 59.
Born Oct. 28, 1889 at Pioneer
Washington, he attended school
at Cove, Ore. He leaves his wid
ow, the former Harriet Steadman
of Dayton, Wash., his parents, Mr.
and Mrs. J. W. Ingram of Pend
leton, and a daughter, Phyllis,
a northern Idaho College of Ed
ucation student.
McCHGRD FIELD, Wash.. —
</P)—The Air Force is moving 500
troops to Alaska by plane—in
stead of by boat—to replace men
who have been transferred south,
the Air Force announced this
week-end.
A McChord Field spokesman
in making the announcement, said
it was an “emergency” transfer.
However, Captain Walter W.
Weir, assistant public relations
oficer here, made clear that the
movement was merely to fill out
undermanned units.
The Seattle Port of Embark
ation said Air Force officials there
described the air movement as “an
expedient method of alleviating
the pressing shortages of Air Force
manpower throughout the Alas.,
ka Air Command.”
Soviet Union May
Risk Showdown
I
WASHINGTON, — (/P) — A
Congressional committee said to
day it believes “the Soviet union
may now be willing to risk a
showdown” with the United
States.
To forestall such a “rash de
cision” by Russian leaders, the
House Armed Services Committee
said, this country should strength
en its ground and sea forces
through a manpower draft. And
it added:
“A 70-group Air Force is not
a substitute for selective service.”
Both the Senate and House
have approved expanding the na
tion’s air arm from 55 to 70
groups over the next five years.
But as yet they have taken no ac- ]
tion on President Truman’s re
(Continued on Page Fight)
BULGARIANS TALK THINGS OVER WITH BENES
I
In sitting room of Czechoslovakia President Benes' country home at
Sezimovo Usti, the president (right) turns head to hear Premier Georgi
Dimitrov (left) of Bulgaria. Premier Klement Gottwald (facing camera) of
Czechoslovakia, puffs cigarette. Man with back to camera is Vasil Kola
rov, Bulgarian deputy premier and Foreign minister. Visit to Benes was
made on occasion of Bulgarians arrival in Prague to sign a twenty year
treaty of mutual aid against Germany. (AP Wirephoto)
CA Patrol To Be
Formed In Alaska
FORT RICHARDSON,^—Major
General J. H. Atkinson, command
ing general of the Alaskan Air
[ Command, today announced plans
for the formation of a Civil Air
Patrol in Alaska. In his statement
Gen. Atkinson announced that a
wing commander would be ap
pointed this week and that the
structural formation of the CAP
in Alaska would follow as rapidly
as possible. He further stated that
manning tables had been drawn
up and that population would de-1
termine areas where the units
will be assigned. The general said
a meeting would be called in An
j chorage shortly after the wing
commander is appointed and all
interested personnel will be in
vited.
The Civil Air Patrol is a vol
untary auxiliary of the U. S. Air
Force and manned by civilians
owning aircraft and others who
wish to volunteer their services.
During the war, the CAP members
performed a great service for
their country, flying aerial search
and rescue missions, submarine
patrols, acting as couriers, fly
ing forest fire patrols,# and many
other necessary functions.
The Civil Air Patrol has an
organizational breakdown and sys
tem of rank which is comparable
to the Air Forces. The CAP is
easily identified by either khaki
or forest green uniforms with
bright red epaulets on the should
ers and a distinctive winged in
(Continued on Page Eight)
Cannery Workers
Sign New Contract
SEATTLE, —(/P)—Members of
Machinists’ Local No. 79, Seattle,
and Local No. 238, Bellingham,
yesterday voted to accept a con
tract with Alaska Salmon indus
try, Inc., which provides a 15
per cent wage increase.
Under the agreement, union
members are guaranteed a total
of three months and 10 days work.
Foremen will receive $43.60 per
day, and the lowest scale will be
$11.29 for cannery helpers. First
Machinists will get $23.20 a day.
The contract also provides the
workers with insruance policies
of $10,000 each to cover air travel.
All in all, it is a very sat
isfactory settlement,” said I. A.
Sandvigen, business agent for lo- j
cal 79.
_ I
Alaskans Return
From Hawaiian
Vacation Flight
SEATTLE,— </P) —Forty Alas
kans, defrosted after five days in
Honolulu, left for the North yest
erday, completing an 11-day aer
ial vacation trip.
The 13 men and 27 women, ad
mittedly suffering from clamate
confusion, arrived in Seattle at
tired in wolfskin parkas, grass
skirts, mukluks, and wilted leis.
Their chartered Alaska Airlines
DC-4 was laden with cocoanuts,
pineapples and other mementos
(Continued on Page Three)
Alaska To Counter
With Plan For
i
Shipping Service
I _
By Charles D. Watkins
<AP> SPECIAL WASHINGTON
SERVICE—
WASHINGTON, — (/l5) —Dele
gate Bartlett of Alaska said the
Territory opposes legislation in
troduced to extend the present
Alaskan shipping service and will
offer a plan of its own to Con
gress.
Bartlett said a proposed exten
sion of the present service by
three Seattle steamship compan
ies under a resolution introduced
Friday by Representative Tollef
son (R-Wash.), has been rejected
by Territorial officials.
After conferring with Ralph
Rivers, attorney general of Alas
ka, Bartlett said there are insuf
ficient safeguards to guarantee
that the people of Alaska will
“derive proper benefits from an
operation that will be subsidized
by the taxpayers of the United
States.”
“We are not at all interested
in subsidies for the operators as
such,” Bartlett said.
“We believe that the benefits
of the subsidies should go to the
citizens of Alaska to keep shipping
charges down and promote de
velopment of the Territory.
“We do not believe it is at all
sure that the Tollefson resolution
will achieve those objectives.”
Bartlett said the Alaskans ex
pect to introduce legislation next
week to extend the present plan
(Continued on Page Three)
Rail Strike May
Tie Up Nation
Army To Operate
WASHINGTON, — i/P> —Presi
dent Truman today seized the na
tion’s railroads.
There was no word from the
three strike threatened unions
whether they would run the trains
for the government. They have
called a strike for 6 a.m. local
railroad tme tomorrow.
The president signed a seizure
order two minutes before 1 o’clock
<F.DT> in an effort to bar a strike.
The order places operation of the
trains under direction of the U.S.
Army.
Mr. Truman appealed to all
railroad workers to stay on their
jobs.
“I call upon every railroad
worker to cooperate with the gov
ernment by remaining on duty,”
the seizure statement said.
“I call upon the officers of the
Railroad labor organizations to
take appropriate action to keep
their members at work.”
Mr. Truman’s statement added:
“It is essential to the public
! health and to the public welfare
1 generally that every possible step
be taken by the government to
| assure to the fullest possible ex
; tent continuous and uninterrupted
transportation service.
“A strike on our railroads
would be a nation-wide tragedy,
with world wide repercussions.”
The seizure order was issued
after a week-end of almost con
tinuous negotiations, directed by
presidential adviser John Steel
}manr failed to bring a settlement
| of the dispute between the three
brotherhoods and the railroads ov
| er wages and working conditions.
The heads of the three unions
i left the whitehouse conference
just as the president’s executive
(Continued on Page Seven)
I
U.S. Asks Pledges
Of ERP Countries
—
! WASHINGTON, — (£»)—'The Un
ited States announced a plan this
week for an exchange of notes
with 11 countries of the Marshall
plan, pledging them to cooperate
! in the recovery program.
The notes are forerunners of
I formal recovery agreements bet
ween the United States and each
of the Marshall plan countries.
In general they pledge the na
tions receiving American help to
these three points:
1. Each country agrees to live
up to the purposes of the recovery
act with the understanding that
if it does not do so American aid
will be cut off.
2. Each country specifically de
clares it is already engaged in
continuous efforts to make a suc
cess of the joint European re
I covery program.
3. Each country promises that it
will set aside in its currency sums
“commensurate” with the dollar
value of free American aid. Funds
are to be available for adminis
tration of American aid missions
abroad and for and other purposes
1 which the United States and the
I receiving country agree.