IHE NOME NUGGET
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Entered as second class matter October 14, 1943, at the postoffic*
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. , /
Nome, Alaska, Friday, February 23, 1951
MANPOWER SHORTAGE?
(By George.Peck)
To provide the manpower sufficient to carry out the
defense program and also provide for civilian needs is
going to take a bit of doing, but it can be done. Those in
sisting on price controls, wage freezing and other gov
ernmental regmentation, point to an imaginary man
power shortage that exists mostly in the bureaucratic
mind.
In a recent article, my associate, Dr. Alfred P. Haake,
had this to say: “We actually do have enough workers
if all of us do enough work ... if everyone of us will do
all in our power during regular working hours, and, if
need be, work additional hours at regular rates.”
Dr. Haake is right; the productivity of the nation’s
working force can be increased by lengthening the
working period. In October, 1950, the average work
week in manufacturing was 41.4 l^purs. If this were ex
tended to equal the World War II peaks of 45.2 hours,
it would add nearly 10 per cent to the man-hours work
ed, approximately the equivalent of 1.4 million addi
tional workers.
Then there are the fellows who have been turned out
to pasture, many of whom are none too happy about
having been relegated to the sidelines. The proportion
of males over sixty-five years of age at work increased
from 45 per cent in 1940 to 50 per cent during the last
war period, while at present it is 44 per cent. If this pro
portion were again raised to that of the yast war, the
labor force would be increased by around 500,000 work
ers.
It is estimated that with proper rehabilitation, one
million workers could be recruited from the physically
handicapped group.
According to the Bureau of the Census, in November,
1950, the total number of persons employed was 61,271,
000. The U. S. Department of Labor, by using the last
war’s peak as a pattern, estimates that this can be in
creased to 69.1 million if full use is made of our current
labor force. Of these, the Department of Labor allocates
12.5 million workers to the armed forces, an increase of
3 million in “war” industries, which would mean a cur
tailment of 6.6 million in “icivilian” industries.
This indicates that those left in civilian industries will
have to work longer hours and do more work per hour
in order to avoid regimentation of our economy. The
situation calls for the full cooperation of all groups using
PINCERS MOVEMENT
“There Can Be No j
‘Pearl Harbor’
In Alaska.
(Continued from Page One)
the task force found to be requir
ed between the initiation of a pro
ject and the contract award: Hunt
said:
“Red tape, along with Red Rus
sia, can be a dangerous toe.”
The task force reported:
Family quarters for military
personnel are sufficient to meet
only 17 per' cent of the total re
quirements. Accommodations for
enlisted personnel fill only 35 and
bachelor officers and unmarried
45 per cent, respectively.
Military or civilian personnel
renting quarters off base pay “as
high as $80 per month for a one
room shack without bath, water
oi refrigeration.”
The same shortage exists in
power and heating plants, hospit
als, hangars, runways, roads and
all necessary requirements of a
I balanced defense program.”
The report placed the blame for
high construction costs in part
upon the army’s use of a cost
plus- fixed-fee basis to award con
struction contracts. It said that
since abandonment of that proced
ure in mid-1949, houses which had
cost in the vicinity of $28,625 plus
government-supplied mater i a 1 s
have bee nbuilt for approximately
have been built for approximately
The task force said it found less
than 1,000 of the Territory’s ap
proximate 126,000 population to
be participating in the National
Guard and various military re
serve programs, and urged that
the defense department develop a
propei ly coordinated program and
take immediate steps to put it in
to operation.
It recommended a high priority
for construction projects at the
military port of Whittier. Port fa
cilities at Seward should be main
tained “at no less than present op- ■
crating capacity.” Docks at the
latter terminal should be repaired. ]
The rail connection between
Seward and Portage, which the
Alaska Railroad has indicated it
would like to abandon, should not;
be discontinued without the prior
approval of Congress, the report
asserted.
The task force also proposed
that the Alaska Railroad be per
n ited to credit into its accoounts
the cost of service rendered pure
ly for defense purposes and on
which it is incurring a loss, there
by enabling a proportionate re- j
duction of tariffs for other rail
users.
Other conclusions listed in the
report called for improvement of j
the Port of Haines: maintenance i
of the Haines Cut-Off on a year- (
round basis; immediate establish- I
ment of a cost-of-living index for
the Territory; improvement,of the
Juneau airport for commercial]
use “in accordance with plans ap
proved • by the military;” federal
_ i — .
encouragement of Territorial in
dustry development; indefinite
continuation of air navigational
aids throughout the Aleutian
Chain; development by the coast
guard of regulations to permit
handling of explosives in ports so
as not to interfere with the con
struction program; and govern
ment pursuance of a program to
encourage and develop commer
cial aviation within the Territory.
One recommendation of the
Lifting Hie Lid
At Juneau
(Continued from Page One)
Joseph Alexander, who has just
returned from a conference on
civilian defense in Washington,
D. C. Egan said Alexander had
explained some of the material he
wanted to present is restricted in
formation. Also appearing will be
De. C. Earl Albrecht, director of
the Alaska health department,
and Stewart Campbell, from the
national civilian defense office.
The Legislature adjourned after
voting to reces stoday in observ
ance of Washington’s Birthday.
One bill passed by the( House
would ease the procedure in mu
nicipal annexations. The measure
would allow an annexation elec
tion by petiion of 30 per cent of
the residents of an area. Only 55
per cent favorable vote at the
election would be required instead
of two-thirds.
In reporting the recommenda
tion for a teachers’ pay increase,
members of the board of educa
t'on suggested $300 for First Divi
sion teachers, $400 for the Third
Division and $500 for the Second
and Fourth Divisions.
Members explained the varia
tions were based on cost-of-living
indexes.
Main discussion at the hearing
hinged on school transportation
which Rep. Wendell P. Kay, (D.
Anchorage) and Sen. Gunnard
Engebreth (R.-Anchorage) said
had become a serious issue at An
chorage.
The budget includes $350,000
for transportation for the next
Biennium, compared to $300,000
alloted for this biennium.
Ryan explained both costs and
the number of pupils are increas
ing. The budget lists an increase
of 40 per cent in support of
city and, other school districts and
a 15 per cent increase for the sup
port of rural schools.
The budget also listed $2,000,
OOOfor school construction in addi
tusk force — elimination of work
stoppages—already has been im
plemented. JIunt recently an
nounced that a series of labor
management confere n c e s had
brought about a “no strike” pledge
for the coming construction sea
son.
Bartlett Pleased
-With Report
WASHINGTON, (yP) — Delegate
Bartlet (D.-Alaska) described the
Senate armed services prepared
ness sub-commitee’s report on
Alaska defenses yesterday as
“hard-hiting and realistic.”
“If carried through, Alaska
would be better defended and the
development of the Territory
would be speeded,” he added.
Bartlett said he was ^particular
ly pleased to see the commitee
recommend continuation of Alas
ka -Railroad service between Sew
ard and iPortage, year-round main
tenance of the Haines Cut-Off,
improvement of the Juneau air
*
pjrt, and drafting of a commercial
airways program based on Terri
torial needs.
“The important things now,” he
concluded, “is for the Senate com
mit ee and other interested parties
to stay on top of this thing and
see that it’s carried out.
#
all the energy and ingenuity at their command to at
tain maximum productiveness. If this is done there def
initely will be no shortage of manpower.
NEAR EAST STUDY
AT COMMUNITY CHURCH
The second in a series of four
studies on the Near East will be
presented tonight at the social
room of the Community Methodist
Church under the direction of
Earl Clark.
Raymond Tveter has been as
signed Palestine and will use col
ored slides of that area. Rev.
Treat will present some recent
findings by archaelogoists in Mes
opotamia as his assignment.
The Woman’s Society is spon
soring the series and the public is
invited. The study is being con
ducted as an adult study course.
■■ ■ - ■■■»■■
tion to earmarked tobacco tax rev- „
enues which were left out of the
budget. The tobacco tax yielded
$442,000 for school buildings last
year.
i
I - ■ ■
Friday. February 23. 1951
JUNEAU, (/P)—An Alaska Sen
ator today described the attitude
of many federal agencies toward
utilization of the Territory’s re
sources in a national emergency
as “shocking.”
i *
In a memorial to all U. S. Sen
ators, Dr. R. M. MacKenzie, Dem
ocratic Senator from Ketchikan,
charged that “few federal govern
ment officials possess a realistic
understanding of the Territory’s
capabilities in furnishing the na- 1
tion with essential materials.”
The Territorial Leg i s 1 a t o r
charged that the Alaska lumber
industry was being discriminated
against and the federal agencies
were falling down on opportuni
ties to develop vital mineral and
hydroelectric resources.
MacKenzie said he would intro
duce the memorial in the Legis
lature tomorrow.
Legislators returned to their
desks today after a Washington’s
Birthday holiday. *
MacKenzie’s memorial says
“despite a national need, more
than 6,000 tons of chromite ore
. . . lies deserted on a Kenai pe
ninsula beach.” The ore was pur
chased by the federal government
during World War II at a cost of
$250,726, the memorial asserts.
“Although the annual demand
for timber to be used in Alaska’s
construction program exceeds
100,000,000 feet, the actual cut is
less than 55,000,000 owing to dis
crimination by federal agencies j
against Alaska mill operators,”
the memorial continues. “The
army engineers’ depot in Anchor
age recently purchased 7,000,000
feet of lumber outside Alaska,
without even asking Alaska mills
for bids, at a cost about $70,000
over Alaska mill prices.
“Owing to the manner in which
specifications are drawn Alaska
mills currently are being deprived
of the opportunity of bidding on
contracts involving 20,000,000 *
board feet.”
The memorial asserts that “at
tempts by an Alaska timber oper
ator early in <1951 tor establish a
plywood plant to produce material
critically needed in .Alaska and
elsewhere were blocked because
of the inability to obtain a favor
able plant site from the federal
government
“Alaska mining operations de
siring to furnish antimony, mer
cury and tungsten have been un
able to do so owing to the confu
sion surrounding the program of*
the defense minerals administr
tion in Alaska.**
The memorial calls on the U. S. *
Senate-to re-examine the policies
of national agencies dealing with
Alaska/'*'