THE NOME NUGGET
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Entered as second class matter October 14, 1943, at the postoffice at
Nome, Alaska, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
Wednesday, January 9, 1946
RESULTS AS EXPECTED
(Anchorage Daily Times)
At the time the labor-management conference con
vened in Washington, the suggestion was made that no
magic formula would be forthcoming and that a lot of
people would be disappointed in the results. It was a
good, safe prediction.
If the four weeks of mountainous labor brought forth
a mouse, it was a mouse as familiar as Mr. Disney’s
Mickey. The recommendations which the committees
were able to agree upon were admirable, but scarcely
startling. Even the suggestion of an impartial chairman,
umpire or board to settle disagreements, which might
be called the conference’s most news-worthy accom
plishment, is no innovation.
Elsewhere we find such advice as this: “It is well that
respect and consideration be given to proposals present
ed by either the employer or the union . . . Both sides
should avoid inflammatory statements which question
the sincerity or good faith of either party.
“There must be an honest effort on the part of all to
effectuate the spirit as well as the letter of the agree
ment, a continuous demonstration by the parties of
their willingness to conduct their relations on the basis
of mutual fairness and respect.
“For the sound handling of grievances and disputes
both management and union representatives should be
thoroughly familiar with the entire collective bargain-;
ing agreement.”
Bravo and amen! But is there anything new for busi-!
ness executives or union leaders in those expressions of
noble sentiments? Almost any amateur in industrial re
lations could have arrived at the same conclusions on
the basis of common sense and orderly social behavior.
The conference was able to agree on recommendations
covernig only four of its agenda’s seven points. Con
spicuously unsettled were:
“The extent to which industrial disputes can be min
imized by full and genuine acceptance by organized la
bor of the inherent right and responsibilities of manage
ment to direct the operation of an enterprize.
“The extent to which industrial disputes can be min
imized by the willingness of management and workers
to utilize the machinery of the national labor relations
THE BUIES PRINT
S^fflANSKr
SWM AHAPPy
•9^ HOME ;
i act and any existing state labor relations act for prompt
determination of the collective bargaining agencies.
“What provision should be made for lessening or pre
venting strikes which come from jurisdictional or other
inter-union disputes?”
The first and last of these probably had more imme
diate importance and offered more opportunity for
fresh thought than any other items on the agenda. It is
unfortunate that agreement was impossible, for they
are points that must be settled.
Now the settlement seems up to Congress. And the
angry, ill-considered starts which Congress recently has
been making toward labor legislation contribute largely
to the regret that no voluntary and mutually agreeable
solutions could have been found by the groups most
vitally concerned.
, ■
The measure of a man's real character is what he
| would do if he knew he would never be found out.
WASHINGTON
NEWS-LETTER
By MARY LEE COUNCIL
Secretary to E. L, (Bob) Bartlett.
Delegate to Congress from Alaska
JONES ACT
Waiver to permit travel on Ca-1
nadian vessels between Skagwayi
and other Alaska ports from Jan-!
uary 1 to March 31, 1946, has been
granted by the Bureau of Customs
upon written recommendation of
the War Shipping Administration,
according to information given to!
Delegate Bartlett.
I
This action follows strong renre-j
sentations made bv Delegate Bart
lett that American steamship com-|
panies are not yet able to provide
adeouate facilities for travel in
southeastern Alaska. The news
letter earlier reported that the
War Shipping Admin;str a t i o n
would recommned to the Bureau,
of Customs waiver of the Jones
« . |
Act to permit travel on Canadian
vessels in this three-month period
between all ports in southeastern
Alaska rather than travel confined
between Skagway and other Alas
ka ports. The earlier report was
based on information given Dele
gate Bartlett by the War Shipping
Administration, but apparently
the War Shipping Administration
later changed its decision on rep
resentations from the American
operators. t
Believing that the American
lines have not demonstrated im
proved service for all ports in
southeastern Alaska, Delegate
Bartlett is continuing to urge ex- [
tension of the Jones Act waiver,
to permit travel generally between
Alaska ports and has been assured j
by War Shipping Administration
officials that further study would
be made and consideration given
to enlargement of the waiver.
BARROW OIL
The navy has awarded a prime
contract to Hoover, Curtis and
Ruby of New York to continue
exploration for oil in the Barrow
reserve.
The cost-plus fixed-fee contract
was awarded following approval
of such procedure by the House
Naval Affairs Committee on the
request of the navy. Release of
experienced naval men from the
j armed forces who have been
| working on the project necessita
ted turning the work over to civil
ian contract.
Lytle and Green of Iowa, prom
inent construction contrac tors
during the war years in the Ter
ritory, have been awarded a sub
contract for freighting in connec
tion with* the Barrow reserve.
The Geological Survey will con
tinue doing all geological work,
’ and the navy will conrtibute all
its supplies and equipment now on
the reserve and will provide air
and Water transportation with as
sociated facilities, as in the past.
Hoover, Curtis and Ruby, a
branch of United Geophysical
Company of California, is experi
enced in oil field development and
is identified with extensive devel
opment of oil fields in South
America, England and throughout
the United States.
ARMY BOMBING RANGE
The War Department has made
no request to the Interior Depart
ment to enlarge its present bomb
ing range south of Fairbanks along
the Tanana river, according to in
formation given Delegate Bartlett
following inquiries made on be
half of the citizens of Fairbanks.
In 1941, by executive order,
655.000 acres were withdrawn as
an army aerial bombing and gun
nery range, and fear was recently
expressed that the army planned
to request withdrawal of addition
al acreage to include the game and
fur sanctuary extending to the
Delta River, including the buffalo
feeding grounds.
Delegate Bartlett has been as
sured by the Interior Department
that if any such request comes
from the War Department, his
protests will be considered.
OFFICER RECEIVES
PROMOTION
Marvin R. Marston, who is now
in Washington, has been recently
promoted from major to lieuten
ant colonel.
Colonel Marston is well-known1
throughout Alaska in his organiza-!
t on work connected with the es-:
tablishment of the Alaska Terri
torial Guard.
SHORE LINE
RESTRICTIONS
Delegate Bartlett has met with
General Land Office officials ini
an attempt to obtain a declaration'
with reference to waiving shore
line restrictions on homestead
claims when warranted.
The public land regulations re
serve a space of eighty rods be
tween homestead entries on the
shores of all navigable waters in
Alaska, but the Secretary of the
Interior, “in his discretion,” is au
thorized to waive such restrictions
and restore the reserved shore
spaces to entry. However, it has
been brought to the Delegate’s at
tention that decisions on countless
homestead applications which the
General Land Office believes con
flict with shore line regulations
have been held up for weeks and
months, and sometimes years, and
•
little evidence has been produced
that the Secretary has used hisi
discretionary powers to waive the1
regulations in deserving cases.
J Delegate Bartlett has urged im
1 mediate settlement of the home
stead applications, long pending in
the Interior Department, which
are meritorious of exception from
the shore line restrictions.
It is believed that a recent order
of the President concerning pub
lic land throughout Alaska and
the States bears on the hesitant
handling of many homestead
claims throughout Alaska. The
President’s executive order with
»
draws all public land containing^
radioactive minerals in connection
with the atomic bomb, which is of
some concern in Alaska since
much of the land in the Territory
I has not been surveyed for mineral
I content.
®*Y FOR ALASKA
RAILROAD EMPLOYEES
r*piP<ratp Rqrtlett has attended
several conferences held to deter
mine nav status of employees of
TV»o Alaska Railroad in connection
with legislation covering federal
emnloyees’ wages.
Participating in the conferences
besides the Delegate have been J.
J. Delaney and Harold Snell, As
sistant General Managers of The
Alaska Railroad; James Bums^
President, and Charles I. Stengle,
legislative representative, of the
American Fed^fation of Govern
ment Employees; Wilfred Goding
and David Thomas of the Alaska
section, Division of Territories
and Island Possessions, Depart
of the Interior: C. Warren Staple
ton, legal advisor of the Interior
Department on labor matters; na
tional legislative representatives
of the railroad brotherhoods, W.
D. Johnson, Order of Railway
Conductors, John T. Corbett,
Brotherhood of Locomotive En-J
gineers, Jonas A. McBride, Bro
therhood of Locomotive Firemen
and Enginemen and Martin H.
Miller, Brotherhood of Railway
Trainmen.
ALASKA SHIPPING
Governor Gruening, Edwin G.
Arnold, Director, Division of Ter
ritories and Island Possessions,
and Delegate Bartlett have met
with John W. Snyder, Director of
the Office of War Mobilization
and Reconversion, urging that
control by the War Shipping Ad
ministration of the operation of
American vessels in the Alaska^
trade be continued at least until
June 30.
t
Such control was given to the
War Shipping Administration un
der the Second War Powers Act
which has been extended until
June 30, 1946. Adoption of the
proposal presented to Mr. Synder
would postpone the proposed in
crease in Alaska marine rates by
the American operators upon their
resumption of control from the
War Shipping Administration.
VISITORS ^
Mr. and Mrs. Dominic Kelly are
in Washington visiting relatives of
Mrs. Kelly. Mr. Kelly is with the
Alaska Railroad and is located
twenty miles north of Seward.
Mr. and Mrs. F. S. Rhode of
Fairbanks called on Delegate Bart
lett during a brief visit in Wash
ington. Mr. Rhode has been re
leased from the navy and plans to
attend school for a short time in
Philadelphia before returning to
Alaska in the fall.
J. J. Delaney, Assistant General
Manager of The Alaska Railroad,
is in Washington on official busi
ness. __