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E. P. BOUCHER. Managing Editor
Entered as second class matter October 14, 1943, at the postoffice
at Nome, Alaska, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
Nome, Alaska, Wednesday, Sept. 19, 1951
I
OBJECTIVE REALITY
(Anchorage Daily Times^
The Civil Service Commission has recommended
to Congress legislation providing for a cost-of-living
allowance in Alaska exceeding the present 25 per cent
limitation.
Senator Johnston of South Carolina introduced the
measure at the request of the commission. Chairman
Ramspeck is supporting it vigorously.
The chairman has declared that the present 25
per cent has been sufficient in meeting the compensa
tion problems of federal employment in all the terri
tories except Alaska. j
He said that living costs in Alaska are “so much
higher than in the States that the existing 25 per cent i
rate is inadequate." To demonstrate its inadequacy he
cited federal difficulties in maintaining full staffs. ;
The new legislation would make it possible to1
pay more than 25 per cent of base pay rates wherever
appropriate in Alaska.
Senator Johnston’s legislation would be a general j
authority that could be applied in any territory al
though Alaska is the ony place under consideration
now. It is similar to the bill introduced last January
by Delegate Bartlett which would apply to Alaska only.
These proposals to raise the ceilings on allow
ances for federal employes in Alaska are eminently
sound. The authority should be written into law as
quickly as possible.
No new precedent would be involved. Many
wrongs would be righted through the proper admin
istration of the authority. The federal program in
Alaska would be advanced substantially.
Federal agencies which figure in the setting of
wage rates have recognized the principle of tying in
Alaska scales with the Bureau of Labor cost-of-living
statistics. It is becoming quite common in labor nego
tiations for rates to be 40 per cent higher than the
prevailing rate for similar work in Seattle.
The Civil Service Commission would be justified
in applying the same principle in its wage scale for
Alaska. This would mean that federal employes in the
territory would be paid 40 per cent more than those
in corresponding positions in Seattle.
Such action would raise federal employes to a
status equal to men engaged in the building trades
and various other jobs in the territory.
It would right the wrongs that exist by virtue of
the 25 per cent limitation now in force.
It would enable the federal agencies to obtain
personnel of top ability and reliability.
It would cut down on the expensive and contin
uous turnover of employes. i
It would enable agencies to maintain full staffs
instead of hampering their effectiveness by omnipres
ent vacancies.
The benefits would extend into many fields. Even
housing, one of the most perplexing problems in Alaska,
would be relieved. Federal employes would be encour
aged and enabled to be more self-reliant in building,
purchasing or renting their own quarters. The burden
on the federal government would be substantially
lightened.
The new move is in striking contrast to the recent
maneuvers which were aimed at eliminating the dif
ferentials.
The problems of the world are complicated by too
much negotiations.
No contestant can maintain high principles if the
only objective is to win, whether it be football, busi
ness, politics or anything else that engages the attention
of mankind. •
Tanner and Nelson
Drown at Safety Lagoon
(Continued From Page One)
Tanner, which was about a mile
from the boat, and directed the
ground party by dropping smoke
bombs. It is reported that the boat
in charge of A. C. Miller was
nearest, at the time, to the place
where the body was located, and
picked it up.
At press time today Eric Nel
son’s body had not been located,
although Pete Header and Geo.
Bayer were out again this morn
ing.
C. C. Tanner has been a resi
dent of Nome since 1930. He
worked for the U. S. Smelting
Co. until he was admitted to the
bar here in 1934 and became U.S.
Commissioner in 1935. He re
mained in that office until 1942
when he resigned to go into pri
vate practice. For several years
he was bandmaster for the Nome
City Band and has been City At
torney.
He was born in Salt Lake City,
Utah, 56 years ago and leaves a
wife and daughter in the com- ;
munity.
Eric Nelson was a well-known
resident and for many years op
erated the Pioneer Water Co.,
which he sold due to reasons of
health. It is not known whether
any relatives survive him.
An inquest is being held this i
afternoon at the U.S. Commis- !
sioner’s office. Funeral arrange- :
ments will be announced later.
Wildlife Hearings To
Open At Anchorage
SEATTLE, (/P)—'The U.S. Fish j
and Wildlife Service will open
hearings at Anchorage, Alaska, to
morrow to consider placing quotas
on salmon catches in the terri
tory’s Cook Inlet and Yakutat
areas.
Other hearings on 1952 regu- i
lations will be held at Cordova
Sept. 24 and Yakutat Sept. 26, the
agency said.
Alaska RR Freight
Train Kills Woman
ANCHORAGE, (JP) — A woman
identified as Christine Stephan i
was instantly killed yesterday ]
when struck by an Alaska Rail
road freight train a mile north of
Montano, railroad officials re
ported.
Conductor J.A. Allen said train
men spotted the woman sitting on
a rail as they rounded a curve
but were unable to stop in time
to avoid striking her.
She was the wife of Peter
Stephan, railroad section laborer.
ALASKA AIRLINES
Arriving from Anchorage were
Don Lorentsen, Oscar Christensen,
Paul Crews, Fred Oquilluk, Rob
ert Prescott, H. Holmes, Ed Wrise,
J. D. Britton, E. A. Baker, B. Ul
man, Bob Henry, M. J. Mavis.
Departing for Anchorage were
Charles Myers, Ned Netton, Sam
Bergesen, B. M. Antonsen, Gilbert
H. Jones, Fred Urban, and Caro
line Stettinger.
Eva Jemewoak was a passenger
from Moses Point.
Bering Sea
Club
Now Serving
Breakfast, Lunch,
Dinners
OPEN
6 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Irania Premier Mossadegh
Shakes Up His Cabinet
TEHRAN, Iran, (/P) — Prime
minister Mohammed Mossadegh
was reported yesterday to be
shaking up his cabiiiet to stren
gthen his nationalist government
against internal political opposi
tion and economic pressure from
Britain.
Finance minister Mohammed
Ali Varesti has submitted his re
signation, informed sources said.
He has been reported increasing
ly critical of Mossadegh’s finan
cial policies in the light of Iran’s
loss of oil revenues.
Varesti, who headed the Iranian
delegation in the unsuccessful
talks with Britain’s representa
tive, Richard Stokes, supported
the nationalization by Iran of the
Anglo-Iranian Oil Company hold
ings, but opposed Mossadegh’s
policy of getting tough with the
British regardless of the economic
consequences.
Illinois Shell Oil Refinery
Cracking Plant Blows Up
WOOD RIVER, 111., (/P)—“I saw
men knocked to the ground. They
were screaming and begging for
help, running with their clothes
afire.”
That was the way a boilermak
er’s helper, himself only a few
feet away, described the panic
following a terrific explosion at
the big Shell Oil Co., refinery
here last night which claimed the
lives of 12 workers and injured
20 others seriously.
The explosion occurred at one
of the refinery’s large oil crack
ing units where a special night
crew was working.
A flash fire following the ex
plosion shot flames more than 50
feet into the air. It was quickly
snuffed out by company firefight
ers, but the intense heat hung on,
keeping rescue workers from
probing deep into the debris.
WIEN AIRLINES
Arriving from Fairbanks were
F. Frank Ward and Windord Dick
man; departing were Clayton J.
Dempsey, Harry Enstrom, J. B.
Heppner, John Lade, Dr. W. Lyon,
Mrs. H. Wien and children.
Encampments For
Alaska Nat. Guard
Planned This Fall
JUNEAU, Sept. 18 (AMNS) —
The first Alaska National Guard
encampments since World War II
will be held this fall, it has been
announced by Col. Lars L. John
son, adjutant general of the or
ganization. Gov. Ernest Gruening
has called for two encampments
as part of the guard’s defensive
training program, which is con
ducted under the general observa
tion of Lt. Gen. W. E. Kepner,
commander-in-chief, Alaska com
mand, and Maj. Gen. Julian W.
Cunningham, commanding gen
eral of U.S. Army, Alaska.
The 207th Infantry Battalion,
separate, under command of Lt.
Col. George McLaughlin, Anchor
age attorney will make its en
campment at Ft. Richardson Oct.
13 through Oct. 27. The 208th In
fantry Battalion, separate, under
Lt. Col. Wiliam Dean, will en
camp near Juneau Nov. 23 through
Dec. 7.
Approximately 200 men are ex
pected at each encampment. The
207th includes members from the
Seward, Fairbanks and Anchor
age areas, while men of the 208th'
are from the Sitka, Ketchikan and
Juneau areas.
Remaining units of the Alaska
National Guard are the 1st and
2nd Scout Battalions, covering the
entire northern area of Alaska,
for whom training is being con
templated in the near future.
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