Daily Sitka Sentinel
Home-Owne4 Newspaper
volume xvi
and The ARROWHEAD PRESS
Member of The Associated Press
Wednesday, November 9, 1955
IQc a Copy
NUMBER 234
Grueiiing tells convention of
unfair treatment by U.S.
Claims Alaska
Jield in colonial
vassalage status
COLLEGE, Alaska (/P) Del
egates to iihe Alaska Consti
tutional Convention, who by
'unanimous vote asked Dr. Er
nest Gruening to make a maj
or address, today heard their
former governor brand Amer
ica as a land that “does not;
practice what it preaches as
long as it retains Alaska in a
colonial Vassalage.”
Doctor Gruening, who re
tired after serving as governor
of Aaska for 13 years, bitterly
condemned whali he termed
“United States colonialism in
our nation’s dealings with Al
aska.”
He told his audience that
41 our nation was born of re
volt against colonialism ....
our charters of liberity ....
the Declaration of Indepen
dence and the Constitution . .
.. embody America’s opposi
tion to colonialism .”
Then, Doctor Gruening took
the original Declaration of In
dependence. compared the com
plaints of our founding fathers
with the complaints o! present
day Alaskans. His comparison
showed a similarity between
the grievances of 1776 and the
gripes “of present* day Alas- j
kans.
Gruening said:
“Alaska is no less a colony i
than were those thirteen col-)
onies along the Atantic sea
board in 1776. The colonial
ism which the United States
imposes on us, and which we
have suffered for 88 years, is
no less burdensome, no less
unjust ‘than that against which
they (our founding fathers)
poured out blood and treas
ure .... ”
The former governor charg
ed that the United States
broke faith with Alaska after
purchasing the territory from
i V eatcheombing
% Gnuening’s speech sounds
more like a call for rebellion
than a talk to men who are
trying to write 3 state consti
tution — Eight years ago I’d
have agreed with him ■ • but
times HAVE changed.
—I—l—
• Looking at the snow re
minds me that we have until
Nov. 15th to mail our Christ
mlas packages overseas. Won
der if that means to the Old
Country — or are we going to
wait and send stateside pack
ages by airmail?
—I—I—
• Basketball season is almost
upon us — it seems as iff was
only yesterday or at the most
last week — when the tourna
ment was being held at Mt,
Edgecumfbe.
-m
• The Big Four are nghl
back where they started from—
and for the moment at least —
the Western powers are telling
Jdolotov 0®.
^Russia.
He quoted the treaty of
cession, by which Alaska
was annexed, as containing j
the follow'injg clause:
“The inhabitants of the ced
ed territory .... shall be ad-j
mitted to all rights, advantag-j
es and immunities of citizens
of the United States ....” I
Said Doctor Gruening: j
“That was the pledge. The j
United States has- not kept |
that pledge. Yell a treaty isj
the highest law of the land, »
and it is made in clear view of
ail mankind.'’ j
He charged that Alaskans!
are worse off than the found- j
inig fathers of our nation who *
revolted against the Kinlg of I
England. Pointing our. that ]
Alaskans are taxed without
representation, he said resi
dents of the territory also are ;
subject to military service for
the nation — a privilege and
an obligation Alaskans gladly
accept — but an obligation
that King George III did not
impose on our colonial fore-!
fathers.” |
Riley Was named chairman
of a rules committee appoint-1
ed yesterday afternoon by Mill
dred Hermann, temporary.
convention chairman. He said
the committee - expected to ’
present proposed rules today
for convention consideration, i
The public administration
service furnished the commit- j
lee With rules from constitu-j
tional conventions of past
years. |
Other rules committee mem
(continued on page four) [
Federal defense
spending will go on
for years in Alaska
ANCHORAGE (IP) An Alas-j
kan told an Interstate Com
merce Commission examiner
! yesterday federal defense
! spending is expected to con
j tiniue at a high level in Alas
! ka~ for the next ten years. i
For that reason. A1 Ander
son, executive director of the“
Alaska Resources Develop
merit Board, said stateside
railroad freight rates should
be changed to benefit1, the ter- ■
ritory. He said he felt the
( change would not only stiirnu
! late business in Alaska but
| woud boost the business of j
railroads as Alaska developed. I
j Anderson was a witness at
'vhe final session of an ICC
hearing here on Alaska pro
tests ajeladnst stateside railroad
rates. Examiner A. L. Corbin
said no date has been set for
Washington, D. C. hearings on
the protests.
J Harry C. Barrdn. chairman
iand counsel of the executive
' committee of the Western Traf
fic A*»su. .of Chicago, spoke for
the railroads at the hearing,
i Edwin F'l ch, interior depart
m:nt representative to the Gen
j eral Services Administration,
i presented an analysis of the
I differential in prices between
st,r| eside and Alaskan cities and
■, thp effect on that differential
■ and on economic activity in A1
1 aska of a reduction in freight
rates to and from the territory
Now what?
I COVINGTON, Ky. (/P) Mrs.
Kate Dishon Shiultz sued for
divorce yesterday and asked
custody oif 2.000i concrete
blocks.
Her divorce petition failed
to set out where Ithe blocks
came from and whiat she in
tends to do with them.
She also asked for furniture
and household effects from
her husband, Edward.
Cool air moves
info southland
by The Asociated Press
The cold air which covers
most of :the country from the
Rockies to the Atlantic coast
chilled the southland Wednes
day.
The cool air dipped info
southern Texas and Mexico
and temperatures dropped all
along \he gulf coast to north
ern Florida. Readings general
(continued on page three)
Foreign ministers
halt discussion of
European security
GENEVA (JP) The Western
powers today failed to change
whiat they called Russia’s at
tempt to “Sovietize” all Ger
many. They then suspended dis
Hussion of European security
and the reunification of Ger
many.
• The action came after U. S.
secretary of sta‘e Dulles had
changed Russian policy would
perpetuate a danger to the
peace of Europe.
Soviet foreign minister Mo
lotov, in h^s speech to the con
ference today, said seeuri. y
has priority over German reun
ification. The Western security
proposals, he said, are unsat
isfactory and Russian propos
als have not been properly con
sidered.
Molotov, who yesterday re-]
jeeted the idea of free elections j
in Germany, 'said the German !
problem is a matter to be seittl;
ed by the two Genmanys.
Molotov said again today:
“'Conditions for the immedi
ate conduct of German elec
tions do not now exist, since
the problem has not matured
sufficiently and has not been |
sufficiently prepared.”
The action to suspend discus
sion of German unity was taken
on a motion by foreign secre
tary Mac Millan of Britain.
Molotov then proposed that
the number of foreign troops
in Germany be reduced by 50
per cent and that the armed
units oif both East and West
German governments be reduc
ed.
He also resubmitted a pro
posal made by premier Bulgan
in at the summit conference for
a non-taigigression pact 'between
NATO and Wes‘ern European
Union on one hand and War
saw pact members on the other
j The Western ministers al
, ready had made clear they con
sidered further talks on secur
| ity and German reunification
unprofitable*
In raoid succession, Dulles,
MacMillan and French foreign
minister Pi nay announced the
‘ stand which Molotov took a
gainst German reunification
4 (continued on page four)
Council hears plan for Sitka
by Alaska Housing Authority
Sub-standard
areas can be aided
by federal program
Council met at 7 p. m. last
evening to clear up , routine
'business prior to a meeting
with the planning commission
citizens committee and offic
ials of the Alaska Housing
Authority. All members except
W. W. Knight were present.
COUNCIL CONSIDERED
Petition of Halibut Point
Roland residents protesting
speeding and reckless driving
on the portion of the highway
lying in the city limits. The
police department will erect
25 mph speed signs.
Reports Of the public health
nurse, city crew and police
department. The latter indi
cated 25 arrests, $545 in fines
assessed and $215 in fines col
lected.
Report of the city attorney
who was authorized to check
into the manner in which oth
er Cities collected city sales
taxes.
Change order in the Raran
of Street school plumbing;
took no action as cod esti
mate not yet available. Post
poned action on the salary or
dinance until the next meet
ing.
A bill of $918.50 presented
by the Sitka Public Schools
covering a spore board, clock
and glass bank boards for the
gym; no action was taken.
Report of Cecil McClain as
to the allocation Of gas tax
money into three categories
— highways, airplane fields
and floats and harbor improve
ments. He related cities might
obtain aid to the amount of
$100,000 for any one project,
and those who applied first j
with engineering data for their
projects received the funds.
Report of the city clerk
that three business firms were
from two and a half Ito three
quarters delinquent on their
city sales tax • payments; auth
orized the city attorney to
notify them suit would be in
stituted unless paid promptly.
COUNCIL APPROVED
Resolution 194. Ito convey
tidelands within the corporate
limits of the City of Sitka to
the city. It is understood the
governor will press for its
enactment by conlgress.
Chief of police Doucette to
purchase materials with which
to make traffic signs; also Ito
purchase linoleum tile which
he will install at the police of
fice.
Transfer oi $z,uou rrom me
hospital funds to the Lutheran
Board to defray expenses.
Bills as 'follows: $2,268.06
from '.the general fund; $373.87
from the hospital fund and
$215.00 from the Moller Bark
fund.
Thirty four interested citi
zens, including members of
the planning commission and
citizen’s committee joined the
council ' o hear Elmer Gagnon
I of the Alaska Housing Auth
' ority and Richard Ives, direc
i tor of the unban renewal aigen
cy for the western territory.
“We are here to bring you
some information you have
been looking forward to and
which will do it he city otf Sit
ka a good deal of good,” Mr.
Gagnon said in opening the
session. He went on to state
the city could take advantage
of the provisions of the hous
ing act of 1964 and that a
workable plan had already
been submitted and should
have the approval of the ad
ministrator in a very short
time.
Mr. Ives stated his office
has completed a review o(f Ithe
workable program and when
the administrator approves
this, the city may move ahead
in the field of urban renewal
The federal government, he
explained, does not conduct a
project in a community; the
city must take the initiative
and operate through the Alas
ka Housing Authority — itihe
latter agency serving as the
supervising agency on behalf
of the dity. The city council
would have to initiate and ap
prove every step in fhe pro
gram.
financial; it can lend money
to prepare a project plan and
also to carry out the project;
and share in the net cost loss
of the project on the basis of
% by the government to Vz
by the City.
Steps outlined were pur- -
chase of buildings and land in
an area deemed to be “blight
ed”; demolition of buildinlgs;
sale of the land to private
buyer by auction or bid, land
to be used according to the
zoning ordinance. The agency
assists in the relocation of
those moved from sub-stan
dard housing.
The City’s portion may be
paid in cash or grant-in-aid,
the latter beinlg any public
works which benefit the blight
ed area and which may be ap
plied against the City portion
of the cost.
(continued on page twe)
Williams dies
i
| SEATTLE <7P) Louis Ferdin
and Williams. 75, long-active
in the salmon Cannery business
* in Alaska and on the Columbia
: River, died yesterday,
i -1
i
Weather forecast from Wed
nesday to Thursday.
| Cloudy except becoming par
I tional cloudy extreme north
portion Thursday. Rain sou'ih
portion becoming occasional
showers this afternoon thru
Thursday and snow mixed north
portion changing to snow show
ers and spreading slowly south
ward over northern half tonight
> and Thursday.
| Colder extreme north portion
and gradually turning colder
over northern half tonight and
Thursday. Litte change in tem
perature south portion. *
( Gusty north wind over nor
thern channels beginning this
1 afternoon and spreading south
ward over northern half tonight