THE
NOME NUGGET
_OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED mem
m
63rd Year No. 17
NOME, ALASKA, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1962
Per Copy 15#
Senate Refuses
To Rescind Wages
And Hours Act
JUNEAU iff* — The Senate to
day refused to rescind its action
in concurring with House amend
ments to the wages and hours
act revision bill, SB93.
The vote was 11-9 against re
versing action.
The bill now goes to Gov. Wm.
Egan for his approval.
Voting in favor of rescinding
were Sens. Bronson, Greimann,
McNealy, Nolan, B. Phillips, V.
Phillips, Pollock, Walsh and Weise.
Voting against rescinding were
Sens. Bradshaw, Coghill, Eng
strom, Hopson, Logan, McNabb,
McNees, Metralf, Owen, Smith
and Peratrovich.
The actual vote was preceded
by more than an hour of debate
on the rescinding motion offered
by Sen. Howard Pollock, CR-An
chorage).
x'oiiocK told the Senate that he
was threatened with political re
prisal by a “mouthpiece of or
ganized labor bosses” for even
suggesting that the Senate recon
sider its action.
Pollock urged that the Senate
rescind its action so three specific
amendments could be suggested
to a free conference committee.
The first would have made
firms with 10 or less employes
exempt from provisions of the
act. The second would have pre
served the terms of existing labor
contracts. The third would have
provided exceptions for com
panies with small business estab
lishments in a number of com
munities.
Sen. John MoNees told the
Senate he thought there were a
number of changes and modifi
cations which could be made in
the bill but he urged the Senate
to pass it and wait a year before
making any revisions.
Sen. Vance Phillips said Mc
Nees’ proposal was the “little boy
way of doing things.”
“If the bill needs changing, let’s
change it now. That is what Sen.
Pollock is suggesting.”
Sen. Lester Bronson said labor
“tried to force this bill down the
throats of little businessmen for
years. I am a little businessman
myself, and this bill will prob
ably put me out of business if it
becomes law.”
Yesterday, the Senate heard
Henry Hedberg, lobbyist for the
State Federation of Labor, de
scribe the measure as a “bill for
the little people.”
Hedberg was the final witness
to appear before the Senate, sit
ting as a committee of the whole,
during a hearing on the bill which
lasted for almost five hours.
Before Hedberg took the stand,
a parade of witnesses represent
ing individual businesses or
groups of businesses urged the
Senate to rescind its action.
Would Provid* Election of City
Councilman to Borough Assembly
JUNEAU UH — A bill which
would amend the Borough 'Law to
K provide for the election of city
eouncilmen to the Borough As
sembly, rather than appointment
by the City Council, was intro
duced in the House today.
The measure would require
candidates for the City Council
to declare whether they are run
ning for council-assembly seats,
or simply council seats.
The bill was introduced by Rep.
Henry Pratt of Anchorage.
Eskimo Seal Hunters
Heaeh Safety After
Being Adrift in Bering Sea
ANCHORAGE UP — Ten Eskimo
seal hunters reached safety to
day after drifting all night on
the Bering Sea in two boats that
ran out of fuel.
The Air Force reported the Es
kimos reached the village of
Gambell, which faces Siberia on
the north tip of St. Lawrence
Island.
The crew of an Air Force plane
dropped food, gasoline and oil
for the boatmen last night as the
plane skimmed over the water at
500 feet in the Arctic darkness.
Details were not available here
but Air Force officers said the
hunters apparently reached Gam
mell without further help after
the airdrop of supplies.
Los Angeles Gets
Doused With Rain
... More on the Way
LOS ANGELES — Hardship
and sorrow, the negative by-pro
ducts of Southern California’s
biggest downpour in years, threat
ened to mount today in the face
of still more rain.
As the stubborn storm lingered
for a third day, the Weather Bu
reau forecast another 1 to 2 inches
for the Los Angeles basin which
already has received nearly three
Inches since the rains started
Wednesday.
Some districts have been pelted
even harder. In Topanga Canyon,
rainfall from the storm had reach- j
ed 6.66 inches iby mid-evening
yesterday. Azusa had recorded
5.83 inches.
Although the heavy moisture
was pronounced ideal for prac
tically all crops, it caused numer
ous personal tragedies in urban
areas: Families forced to evacute
their flooded homes; mud and
rock slides throughout the basin.
Slick pavement and the frequent
landslides made automobile travel
a nightmare.
Flooding ranged from wading
depth to torrents that washed over
the tops of cars.
Landslides were a constant
menace. Especially hard hit were
streets winding through the fire
denuded hills of the Bel-Air and
Brentwood districts.
Fresh snow fell in the San
Gabriel and San Bernardino
Mountains and the snow level was
expected to dip to the 5,000-foot
level today.
The usually dry Los Angeles
River became a treacherous,
churning stream yesterday.
Alaska Power Authority
Bill Withdrawn from Slate
JUNEAU UP) — A bill which
would create an Alaska power au
thority was withdrawn today after
it had gone nearly the full legis
lative route.
The measure, SB4-3, had been
considered, amended and debated
when Sen. George McNabb asked
the Senate for permission to with
draw it.
He told the upper chamber that
he had been informed an identical
bill had passed the legislature two
years ago.
“I believe only one of the au
thors of tiie measure can ask
that it be withdrawn,” said Sen
ate President Peratrovich.
“That’s the embarrassing part,”
said McNabb. “I’m the author.”
Arctic Amusement Corp.
Bids $15,065 On Old
Nome Federal Building
SEATTLE m — Three bids
were received by ihe General
Services Administration today
for the Old Federal Building at
Nome.
The Arctic Amusement Corp.
of Kotzebue bid $15,065; C. J.
Phillips of Anchorage $7,600.
and Straub's Service Center of
Nome $200.
GSA officials said the bids
will be taken under considera
tion at the agency's regional of
fice at Auburn. Wash.
A source in Kotzebue informed
the Nugget today that Archie
Ferguson of Arctic Amusement
Corp. had phoned him from Seat
tle that he submitted the high
bid. The Nugget source said that
it has been reported in Kotzebue
that Mr. Ferguson intended to
put in a theater and apartments
if his bid was accepted.
Dog Races will be Held
Here On April 14 and 15
The Nome Dog Racing will be
held this year on April 14 and 15.
This announcement was made to
day following a meeting of the
Arctic Club board of directors
yesterday. The directors also have
named Thomas Martin chairman
of the committee in charge of
the races.
Dutch DC8 Stranded at
Anchorage Goes Home
WASHINGTON UK—The State
Department said today a Dutch
airliner stranded at Anchorage
when it was denied clearance to
land in Tokyo has flown back to
Amsterdam.
Press officer Lincoln White said
the Netherlands KLM airline is
sending a DC7 commercial plane
to take the place of the DC8, a
larger jet aircraft, to complete
the flight to Tokyo.
White said that he did not know
whether the airliner had taken all
of its passengers back to Amster
dam. They reportedly included 68
Dutch soldiers in civilian clothes
who were bound for West New
Guinea.
White said Anchorage is only a
stopping point for refueling pur
poses, and not a passenger stop
over point for KLM.
Japan objected when KLM sub
stituted the larger DC8 jet on the
grounds that it might compromise
the neutral position Japan has
taken in the Dutch - Indonesian
dispute over West New Guinea.
BETHEL BASKETBALL
TEAM DUE HERE TODAY
The Bethel basketball team is
expected to arrive this afternoon
and a game is scheduled for this
evening and tomorrow afternoon
at 2:00 p.m., stated Dick McCor
mic.
There will be a preliminary
game this evening at 7:30 between
the 7th and 8th grade team and
the high school freshmen.
Sunday is Boy Scout Sunday
and all Scouts in the community
are reminded that they are to at
tend their own churches, in uni
form if possible, on that day.
WEATHER OUTLOOK
Cloudy with snow and fog to
night. Lowest temperature ex
pected tonight 15. the high tomor
row 25.
Charge of “Pork Barrel” Legislation
Draws Indignation from Legislators
■<
Charges Touch
Off Harsh Words
JUNEAU UPt — A motion for
appointment of a special Senate
Committee to investigate charges
by the Bureau of Indian Affairs
that the proposed Nome Voca
tional Education School was a
political project touched off
harsh words in the Senate today.
The motion was made by Sen.
John Coghill who asked that the
committee be appointed by Sen
ate President Frank Peratro
vich.
Sen. B. J. Logan agreed and
told the Senate that in his view,
the person responsible for the
BIA statement, made at the time
it told the state it would not par
ticipate in construction or opera
tion of the Nome facility, “be
called down here to explain.”
“■How much disgrace can you
bring upon a state legislature?”
Logan said.
Logan said he felt an investiga
tion was needed because, in his
view, it would do no good to send
“another resolution back there, I
something they can throw away.”
Sen. Lester Bronson said he
felt that the Congress and the
Kennedy Administration should
be flooded with resolutions, to
show the state’s attitude on the
question.
Sen. Vance Phillips urged the
Senate to act slowly, “because the
Nome School was “pork barrel”
legislation and everyone knew it.”
“The statement made by the
BIA, that the Nome School was a
political project, “pork barrel”
legislation, is entirely correct.
“There are four division. There
was something for each division
when the voters were asked,
among other things, to approve a
bond issue for the Nome School.
“There was a piece of pie for
everyone.”
At that point, Senate Majority
Leader R. J. McNealy cut off de
bate by moving for adjournment
until Monday morning. His mo- ,
tion was sustained 11-9. ]
Coghill’s motion will be taken
up again when the Senate con
venes Monday.
Army Retracts
Announcement of
Transfer of ACS
To Air Force
WASHINGTON UR — A Penta
gon spokesman said today the De
fense Department hasn’t approved
transfer of the Alaska Communi
cations System from the Army to
the Air Force.
Announcement yesterday of the
transfer, effective July 1, was a
result of premature notification
to Congress, he said.
There was no indication today
when any further announcement
on the matter might be made, he
added.
Sen. E. I* Bartlett said his of
fice was given the transfer an
nouncement in a telephone call
from the Army yesterday. Bartlett
said when he checked on it he
was told the order had been re
scinded.
The army spokesman said the
announcement was retracted be
cause the transfer had not re
ceived final approval.
> JUNEAU MR — A Bureau of
Indian Affairs charge that the
proposed Nome Vocational Edu
cation School is a political proj
ect resulting from “pork barrel”
legislation drew a storm of in
dignation from legislative leaders.
Senate President Frank Pera
trovich and House Speaker War
ren Taylor said the person whc*
made the statement should be
retired from public life.
Disclosure of the BLA charge
came in a letter from Gov. Wm.
Egan to Burke Riley, chairman of
the U.S. Interior Department’s
Alaska Field Committee.
Egan told Riley that State Atty.
Gen. Ralph Moody, meeting with
Interior Department and BIA of
ficials in Washington last Decem
ber, was advised that the BIA
would not participate in operation,
or construction of the Nome fa
cility.
Major Reason
The major reason given Moody,
Egan said, was that in the BIA’s
opinion the Nome school was a
political project resulting from
“pork barrel” legislation. The
name of the person who actually
made the statement was not re
vealed.
“I believe the officials who
made this statement did not know
what they were talking about and
they show an irresponsibility
which ill befits them for public
life,” Taylor said.
I Taylor and Peratrovich said the
/ Nome school would help the native
peoples of the interior to obtain
■ the education they so desperately
need.
“I think the fact that the legis
lature referred this question to
the voters — the question of
bonding themselves to build such
a facility — and that it was ap
proved overwhelmingly is an
answer to this riduculous charge
in itself,” Peratrovich said.
“There is no need to relate the
need for this institution.
Becomes Duly of BIA
“It now becomes the duty of
;he BIA to come and join hands
vith the state government and.
lelp build this facility for the
aeople it will benefit.”
“We feel this is a matter of
:oncern to every person in Alas
ka,” Taylor said. “We went into
this wholeheartedly, lifting some
af the burden from the BIA.
‘We mortgaged our future
through general obligation bonds
for the benefit of children who
need an education.
“We certainly do not like to
get kicked in the face because
we are willing to spend money
to carry on the duties and respon
sibilities of the BIA.”
Peratrovich said that in all his
years in public life he had never
heard of a statement such as that
made by the BIA directed by a
federal agency against a state
legislature.
RUSSIA MAY RESUME TESTS
MOSCOW Ufi — The Soviet
government paper Izvestia today
warned that if the United States
and Britain carry out plans for
nuclear tests, the Soviet Union
will also resume testing.
“It is naive,” said Izvestia, “to
suppose that in a situation where
there are increasing military pre
parations in the West, our coun
try would not take all measures
necessary to strengthen its de
fensive capacity.”