m NOME NUGGET
__ ._ OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
bdrd Year No. 20
NOME, ALASKA, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1962
Per Copy 15^
Atty. Gen. Moody
Refuses to Name
Top Official In
Nome School Quip
JUNEAU If) — Attorney Gen
eral Ralph Moody refused Wed
nesday to disclose the name of an
Interior Department official who
described the proposed Nome Vo
cational School as “pork barrel”
legislation.”
He confirmed, however, that
the term was used in his presence
at a December meeting in Wash
ington, D.C., with officials of the
Interior Department and the Bu
reau of Indian Affairs.
“The governor has advised me
not to disclose the name of the
person who made the remark,
since it would not be in the best
interest of the State in its rela
tionship with the BIA,” Moody
said.
jviooay was asked to appear be
fore the House Federal Relations
Committee which was consider
ing a resolution highly critical of
the RIA in its refusal to parti
cipate financially or otherwise in
the vocational school.
Moody told the committee that,
to the best of his recollection, the
remarks were made at a meeting
in the office of Philleo Nash,
Commissioner of the Bureau of
Indian Affairs. He said about 10
or 15 persons were present, in
cluding Assistant Secretary of the
Interior John Garver.
Asked directly if the remark
was made toy Nash or Garver,
Moody declined to answer on
grounds of executive privilege,
and on the advice of Gov. Wm.
Egan.
“Are you the Attorney General
of the people or the governor’s
lawyer?” asked Rep. Bruce Ken
dall sharply.
Moody made no reply.
No Apology Made
“Has an apology been made to
the governor or to the State of
Alaska for the ‘pork barrel’ re
mark?” asked Rep. Forbes Baker.
“Not to my knowledge,” Moody
said.
Earlier Moody read a letter
which he said Egan had received
that afternoon from John Crow,
acting Commissioner of the BIA,
expressing regret for what he
called “an apparent breakdown
in communication over the Nome
school,”
Area BIA, Director Robert L.
Bennett said that the BIA had
decided not to participate in the
school because it felt it was not
in keeping with its educational
policy.
Bennett said that the BIA’s
policy is to educate children as
close to home as possible and to
construct regional schools in
areas where there are 50 or more
children of that age over a four
year period.
In less populated areas, he said
the BIA, utilizes correspondence
courses. The Bureau’s one board
ing school in the State, Mount
Edgecumbe at Sitka, now has 660
students.
'He said it also is a policy of
the BIA to provide simply a basic
high school education, without
emphasis on vocational training.
“We feel that vocational train
ing should come after a high
school education has been
achieved,” he said.
Some 600,000 people a year are
Atty. Gen. Kennedy
Confers With Sukarno
JAKARTA, Indonesia (jP) —
U.S. Atty. Gen. Robert Kennedy
returned to Jakarta today, a day
ahead of schedule, because the
unpressurized Russian-built plane
in which he and his wife were
flying couldn’t get over the
clouds to land at Bandung.
Two pressurized American
built planes, carrying reporters
and other members of the Ken
nedy party, put in on schedule
at Bandung, but the Soviet-built
Ilyushin the Indonesians reserve
for distinguished visitors had to
sit down at Semarang, 225 miles
to the east on a flight from Bali.
Kennedy had been scheduled
to spend the night a Bandung
and fly in here tomorrow.
President Sukarno and Foreign
Minister Subandrio conferred dur
ing the day on what appeared to
be preparations for Sukarno’s
final discussions here with Ken
nedy on the Indonesian dispute
with the Dutch over West New
Guinea.
WASHINGTON (ff! — The
Atomic Energy Commission has
touched off another underground
blast at its Nevada test site.
Yesterday’s test was the 14th
announced in the current series.
The AEC said it was a low yield
test. That means a blast with an
explosive power of less than 20,
000 tons of TNT.
Reimbursement of Taxes
To AH Classes of Cities
JUNEAU (ff> — The Senate gave
its approval Thursday to a bill
which provides for reimburse
ment to all classes of cities por
tions of state taxes collected with
in their boundaries.
Previously, so - called shared
taxes were returned only to cities
of the first and second class.
Under the provisions of the bill
all liquor license fees would be
returned to the cities, one half of
the coin-operated device tax
would be refunded, 75 per cent of
punchboard taxes would be re
turned and 10 per cent of the
raw fish tax.
Maintenance of Pioneer Roads
JUNEAU Iff) — A bill author
izing an annual appropriation to
the Department of Public Works
for the maintenance of pioneer
access roads was introduced in
the Senate today by Sen. Lester
Bronson.
Would Boost Corporation Tax
JUNEAU Iff) — The annual cor
poration tax would be boosted
to $25 for domestic corporations
and $50 for foreign corporations
under the provisions of a bill in
troduced by the Senate Judiciary
Committee today.
At the present time, the annual
corporation tax is $15 for both
domestic and foreign corporations.
Former Highway Boss Claims Funds
Were Not Adequately Appropriated!
By Ward Sims
Associated Press Staff Writer
JUNEAU W) — Alaska’s former
highways boss said last night that
had the highway construction re
volving fund been adequately
funded there would be no need
to request a supplemental appro
priation.
Thurman D. Sherard told the
Senate’s special Highway Investi
gating Committee he advised his
superiors many times that the
fund was in a precarious financial
situation.
Roger G. Connor, Sherard’s at
torney, entered into the record a
number of documents dealing with
Highways Division matters.
In a Memo
In a memo to Public Works
Commissioner Richard Downing
and Deputy Public Works Com
missioner Lawrence D. Wilson
dated June 29, 1961, Sherard said:
“I have been of the opinion for
some time that the people of
Alaska are not aware of the
State’s financial condition and the
shortage of highway construction
and maintenance monies to satisfy
present-day needs and demands. I
believe many people think that
our now, expanding federal aid
highway program gives us an un
limited supply of money.
“I suggest that is time for us
to begin advising these people
that we do not have an inex
haustible supply of money and
that we are financially unable
to perform the additional main
tenance and construction work
which they insist upon. In fact,
it should be pointed out that we
will have a most difficult time to
maintain those roads now on the
federal aid highway system un
less an additional source of funds
is supplied.”
Entered in Record
Sherard entered into the record
a telegram from Lee Hubbard,
I district highway engineer at An
chorage, to A1 Gardner, assistant
state highway engineer, which
said in part:
“Manager of Alyeska Ski Re
sort near Girdwood called our
foreman Sunday morning and
said he hald talked to Mr. Down
ing long distance and had ibeen
authorized to direct the foreman
to sand the private road to the
ski lift.”
Sherard said the division also
received requests for mainte
nance on 34 other roads for which
no federal aid matching funds
were available.
Sherard also said highway funds
Were sometimes used for other
purposes. He said road funds :
were used to build a 20-foot ex
tension to a building at the Bethel
airfield.
Is Concerned
“I am concerned about the 'i
highway budget’s ability to
stand all the ‘outside’ activities
which we are required to finance
because I fear, if we find our
selves without enough funds to
match federal aid, the blame will <
be laid at the door of the Di- ■
vision of Highways,” he wrote.
“There is an old saying about
being ‘nickeled and dimed to
death.’ It appears we are being
‘ten thousand dollared to death.’ ”
When he was advised tby Down
ing on Jan. 25 that he was be dis
missed, Sherard said, he asked
if Downing wanted to fire him or
thought he should be fired. In
both instances, Sherard said, the
answer was "no.”
In a meeting with Egan the
same day, Sherard said, the Gov
ernor told Sherard he was being
dismissed because of the neces
sity for a supplemental appropri
ation had embarrassed Egan and
because “poor estimates made by
highways on dates contracts were
to be let were intolerable.”
High Winds
Cancel Paradrop
By Canadians
The paradrop by the Princess
Patricia’s Canadian Light In
fantry was called off this after
noon because of 25-knot winds
over the drop zone. Instead the
eight C-119 troop transports
landed at Nome Field.
The Canadians then started an
overland trek to toward the ag
gessor forces about four miles
away. They were guided by ele
ments of the 1st Scout Battalion
of the Alaska National Guard.
The Canadians were in company
strength, about 170 men.
Earlier today a U.S. Air Force
turboprop transport brought in
group of correspondents and ob
servers.
A Canadian Royal Air Force
plane came in earlier with Gen.
Rockingham of the Canadian
forces.
In the meantime both Wien’s
F27 and Alaska Airline’s BC4
landed at the airport on their
regular schedules. And an Air
F80 made several passes over the
field.
jp iciu was quite xne uusi
est place on Seward Peninsula
as a gas crane was also making
its way along the field toward a
Cll 9 which had lost an engine
just prior to its arrival here on
Wednesday. The crane was tc
hoist out the disabled engine anc
replace it with a new one.
In addition quite a number oi
townspeople were on hand, some
dressed in colorful winter gar
ments.
The Great Bear war games are
to be terminated tonight with the
different elements leaving tomor
I row and Sunday.
City Asks Congressional
Delegation Use Good
Offices In BIA Dispute
The City of Nome has taken
official notice of the dispute cur
rently raging between the State
and the Bureau of Indian Af
fairs. Following is the text of
a telegram sent by Mayor Wilke
in the name of the City Council
to Alaska’s congressional delega
tion, Rep. Ralph Rivers and Sens.
Bartlett and Gruening:
The citizens of the City of
Nome are shocked and stunned
that the Bureau of Indian Affairs
will not join in the proposed vo
cational school in this area.
Aside from the statements of
“pork barrel” legislation and
politics” as reported in the press,
the attitude of the BIA hurts the
party in power and the program
of President Kennedy in aid to
education.
Nome was chosen for the site of
this school after a careful survey
by persons experienced in site
location and related services and
the Nome location was one of
many considered and reported on
to the State Board of Education.
This school is badly needed in
this area, the largest Eskimo pop
ulation in Alaska, and WE urge
you to do whatever possible to
have the Interior Department and
the Bureau of Indian Affairs to
reconsider their stand in this mat
ter and loin Alaska in helping the
Native people of Northwestern
Alaska.
America is in a great race, a
race between education and dis
aster. God help us all if the wrong
element wins.
Action Completed on
Alaska’s Exhibit at C21
To Tune of $137,000
JUNEAU UPi — The Senate com
pleted legislative action yester
day on a bill providing $137,000
for Alaska’s participation in Seat
tle’s Century 21 Exposition.
The bill now goes to Gov. Wm
Egan tor his approval.
Sen. John McNees floor mana
ger for the bill, said the budget
as outlined by the State Division
of Tourism, does not provide
funds for native dancers from
Alaska who will perform at C21.
But, McNees said, intensive ef
forts are being made to obtain
funds from other sources to in
sure the appearance of three Alas
ka native dance groups, the King
Island dancers from Nome, the
Chilkat dancers from Haines and
the Tlingit dancers from Yaku
tat.
In Seattle, McNees said, an at
tempt is being made to obtain
free housing and board for the
native dancers at the University
of Washington. Contributions for
other expenses will be sought in
Alaska, McNees said.
Space Shot Postponed
r CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. UP>—
‘ The United States’ effort to
[ rocket an astronaut around the
' world is now off until next Tues
day—at the earliest—because of
, bad weather in the Atlantic re
covery areas.
f Marine Lt. Col. John Glenn Jr.
» will still be the astronaut despite
the procession of delays which
might have cracked the confi
dence of the average man.
Glenn has shown no signs of
tension that might affect his per
formance and there is no basis for
considering his replacement, I)r.
Wm. Douglas, personal physician
to the astronauts, said today.
“I’m as close to this man as
I am to my brother,” Douglas
said, “and I wouldn’t let my
' brother fly if I thought he would
be in danger. If I detected any
thing wrong, I would take im
mediate action.”
Douglas reiterated that Glenn
has complete confidence in the
program, is an experienced test
pilot and is used to such delays.
This was the 10th postpone
ment since the 81,000-mile flight
was originally scheduled Dec. 20.
State Department Rules
Out Visit from Tshombe
WASHINGTON UD — The State
Department Thursday ruled out
any visit to the United States now
by Moise Tshombe, president of
the Congolese secessionist Pro
vince of Katanga.
“We believe that a visit to the
United States by Mr. Tshombe at
this time would interrupt and
jeopardize progress toward the
common objectives,” department
press officer Joseph Reap told a
news conference.
The Congolese central govern
ment of Prime Minister Cyrille
Adoula shares this view, Reap
said.
His announcement marked the
end of weeks of speculation about
Tshombe’s intention to come to
the United States and attend a
rally at Madison Square Garden
early in March. The rally is re
ported to have been organized by
pro-Katangese conservative groups
which are critical of the U.S.
position in support of the U.N.
action in the Congo.