Published every Saturday at Kodiak, Alaska
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Entered in the Postoffice at Kodiak, Alaska as Second
j Class matter under act of Congress of March 3,1878
THE ISLAND PUBLISHING COMPANY
jv . Sig J. Digree, Editor and Publisher
Betha Digree, Executive Secretary
MEMBER OF ASSOCIATED PRESS
”irh£ Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the use or republics*
"ion of all news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in
his paper and also the local news published herein.
«— .*
Defended by Committees
The “‘committee” has become a
solidly entrenched American in
stitution. Organizations of every
* conceivable kind — governmental,
* tMinmairaic, social, fraternal, labor,
err.—constantly appoint commit
rrc-es and subcommittees to deal
with all manner off matters, from
the vital to the trivial;
In many and perhaps most cases
’these committees are necessary
and do a reasonably good job.
But there are cases where the cOm
can be a menace —and the
ivtntoal 4fcfet».«e is one of those
teases.
This is the sub stance of a long
feature article in the Wall Street
Journal which begins “If America
ever does succumb to the Soviet,
historians may record this con*
ifcributing cause: The U. S. tried
■to defend itself with massed com
mittees.”
The committees in question ran
sm exceedingly wide gamut. Some
are made up of intellectuals, some
of high-ranking service officers,
ape of businessmen, some of
bureaucrats, some of Congress
men. According to the Journal
“‘‘they dominate this nation’s de
fense effort- and depress it, and
delay it ” That startling observa
tion is backed by leaders in the
defense structure, especially those
concerned with missile develop
ment.
Navy Secretary Gates, for in
stance, says that there are too
many committees — “too many
groups with veto power, without
responsibility.” General Medaris.
head of the Army’s ballistic mis
sile program, pleads that he is
‘“over-committeed.” General Trvine
of the Air Force observes that
committees “. . . sort of grow like
weeds on the side of a road.” The
head of a concern which bos been
given the job of designi: ■ an in
tercontinental chemical bomber
says . . it just seems every time
I try to do something, I trip over
a committee.”
Some highly revealing evidence
was given by Dr. Weraher von
Braun, our top rocket expert, in
testimony to Congress. Ke said
that he and General Medaris had
to leave their work at Huntsville
Alabama, and go frequently to
Washington to .attend committee
hearings. Asked if these hearings
were constructive, Dr. von Braun
said “I think we have too many.”
Then asked if the committee sys
tem impede^ his work, he answer
ed “Yes, definitely.” In subse
quent testimony he added, in ef
fect, that many members of the
committees he has to deal with
are brilliant experts in their par
ticular fields, but are at a loss in
dealing with various problems and
developments involved in missil
ery.
The natural question to ask is
why the committee system has
gone to such extreme. The Wall
Street Journal article provided an
answer. The main reason seems to
be that “the arms race has be
come a science race, and military
officers and officials no longer
approach their problems with as
surance — even when they have
n. red able scientists to develop
the weapons of the future. Grasp
ing for certainty, they enlist bat
teries of Ph.D outsiders to give
advice.”
At any rate, it certainly seems
that far too many cooks are now
stirring the defense broth. Com
mittees have been piled on com
mittees to a bewildering degree.
Various solutions are offered, and
are being considered by a group
of consultants appointed by De
fense Secretary McElroy. This
group, Mr. McElroy emphasized
■» not a committee.” Its job is to
vme up^with a sound reorgan iza
‘ on program.
Here There Everywhere
* * * DON’T DO AS I DO,
BUT .... Tito,, Jugoslav dictator,
blasted what he called the “Cadil
lac class” recently. He apparently
forgot about some of his own ten
dencies that way. Many Jugoslavs
say in private he should practice
what he preaches, and give up his
Brioni Island playground, his
Rolls-Royce convertible, and at
least six of his castles and pala
ces.
* * * DEBT CEILING? The
current national debt is $275 bil
lion, which is under the $280 bil
lion set by his Congress. But it
isn’t destined to stay that way.
according to some observers. In
order to combat the present reces
sion. spending will be speeded up
and taxes cut. thus raising the na
tional deficit by $10 to $15 billion
by June, 1959.Faced with
an election year, this can spell
trouble tor the administration.
* :: A spending program by
the government can help to halt
the recession. The tax cut pro
posal, which would net the aver
age U. S. family about $100 a
year, will do some good. But
what of the 5,173,000 jobless at
the present time? They have no
income tax to pay, because they
have no income. But if the two,
spending and tax cut serves to
stimulate the economy, it should
bring many of the unemployed
back to their jobs. Moreover, ac
cording to NEWSWEEK, “in 1954,
by increasing consumer and busi
ness income, the reduction actual
ly increased the Federal revenue,
too.”
* * * VICE-PRESIDENT NIX
ON’S VIEWS.' He believes an
across the board tax cut would
“put money into the hands of con
sumers and purchasers (and) into
the hands of investors and job
creators.” Nixon stated the gov
ernment’s balanced budget should
take second place to meeting an
emergency as now exists. Appar
ently he believes, as was stated
by someone: “Spending by people
and business, made possible by a
sane tax cut, will restore the econ
omy faster and more constructive
ly than spending by government.
* * * NOT ALL GLOOM. 62
million Americans still have jobs
—enjoying the same good pay and
living the same good life. More
people are going to Europe for a
vacation than ever before in his
tory .Dun & Bradstreet re
corded a nationwide retail sales
rise last week of 1 to 5 per cent
above the same week in 1957 . . .
Suburban merchants throughout
the country rang up sales 17 per
<"ent over a year ago .... Ford
Motor Company has chalked up
5000 advance orders for Thunder
birds. Ramblers were selling 85
per cent faster in the first ten
days of March than in the same
period last year .... Houston,
Texas totaled up a S90 million
spurt in bank deposits since last
year. The Northwest’s plywood in
dustry had orders totaling 134.7
million square feet (vs. 105.4 mil
lion in the previous week). So
the overall picture is not alto
gether gloomy.
* * THE CRAB QUEEN. We
haven’t heard yet, so are wonder
ing just how the Queen is to be
designated during the King Crab
Festival. Should she be referred
to as the King Crab Queen, or the
Crab Queen, or Queen of the
Crabs. Or should she be given the
more complete title of Queen of
the King Crab Festival. Called by
any one of these titles, she will
probably be just as queenly..
APRS
Radio Schedule
DAILY
6:00—Morning Show
7:00—News
7:15—Cont. Morning Show
8:00—Turn Back The Clock
8:30—Breakfast Club
9 00—Kodiak Jamboree
9:30—Herb Anderson
10:00—News
10:30—Musical Notes
11:30—Ebony & Ivory
11:45—Strike it Rich
12:00—Noonday Music
12:25—Bulletin Board
12:30—News
12:45—Primer on Communism
12:50—Just Entertainment
1:00—Music For You
1:30—One Man’s Family
1:45—Behind The Story
2:00—Robert Q. Lewis
3.00—Grand Central Station
3:15—Johnny Dollar
3:30—Sports Desk
3:45—Master of Melody
4:00—News
4:15—New Yorkers
4:30—Tops & Pops
5:30—Dinner Music
6:00—News
6:15—Dinner Music
9:00—News
9:15—A.F. Digest
9:55—Weather Marches
10:30—Night Watch
11:30—One Night Stand
_ MONDAY
7:45—Country Hoedown
10:15—Bob & Ray
11.00— Power Biggs
2:30—Concert Hall
6.30—Alaskan Hay ride
7:00—Goodwin Show
7 30—Could This Be You
8:00—Sleep No More
8:30—Heartbeat Theatre
9*30—Groucho Marx
10:00—FBI In War & Peace
TUESDAY
7:45 -Lets Go To Town
10:15 -Guest Star
11*00—Faith For Today
2..;U—Carnival of Music
6:30—Country Hoedown
7.00— Buddy Weed
7 30—Stuart Foster
8:00—Modern Moods
9:30—$64,000 Question ,
10:00—Mystery Time
WEDNESDAY
7:45—Country Iioedown
10:15—Bob & Ray
11:00—Midweek Devotions
2:30—Concert Hall
6:30—Northern Round-up
7:00—Latin Music
7:30—Music on Deck
7:45—Claude Rains J
8:00—Family Theatre
8:30—Hollywood Music
9:30—Peonlp Are Funny
10:00—X Minus One
THURSDAY
7:45—Lets Go To Town
10:15—Guest Star
11:00—Christian in Action
2:30—Carnival of Music
6 30—Western Jamboree
7 00—Bandstand U.S.A. '
7:30—The Todds
7:45—University Explorer 1
8:00—Moods in Melody
8:30—Magic of Music
9:30—Unit 99 '
iU.OU-bagn
FRIDAY
7:45—Country Hoedown
10’15—Bob & Ray
Your authorized Cadillac Dealer in
9:55—This Fabled World
10:00—Sunday Reveries
11:00—Sign Off
11:00—Ave Maria Hour
2.30—Concert Hall
6:30—Western Music
7:00—Lone Ranger
7:20—Spotlight Story
7:30—Just Easy
8:00—C.P. Macgregor
8:30—Navy Hour
9:30—What’s My Line
10:00—Suspense
SATURDAY
6:00—Rise & Shine
7:00—News
7:15—Polka Party
7:45—Flight in Blue
8:00—No School Today
9:00—Music Views From Holly
wood
9:30—Pop Music
10:15—Bobby Hammock
10-30—Gun Smoke
10:50—Spotlight Story
11:00—Galen Drake
11:30—Robert Q. Lewis
12:00—Hawaii Calls
12:30—News
12:45—Portraits in Music
1:30—1 ii6 Last Word
2:00—Club 960
3:00—Biographies in Sound
4:00—News
4:15—Eddie Fisher
4:30—Front && Center
5:00—Bulletin Board
5:05—Classical Music for Those
Who Hate It
5:30—Dinner Music
6:00—News
6:30—Helen Hayes
6:45—Sports Answer Man
7:00—Saturday Night Country
Style
7-30—Indictment
8:00—Stars of Jazz
8:30—Jack Benny
8:55—Weather Marches
9:00—News
9:30—Grand Old Opera
0:00—After Hours Show
1:00—Sign Off
SUNDAY
8:00—News
8:15—Music for Sunday
9:00—Protestant Hour
9:30—Negro College Choir
9u55—Fill
0:00—Variety Hour
1:00—Children Music
Is:30—Pop Music !
2:00—Army Hour
2:25—Bulletin Board
2:30—News
2:45—Sernade in Blue
1:00—Pop Music
2:00—American Pop Music _
3:00—Contrasts in Music
3:30—S. Pop Music
4:00—News
4:15—Strange
4:30—The Evening Comes
5:00—Bulletin Board
5:05—Books & Voices
5:30—Dinner Music
6:00—News
6:30—Mitch Miller
6:15—Dinner Music
7:00—Police Blotter
7:30—S. Pop Music
8:00—Sez Who
8:30—Sunday Night Music Hall
8:55—Weather Marches
9:00—News
9:15—Pop Music
9:30—Great Gildersleeve
Guessing
Is Costly!
Make a complete inventory
of your household goods. In
event of fire this record will
assist in a prompt and fair
settlement. Our Household
er’s Inventory Book is yours
for the asking.
GET YOURS TODAY
SEE ART BROOKS
Kodiak Insurance &
Building Corp.
Phone 3401 or 2561
AGAIN IT’S
Steak Night
Elks Club
l
Members Only
Friday, March 28
Serving from 6:00 — 7:30 p.m.
S2.00
MUST MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS BY MARCH 27
Meeting 8:30 p.m.
INITIATION
Visiting Members Welcome