NOME
NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
63rd Year No. 22
NOME, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1962
Per Codv 15d
Sherard Claims
Highway Division
Should Control Its
Own Equipment
JUNEAU UP) — Former State
Highways Director Thurman D.
Sherard told Senate investigators
last night he believes that if the
Highways Division could control
its own equipment, materials and
supply it would result in a savings
to the State.
It was Sherard’s fifth night of
testimony before the Senate’s
special Highways Investigating
Committee.
The questioning chores for the
night were handled by Sen. John
Coghill who probed at length in
to maintenance, personnel and
programming procedures of the
division.
Sherard explained that the
Highways Division must deal with
two other divisions within the
Department of Public Works to
get the equipment it needs for
maintenance and road construc
tion.
“In other words,” said Coghill,
“if Thompson Pass weren’t kept
open in the winter it would be the
fault of one of three divisions.
“If the snow plow broke down,
it would foe the fault of the Di
vision of Equipment.
“If there wasn’t enough fuel
iui tuc am/w piww, n wuuiu uc
the fault of the Division of Prop
erty and Supply.
“And if the driver didn’t show
up, it would be the fault of the
Division of Highways.”
“That’s about right,” said Sher
ard, “but I think you’d have a
real hard time convincing the '
public that it wasn’t our fault.” ,
Sherard said that a lot of the ’
equipment inherited from the Bu
reau of Public Roads when the 1
State took over its highways was 1
antiquated and outdated.
“Some of the equipment was so '
old we couldn’t even get replace
ment parts,” Sherard said.
Sherard also told the committee |
that the State Personnel Act had :
resulted in confusion in the hiring 3
and handling of highway person- 1
nel.
“We knew the Personnel Act 1
was important, but we didn’t ex- £
pect it to go into effect so soon,” £
Sherard said, “we found Our
selves having to deal with all 3
those rules and regulations before 3
we were able to get organized.
“There was confusion in classi
fication, confusion as to when ]
employes should get a pay raise
—everyone in highways had a
personnel problem.
“Then we found that letters had '
been written by the Division of [
Personnel, without going through £
our division, to people already on
the job telling them they weren’t £
qualified for that job. *
“We had resignations over
that,” he said.
Asked to trace the program- (
ming of the division’s long range 5
highway construction plans, Sher- 3
ard said that he made up the pro
grams, and then sent them along 3
to Public Works Commissioner 3
Downing for his approval. (
“Actually it is a joint effort,” ]
he explained. “The Public Works 3
Department is the parent organi- 1
zation. We’re not a separate de
partment of highways, so the
final decision certainly rests with
Public Works.”
The committee will take a night
off tonight, and resume Thurs
day.
French-Algerians Approve
Cease-Fire Agreement
PARIS Uf) — The government
today approved terms of a cease
fire agreement with the Algerian
nationalist rebels providing for
the countriy’s eventual independ
ence, a cabinet spokesman said.
Cabinet spokesman Louis Ter
renoire announced the decision to
newsmen at the end of a crucial
session, which received the agree
ment text from Louis Joxe, Min
ister for Algerian affairs.
Joxe headed the team of top
ranking French negotiators who
met in secret last week with rebel
delegates near the Swiss frontier,
and worked out the text of the
accord.
POPE JOHN XXIII RECEIVES
ATTY. GENERAL KENNEDY
VATICAN CITY UPl — Pope
John XXIII received U.S. Atty.
Gen. Robert Kennedy today and
expressed his congratulations for
the space flight of American as
tronaut John Glenn.
Pope John, who reportedly
prayed for the successful outcome
of the space flight while Glenn
orbited the earth, received Ken
nedy and his wife, Ethel, at the
threshold of his private library.
The Pope was smiling broadly,
attendants said.
Legislators Send
Congratulations to Glenn
JUNEAU W) — The Alaska State
Legislature, which interrupted its
session yesterday to cheer news
of the safe landing of astronaut
John H. Glenn, sent the follow
ing telegram to Glenn last night:
“No single event since Alaska’s
attainment to Statehood has
jrought a more unanimous feei
ng of jubilation and re joeing to
he 40th State and than your long
awaited, history-making triple
Elobal orbit.
“Both events offer proof to the
vorld that ours is a forward
ooking, progressive way of life,
indaunted by challenge and ever
nindful of our world responsi
>ilities. Members of Alaska’s
legislature on behalf of all Alas
kans unanimously extend their
nost enthusiastic congratulations
md best wishes to you and your
olleagues on this momentous oc
asion.”'
The telegram carried the signa
ures of all of the members of the
legislature.
Portent of Rainwater
browns Woman in L.A.
LOS ANGELES \ffi — A torrent
>f rainwater swept the former
vne ui lauiu pcxiuimci yv anci
)’Keefe to her death last night in
i Beverly Hills street.
Roberta O’Keefe was a victim
>f the third storm to hit South
rn California in 12 days.
A sudden cloudburst had swept
rom the hills above Coldwater
Canyon when Mrs. O’Keefe, 50,
tepped from her car on the Can
'on Road.
A mass of runoff water caught
ter and she lost her footing, fall
ng beneath the car. A block
lownstream, in a storm drain,
>olice found her handbag—and
n it Mrs. O'Keefe’s toy poodle,
ilso drowned.
If O T I C fi
Business houses will observe
the Washington Holiday by
closing all day. State and Fed
eral Offices will also be closed,
including the Poet Office.
JFK Says Powers
Carried Out His
Terms of Contract
WASHINGTON UPi — President
Kennedy said today there is no
evidence U-2 pilot Francis Gary
Powers failed to carry out the
terms of his contract with the
government.
Kennedy told his news confer
ence a board of inquiry will com
plete by the middle of next week
its investigation of the question.
When that inquiry is completed,
Kennedy said Powers will be
available for questioning by mem
bers of Congress and by newsmen.
Kennedy also said he welcomes
Soviet Premier Khrushchev’s pro
posal for pooling space resources
as a “most encouraging” sign for
international cooperation.
In the wake of astronaut John
Glenn’s momentous orbital flight,
Kennedy said the peaceful ex
ploration of space “is particularly
important now, before space be
comes devoted to uses of war.”
As for Khrushchev’s proposal,
he said he was replying to the
Soviet leader . But he noted that
any cooperation of this sort must
•be conducted on a two-way street.
Kennedy dealt also with
these other subjects:
Urban Affairs — In comment
on the House vote against his
proposal to create a new Depart
tvTT«k_AM.i_tt_
said such a department would be
established sooner or later.
With some sarcasm, he observed
that congressional critics who op
posed the Urban Department have
indicated they would support
'Robert Weaver, the Negro he in
tended to appoint head of the de
partment, for any other cabinet
.position.
U.S. Stamp Honors
Glenn’s Space Flight
WASHINGTON UP) — Hidden
away in 300 post offices across
the country were mysterious
sealed packages that carried
orders, “Do Not Open.” '
The mystery was solved yes
terday. The moment astronaut
John H. Glenn Jr., was plucked
from the Atlantic as the first
American to orbit the earth, the
Post Office Department in Wash
ington flashed the word: “open
package and sell stamps.”
The packages contained a special
issue of four-cent stamps com
memorating Glenn’s flight — a
simple blue rectangle with a
space capsule, catching the rays
of the sun, soaring over the earth.
It carries the legend, “U.S. Man
in Space,” and in capital letters:
Project Mercury.
Demand was instant
But some people questioned the
fact that the words “U.S. Postage”
were omitted from the stamp.
In Woodland, Calif., a stamp
collector of 20 years experience
called it the greatest philatelic
blunder in Post Office history.
But a Post Office Department
spokesman said it was no blunder,
it was intentional. The idea was
to emphasis the space flight and
it was felt the words “U.S. Post
age” were not necessary.
The project, cloaked in secrecy
until Glenn’s safe landing, was
begun months ago.
Department officials said that
the stamp designer worked at
home; the engraver came in late
at night and worked on weekends;
the Bureau of Printing and En
graving cooperated by printing
the stamps in a locked press room.
John L. Rader Files
Candidacy for Governor
FAIRBANKS, W — John L.
Rader, former Attorney General
for Alaska today filed his official
declaration of candidacy for gov
ernor while in Fairbanks.
Rader, 35 years old, an attor
ney in Anchorage, is married and
has three children.
In announcing his filing today,
Rader said:
“Last November, I announced
my intention to explore the pos
sibilities of running for governor.
Since that time I have attended
the Democratic District Conven
tions in Fairbanks, Anchorage
and Juneau; and traveled from
Pt. Barrow and Nome to Ketchi
kan, and many points in between.
“The challenge of the serious
problems of the State and the un
fortunate events of recent weeks
have convinced me that I should
formally file my declaration of
candidacy.
“I intend to submit new ap
proaches with respect to land
policies and the industrial develop
ment of the State.
“But above all, I believe the
thing that I would most stress is
the necessity of close contact by
the executive office with the
people of Alaska by two paramont
means—by regularly visiting the
respective areas and keeping a
close liaison so that mutual prob
lems can be resolved and section
alism mimimized and number two
by maintaining a close relation
ship with the legislature and th<
individual legislators who arp +Vw
elected representatives of th<
people of Alaska.”
House Kills Kennedy’s
Plan to Set Up New
Urban Affairs Department
WASHINGTON UP) — The House
today killed President Kennedy’s
plan to set up a Department of
Urban Affairs and name a Negro
to head it as the first cabinet
member of his race. The vote was
264 to 150:
The result was expected.
Republicans in large numbers
joined with a solid bloc of south
ern Democrats to disapprove it.
Kennedy had announced he
would name as head of the new
department a Negro, Robert C.
Weaver, now chief of the Housing
apd Home Finance Agency.
Republicans pitched most of
their arguments on the points of
lack 6f need for the new depart
ment and an increase in bureau
cracy.
SENATE OKEHS REFUND
ON ESC TAXES COLLECTED
JUNEAU iPi — The Senate to
day gave its approval to a bill
which would provide for the re
fund of employment security taxes
collected on wages over $7,200 a
year to employes who earn more
than that amount from two or
more employers.
The author of the measure, Sen.
Irwin Metcalf, said the bill was
intended to correct an oversight
in the present employment secu
rity act.
Under current law, there is no
provision for refunding such over
payment of employment security
contributions by employes.
SHELL OIL CO.
TO PROSPECT HERE
The Shell Oil Co. of Los An
geles has filed on 5,000 acres of
tideland off the shores of Nome
and aLk> has requested a permit
for prospecting for gold here, ac
cording to a wire from Sen. Pearse
Walsh received yesterday.
Plans Laid for
Rousing Welcome
To John Glenn Jr.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. Ufi —
America today laid plans for a
[rousing two-stage welcome to its
greatest air hero since Lindbergh.
1. President Kennedy will fly
the family of John H. Glenn Jr.,
here for a grand reunion Friday.
2. Washington will stage its
monster reception and parade for
Glenn at mid-day Monday.
Glenn was in shape to take the
big doings, just as he took his
fantastic three-time circuit of the
globe yesterday in his space
chariot.
At Grand Turk Island in the
Bahamas, where doctors, psy
chologists and an array of other
scientists were giving him a going
over, he was pronounced in just
as good shape as before he left
the earth.
Russia, great rival of the United
States in races into space, showed
increasing signs of being impress
ed with Glenn’s accomplishment.
Congratulating America, Pre
mier Nikita Khrushchev suggested
the United States and the Soviet
Union pool their resources to ex
plore out space.
President Kennedy, in, a new
gesture of acclaim, invited Glenn’s
family to ride to Florida tomorrow
with him by Presidential jet.
On Friday morning Glenn will
1 fly from Grand Turk to Cape
! Canaveral and have a big reunion
! with his family here.
Monday morning Kennedy will
take Glenn back with him to
I include a capitol reception and a
parade.
Glenn was flown to a special
hospital on Grand Turk late yes
terday after he had been recover
ed by the U.S. Destroyer Noa 22
minutes after his capsule had
splashed into the Atlantic Ocean
166 miles from the island.
What the astronaut tells the
doctors, scientists, technicians and
engineers at Grand Turk and in
weeks of briefings to follow will
help shape the future course of
this nation’s space program.
Out of the meeting will come
answers to such questions as:
What are man’s capabilities and
limitations in the weightless
world of space?
What changes must be made in
the Mercury capsule before as
tronaut Donald Slayton attempts
the next U.S. orbital flight,
tentatively in April?
Do weightlessness, isolation in
cramped quarters, or other pres
sures of space flight pose any
physical or mental danger?
Glenn conclusively proved on
his flight that man is far superior
to machine in space. When his
capsule developed control dif
ficulty during the first orbit, he
assumed partial manual control
and maintained command the rest
of the mission.
Project Mercury Operation Di
rector Walter Williams empha
sized that had a human passenger
not been aboard, the space craft
would have been brought down
after one orbit.
“John did a beautiful jab,*
Williams, said*.
MOSCOW (JR — Two Russians
have cabled congratulations to Lt.
Col. John H. Glenn Jr.
The Russians are Maj. Yuri
Gagarin and Maj. Gherman S.
Titov, who orbited the earth last
year.