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"News of ^America’s Last Frontier”
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VOL. 15 N0T37
KODIAK, ALASKA, NOVEMBER 12, 1955
PRlcrfocffKfTs
Constitution Making
Underway At University
A capacity crowd of delegates
and spectators filled the gymnasi
um of the University of Alaska,
which has been renamed Conven
tion Hall for the occasion, when
Gov. B. Frank Heintzleman called
the Constitutional Convention to
order last Tuesday. The historic
gathering was addressed by the
Governor, Delegate to Congress
Bartlett, and the former governor
of Alaska, Ernest Gruening.
The invocation which followed
the governor's call to order was
fittingly pronounced by an Eski
mo, Rev. Roy Ahmoagak, Presby
terian minister from Wainwright.
Del. Bartlett delivered the sec
end keynote speech. In his message
to the delegates, he warned them
against the dangers of exploitation
at natural resources in improper
ways, citing the Kennecott Cop
par Corporation, which he termed
typical of the 19th Century Roh
her Baron Policy.” “Copper in the
vaine of over $200 million dollars
was taken from the Chitina,” he
said. 'The operation was shut
down In 1938. The tremendous
production and investment left ab
solutely nothing of enduring value
ijwr the Territory and its citizens
except a small ghost town which
hit become a minor tourist attrac
irtlett cautioned Alaskans not
sight of the absolute neces
ipf long range development of
resources.
Heirtzleman cited as wor
of consideration these provi
sions of the Hawaii constitution: A
lowered voting age, a strong execu
tive, Imitations on the pocket veto
and “ipe-boxing” of bills in legisla
tive committees, development of lo
cal government in full accord with
the will of the people, conservation
of natural resources and broad
land utilization, automatic re-ap
portionment of representation ev
ery ten years on the basis of regis
tered voters and, finally, limita
tions to 20 of the number of de
partments.”
Fifty-three of the fifty-five dele
gates were present at the opening.
Mildred Hermann of Juneau was
elected temporary chairman.
Delegate Bartlett’s concluding
statement to the assembled con
vention was: “There are those in
Alaska and in the United States
who have argued that Alaska is
not yet ready for statehood be:
cause its people lack ‘political ma
turity.’ I have not yet settled in my
own mind that that statement is
capable of precise definition. But
I do know that one aspect of ma
turity is the ability to manage
one’s <yvn resources. .This conven
tion can demonstrate to the Con
gress and the people of the United
States at least this aspect of politi
cal maturity by giving notice that
Alaska’s Resources will be admini
stered, within the bounds of hu
man limitations and shortcomings,
lor the benefit of all the people,”
Mrs. Heber Wright is confined
in the Providence hospital in An
chorage. She underwent surgery
there Thursday.
Presence of the Public
Controversial Sudject
Fairbanks—CAP). Delegates to
the Constitutional Convention ar
gued long and windily Thursday
afternoon before deciding to adapt
a watered-down version of a pro
posal to bar press and public from
its committee meetings.
The rules committee started it
all with the proposal that all meet
ings of standing committees be
closed. This proposal was immedi
ately met with objections against
depriving the public of its right to
know what was going on. Victor
Fischer, Anchorage delegate, said,
“The convention was being held
for the people and they should Hot
be required to wait for a closed
committee to adjourn before find
ing out what it did.”
Mildred Hermann of Juneau,
opposed the closed meeting, say
ing: “Let’s not burden the public
ear with trivia. It is a "matter of
efficiency and getting lesser im
portant details ironed out in com
mittee” Delegate Frank Barr of
Fairbanks said the public would
distract the delegates, and. it
would open the session to lobby
ing.
Voice vote finally approved the
rule which requires each commit
tee to decide at the time it meets
whether its proceedings would be
open to th public and press. Ap
plications from public to be pres
ent must be considered each time
a committee meets.
HEAD OF ARMY TO INSPECT
Washington—(AP). Secretary of
the Army Brucker is going to
make his first inspection trip of
Army installations in the Far East,
since becoming head of the Army.
He will leave November 29. His
trip will include Alaska and the
Aleutians.
Tug On Rescue Of
Greek Freighter
The powerful diesel tug Sudbury
is bucking forty mile headwinds in
the Pacific where it is steaming to
wards it’s rendezvous with the
crippled Greek! freighter Make
donia, which has been adrift more
than 10 days after losing its pro
pellar six days out of Nigata, Ja
pan.
When it reaches the Makedonia,
the Sudbury will have made the
3200 mile trip from Victoria, B. C.
to effect the rescue of the Greek
vessel, which has been tossed about
by gales and turbulent seas since
it lay helpless following the loss of
the propeller. The ship carries a
crew of thirty men.
The tiig will tow the vessel back
to Victoria. The Makedonia, a
Canadian city. The Makedonia, a
8200 ton Shii>, is being pushed by
brisk winds further from the outer
tip of the Aleutians, according to
the latest dispatches from the crip
pled freighter.
Bmrrmi Of Fl*h Thait
Mats Woman Jail Term
Flora Saraeoff appeared before
the U. S. Commissioner's Court
Thursday on a charge of larceny.
She had been charged with assist
ing in the theft of a barrel of fish
from the home of Thomas R.
Clampffer.
Mrs. Saraeoff pled not guilty,
and received a thirty day sentence
with 15 days of the term suspend
ed.
Florence Clark and William Ma
this appeared before the Court on
Monday on the same charge. They
both pled guilty and received a 15
days suspended sentence.
BOARD DECLARES DIVIDENDS
Seattle—(AP). The directors of
the Pacific American, Fisheries
have declared a 50 cent dividend
on common stock. It will be pay
able on January 3.
Commission Suspend*
Right To Sell Stock
An Alaskan livestock venture re
ceived a setback when the Securi
ties Exchange Commission tempor
arily suspended the company’s
right to sell stock. The company
was organized for the purpose of
raising marketing beef cattle on
various islands 10 to 161 miles
southeast of the Alaskan peninsula.
The financing efforts of the
company, the Pacific Alaska Land
Livestock Co. suffered a setback
this week as a result of the com
mission’s order temporarily with
drawing its exemption from regis
tering its stock for sale. The Com
mission said it had “reasonable
cause to believe” the company’s ad
vertisements and the oral state
ments of Cline St Koonz of Fair
banks, it’s president and organizer,
“would and did operate as a fraud
and deceit upon purchases.”
Orval Dubois, Commission secre
tary, told newsmen he had no idea*
how much of the $299,948 offering
of the Company may have been
sold before the suspension order
was issued. Koonz filed notice of
the company’s offering last April
9. The offering was exempt from
registration because it totaled less
than $300,000.
Dubois said he had received no
reply from the company as yet. He
said the company will probably ask
for a hearing, or any event it will
set by the Commisesion on its own
order.
SEN. WILLIAM EGAN
HEADS CONVENTION
College—(AP). Sen. William
Egan of Valdez was elected Presi
dent to preside over the constitu
tional convention. He was elected
Wednesday at a spirited election.
Tom Stewart, Juneau attorney,
was elected to serve as permanent
secretary. The delegates first de
bated whether a top official of the
Statehood Committee could serve
as a secretary of the convention.
Sidney, Australia—(AP). The
body of American newsman Peter
Gruening, aged 32, was cremated
here. He was the son of the former
Governor of Alaska, Ernest
Gruening. His body was found in
his car under circumstances indi
cating suicide.
Gruening,s brother, Hunt, who
came to Australia when the news
man was reported missing, will
take the ashes to Washington, D.
€., where his parents, Dr. and Mrs.
Ernest Gruening live.
Peter Gruening’s body was found
in his car 15 miles from Sidney on
November 5. A rubber tube ran
from the exhaust through the car
window. Gruening was South Pa
cific manager for the United Press.
He was a U. S. Air Force Bomber
Pilot in World War II.
Misty Peak Stirs
Poets Imagination
Since the mists of time first
swirled aside to reveal M^McKin
ley, or Denali, “the great one,” to
mortal, eyes, the peak has present
ed a challenge.
Some persons have met the chal
lenge by climbing the 20,300-foot
siimihit; others have dealt with it
in printed stories and in legand.
This wek a University of Alaska
music professor disclosed she has
composed a copyrighted song tit
led “Legand of Denali” which Al
askans will hear for the first time
at the Nov. 20 University of Al
aska public fall concert on campus.
Prof. Lorraine F. Donoghue,
head of the music department, ex
lained she thought the Indian le
gend of Denali told by James
Wickersham is such an impressive,
picturesque and creative idea that
she requested Walter J. Arron to
turn the legend into poetic form
which she, in turn could use for a
musical setting. Arron graduated
from the University of Alaska in
1952 and is now working on his
(Continued to Page 11)
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HISTORIC MOMENT—This was the scene on the stage of the University of Alaska gymnasium, when Governor B. Frank Heintzlemao
tupped his gavel and convened the Alaska Constitutional Convention at 10 o’clock Tuesday morning. Honored guests can be seen behind
the governor. The impressive ceremonies opened a convention that may last as long as 75 days. News-Miner Photo by Jim Douthit