WASHINGTON NEWS-LETTER
By MART LEE COUNCIL
Secretary to E. L. (Bob) Bartlett, Alaska’s Delegate to Congress
In reporting the $56 billion plus
efense appropriation bill for the
952 fiscal year to the House this
-eek. the House Appropriations
ommittee approved the budget
?quest of $5,576,000 for operation
laintenance and construction in
onnection with Alaska Commu
ication System activities in the
'erritory.
The bill earmarks $4,176,000 for
peration and maintenance, in
luding procurement and moving
f equipment into new buildings
o be completed during the pres
nt fiscal year. The approved
mount of $1,400,000 for construc
ion in Alaska would provide for
and and structures at 13 loca
ions within the Territory.
The bill as reported and being
onsidered by the House this
veek approves an appropriation
>f $24 million for construction of
acilities and armories for the
\rmy National Guard and the
>rganized Reserves. Delegate
3artlett has been informed by of
icials of the Department of the
\rmy that of this amount to be
illocated to the 48 states and the
erritories and possessions, Alas
ka’s share has been tentatively
set at $229,200. The preliminary
alans, subject to change, call for
a two-unit armory and motor
storage building at Anchorage,
the first to cost $185,000 and the
second $25,000. In addition, a
target range at Nome in the
amount of $19,200 would be pro
vided, according to present Army
plans.
Civil Defense
The reaerai uovernmeiu ii<ao
a tremendous investment in Alas
ka due to the preponderance of
military installations in that area,
and the Territory is a special
problem of critical importance to
the defense, not only of Alaska
but the United States as well,”
the House Armed Services Com
mittee stated this week in re
porting legislation favorably to
the House to remove certain lim
itations on matching funds for
civil defense in Alaska.
The legislation, passed by the
Senate in May, would allow the
Administrator of the Civil De
fense Administration to make fi
nancial contributions to Alaska
for organizational equipment and
shelters and protective facilities
on a varied contribution formula
rather than the strict matching
basis as now required by law.
Direci Loans To Veterans
The direct home loan program
for veterans would be renewed
until 1953 under a provision con
tained in the Defense Housing
Act reported to the House this
week.
The program, which expired on
June 30 of this year when the De
fense Production Act of 1950
came to an end, would be in ef
fect until June 30, 1953, with no|
additional appropriations to be
made as it is estimated $30 mil
lion remain in the fund from last
year’s appropriation.
The program has been carried
out by the Veterans Administra
tion.
The provision as it now appears
in the Defense Housing Act was
included in the bill on the Senate
side through an amendment of
fered by Senator Sparkman.
1952 Fishery Regulation
The Interior Department has
designated 12 places in Alaska
where open discussion are sched
uled in connection with the 1952
commercial fishery regulations.
The hearings for Naknek and
Dillingham were set down for
August 1 and 2. respectively, with
further discussions to continue in
September, October and Novem
ber, including a 13th meeting in
Seattle on October 31 and Nov
ember 1.
The following dates were spec
ified in the recent notice filed by
Mastin G. White, Acting Assist
ant Secretary of the Interior: Ko
diak, September 17; Anchorage,
September 20; Cordova, Septem
ber 24; Yakutat, September 26;
Ketchikan, October 13; Craig,
October 15; Wrangell, October
17; Petersburg, October 18; Sitka,
October 20; and Juneau, Novem
ber 5.
Alaska Shipping Rales
The September 10 hearings
scheduled to be held in Seattle on
the increased passenger and
freight rates of the Alaska Steam
ship Company was cancelled this
week by the Federal Maritime
Board and a pre-hearing confer
ence scheduled on September 25
in Washington, according to a no
tice furnished Delegate Bartlett
this week by the Board.
The action was agreed upon by
all parties in the proceeding, in
cluding the Territory of Alaska
and the Alaska Steamship Com
pany, so that a preliminary re
cord may be made, exhibits ex
changed and a termination made
as to the date or dates of further
hearings, including a hearing in
Alaska urged by Delegate Bart
lett.
Alaska Pilot-Owners
The Civil Aeronautics Board
has proposed that present exemp
tions for Alaska pilot-owners
from compliance with certain
provisions of the Civil Aeronau
tics Act be extended for a five
year period until December 31,
1956.
The present exemptions, due to
expire on December 31, 1951, al
j low pilot-operators of small air
lines in Alaska to operate with
out certificates of necessity.
‘The exemption in question was
initially granted and subsequent
ly extended for relatively short
periods because of the Board’s
desire to keep these operations
on a temporary experimental
basis,” the notice of the propos
al issued this week stated. “Ex
perience has shown that there is
a need for the services which
have been offered pursuant to
this exemption. The pilot-own
ers have apparently kept their
operations within the intended
scope of the exemption, and no
thing has come to the attention of
the Board which would indicate
any significant interference with
or prejudice to any of the other
forms of air transport services
offered in the Territory of Alas
ka. However, it is believed un
wise to grant authority for a
longer period than five years, in
view of the difficulty of predict
ing at this time the eventual air
transportation needs of an area
which is still in a vigorous stage
of economic development.”
The notice furnished Delegate
Bartlett called for the written
views of arguments of interested
persons to be submitted in trip
licate and addressed to the Sec
retary, Civil Aeronautics Board,
Washington 25, D. C. to be re
ceived by August 24.
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