OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA
MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
64th Year No. 38
NOME, ALASKA, FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 1963
Per Copj 15£
FAA Cannot Justify
Maintenance of 4
Of 17 Airports
JUNEAU Of) — A representative
of the Federal Aviation Agency
told the Joint Finance Committee
yesterday the FAA cannot justify
continued maintenance of four of
the 17 trunk airports it operates
in Alaska.
G. O. Kempton of Anchorage
identified the four fields as the
airports at Kenai, Talkeetna, Big
Delta and Nenana. He said the
city of Kenai wants to take over
operation of the field near that
city.
Kempton said the remaining 13
fields, which he said the FAA
needs for logistics purposes at this
time, were those at Aniak, Annette
Island, Betties, Cordova, Galena,
Gustavus, Iliamna, King Salmon,
McGrath, Nome, Tanana, Unalak
leet and Yakutat.
Even at these 13 fields, Kemp
ton said, the FAA could not justify
maintenance of a single runway
more than 4,000 feet in length, al
though he said the Bureau of the
Budget might approve funds for
additional maintenance.
Kempton said that while the
FAA considers all 17 of the trunk
airports as needed in the airport
system, “it’s just a policy deci
sion that we get out of the airport
Dusiness.
“We would be willing to transfer
any of the 17 fields to anyone who
can maintain them, including the
state.”
Kempton said the FA A is faced
with the loss of transitional grants,
at the end of fiscal 1964, with
which it has been maintaining the
17 airports.
He said the annual maintenance
bill was $593,000 for the 17 fields,
including $113,000 which was used
on an annual basis for capital im
provement work.
Kempton said the city of Kenai
wanted to take over operation of
the field there if it could obtain
matching funds for needed im
provements, including runway pav
ing, apron work and lighting.
Kempton placed a price tag of
$1 million on the work.
Kempton said the FAA has of
fered the Nome field to the City
of Nome and is preparing bro
chures which would offer the An
nette Island facility to Metlakat
la and the Cordova airport to the
City of Cordova.
Offers will eventually be made
on all of the 17 trunk airports,
Kempton said, but he added that
the FAA, regardless of disposition
of any field, will maintain its
communications and navigational
facilities at all 17 airports.
Kempton told the committee that
the military might be approached
to help on maintenance or actually
operate the fields at Galena, King
Salmon and Big Delta, but he said
that if the military took control
of any field, civilian traffic might
be restricted.
Smallpox Strikes India
CALCUTTA, India — Thou
sands of Hindus and Moslems in
the Gaya district of Bihar State
are treking to temples and mos
ques to pray day and night for sur
vival. Smallpox there has killed
more than 300 people in 2Vz
months.
More than 100 have died in Gaya
City, authorities said today, and
almost 1,000 are ill with either
measles or smallpox. They said
the pestilence shows no sign of
ending.
New Power Plant
To Cost $600,000
Howard Crinklaw spoke before
the Nome Volunteer Fire Depart
ment Wednesday evening on the
proposed new power plant urgent
ly needed this year, which accord
ing to an engineering study just
completed, should cost about
$600,000. This estimate is for the
complete cost of the plant to be
located on the east bank of Snake
River across the bridge from the
airport.
It will not be possible to set up
the bonding election for revenue
bonds with the regular election
next week, he stated, as the time
was too short but it will be held
as soon as possible, after that time,
as it is urgent that orders be
placed for new units to supple
ment the power units now in use.
Crinklaw explained that the
analysis of comparible costs given
in Wednesday’s issue of the Nugget
was an analysis for a ten-year
period and included fuel and fixed
costs. In this analysis it showed
that the new plant was less ex
pensive than the purchase of the
USSR & M plant or expansion of
the present plant.
Mr. Crinklaw will speak before
the Chamber of Commerce on
Monday.
House Votes In Favor of
Branch for Pioneers Home
JUNEAU UP) — A compromise
measure on the location of a
branch of the Pioneers Home pass
ed the House 31-1 late yesterday.
The measure calls for a study
by the Department of Health and
Welfare, with recommendations
for location of the branch to be
made to the legislature next year.
The bill specifies that the location
shall be at a site north and west
of Yakutat.
The department’s recommenda
tion would be made to the legis
lature, but the actual site selec
tion would be up to the governor.
In its original form, the Senate
bill specified that the branch be
located north of the Alaska Range,
with the site to be picked by the
legislature.
Many House legislators express
ed the hope that the whole matter
would wind up in a conference
committee between the House and
the Senate.
“Feasibility studies have already
been made on the need for such
a branch in the Fairbanks area,”
said Rep. Warren Taylor.
“There is no room now at Sitka,
and with this bill we can’t even
start another until after the next
session of the legislature.
“We all know that within a few
more years there’s going to be a
need for still another branch. Why
don’t we let the other areas fight
over that, and start the Fairbanks
home now?”
Rep. Forbes Baker said that
while he felt the bill was an at
tempt “to sweep the matter under
the rug of political compromise,”
he would go along with the bill
in the hope that justice will be
seen by those studying the need,
and that the home would be lo
cated north of the Alaska Range.
TAMPA, Fla. UP) — Legislation
to prohibit professional boxing in
Florida is being planned for intro
duction into the next session of the
legislature.
State Rep. Ray Knopke said
Thursday he hopes to co-sponsors
for the bill, prompted by the death
in California last week by Davey
Moore.
Moscow Demands |
U.S. Pay Damages
For Crippled Ship
MOSCOW UP> — The Soviet
Union today demanded the United i
States pay damages for a Cuban I
exile commando raid that crippled
the Soviet freighter Baku three
days ago.
A note delivered to the U.S.
Embassy also threatened to take
unspecified measures to protect
Soviet shipping from attacks by
anti-Castro guerrillas operating in
Cuban waters.
The U.S. government has said
repeatedly it is doing all it can
to discourage such raids by Cuban
exile groups.
But Moscow’s note charged the
Baku and other attacks on Soviet
vessels “are not accidental and
isolated actions, but planned pro
vocations directed from a single
center on U.S. territory.”
The Soviet note was the second
such protest this week. In both
notes, the Soviets accused the
United States of giving support
to the exiles.
In a previous incident anti
Castro forces shelled the Soviet
vessel Lgov on March 17. Moscow
protested this two days ago.
The Soviet news agency Tass
said the new protest note described
the latest attack as “another
criminal act perpetrated by
groups of Cuban counter-revolu
tionaries who are acting with the
approval and under the protection
of the American authorities.”
“The Soviet government cannot
ignore these provocations and has
been compelled to examine the
question of taking relevant meas
ures to insure the safety of Soviet
merchantmen going to Cuba.
“The USSR government insists
that effective measure be taken to
provent such provocations and that
compensation be paid for the ma
terial damage inflicted on the
Soviet ship Baku.”
Meanwhile, Premier Khrushchev
assured a Brazilian newspaper
editor: “We shall not leave our
Cuban friends in the lurch.”
Vilbur Sampson Leads
Field of 15 Teams In
First Day of Dog Races
Wilbur Sampson of Kotzebue
led a field of 15 dog racers today,
posting a time of 1 hour 18 min
utes, 56 seconds for the 20-mile
run to Hastings and return. Sec
ond was Isaac Okleasik of Teller
in 1:19:29; third Doc Harris of
Kotzebue, 1:19:46; fourth Joe Har
ris of Kotzebue 1:20:30; and 5th
Chester Topkok 1:21:07.
Other teams entered were: Sig
Aukongak Jr., 1:37:03; Tom Brown
1:35:48; John Komok 1:41:26; Phil
lip Kugzruk 1:40:18; Harold Ah
masuk 1:40:47; Ray Foster 1:35:32;
Sam Ahwinona, Wilson Shuguku
wrk, Isaiah Oksoktaruk, and Ed
Punguk.
There was a good trail on the
ice of Norton Sound down to Hast
ings Creek. There was a slight
wind and the temperature stood
at 5 degrees above zero.
The second heat will be run to
morrow starting at 1 o’clock.
In the power sled races, held on
the ice fronting town, four sleds
were entered and finished: Jim
Blanning, Leonard Anseth, John
Bradley and Bob Workman, in that
order.
The women will man the power
sleds tomorrow afternoon, and the
children’s races will also be held
while waiting for the teams to
return.
Hou$e Approves $39,000 i
More for Current Session
JUNEAU UPl — The House gave
speedy approval today to a bill
which provides funds for legislative
expenses through the 70th day of
the current legislature.
Actually, the regular appropria
tion for legislative per diem and
legislative employes’ salaries ran
out yesterday.
A bill appropriating $39,000 more
for legislative expenses was on the
House calendar, yesterday, but was
put off until today so the Finance
Committee could be present to
vote on it.
Although approval today came
without discussion, eight law
makers voted against it.
Legislators receive $35 a day in
expense money while the legisla
ture is in session, except those
from the Juneau district, who re
ceive $25.
Cuban Migs Fire J
On U.S. Ship ‘
MIAMI UPt—The captain of the
merchant ship Floridian said to- ■
day two Soviet-built Migs fired '■
shots across the bow and stern of
his vessel yesterday 20 miles off
the coast of Cuba and he flashed I
an immediate distress call to the I
Coast Guard in Miami. 1
i U.S. Navy jets from Key West, 1
Fla., did not reach the scene of the
incident until 55 minutes later.
“The planes appeared and cir
cled the ship for about 20 min
utes,” Capt. Curtis Olson told a
news conference aboard the ship
shortly after the Floridian reached
here under escort of U.S. fighter
planes.
After the first firing pass by the
hostile jets, Olson said, his reac
tion was: “This couldn’t be hap
pening to us.”
It was the second incident of
its kind reported in a month. Two
Migs with Cuban markings fired
at a U.S. shrimp boat 60 miles off
the Cuban coast last month.
Olson said 15 to 30 shots were
fired by the planes. “They were
explosive shells,” he said.
Harold Keane of Philadelphia,
chief mate, photographed the Migs
in action, Olson said, “But I be
lieve those pictures are in Wash
ington now.”
The ship was flying a 4x6 foot
American flag at the time, Capt.
Olson said.
Mayor Wires McNamara
About Unidentified
Jets Over Nome
Following is a wire sent by
Mayor Hoover to Secretary of De
fense McNamara, after planes
were heard over Nome by many
persons:
“Low flying jet planes heard
over Nome nights of March 25 and
26. Identity unknown by citizens
of Nome and concern is great es
pecially after Russian overflight of
March 16. Hearing of jet planes of
any identity very rare which
makes us suspect these were not
friendly. Again we point out that
our nearest defense planes are 40
minutes away while a Russian
base is only 10 minutes away. We
insist on at least minimum protec
tion instead of the present open
back door.”
WEATHER OUTLOOK
Increasing cloudiness today.
Cloudy with occasional snow Sat
urday. Low tonight -5 to -10, high
tomorrow 15 to 20. In the last 24
hours: High of 4, low of -16. Max.
wind 19 mph from the east. Sun
rise at 5:30 a.m., sunset at 6:45 x>.m.
Communications
Link Stressed
At Geneva Talks
GENEVA Ltf — The United States
pressed the Soviet Union today for
the establishment of a direct per
manent communications link be
tween the leaders of the two
powers to avoid the risk of war
by accident or miscalculation.
U.S. Ambassador Charles Stelle
told the 17-nation disarmament
talks the Cuban crisis demonstrated
the need for improved continuous
and reliable communications be
tween the leaders of the two major
military powers, the United States
and the Soviet Union.
He said the U.S. government “is
prepared to act quickly” in setting
up a permanent line which could
be used both for teletype and voice
communications.
He said the American end of
the line would be in the national
command center which maintains
continuing contact with the Presi
dent and his principal assistants.
“The major military powers,”
said Stelle, “have a heavy respon
sibility to their own people and
to other nations to take those re
latively simple steps that would
I reduce the danger of unintended
1 war.
“To do less, when so little is
required, would be incompatible
with the exercise of the responsi
bility which rests upon the major
. military powers.”
The direct communication idea
a is one of three measures the United
a States has proposed to reduce the
l risk of war by accident or miscal
• culation.
The other proposals are for each
■ side to provide the other with
advance notification of military
movements, and the exchange of
small military missions.
Soviet negotiator Semyon Tsar
apkin has refused so far to enter
into detailed negotiations on the
American proposals.
$322-Million Credit
Package to Argentina
WASHINGTON UP) — The United
States has announced a $322-mil
lion credit package to help tide
Argentina over the next six
months. A new government is
scheduled to take office there next
October.
A State Department spokesman
said yesterday the package includes
$20 million in fresh loans from
the agency for International De
velopment and the remainder of
the loan, exchange credits and re
financing of Argentine debts by
the International Monetary Fund
and the U.S. Export-Import Bank.
Davey Moore Eulogized
By Ohio Gov. J. Rhodes
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (tfV—Davey
Moore, who died in a losing de
fense of his world featherweight
title, has been eulogized by Gov.
James Rhodes.
Rhodes was among thousands
of fans and friends who paid their
respects to the fighter as his body
lay in state here Thursday.
“He was a personal friend of
mine. I have told Davey’s wife and
parents that he made many con
tributions to Ohio and the nation,”
Rhodes said.
The 29-year-old Moore died at
Los Angeles Monday of injuries
suffered four days earlier when
he lost his title to Sugar Ramos.
His funeral will be Saturday at
Mount Zion Baptist Church.