™s NOME
NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
64th Year No. 12
NOME, ALASKA, MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 1963
Per Copy 151
State Legislature Gets Off To a Slow
Start With 20-20 Deadlock in the House
JUNEAU OP) — The third Alas
ka Legislature got off to a slow
start today with horn-locking in
the House of Representatives, split
20-20 between Democrats and Re
publicans, from the very outset.
The members of the low cham
ber couldn’t even come to a meet
ing of the mind on the person to
serve as temporary Speaker.
After a 45-minute effort punctu
ated by two roll call votes, both
of which ended at 20-20, the House
recessed until 2 p.m.
Secretary of State Hugh Wade
called the Senate to order promptly
at 10 a.m.
Peraiorvich Named President
Frank Peratrovich, the Klawock
Democrat who served as President
of the upper chamber last year,
was re-elected by the 15 Democrats
and five Republicans in the Sen
ate to serve again.
Wade administered the oath of
office to 10 new senators and then
moved along to the House and
rapped that chamber to order at
10:08 a.m., swearing in the 40
members, 23 of whom are leturnees
from last year.
Rep. John Rader, (D-Anch.),
nominated veteran Warren Taylor,
(D-Fbks.), for the pose of Speaker
pro-tern. Taylor has served as
Speaker of the House since state
hood.
Rep. Harold Strandberg, (R
Anch.), nominated Jay Hammond,
(R-Naknek), as the Republican
choice for temporary Speaker.
20-20 Defeats
After the first roll call vote went
down the party line to 20-20 de
feats for both candidates, Rader
appealed for a Democratic organi
zation “as in the best interest of
the people.
“I have no doubt but what the
Republicans have the ability to or
ganize and probably do-as good a
job in running this House in ac
cordance to the philosophy of their
party as the Democrats,” Rader
said.
“But there is no way in which
they can assume the responsibiilty
in the Senate, and no way in which
they can head the executive
branch. Divided responsibility does
not work in the best interest of
the people.”
Strandberg, who did most of the
speaking for the GOP during the
brief session, said that while he
“sympathized with the Democratic
concern,” the voters of Alaska di
vided the House 20-20.
After the second roll call fol
lowed the first down the 20-20
drain, the House recessed for party
caucuses.
Nome Vocational School
Bids to be Opened Feb. 27
JUNEAU UP — The State De
partment of Public Works said
today it will open bids Feb. 27 for
construction of a vocational school
at Nome.
Bids will cover the construction
of a school building containing two
shops, six classrooms, storage and
administrative facilities, a kitchen,
dining facilities and a separate
service building.
Public Works Commissioner
Richard Downing said the depart
ment will open bids the following
day, Feb. 28, for construction of
a 4,000-foot landing strip at Sa
voonga, on St. Lawrence Island.
The Savoonga contract will also
cover the construction of an access
/ road.
The oaths in the Senate were
taken by Pearse Walsh, (D-Nome);
John Butrovich, (R-Fbks.); David
Harrison, (D-Dillingham); Harold
Z. Hansen, (D-Cordova); Yule F.
Kilcher, (D-Homer); Neal Foster,
(D-Deering); John Hall, (D-Fbks.);
Nicholas Begich, (D-Ft. Richard
son); Howard Bradshaw, (D-Sitka);
and Peratrovich.
Named to the Committee of Com
mittees, which will recommend
committee chairmanships and as
signments in the Senate were Sens.
R. J. McNealy, (D-Fbks.); W. O.
Smith, (D-Ket.); Lester Bronson,
(D-Nome); and Hansen
Organization Took 17 Minutes
Organization of the Senate took
a bare 17 minutes.
The 10 holdover members in the
Senate, who were not required to
take the oath, were:
Sens. Vance Phillips, (R-Mt.
View); McNealy; Brad Phillips, (R
Anch.); Smith; James Nolan, (D
Wrangell); Eben Hopson, (D-Bar
row); Elton Engstrom, (R-Juneau);
A1 Owen, (D-Unganik Bay); John
Coghill, (R-Nenana); and Bronson.
As the first order of business
in the Senate, Wade swore in the |
new members and then presided
until the members of the upper
chamber elected Smith as President
pro-tem.
Peratrovich’s name was placed
in nomination by Bronson. Brad
Phillips offered the name of Cog
hill, minority leader last year.
The vote was 14-5 for Peratro
vich, along strict party lines, with
Peratrovich abstaining.
Before the vote was announced,
Brad Phillips offered and obtained
unanimous consent for a motion
directing that unanimous ballot
be cast for Peratrovich.
Senate Leaders Named
JUNEAU UD — Sen. R. J. Mc
Nealey, (D-Fbks.), was elected De
mocratic majority leader in the
Alaska State Senate today. Minor
ity Republicans named Sen. Brad
Phillips, (R-Anch.), as their floor
leader.
Republicans Offer to
Negotiate with Democrats
On Organization of House
JUNEAU UP — House Republi
cans, after a lengthy caucus, to
day offered to negotiate with House
Democrats on the organization of
the lower chamber, split 20-20 be
tween the two parties.
“It is obvious that both Demo
crats and Republicans are going
to stand firm in their resolve to
organize the House,” the Republi
cans said in a joint statement is
sued at the end of the caucus.
“In order to expedite the organ
ization, Republicans appointed a
committee in caucus to stand ready
to contact the Democratic legisla
tors to see if the 20-20 split can be
resolved.
“It is our hope that this move
on our part will provide means of
getting quick House organization.”
Earlier, Warren Taylor, a Fair
banks Democrat who has been
Speaker of the House since 1959,
indicated the Democrats do not
plan to give an inch in their bid
to organize the lower chamber.
The Republican committee ap
pointed in the GOP caucus consists
of Reps. Harold Strandberg of
Anchorage, C. M. (Jim) Binkley of
Fairbanks, and Walter L. Kubley
of Ketchikan.
Co-Pilot Missing
In Plane Crash
At Cape Lisburne
ANCHORAGE Wl — The co
pilot was missing today after an
Air Force-chartered cargo plane
crashed through the ice and sank
attempting a landing Saturday
night at Cape Lisburne.
He was Everett A. Neilsen, 34,
Seattle. The plane was flying in
supplies for DEW Line operations,
Sky Van Airways, Seattle, the
owner said.
The pilot and captain, Cecil M.
Leonard, Seattle, was able to swim
ashore and was later reported in
good condition.
The two were completing a flight
north from Kotzebue and came
down 1,500 feet short of the Cape
Lisburne runway, the Federal
Aviation Agency here said. The
cause was unknown. Cape Lis
burne is about 165 miles north of
the Arctic Circle.
At Seattle, Sky Van said Neilsen
was unmarried and his parents
live in Seattle. Leonard has a wife
and four children and lives in
Seattle. The plane left there about
two weeks ago.
It Cost U.S. $4.5 Million
To Put Meredith in School
WASHINGTON UR—’The use of
federal troops and U. S. marshals
in the James H. Meredith-Univer
sity of Mississippi crisis has cost
more than $4.5 million, govern
ment officials said today.
Pentagon sources said military
costs of the operation totaled $4,
066,000 through December and
have averaged about $4,500 daily
since then.
A Justice Department spokes
man said the use of marshals and
lawyers cost about $436,500 thru
Dec. 31 and should total about
$450,000 by the end of January.
Senate Committees
JUNEAU UR—'.Howard C. Brad
shaw, a Sitka Democrat, was
named chairman of the Senate Fin
ance Committee today. The im
portant Rules Committee chair
manship went to Sen. Lester Bron
son, D-Nome.
Named to serve with Bradshaw
were Sens. Pearse Walsh, D-Nome;
David C. Harrison, D-Dillingham;
A1 Owen, D-Uganik Bay; Harold
Hansen, D-Cordova; John Coghill,
R-Nenana, and Vance Phillips, R
Mountain View.
The other members of the Rules
Committee are Sens. R.J. McNealy,
D-Fairbanks; Nicholas Begich, D
Fort Richardson; Bradshaw, and
Vance Phillips.
The members of the remaining
committees, with chairman listed
first, are:
Commerce Committee: James
Nolan, D-Wrangell; Neal Foster,
D-l5eering; McNealy; Begich, and
John Butrovich, R- Fairbanks.
Health, Welfare and Education:
Begich; John Hall, D-Fairbanks;
Nolan; Bronson; Elton Engstrom,
R-Juneau.
Judiciary: McNealy; W. O.
Smith, D-Ketchikan; Hall; Walsh;
Butrovich.
Labor: Foster; Nolan; Eben Hop
son, D-Barrow; Yule Kilcher, D
Homer; Brad Phillips, R-Anchor
age.
Local Government: Hopson; Har
rison; Smith; Hansen; Coghill.
Resources: Hansen; Kilcher;
Foster; Smith; Owen; Butrovich;
and Engstrom.
State Affairs: Smith; Bronson;
Kilcher; Hall; B. Phillips.
Secty. of Treasury Dillon
Believes Congress Will
Pass Income Tax Cuts
WASHINGTON Uh — Secretary
of the Treasury Douglas Dillon
says he thinks Congress will pass
income tax cuts and revisions this
year and basically in the form
asked by President Kennedy.
“I think whatever we get, we
will get this year,” Dillon said
Sunday in a television interview.
He predicted the controversial
measure would clear the House by
June 1.
Dillon said he expects some
changes will be made by Congress
but that he is highly hopeful the
President’s basic program will
come through unscathed.
In his tax message to Congress
last week Kennedy proposed a
three-year program with rate re
ductions of $13.6 billion and re
visions expected to bring in $3.4
billion.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce,
an early backer of general tax cut
proposals when they were first sug
gested by the administration last
year, said in a statement Satur
day that the specific program pre
sented by Kennedy offers scant
hope of spurring US. economic
growth.
The Chamber said the President
was putting too much emphasis on
cutting lower income taxes to spur
consumer spending and not enough
stress on reducing rates on cor
porate and higher individual in
comes to boost investment.
Mrs. Nellie Cook Found
Dead at Ungalik Home
Pat Bliss of Ungalik reported to
the Magistrate here of the finding
of Nellie Cook head at her home
at Ungalik.
State Trooper Gene Rudolph,
accompanied by Deputy Magistrate
Arlene Muller and Patrolman Bob
Dickson made a flight to the Pat
Bliss camp on Saturday and hiked
to the home of Mrs. Cook. How
long this elderly woman had been
dead was not ascertained but she
had apparently died naturally
while going about her home duties.
When the authorties broke into
the house they found plenty of
food and wood and 12 loaves of
freshly baked bread.
Mrs. Cook, whose partner, Frank
Shaw, passed away last year, has
lived alone although in her late
80’s, and refused to go to the
Pioneer Home or to the home of
her son in San Francisco, prefer
ring to stay at her home where
she has lived and operated a min
ing claim for most of her life.
Her son has been notified of her
death and is expected to arrive
here soon.
It was her desire to be buried
at Ungalik and services will be
performed by Rev. Roald Amund
sen when her son arrives.
85 Degrees In Miami
MIAMI, Fla. (iP) — The temper
ature reached 85 degrees in Miami
Sunday, the warmest Jan. 27 in
Weather Bureau history. Many
persons went swimming.
WEATHER TODAY
Continued cloudy with easterly
winds 10 to 20 mph. Little change
in temperature.
In the past 24 hours: highest
temp. 40, lowest 34. Max wind 23
mph from the E.N.E. Sunrise at
8:57 a.m., sunset at 3:33 pjn.
A year ago today: highest temp.
3, lowest -12. Extremes on this
date since 1907: highest 39 in 1929,
lowest -46 in 1919.
Secty. Rusk:
Soviets Have
Armed Combat
Units In Cuba
WASHINGTON W — The Soviet
Union has placed four heavily
armed combat groups in Cuba and
Soviet pilots there are flying Mig
fighters capable of carrying nu
clear weapons, says Secretary of
State Dean Rusk.
The continued presence of So
viet armed forces on the island is
a “matter of real concern” to the
United States, Rusk said Sunday
night. But he hewed to the ad
ministration line that the Red
forces essentially are defensive in
nature.
The best U.S. Intelligence guess,
Rusk said in a radio and television
interview is that there are no nu
clear warheads in Cuba. He added,
“we have had some indication
from the Soviet Union” that at
least portions of the combat forces
and missiles “will be removed in
due course.”
Rusk gave no hint that there is
any U.S. deadline for Soviet troop
removal from Cuba. He said there
i has been some “out traffic” in re
cent weeks and declared: “It must
be our policy that penetration of
this hemisphere by a Communist
regime from outside is unaccept
able to this hemisphere.”
Mig fighters have been entering
Cuba for many months, Rusk said.
He also confirmed reports that
Soviet pilots are training Cubans
to fly them.
Commenting on the Soviet com
bat groups on the island, Rusk
described them as “relatively
small” but, nonetheless, “a matter
of some real concern.”
Malaspina Develops
A Minor Vibration
JUNEAU UP — Public Works
Commissioner Richard Downing
said today Alaska’s new ferry
Malaspina has a minor vibration
problem, but he added there is
“absolutely no plan for returning
the boat to Seattle.”
“We do have a little problem in
the engine room,” Downing said,
“but we’re working on it and it’s
nothing that can’t be fixed right
here.”
Downing said that adjustments
are being made while the ferry is
underway and that the boat would
hold to her schedule.
The sleek new vessel, the first
of three which will make up the
state’s new Marine Highway sys
tem in Southeast Alaska waters,
was delivered to the state by the
Puget Sound Bridge & Drydock
Co. in Seattle a week ago.
Donovan Negotiates for
Release of U.S. Prisoners
HAVANA UP — James Donovan
returned to Havana Saturday to
try to win release of more than a
score of Americans held in Cuban
prisons.
The New York lawyer, who ne
gotiated successfully with Prime
Minister Fidel Castro for 1,113 Bay
of Pigs invasion prisoners, was
sped away by Cuban security po
lice to an unannounced destination
immediately after he flew in from
Miami, Fla.
It was understood he would
meet Castro to discuss conditions
that could lead to the release of
the imprisoned Americans.
Swiss diplomats are known to
have discussed the matter with
Cuban authorities, but are reti
cent about details.