THE
NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
64th Year No. 42
NOME, ALASKA, MONDAY, APRIL 8, 1963
Per Copy 150
Special Bond
Election Set
For April 16
At a special meeting last Friday
the Name City Council passed an
ordinance, No. 417, which is to
provide for a bonding election to
incur indebtedness for* the con
struction of a larger power plant
capable of producing the needed
power as the present plant can no
longer supply sufficient power for
the community and the anticipated
load this coming season must be
met.
The special election is set for
April 16 and the indebtedness is
not to exceed $600,000 for the ex
pansion which is to be met by
revenue bonds.
The City Council, after thorough
study and analysis and after care
ful consideration of the overall
needs, considers the step being
taken to be in the best interest
of all the community and will re
sult in lower rates with the pro
duction of more power.
A special study was made by
the firm of Retherford and Associ
ates, confirming the needs and giv
ing the city a choice of three al
ternatives—expanding the present
plant, setting up a new plant near
the airport, which is the center of
distribution (taking in the voca
tional school), or buying the old
U.SJS.R. & M Co. plant. The new
plant was considered more econ
omical and more efficient than the
other two suggestions and selected
by the council.
The bonding election is being
rushed through so that equipment
may be ordered for the first boat
so that construction and installa
tion can get under way as soon as
possible.
A picture of the location is on
display in the Nugget window.
Record Vote Expected In
Canadian Elections Today
TORONTO UFi — Fine weather
across Canada promised a record
vote today in a national election
which most analysts expect will
make Lester Pearson, 65, the na
tion’s prime minister.
“I think the tide has turned,”
the Liberal party leader said as
he ended a campaign tour of more
than 20,000 miles and returned to
his Ottawa home to await tonight’s
tabulation of votes.
Prime Minister John Diefen
baker, home in Saskatchewan af
ter a “give ’em hell” tour that
ran 26,000 miles, expressed confi
dence too. But qualified observers,
after soundings in all 10 provinces,
concluded only a major upset
could save Diefenbaker’s Conser
vative party from a drubbing.
Diefenbaker’s government was
overturned in February on a vote
of no-confidence triggered by a
dispute over whether Canada
should have nuclear weapons.
Canada has gotten Bomarc mis
siles in cooperation with the U.S.
and at one time planned to equip
them with U.S. nuclear warheads.
A U.S. State Dept, accusation that
Canada was dragging its heels on
this matter split the cabinet and
set off the debate that defeated
Diefenbaker in parliament.
This became the prime issue in
the election campaign.
Underlying all this was the per
ennial question of US.-Canadian
relations. Diefenbaker said he
wanted to see Canada “a power—
not a puppet.” Pearson said his
opponent was “twisting the eagle’s
tail feathers.”
HOUSE PASSES
INCREASED PAY
BILL FOft TEACHERS
By VIRGINIA C. SIMS
JUNEAU Uf) — An economy -
minded House of Representatives
late yesterday passed companion
measures providing teachers’ pay
increases which will cost out at
$1.3 million a year.
The teachers’ pay increase au
thorization measure was a House
Finance Committee substitute for
CSSB85, which originally was in
troduced in the Senate at the re
quest of Gov. Egan.
Finance Committee chairman
Harold Strandberg explained that
his committee’s bill would cost
out at about the same as Egan’s
proposal. The Senate substitute, he
said, was about $300,000 higher.
Rep. Bob Blodgett, speaking in
opposition to the measures, said
he could see the pay increase for
teachers resulting in a raise in the
school tax, the income tax and the
cigarette tax.
Before final action on the mea
sure, House lawmakers refused by
a vote of 25-14 to accept a more
liberal substitute bill which had
been proposed by the House Com
mittee on Health, Welfare and Ed
ucation.
That bill would have provided
for automatic increases in base
pay and stepups over the next
three years.
Rep. Walter Kubley said the bill
would have added up to an in
creased cost of $2.1 million in fis
cal 1964, $3.5 milion in 1965 and
$4.2 million in 1966.
“That is a little too rich for
our blood,” Kubley commented.
JUNEAU —The Senate today
refused by a vote of 19-1 to concur
with a House Finance Committee
bill providing for teachers’ pay
raises which would cost about $1.3
during fiscal 1964.
The bill passed the House late
yesterday 34-5.
The Senate action sends the
measure back to the lower cham
ber with a request that the House
recede from its action in passing
its substitute for CSSB85.
Rusk Accuses Communist
In Laos Of
Obstructive Tactics
PARIS — U.S. Secretary of
State Dean Rusk accused pro-Com
rnunist forces in Laos today of
obstructive tactics and warned that
tension is rising in the Asian
kingdom.
As fighting erupted between
neutralist and pro-Communist Pa
that Lao troops, Rusk called on the
Southeast Asia Treaty Organiza
tion to be vigilant.
Rusk told a meeting of SEATO
ministers that “A tragic and de
plorable series of developments
has increased tensions in the
Plaine des Jarres” of Laos. It is
there that the Pathet Lao has
forced a withdrawal of neutralist
forces under Gen. Kong Le.
Laos is not a member of SEATO
but it is part of an area the
SEATO powers are pledged to pro
tect from Communist aggression.
Later Rusk met with President
DeGaulle in the first high - level
American-French meeting since
De Gaulle rejected an U.S. plan
for a multination nuclear force in
the North Atlantic Treaty Organ
ization.
The French leader has opposed
the idea, but his foreign minister,
Maurice Couve de Murville, asked
Rusk Sunday for further clarific
ation. This led to speculation De
Gaulle may be revising his stand.
Legislature In 71st
Day, Without Pay
JUNEAU <£> — The legislature
headed into its 71st day today,
with per diem lopped off and only
a skeleton crew of legislative em
ployes on the job.
Funds for paying the legislative
per diem — $35 a day to all law
makers except those from the Ju
neau district, who receive $25—
ran out last night.
Members of the legislature still
receive their annual pay of $2,500
and an allowance of $300 a year
for postage, stationary, steno
graphic service and other ex
penses.
The list of temporary legisla
tive employes was slashed by 17,
with another three temporary em
ployes to be dismissed tonight.
Those remaining on the staff
will be paid from funds remaining
in the appropriation for legislative
help.
State Delegation
Press for Return
Of $880,000 For
State Road Study
By FRITZ WITTI
Associated. Press Special Service
WASHINGTON UP)—Only hours
after the House Appropriations
Committee turned down an $880,
000 Alaska highway study pro
gram, the state’s senators pressed
for Senate restoration of the
money.
The House will almost certainly
go along with the committee re
commendations and leave the
money out of the 1963 supplemen
tal appropriation bill. The Alaska
senators want the funds restored
when the bill reaches the Senate.
Democratic Sens. Ernest Gruen
ing and E. L. Bartlett made a
strong pitch for approval of the
money before the Senate Supple
mental Appropriations subcom
mittee.
Gruening said Alaska paid taxes
for many years but v/as not in
cluded under Federal Highway Aid
programs. Today, he said, a ma
jority of the state’s communities
are not connected by road or rail
road.
The $880,000 asked for the road
study is a modest sura, Gruening
said, when it is considered that
the United States has put up
“pretty close to a billion dollars to
build roads in foreign countries.”
Bartlett noted that Congress
authorized the study and that the
Commerce Dept, is supposed to
complete the survey report by
May 1964.
Bartlett is a member of the
Senate Appropriations Committee
which will receive the House ver
sion of the supplemental bill.
School Tax Rate
Set at 3.5 Mills
JUNEAU —Legislation setting
the millage rate under the Public
School Foundation Act of 1962 at
3.5 mills was passed by the House
yesterday, 37-2.
The only negative votes on the
bill were cast by Reps. Earl Hill
strand and Bruce Kendall.
Under the provisions of the bill,
the required local tax effort under
the Foundation Act would be 3.5
mills on the full and true value
of all taxable real and personal
property within a school district.
The measure now goes back to
the Senate for concurrence in
technical House amendments.
JFK Charged with Second
“Loss” As Opening
Day Pitcher
WASHINGTON — President
Kennedy fired a low fastball to
day, that almost got away from
Washington catcher Ken Retzer,
to open the 1963 American League
baseball season.
After chatting with American
League president Joe Cronin and
the managers of the two teams,
Baltimore’s Billy Hitchcock and
Washington’s Mickey Vernon, Ken
nedy heaved the ball.
Retzer, standing in front of the
massed squads of both teams,
made a lunging catch of the pitch
and then rused up to get the
President’s autograph.
Striking hot dog and soft drink
vendors removed a picket line from
the stadium only 90 minutes be
fore game time.
Baltimore packed its scoring into
one burst of second inning home
runs by Jim Gentile and John
B. Powell to edge Washington 3-1
before 43,022 fans.
Left-hander Steve Barber was
the winner for the Orioles, but
Stu Miller relieved him in the 9th.'
Officially, Don Rudolph of
Washington was the loser, but
President Kennedy also was
charged with his second defeat in
three tries as an opening day
pitcher.
Authorize State Aid to
Families Caring For
Dependent Children
JUNEAU UP)—Legislation which
would authorize state aid for fam
ilies caring tor dependent chil
dren was approved by the House
yesterday, 34-2.
The bill eliminated a provision
which would have boosted maxi
mum monthly payments for such
aid from $80 to $100 for the first
child.
Rep. Jim Parsons told the House
he hated to see state expenses
raised, but “$80 a month just
simply isn’t enough money to care
for a child for one month.”
Rep. V. Maurice Smith said the
bill, while wiping out the increase,
would permit the state to take part
in federal programs for the care
of dependent children.
‘‘There has been much abuse of
this program and a raise in the
maximum benefit would only en
courage further abuses,” Smith
said.
Commenting on Smith’s assertion
Rep. John Rader said the Dept,
of Health and Welfare doesn’t
have to pay the full $100, that it
has the discretion “to allow less
than the maximum to unworthy
recipients.”
Fishing Boat Returns from
Eastern Bering Sea with
67,000 Pounds of Halibut
SEATTLE UP*—'The fishing boat
Constitution returned to Seattle
Monday with 67,000 pounds of
halibut taken from the Bering
Sea.
Ole Birkvold, owner and cap
tain, said he saw three Japanese
fishing boats in the area where
the Constitution fished.
“They had their gear on the
ground when we arrived,” Birk
vold said. “We think they must
have started fishing before the
season opened.”
Birkvold said he saw the Japa
nese vessels fishing in an area
where he understood they were
not allowed to catch halibut.
Alaska Will Take
Part In New York
World’s Fair
JUNEAU t#—The Senate today
completed legislative action on a
bill authorizing Alaska’s partici
pation in the New York World’s
Fair of 1964-65.
The measure passed the upper
chamber 17-3, and was sent along
to Gov. Egan.
However, the senators recessed
for lunch before taking action on
a companion measure which would
appropriate $350,000 for construc
tion of the Alaska exhibit and op
erating costs through the first year
of the fair.
The overall, two-year program
is expected to cost a total of
$600,000.
Finance Committee chairman
Howard Bradshaw told the Senate
that while the Seattle fair drew
more than 10 million persons, the
New York fair is expected to
draw more than 70 million visitors.
“Just last year we began, to
some extent, to break into the
eastern population market. This is
the major area from, which we
must draw our tourists.
“By being quiet and staying
home is not the way for Alaska
to sell itself.”
Sen. John Coghill said that while
he believed in advertising Alaska
he did not feel the state could
afford to go into “this Utopia busi
ness . . .”
] How can we in good conscience
I put on a spread like this in New
I York when we know many of our
I villages lack vital airfield facilities
I and adequate housing for their
schools?” Coghill asked.
' “We are anticipating $60 million
in revenues and we are faced with
an $81 million general fund bud
get.
“We are all opposed to raising
taxes, but we should know that
when we pass this type of legis
lation it’s going to cost money.”
JUNEAU (JP>—A bill appropriat
ing $350,000 for construction of an
Alaska exhibit at the New York
world’s fair and for the operation
of the exhibit during 1964 passed
the Senate today 18-2.
The measure was approved with
out debate and was sent to the
governor.
State Aid For Qualified
Prospectors Is Passed
JUNEAU UFi — Legislation au
thorizing state aid for qualified
Alaskan prospectors was approved
by the State Senate today on a
vote of 20-0.
Under the provision of the bill,
HB31, the state could give indi
vidual prospectors up to $2,000 a
year for equipment and supplies
and partnerships up to $4,000 a
year. i fH
Before approving the measure,
the Senate beat back an attempt
by Sen. W. O. Smith to remove
all references to the screening
boards which would determine the
qualifications of applicants for
assistance.
Smith said the Department of
Natural Resources should have full
power to adopt regulations to
carry out the provisions of the
proposed act.
He pictured the screening
boards, which would be appointed
by the Natural Resources Dept.,
as an unnecessary step which
would cut the effectiveness of the
program.