• I * * .
THE PATTY ALASKA EMPIRE
uALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME”_
VOL. LXXVI., NO. 11,758
JUNEAU, ALASKA, THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 1951
MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
PRICE TEN CENTS
American Troops Enter Red Supply Center
SEN.SNIDER
WALKS OUT
ON SENATE
By JIM HUTCHESON |
Sen. Heinie Snider’s one-man
walkout threw the Territorial Sen
ate into turmoil this morning.
The Wasilla Republican donn^l
his coat and hat and left the cham
ber at 11 a.m. with an angry: “I’m
going home; I’ve had enough.”
The blowup of the doughty little
Dutchman came after the Senate
passed, 9 to 7, a general salary in
crease bill for Territorial officials
and employes.
President Gunnard Engebretli
shouted at Snider:
“You are not excused; you have
no right to leave and you will be
ordered to return.”
To which Snider retorted: “It
will take more than one to get me.”j
Snider told a reporter later, from j
the home of Albert White, where he
is staying, that he would be back
In the Senate this aftrnoon.
After he had eluded Sergeant-at
arms Chris Henning and his aide,
Terry Pegues, in leaving the build
ing, Engebreth ordered the sergeant
to get the U. S. marshal and oring j
Snider back.
Then, upon counsel of Howard ]
Lyng that a noon-hour conference j
might well result in Snider’s re
turn, the Senate president can
celled the order.
snmer s rroiesi
Snider said afterward:
“I did it in protest because that
bill would only raise the big ones.
The little guys wouldn’t get much
of it. I’m elected by the people, not
by the office holders. And look
what HER brother would get.”
He was referring to Sen. Anita
Garnick’s brother, Ed, deputy com
missioner of labor, who was brought
into the salary increase bill con
troversy for the second straight day.
Under the bill, the deputy labor
commissioner would get $7,500 a
year.
Miss Garnick introduced the bill
and spoke for it. Before Snider blew
the final fuse, he had crossed angry
words with Miss Garnick to bring
his temper to the boiling point.
The bill would increase the at
torney general and commissioners
of education, health and taxation
to $12,000 a year and such officers
as auditor, treasurer and main de
partment heads to $10,000. It calls
for a 15 per cent increase for em
ployes getting under $300 monthly
and 10 per cent for those over $400
who are not covered by specific sal
aries. The ranges in between range
between the 10 and 15 per cent.
The raises for officials would be
a top of 50 per cent for the educa
tion commissioner and 33 1/3 per
cent for most department and of
fice heads, from $7,500 to $10,000.
White-Engebreth
Before the mid-day controversy
simmered down — if it has — Re
publican Leader Albert White and
Senate President Engebreth had
joined in some side shooting — via
statements to the press.
Critics of the Garnick bill, Sen
ators Butrovich, Lyng and Nolan in
particular, argued that teachers are
in line for only an 8 per cent salary
increase under the House Appropri
ation Bill and other increases should
be on an individual office basis.
Nolan and Lyng insisted any in
creases should be worked into the
general appropriations bill, instead
of being handled as separate legis
lation. They said the House and
Senate budget-framing committees
should iron out the matter.
Garnick Argues
Senator Garnick argued:
“We in Juneau realize the danger
of losing many employes. They can
make more elsewhere and we can’t J
replace them."
Steve McCutcheon supported her
with the contention that the cost
of living increases make salary
boosts necessary to keep capable
employes, to do them justice and to
keep them half-way satisfied at
their work.
To Miss Garnick’s statement that
it would be difficult, or impossible,
to replace Territorial employes, Sni
der retorted after his walkout:
“We could advertise and replace
’em by the bushel — and with just
as good ones.”
The Snider temper flared first
after he protested that when he
worked for the Alaska Road Com
mission, the pay increases went to
(Continued on Page Two)
GOVERNOR'S
OUSTER BILL
FAILS, 8 TO 8
By JIM HUTCHESON
A bill removing the governor from
the Board of Road Commissioners
died in the Alaska Senate last
night on an 8-8 vote.
It was the second in a series of
removal bills, recommended by Gov
ernor Gruening, which were de
feated in the Senate after passing
the House.
The Senate also killed on an 8-8
vote a small loans act proposed by
the Alaska Bankers’ Association.
The act provided for 3 per cent in
terest per month on loans under
$400.
Sen. Dan Lhamon (R-Fairbanks),
speaking for the measure, called it
a bill which would “eliminate loan
sharks.” Sen. Frank Barr (D-Fair
batiks i countered that it would
“make loan sharks out of banks,”
and Sen. Howard Lyng (D-Nome)
said it “smacks of usury.”
Marshall Crutcher, Kodiak banker
and legislative chairman of the
Bankers’ Association, told the sen
ators the small loans act was based
on standard state statutes and said
most banks were unwilling to make
small loans for a short time because
it was too much trouble and ex
pense for a small return.
Argument
Sen. John Butrovich argued for
the bill that he had seen conditions
in Fairbanks that could be rem
edied by a small loans setup. He
vited a loan shop that waxed rich
off soldiers who would pay $10 or
so for borrowing $25 before pay
day, with a watch or ring as secur
ity.
Sen. Elton Engstrom responded
that it all sounded good, but that
a bank still wouldn’t make such
loans without security or two sig
natories to guarantee it — "so in my
position I'd be stuck as a signatory
just as before.”
Lyng commented, after Barr’s
loan shark jibe, that "it makes
them so in a milder sort of way.
but it still smells as bad.”
Lyng and President Gunnard
Engebreth had one of their severa'
sharp exchanges of the day and eve
ning after Lyng made reference to
how “my heart bleeds” for some of
the senators who had told how there
were times when they needed th(
help a small loans act would pro
vide.
Engebreth cracked the gavel and
admonished Lyng to cut out the
reference to bleeding in the Senate
chamber. That brought the Nome
senator back, red-faced, with s
sharp retort that neither the presi
dent nor anyone else could censor
his speech on the Senate floor a;
long as he didn’t impugn another
senator’s motive.
The Senate passed 14-1 another
banking bill to legalize interest col
lections in advance on such con
tracts as car purchases w’here the
interest for the year figured intc
monthly payments. The bill goes tc
the governor.
Barr led off the debate on the
bill — by Rep. Mike Stepovich (R
Fairbanks) — for removal of the
governor from the Board of Road
Commissioners with the contention
it "won’t improve the board to put
the attorney general on. We should
leave the governor there.”
Sen. Steve McCutcheon (D-Anch
orage) suggested the board might
handle some Federal funds in which
case the governor should remain.
Governor's Traveling
Lyng denied any Federal funds
would be involved but suggested re
placing the governor on some boards
with the Secretary of Alaska.
“I read in the papers he was out
of the Territory for six months last
year,” Lyng said. “Why keep the
governor on the boards if he is
gone so much? He asked to get
off. Why not put in the Secretary
of Alaska who serves anyhow when
the governor is gone?”
Sen. John Butrovich (R-Fair
banks), who said he was voting for
the bill and did, argued “it is only
a stop gap.
“The real solution is eliminating
the hodge podge of boards.” he said.
“The attorney general is getting
into the high salary bracket where
he would be wasting his time on
board meetings when he should be
attending to legal duties.”
The rollcall for the bill for re
moval was: Republicans Butro
vich, Coble, Engstrom, Lhamon, Sni
(Contfnued on Page Two)
.
Communications
Editor, Daily Alaska Empire,
Dear Sir: According to the March
12 issue of the Empire, the Terri
torial Senate passed a hill which
is a sad commentary on our legis
lators, the Senators in particular,
and on our Territorial government
in general.
It is the bill to allow selection
of a Territorial Education Commis
sioner who may not be qualified for
Alaska High School teaching. Sena
tors McCutcheon and Miscovich in
| troduced the measure, saying that
I the Board of Education had found
in its search for a successor to
Dr. Ryan that there art; qualified
administrators with a string of
degrees who actually fall short of
the technical requirements for an
Alaska high school teacher.
At a superficial glance, this idea
might appear to have some merit,
because it is true that the pos
session of college degrees does not
guarantee an efficient administra
tor or an educator of high caliber
. . . but it does help. Those who
would attempt to justify the lower
ing of the qualifications for the
Commissioner of Education are,
knowingly or unknowingly, blind to
the implications.
The arguments for the bill are
shallow, shabby and invalid. Appar
ently it is a case of the legislators
selecting a candidate as the suc
cessor to Dr. Ryan, and then lower
ing the qualifications for this im
portant position to make eligible
their choice, at least legally.
Those who appoint the Commis
sioner of Education have not looked
far for a worthy choice, since they
have not discovered (or will not
discover) that there are candidates
who possess not only the educa
tional requirements, but also many
or all of the necessary and desir
able qualifications for a director
and supervisor of education.
What are the implications?
1. Lowering the qualifications
and therefore the efficiency, of edu
cators at the top, policy-making
level of the Territorial educational
system.
2. Gradual lowering of all of our
educational standards in the Terri
tory.
3. Continued and increased inter
ference of politics in education and
the threat of political domination
of our educational system.
And these are the greatest threats
to democracy!
Sincerely,
(Signed) MARY E. WEIDNER.
GREAT, GREY SHIP
BRINGS HOME FIRST
BIG KOREA GROUP
By Paul Wells
SEATTLE, March 15.—<#> — Th<
great, gray ship warped slowly
alongside a Seattle pier today tc
.he clamor of throaty whistles, blar
ing bands and welcoming cheers
This was homecoming for the nearly
350 passengers aboard—a homecom
ing from Korea and from Japan.
This was the first large grout
af its kind to reach Puget Sound
in the backwash of the Korear
war. Several were from Washington
State.
Among those aboard were 405 en
listed men and 56 officers from all
branches of the service. In addi
.ion there were 144 military depend
ents, including three wives whost
husbands are missing, and 27 gov
ernment employes.
They came back to their home
land on the big transport, the Gen
H. B. Freeman—which on this voy
age was a ship of hope and despair
joy and sadness, a means of transi
tion from a world behind to a world
ahead.
The predominant feeling, though
was one of gladness. A rejoicing
to be home.
Cpl. Harold Perry, Vancouver
Wash., echoed the sentiments of hi!
buddies when he whooped: “Am 1
glad to get back? Man, and yoi
can say that twice.” He was onf
of seven Marines back for dis
charge, all of whom were in thf
bloody withdrawal from Chongjir
Reservoir.
STEAMER MOVEMENTS
Princess Norah from Vancouvei
scheduled to arrive Saturday after
noon or evening.
Denali scheduled to sail frofr
| Seattle 4 p.m. Friday.
Baranof scheduled to arrive Sun
I day a. m. southbound.
Editor, Daily Alaska Empire,
Dear Sir: We see in your yester
day’s paper that Walter Walsh has
been appointed area attorney tor
the Alaska Office of Indian Affairs.
The article failed to state that his
salary will be about $10,000 a year,
i plus all expenses, which will amount
to about $6,000 a year, plus sick
leave and vacation. All this comes
out of the tax payers, whose returns
fo the Collector of Internal Revenue
are due today.
The Natives of Alaska don’t want
Walter Walsh in spite of the fact
he will work for them free, for
the Natives know that “No man can
serve two masters, for either he
will hate the one, and love the
other; or else he will hold to the
one, and despise the other."
The Natives for more than four
j years have had their own attorneys
I in Juneau, Seattle, and Washington,
| D. C., without expense to the tax
I payers. These attorney are fit and
j able to represent their clients.
The Indian Office has plenty of
lawyers in Washington, D. C., where
legal matters are decided for Mr.
Wade's office.
Why do the taxpayers have to
shell out $16,000 a year for Walsh?
| This is equal to about $66 for each
working day.
Sincerely yours,
(Signed) AL WILLARD, ANB
Grand Secretary.
4 Million
Man Limit
Is Kayoed]
WASHINGTON, March 15.—f^Pl— I
The House Armed Services Com
mittee approved today a military |
manpower bill that would draft
youths at 181 a years. The vote was
32 to 3.
The bill, in addition to lowering
the present draft age from 19 years,
would extend the present length of
service from 21 months to 26.
Before acting on the bill finally,
the committee knocked out a pro
posed 4-million-man limit on the
size of the armed force*.
Chairman Vinson (D-Ga) said the
vote was 18 to 15 in support of a
move he made to strike the ceiling
from the committee bill to widen,
the draft and set up universal mili- I
tary training.
The action was taken in closed
session.
Any limit on the size of the
armed forces has been opposed by
President Truman and military
leaders, but the 4-million-man ceil
ing was passed by the Senate.
FRANK SAUCIER DIES
FROM HEART ATTACK
Frank Saucier died of a sudden
heart attack this afternoon at about
2 o'clock in the Empire office.
Saucier, about 83 years of age,
had come into the office to buy
tickets on the Nenana ice breakup
when he suffered the attack. At his
death he still held a $20 bill in
his hand that he had planned to
spend on the tickets.
About a month ago, Mr. Saucier
had been flown from Haines here I
on a special flight by Alaska
Coastal Airlines with three other
patients. Since then, he had been
a patient at St. Ann’s Hospital.
Dr. Joseph Rude was called when
Mr. Saucier had his attack, but the
elderly man’s heart evidently was
to weak for any aid and he quietly
passed away.
The remains were taken to the
Carter Mortuary.
Tacoma Firm Bids
$108,000, North Star
SEATTLE, March 15 —I AT—A high
bid of $108,000 for the purchase of
the old Arctic vessel North Star has
been offered by the Western Boat
Building Co. of Tacoma.
The vessel is being offered for
sale by the Alaska Native Service.
The bid, together with three others
submitted, will be reviewed at serv
ice headquarters in Washington,
D. C.
EARTHQUAKE,
NOT A-BOMB,
NO. GERMANY
FRANKFURT. Germany, Mar^
15 —IB— German scientists today
reported an earthquake which shook
part of Europe yesterday was cent
ered in the Eifel mountains of
British-occupied Rhineland.
They said the shock was the most
severe in several years.
Officials at the Stuttgart and
Goettingen observatories agreed on
the epicenter and said the disturb
ance, felt in Germany, Holland and
Belgium could "absolutely have not
been the result of an explosion.”
There had been some earlier
speculation that the quake had been
caused by an atomic explosion in
East Germany.
The town of Mechernich, near
the quake's center, suffered dam
age to buildings estimated at 1,500,
000 Deutsche marks (about $300,00).
PUBLIC TO RECEIVEj
INFORMATION WHEN
P-TA MEETS MONDAY
How to get your money's worth
for your food dollar m times of j
rising costs will be the subject dis- 1
cussed at the next meeting of the |
Juneau Parent-Teacher Association j
by Miss Hallene Price. Home De
monstration agent from the Uni
versity of Alaska. The P-TA will
have the regular monthly meeting
Monday, March 19, at 8 p. m. in
the high school study hall. This
topic should be of interest to the
mothers and dads alike. Miss Price
will also show a film called "You
are What you Don’t Eat." Food
wheels will be distributed which1
will show the seven basic food
groups.
Special music for this meeting
will be a whistling solo by Mrs.
Harold Schultz, accompanied by
Mrs. C. L. Popejoy. Mrs. Schultz
has delighted Juneau audiences sev
eral times with her unique gift of
whistling.
Hostesses for the next P-TA
meeting will be a committee of
Sixth Grade mothers. Mrs. Harold
Cargin is chairman.
Mrs. Florence Oakes is president
of the Juneau P-TA. She presided
at the executive board meeting last
Monday at the high school. Pro
gress of the sale of tickets for the
P-TA scholarship benefit movie
were discussed. The P-TA Is spon
soring the picture, "Stars in My
Crown” at the Capitol Theatre,
March 21, 22, 23.
Congress May Gel
Voice in Sending
Troops to Europe
(By Associated Press)
In Washington, members of both
parties predicted today early Sen
ate approval of two resolutions to
give Congress a voice in future
U. S. Troop assignments to West
ern Europe’s defense forces. Two
committees approved the resolu
tions yesterday.
FROM SEATTLE
John E. Putnam of Seattle is
at the Baranof Hotel.
• ••••••••••
• WEATHER REPORT •
• Temperature for 24-Hour Period •
• ending 6:20 o’clock this morning •
• In Juneau — Maximum, •
• 34 • minimum, 27. •
• At Airport — Maximum, •
• 32; minimum, 21. •
• •
• FORECAST •
• •
• Fair tonight and Friday. •
• Lowest temperature tonight •
• near 26 and highest Friday •
• near 35. •
• •
• PRECIPITATION •
• (Past 24 hours ending 7:30 a m. today •
• •
• City of Juneau — Trace; •
• Since March 1 — 1.06 inches; •
• Since July 1 — 51.95 inches. •
• At Airport — Trace; •
• Since March 1 —.81 inches; •
• Since July 1 — 33.19 inches. •
• ••(6666*4*
Wedding Bells
Elliott Roosevelt, 40, and Mrs. Minnewa Bell Ross, 39, hold hands
as they stroll about the hotel grounds at Key West, Fla. The couple
applied for a marriage license shortly after Mrs. Ross had been
granted a divorce from Dr. Rex L. Ross, Jr., of Santa Monica, Calif.
<fl>I Wirephoto.
ROOSEVELT,
ROSS WED
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. ——Elliott
Roosevelt, second son of the late
president, married Mrs. Minnewa
Bell Ross, California heiress, in a
simple ceremony here today.
The wedding was at Mrs. Ross’
home on fashionable Sunset Island
No. 1 It was the fourth marriage
for each.
The wedding was performed by
Judge George E. Holt of the Dade
County Circuit Court. It followed
by three days the bride’s divorce
at Key West from Dr. Rex L. Ross,
Jr., a Santa Monica, Calif., phy
sician and surgeon.
The tall, slender 39-year-old bridle
wore a natural shade pongee suit
elegantly simple in cut.
The bride’s 7-year-old son, Rexxie
Ross III, was among those attend
ing. Before the wedding, he emerg
ed from the house and told a re
porter that “it’s all a mess inside.
Flowers all over the place.”
Guests included the bridegroom’s
younger brother, John, and his wife,
Anne.
Elliott, asked if he was a “nerv
ous bridegroom,” permitted his
hands to flutter and laughingly re
plied, “Not very.”
McCABE RESIGNS
AS FED. RESERVE
BOARD CHAIRMAN
KEY WEST, Fla., March 15.—t/P)—
Thomas B. McCabe resigned today
as Federal Reserve Board chair
man and President Truman picked
William McChesney Martin, Jr., to
succeed him.
Martin is now assistant secretary
of the Office of International Fin
ance.
Mr. Truman chose Martin as
the new chairman on McCabe’s
recommendation.
Martin’s nomination will go to the
Senate soon, Presidential, Secretary
(Joseph Short announced.
STOCK0 mOKS
NEW YORK. March 15 — Closing
quotation of Alaska Juneau mine
stock today is 3%, American Can
105%, American Tel. and Tel. 153'*,
Anaconda 39%, Douglas Aircraft
94%, General Electric 53%. General
Motors 51%. Ooodyear 71%, Kenne
cott 70%, Libby, McNeil and Libby
! 9%. Northern Pacific 32T«. Standard
Oil of California 44%, Twentieth
Century Fox 22, U. S. Steel 42. Pound
$2.80%, Canadian Exchange 95.56%
Sales today were 2,070,000 shares
Averages today were as follows:
Industrials 244.85, rails 81.17, utili
ties 42.49.
Memorial Asks
Road, Skagway
jTo Whitehorse
I
i _
By BOB DEARMOND
A road to connect Skagway with
I the Alaska Highway at Whitehorse
is sought in a memorial Introduced
in the House of Representatives this
morning by the Committee on Ju
diciary.
This memorial is addressed to the
Secretaries of Interior, Agricul
ture and State, the Alaska Road
Commission, Bureau of Public
Roads, Delegate In Congress and
the Hon. J. Aubrey Simmons, House
of Commons at Ottawa.
It cites the development of new
mineral properties in the Mayo and
Atlin districts and the desirability
of an alternative route to the In
Lcnui.
This could be accomplished, the
memorial states, by construction of
a 50-mile road from Skagway tr
Carcross. A road from Carcross to
Whitehorse, on the Alaska Highway
already exists.
The House worked on its own bills
yesterday afternoon and this morn
ing and spent a good deal of time
on the bill amending the Alaska
Workmens Compensation Act.
Refused by Senate
One bill amending this Act, by
providing for medical care for in
jured employes for a maximum of
18 months instead of one year,
passed the House by a vote of 16-8
yesterday afternoon. The bill was
killed by the Senate this morning
however, which voted 8-6 against
receiving the bill.
House Bill 92, providing a $1 fee
for persons who file vertificates of
birth or death, failed to pass the
House yesterday afternoon by a vote
of 12-11. It was revived this morning
on a reconsideration and on its sec
ond try sailed through unanimously
The House this morning amended
the Workmen’s Compensation bil
by increasing permanent ■ partial
disability payments a flat 25 per
cent over the present schedule. The
substitute bill, as introduced, pro
vided much greater increases. The
increases proposed in the bill were
first deleted by a 13-10 vote. A
proposal to increase the payment.'
by 50 per cent was amended, by a
13-11 vote, to reduce the figure tc
25 per cent.
Asks Too Much
"It is better to make some gains
now and let future legislatures make
other increases than to put in toe
much now and lose the entire bill,’
said Rep. Hendrickson in speaking
- of the amendment. 'I was not en
: dorsed by labor but Oat does no'
| mean I am against labor,” he added
Rep. Franklin moved to table the
1 bill and the motion lost by a 7-1’
(Continued on Page Two)
HONGCHON
TAKEN BY
U. S. FORCE
Tank-Led Allied Columns
Also Advance So. Kor
ean Red Foothold
By Associated Press
Tank-led American assault troops
entered the levelled town of Hong
chon today.
Only five civilians and a mangy
white horse remained in the town
that once numbered 15,000.
Only a flurry of small arms fire
greeted the Americans as they occu
pied the road junction town that
has been n major supply center for
at least one Communist Army in
recent days. The town is just 20
miles south of Parallel 38.
Reds Fire Back
The Reds later subjected the
town to mortar and artillery fire.
Allied troops also entered the
South Korean capitol of Seoul in
force today and got an ovation from
the city’s remaining residents.
Of a normal 1,500,000 population,
but 200,000 remained to greet South
Korean and American troops. The
reoccupation by the South Korean
First Division and the U. S. Third
Division marked the fourth time the
city has changed hands since the
fighting started last June 25.
Near Parallel 38
At points along the advancing
Allied lines, UN units were less than
18 miles south of Parallel 38. the
dividing line between North and
South Korea.
East of Seoul, tank-led Allied
columns advanced on Chunghon,
the Reds last chance for a foothold
in South Korea. The Reds must
hold the key supply base of Chung
hon to maintain a force south of
Parallel 38.
On the east coast of the penin
sula, South Korean Marines were
in hot pursuit of Red troops north
of the village of Kumkok.
INT. REVENUE
INVESTIGATES
RACKETEERS
WASHINGTON. March 15.—(iW—
A special “racketeer” force of rev
enue agents is making an “intensive
investigation" of tax returns of
racketeers involving $57,000,000 in
taxes and penalties.
The Internal Revenue Bureau
gave this report to a House Ap
propriations Subcommittee which
made it public today.
The committee is considering the
Bureau’s 1952 budget. It made a
special inquiry into tax enforce
ment policies as a result of Jaxness
jvith respect to racketeers and gang
sters.
STAMPEDE FOR
NET SITES SEEN IN
BRISTOL BAY AREA
DILLINGHAM, Alaska, March 15
——Bristol Bay fishermen predict
a stampede for net sites when the
1951 salmon season opens.
Intertidal waters of Bristol Bay
will be open to set net fishing this
year. Under previous Alaska com
mercial fishing regulations set
netters were prohibited from fish
ing the open beaches
Bay fishermen have reported as
many as three sets of location
stakes already driven on the bea
ches.
The accepted rule for possession
of a set net site is that it goes to
the first man ‘getting his net into
the water on opening day of the
season.
FROM TENAKEE
* A. L. Slagle of Tenakee is stop
ping at the Hotel Juneau.
SEATTLE VISITOR
[ W. B. Johnson, Seattle, is a
[guest at the Baranof Hotel.