THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE
"ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME’ # __
VOL. LXXVI., NO. 11,743
JUNEAU, ALASKA, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1951
MEM II Ell ASSOCIATED PRESS
PRICE TEN CENTS
A Hied A dvance.Bogged Down to Crawlin Mud
SENATE FOR
S CENT TAX
ON (IOARETS
Vote Is 11 to 4 on First Tax
Boost Measure of
Session
By JIM HUTCHESON
The Senate ;oted 11 to 4 today
to boost the territorial cigaret tax
to 5 cents a pack.
It was the first tax bill to be ap
proved by either house this session.
It goes now to the House.
The present tax is 3 cents a pack.
Under the proposed additional tax.
the revenues would continue to go
exclusively for school buildings.
The only votes against the meas
ures were by the three southeast
Alaska senators — Republicans El
ton Engstrom and Anita Garnick
and Democrat James Nolan — and
Senate President Gunnard Enge
breth <R-Anchorage. Sen. John
Butrovich was absent.
Supporters of the measure argued
that the added cigaret tax is “the
most painless way” to raise neces
sary new revenue; that the smokers
don't complain about the tax, and
that when the 3-cent tax was enact
ed in 1949 the retailers added 5
cents a pack to make a 25-cent
price.
Opponents contended that the
tax will be passed along to con
sumers because retailers do not
have enough profit margin to ab
sorb it; that there have been two
wholesale cigaret price increases
since the 3-cent tax was enacted
and the retailers have obsorbed
those out of their 1949 price boost.
The measure was introduced by
Sen. Steve McCutcheon (D-Anch
orage), who had proposed the 5-ceni
figure in 1949.
Engebreth made the main argu
ment against the tax boost. In ad
dition to the higher-price-to-the
smoker arguments, he expressed
concern about additional business
going to the Federal commissaries
in the Anchorage and Fairbank.
area. He said such tax-free pur
chases by construction workers, who
are eligible to use the commis
saries, might defeat the whole pur
pose of the cigaret tax.
The non-smoking senator added:
“The working man has few enough
pleasures, so why should he have
to pay such a heavy tax on his
smoking?”
Sens. Frank Barr, Ed Anderson
and Heinie Snider suggested the
added tax might have a beneficial
effect in cutting down on the
amount of smoking.
Tax Tobacco Unchanged
The tax on other forms of tobacco
would not be changed. The tax on
all forms of tobacco produced $442,
632 last year for the school build
ings fund. Sponsors have predicted
the cigaret increase would add sev
eral hundred thousand dollars of
revenue for the biennium.
When Engebreth contended addi
(Continued on Page Eight)
The Wasiiingion
Merry - Go - Round
By DREW PEARSON
(Copyright, 1951, cy Bell Syndicate, Inc..
W ASHINGTON. — Mobilization
boss Charles Wilson will assume
drastic powers over aluminum, cop
per and steel,, beginning the middie
of June. He will put these stra
tegic metals under a controlled
material plan, which will give the
government authority to regulate
their use down to the last pound.
Wilson spelled out his plan be
hind closed doors to the joint
congressional committe'e on defense
production.
“The controlled materials plan
is one that will operate on scarce
materials absolutely," the mobiliza
tion boss explained. "I mean, it
will have the control of ail the
material in the particular line
that is short."
However, Wilson added ruefully:
“Once you start to control things,
it is a terrific job. That is why I
hate controls, and from the very
bottom of my heart I hate con
trols.”
The reason for this drastic con
(Continued on Page Four;
"Head of (Slow Line"
mi ii i i n nipi iii ii ii i mi. aMK-anMarmiaHN
Air Force PTC Stella Banoaveris, only girl at Grenier Air Force Base,
N. H., a GGG-man base, steps to the head of the chow line at the
insistence of waiting GI’s. Through an Air Force snafu the WAF
from Racine, VVis., was transferred to the base on St. Valentine’s Day
much to the delight of the soldiers and confusion of the officers.
The Air Force finally untangled themselves by ordering her trans
ferred to Otis Air Force Base, Mass. “There are WAFS galore down
I there” sighed Stella at the news. </P) Wirephoto.
|Truman to Send Message
j to Congress on Subject
j -Goes to Key West
| WASHINGTON, Feb. 23 — (,W— i
President Truman told his congres
sional leaders today he is sending ]
Congress a message this week rec
ommending increases in second
class postal rates.
Second class mail covers the pub
j lication field — such as daily and j
j weekly newspapers and magazines.
House Speaker Rayburn (D-Tex)
and other congressional leaders who
met with Mr. Truman at the White
Heuse declined to discuss details of
the President's message, which he
expects to send to both Houses by
Thursday.
Rayburn told reporters he did
not believe the draft of the message
has been completed.
Postmaster General Donaldson
has been urging an increase in
postal rates, including second class,
for more than a year to help offset
a deficit in the Postoffice Depart
ment's operations.
Today's meeting of the congres
sional group at the White House
' was the last before Mr. Truman
leaves Friday for a vacation at Key
West, Fla.
-—-.j
A survey places milk at the top
of a list of favorite American
beverages.
• •••••••***
• WEATHER REPORT •
- Temperatures tor 24-Hour Period •
S ending 6:20 o'clock this morning •
• In Juneau -=- Maximum •
® 28; minimum, 18. •
• At Airport — Maximum, ®
• 30; minimum, 11. •
» •
j • FORECAST •
® Cloudy and warmer tonight •
® and Tuesday with occasional •
® light snow. Low temperature «
>> near 26. High Tuesday about •
j ® 33 degrees. •
I® PRECIPITATION •
j • (Past 25 hours ending 7:20 a m. today •
® City of Juneau — None. ®
• Since Feb. 1 —4 39 inches; ®
• Since July 1 — 4G.67 inches; •
® At Airport — None. *
• Since Feb. 1 — 2.18 inches; •
• Since July 1 — 32.43 inches. •
Most members of the legislature
apparently are going to make then
biennial trip to the Pioneers’ Home
at Sitka this Friday and Saturday
despite a senate vote against it. The
House refused to concur.
The Senate voted 9 to 7 Satur
day in favor of sending only a com
mittee of .‘even for the inspection
trip—four from the oHuse and three
from the Senate. Opponents of the
mass expedition contended it isn’t
worth the money and Lime involved.
The resolution for session ex
penses includes a $1,500 item for fi
nancing the visitation. The legisla
tors plan to fiy to Sitka Friday and
return Saturday on the Baranof.
The House voted for the trip
despite a protest by Rep. Glen
Franklin (D-Fairbanks): "It’s not
really an inspection; it’s mainly a
pleasure trip.”
There was confusion over the ac
tual vote in the House in favor ol
the Sitka trip. It was proposed that
Sen. Joe Coble (R-Fairbanks)
chairman of the Senate Territorial
Institutions Committee, be called
into the House to explain the Sen
ate action. When a voice vote waf
taken on “sending a message tc
ihe Senate,” it was unanimous.
Some members protested thal
they thought the vote was to send
a message for Coble to" come over
but Speaker William Egan held the
vote to have been on the issue ol
sending a message of non-concur
rence to the Senate. Franklin ob
jected vigorously and the mattei
was not wholly settled when the
House adjourned for the weekend
It seemed definite, however, thal
the proposal of sending only a com
mittee was a dead one.
Arguments in support of the trip
were that it is advisable for the
legislators to see the home opera
tors and the orthopedic hospita:
at Mount Edgecumbe and that the
cldtimers at the home look forwarc
to seeing the lawmakers and airing
any ocmplaints they may have. Sup
porters of the full junket said the
legislature could not act on import
ant bills, ahyhow, with a committee
gone.
ocuauui vuuic umuc LUC ocilaLc
motion for sending a committee. He
and some other senators arguec
that it was a waste of time anc
money for so many to go wher
more and more bills were calling foe
action in the closing weeks of the
session. They suggested there wai
no more reason for the trip to Sitka
than a trip to inspect the Universal
of Alaska at Fairbanks.
Rep. W. W. Laws (R-Nome)
chairman of the House Committee
on Territorial Institutions, reporter
40 persons had signed for the trip
NEW SALMON
LAX BILL IS
INTRODUCED
Proposes Graduated Tax
on All Salmon Caught
in Alaska Waters
By BOB BE ARMOND
A new salmon tax bill — aimed
particularly at the traps and other
gear catching salmon in quantities,
but touching all salmon fishermen
down to the rod and reel variety—
was introduced in the House of
Representatives this morning by
1 Rep. Andrew Hope of Sitka.
The bill, as with other bills in
the past that have been intended
primarily for regulation rather than
revenue purposes, sets up a gradu
ated tax.
The tax is based upon the number
of fish caught by each single unit
of gear. And a single unit of gear,
according to the bill, would mean
each drift gillnet, stake net, set net,
pile trap, floating trap, hand driven
I trap, purse seine, beach seine, trol
| ling line, hand line or rod.
j The bill would tax each fish
' taken, but it is based upon the value
| of the fish as set by contract agree
I ment or prevailing minimum prices.
Tax rates set up by the bill arc
j as follows:
King Salmon: Up to 2.500 fish,
one-half of 1 per cent of the value;
2500 to 5000 fish, 2 per cent; 5001
to 10,000 fish, 10 per cent; over 10,
000 fish, 20 per cent.
Red and Cohoe Salmon: Up to
5000 fish, one quarter of 1 per cent
'of the value; 5001 to 10,000 fish, 2
1 per cent; 10,001 to 20,000 fish, 10
' per cent; 20,000 to 40,000 fish, 20
' per cent; over 40,000 fish, 30 per
j cent.
Pink and Chum Salmon: Up to
25,000 fish, one-quarter of 1 per cent
of the value; 25,001 to 50,000 fish, 2
, per cent; 50,001 to 100,000 fish, 20
per cent; over 100.000. 40 per cent.
All receivers of salmon would, un
der the provisions of the bill, be
] required to keep track of the num
j ber of fish received from each and
every single unit of fishing equip
1 ment — including, apparently, each
■ individual trolling line — and to
I report the information to the Tax
; Commissioner.
The bill was referred to the Com
mittee on Fisheries of the House.
Among the bills introduced in the
House this forenoon were three by
the Committee on Education: H.B.
76, relating to the term of office
of school board members in incor
porated school districts; H.B. 77.
authorizing the Board of Educa
tion to reimburse school boards for
J interest paid on money borrowed
J during the past biennium; H.B. 78,
! requiring physical examination of
school children at least once during
each school year.
An anti-fireworks bill, requested
by many municipalities of the Ter
ritory, was introduced this morning
by Rep. Hendrickson. The bill would
prohibit the importation, transpor
tation, sale, possession, gift, barter.
1 display and use of fireworks, except
j by municipal and other public au
] thority.
paper caps for toy pistols and con
taining not more than one-tenth
grain of explosives in each cap.
A new bill to regulate the real
estate business in Alaska was in
troduced this morning by Reps
Hendrickson. Kay and Wilbur. This
will would require the licensing anc
bonding of real estate brokers ant
salesmen. It is different than the
bill previously introduced and de
feated in the House in that it does
not create a Real Estate Board or
require examination of brokers and
dealers.
The Auditor of Alaska would be
ex-officio Commissioner of Real
Estate under the terms of the new
bill and would handle licensing.
The Committee on Ways and
Means introduced a deficinecy ap
propriation bill for the Department
of Taxation in the amount of $50,
000.
Up for consideration on this
morning’s House calendar were bills
to give police powers to Civilian De
fense officials and a technical bill
relating to chattel mortgages.
The former was held over until
! March 2 to await the return of Col.
| J. D. Alexander from Anchorage.
The second bill was the subject
W& Msmam* mm ..
tien. Matthew Ridgwav, (right), hand grenades strapped to each shoulder, is grim-faced as he views
the bodies of Chinese Communist soldiers shot out of fox holes during the Reds' abortive offensive in the
Chipyong area. The 8th army commander made a first-hand cheek of reports that thousands of t hinese
Communists were killed in the attack. UP) Wirephoto. _
of a Committee of the Whole hear
ing presided over by Rep. Gunder
sen and during which Marshall
Crutcher, Kodiak banker, took the
stand.
In another Committee of the
whole hearing, presided over by Rep.
Re’-nes and on the subject of
amendments to the Old Age Assist
ance law, Henry Harmon, Director
of Public Welfare, took the stand.
The bill seeks to change the pres
ent requirement that recipients of
old age assistance benefits must be
citizens. Harmon explained that
the United States and many states
do not require citizenship for such
benefits and that elimination of the
requirement would result in a sav
ing to the Territorial treasury.
About 60 people, he said, would
be shifted from general relief—paid
100 per cent by the Territory—to
old age assistance, in which the
Federal Government participates.
The bill was still before the
House when it recessed for lunch.
Saturday Afternoon
A dull, calendar-clearing session
of the House on Saturday afternoon
saw the passage of several bills and
memorials.
Rep. Gasser’s bill prohibitir.r
cruelty to ar'mals was held over
until tomorrow on a 20-3 vote after
it had been considerably amended
to reduce penalties and to eliminate
the anti-vivisection and several
other sweeping provisions of the
measure.
House Bill 45. allowing banks to
furnish security for the deposits of
municipal and other public corpor
ations passed by a vote of 22-1 after
Rep. Kay failed by a vote of 5-18
to have it tabled so he could incor
porate the provisions of the bill in
a comprehensive banking bill.
Rep. Stepovich, author of’H.B. 45.
argued that there is no assurance
that the comprehensive banking
bill will pass.
Rep. Miscovich’s bill to provide
for a $10,000 bonus for discovery ot
a uranium-bearing ore deposit and
the production of 20 tons of the
ore went sailing through on a 20-3
vote, with Conright, Johnson and
Kay opposing.
Kay made an unsuccessful at
tempt to up the appropriation to
$100,000, "so we can pay more than
one bonus if necessary.”
House Joint Memorial No. 7, by
MacKinnon and Locken. protesting
the extension of Marine Inspection
Service requirements to Alaska
fishing vessels was unanimously
passed after Rep. Ed Locken made
his maiden speech of the session to
explain the measure.
Also passed unanimously was the
Gundersen-Barnes memorial asking
that border stations on the Haines
| Highway be kept open 24 hours a
day for the convenience of the trav
elihg public.
Rep. Carlson’s H. B. 56, giving
Tax Commissioner's deputies power
I to arrest fishermen who fish with
| out proper Territorial licenses was
approved by the House.
I
COUNCIL ADVISOR
ON GOVERNMENT
CONFERRING HERE
A consultant from the Council
| of State Governments arrived in
Juneau over the weekend for a
study of territorial governmental
problems.
He is H. Clyde Reeves, who has
been revenue commissioner of Ken
tucky for several years.
•He arrived Saturday for a week's
stay for conference with legisla
tors and government officials. The
letter to Governor Gruening from
the Council in advance of his ar
rival said he would confer about
assistance “in developing plans,
programs and legislation dealing
with problems of taxation and fi
nancial management.”
His visit was initiated by Senate
. President Engebreth after many
i legislators had expressed an in
terest in getting advice during the
present sessioon on wdiat steps
should be taken toward moderniz
ing the territorial government.
j WOMEN VOTERS LUNCHEON
TUESDAY NOON, BARANOI
I
A discussion on a model state con
stitution published b„ the National
i Municipal League of New York
| City will be held at the Juneau
i League of Women Voters luncheon
Tuesday noon in the Terrace Room
of the Baranof. Leading the dlscus
i sion will be Mrs. Mildred Hermann.
1 Any women who are interested are
i invited to attend. Reservations are
to be made by calling Mrs. Ernest
Gruening not later than Tuesday
morning.
STOCK QUOTATIONS
NEW YORK, Feb. 26 — Closing
quotation of Alaska Juneau mine
stock today is 3%, American Can
106, American Tel. and Tel. 157
Anaconda 43%, General Electric
55%, General Motors 50%, Good
year 73%, Kennecott 75%, Libby
McNeil and Libby 9%. Northern
Pacific 35%, Standard Oil of Cali
fornia 94%. Twentieth Century Fox
23%, U. S. Steel 44%, Pound 2.80%,
Canadian Exchange 95 95 ,.
Sales today were 1,650,000 shares
Averages today were as follows:
Industrials 223.18, rails 80.30, utili
ties 43.77.
STEAMER MOVE NTS
Freighter Lucidor in port, sailing
sometime tomorrow for Petersburg.
Baranof from Seattle scheduled
to arrive 7 a.m. tomorrow.
Princess Norah scheduled to sail
from Vancouver Feb. 28.
Denali scheduled to soil from
Seattle 4 p.m. Friday.
COLLAZO GOES
ON TRIAL FOR
MURDER TRY
WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 ——
Oscar Collazo went on trial for his
life today on a charge of killing a
White House guard during an at
tempt to assassinate President Tru
man last Nov. 1.
| The 37-year-old Puerto Rican
1 Nationalist, neatly dressed in a dark
| brown suit, was brought to the
courtroom of Federal Judge T. Alan
Goldsborough handcuffed and un
der heavy guard. The handcuffs
were removed, however, as he ent
ered the room.
Collazo faces a possible sentence
of death in the electric chair if
convicted on either of two counts
in the indictment against him.
Collazo and a companion, Grls
elio Torresola, also a member of
the U.S.-hating Puerto Rican Na
tionalist Party, tried to shoot their
way into Blair House, temporary
home of the President.
Torresola and Pvt. Leslie Coffelt
of the President’s bodyguard were
wounded fatally.
JEWELRY STORE
ROBBED; DISPLAY
WINDOWS BROKEN
A store window robbery at Simp
son’s jewelry store sometime be
tween 3:30 and 10 a. m. Sunday
appeared to be a professional Job
according to Juneau City Police
who are investigating in coopera
tion with the U. S. Marshal's of
fice, Frank Cavanaugh, assistant
chief, said today.
The two windows were broken
while being pried out of theii
.casings and glass is held lor finger
prints. The thieves neatly removed
25 or 30 watches from display cases
and in breaking a second window
near the door took only a lew
rings. Estimated value of the loot
is variously reported from $1,250 tc
$2,000.
All was well when a night watch
man checked the store at 3:30 a
m. At 10 a. m. Ed Brehm noticed
tlie broken windows in passing and
notified John Satre. Police were
called at 10:25.
A full-fledged rodeo for Juvenile
performers only is held at Santa
Rosa, New Mexico, each June.
The Webster - Ashburton Treaty
l settled the Maine-Canadian bordei
I in 1842 after a half century o!
| bickering.
SEVENTH
DIVISION
GOES ON
Patrol Meets Rifle, Anti
Tank Fire But Reds
Withdrawing
By Associated Press
Doughboys of the U. S. Seventh
Division knifed ahead today on the
right flank of the 8th Army offen
sive in Central Korea to a point six
miles north of Pangnim.
A patrol of the crnek division met
rifle and anti-tank fire, but air ob
servers reported the Reds were with
drawing.
Today’s action was the first time
the Seventh Division, only American
unit to reach the Manchurian bor
der, has been identified in combat
since it withdrew from the Chang
Jln reservoir to the Hungnam
beachhead last December.
Mountains Mud Bound
The American Second Division,
slogging north through the mud
bound mountains on the left flank
of the Seventh, reached a point 18
miles north of Checon, its jumping
off place when “operation killer” be
gan last Wednesday.
The Second and Seventh were
spearheading the cautious Tenth
Corps advance along the mountain
spines of Central Korea.
Retreating Reds fought only rear
guard actions. Nevertheless they
lost another estimated 1.861 killed
and wounded Sunday as UN forces
advanced as much as 3'j miles.
Beds Pullback
The Red pullback from a threat
ened UN trap was so rapid that Lt.
Gen. Edward M. Almond, Tenth
Corps commander, called it "a vir
i tual rout.”
An estimated 14,000 Korean Reds
i escaped as a giant Allied p.Vcers
I bogged down in deep mud left by
heavy rains and an early thaw. They
j continued to flee northward Mon
1 day — in groups of 100 to 1.000—
1 pounded by U. S. fighter-bombers.
64,000 Casualties
General Almond said his Tenth
Corps has inflicted 64,000 casual
ties on the Central Front since Jan.
4. The overall figures on the Eighth
I Army for the entire front put Red
casualties at 133,760 from Jan. 17
! to Feb. 20.
| -
SUNSPOTS
EXPLODING;
! IS RARITY
t
i _
| TOKYO, Feb. 26 —IIP)—Solar ex
! plosions, the first “sun spots” of
! their kind recorded here since the
, Tokyo Astronomical observatory
| began operating 13 years ago, were
i reported today.
The explosions began at 9 a.m.
I Sunday and were continuing at
sunset today, the observatory re
I ported.
A telecommunications official
said commercial radio circuits be
tween the Far East and America
and Europe bad been interrupted
for as long as two hours at a time
since the explosions began
The celestial electric waves re
search section of the observatory
said it had recorded what apparent
ly was a split in the spots near
the center of the sun.
i Although sun eruptions are not
| rare, the observatory said it was
j the first time they had lasted more
i than 20 hours.
I TIIE SIGN WAS RIGHT
SYDNEY — </Pt — Ignoring the in
scription atop the door of the Cen
tral Methodist Mission—‘And be
sure your sin will find you out”—
a burglar entered the mission and
robbed it.
A few minutes later he was ar
| rested by a policeman while sitting
| on a park bench counting his loot.
} Farm experts have found that
j wire fences when properly grounded
sometimes will serve as a protective
device for cattle standing near them
. during thunder storms.