COMMITTEE
REPORTS ON
ITS FINDINGS
(By A. Polet, Chairman, Commit
tee on Legislation)
The preliminary report of the
Legislative Committee, present
ed to the Board of Directors of
the Northwestern Alaska Cham
ber of Commerce at their last
meeting, Tuesday, Decem(ber 11,
1944, consists of a number of
very important items.
The board instructed the com
mittee to complete the report
and when ready, to present the
same for adoption.
These needs of the Second Di- j
vision are to be formally pre- j
sented to our delegation at Ju-,
neau. The Legislature will meet
the last Monday in January,:
1945.
The highlights of the report
are briefly digested in the fol
lowing articles:
Roads
It is believed that considera
able interest will be manifested
in the matter of roads; large Ter
ritorial and Federal appropria
tions will be available, there
fore a comprehensive road pro
gram is undertaken. The Second
Division is to receive serious at
tention in the development of a
road system to cope with the
mining and economical needs to
(aid the enormous development
of our mining resources. Both
the U. S. and the Territorial
Mining Bureau have for the past
three years conducted an investi
gation of the mining possibilites
of the strategic minerals in our
Division, which have proven
very promising. With the re
sumption of gold mining, we feel
confident that the Second Di- j
vision will do more than their
share toward bringing post-war
readjustment. The report urges
the following:
1. The Nome to Teller road be
completed.
2. The rehabilitation of the
Seward Peninsula railroad to
Bunker Hill.
3. The completion of the Bun
ker Hill-Taylor Creek road.
4. The completion of the
Qasadepaga-Council trunk road.
5. The immediate building of
a short-cut road from Cape
Nome to Shovel Creek.
6. The survey for the exten
sion of the Nome-Council-Golo
vin-Nulato trunk line to connect
with the Fairbanks-Nulato trunk
line.
Mining
The nation looks toward the
mining industry for the acceler-i
ation of the readjustment of the;
economic forces.
, The writer recalls vividly the
salutatory effect of the virgin1
gold poured into the channels of
trade. The depression was in
force in the spring of 1920.
Scrip was issued by the banks of
Alaska and the nation. But just
as gold mining was resumed in
Alaska with the running of the
water, gold began to flow in the
Nome banks. Scrip was recalled. I
When boats with the winter
clean-up reached Seattle, almost
simultaneously, the Seattle
banks recalled scrip and in a
hrief space of time, scrip disap
peared in the Pacific Coast states
and later in the eastern states.
Our national and Territorial
law-makers realize the import
ance of mining. Mining will be
assisted in a larger degree than
ever. The report urges:
i 1st: The removal of all re
; strictions to gold mining.
2nd: Direct aid toward the
| development of strategic .miner
1 als by continuing war measures
j until said industry is firmly es
tablished.
1 3rd: Urges that larger appro
priations be made by the Terri
tory for our Territorial Mining
Bureau.
4th: Congress to be memorial-1
ized to increase the appropria
tions to the U. S. Bureau of
Mines.
5th: That the Heide plan of
aid to the prospector be adopted
I by the Territory.
Housing
.Gov. Gruening was quoted in
the Nation’s press sounding a
warning that thousands are com
ing to Alaska and we must be
ready to offer these men and
families something concrete to
-build on.
Lack of housing discourages
newcomers and our own popula
tion.
The committee urges that we
present to the Legislature a
strong plea for the creation of
a Housing Administration for
Alaska to work with the Feder
al Administration to provide
homes and to simPltfy the re(*
tape and saving of time in ob
taining housing relief in a short
er space of time.
Schools
Alaska has good schools and
they cost the Territory a large
share of the revenue.
Alaska, being so large and
its population thinly distributed,
that some relief measure must
be devised to bring the Alaska
Territorial School System up to
full efficiency.
The Second Division lacks
high school facilities.
Nome has the only high school
in Northwestern Alaska.
All children are entitled to the
full benefit of education. ©The
contfnittee recommends that the
Nome High School be elevated
to a Divisional High School and
to it all children graduating in
the primary schools of the divi
sion be graduated to the Divi
sional School.
Nevada has worked out the
same problem.
A dormitory should be estab
lished under the supervision of
the School Board. The teachers
would be housed as well as all
pupils from outside Oommuni
ties. A nominal charge for board
would be made. A matron could
mianage the house as it is the
case in all colleges and univer
sities.
The Committee also recom
mended a number of minor needs
which should be presented to
the Legislature and Congress:
The re-organization of our
taxing system.
The organization of small
town governments.
The resumption of our Terri
torial fairs.
The re-establishing of the
Territorial Planning Council.
The establishment of a Bureau
of Indian Affairs Hospital at
Nome for Natives and Whites. ^
To provide for the publishing,
of the sale of estates in the news
k (Continued on Page 13)
*
May the caroler’s song bring you every
joy, and may the coming year be bright with
happiness and success.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A
HAPPY NEW YEAR.
1
_#
LINCOLN HOTEL & BAR |
Mullins & Laurin ^
I
’Tis the season for kindling the fire of
hospitality in the hall, the genial fire of ■
a
charity in the heart.—Washington Irving.
Sincerely we wish that the joys and
• 4
pleasures of Christmastide be yours always.
!• * 1 . t
| Nome Drug Sto'e I
W NOME’S OWN DRUG STORE J