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OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
62nd Year No. 22 NOME, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1961Per Copy 15<
Legislation Would Cut Pay of
All State Administrative Personnel
By Ward Sims
Associated Press Staff Writer
JUNEAU UP) — Sen. John B.
Coghill disclosed today he plans
to introduce legislation to cut the
pay of all state state administra
tive personnel, including Supreme
and Superior Court judges, by 10
per cent.
Coghill, Republican Minority
Leader in the upper chamber,
made the disclosure as trouble
built up for a bill which was
passed by the House last Satur
day to trim legislative pay and
per diem.
Coghill indicated he would sub
mit, his administrative pay cut
bill to the Senate Thursday.
It would apply to all adminis
trative and court system employes
exempt from provision of the uni
form pay plan of the State Per
sonenl Act. with the sole excep
tion of the Adjutant General.
The governor, for instance,
would take a $2,500 annual pay
cut, droping from $25,000 a year
to $22,509 a year.
“I don’t know exactly how
much money would be involved
at this point,” Coghill said, “but
instead of having administrative
assistants jacked up to $14,000,
$15,000 and $16,000 a year, it
would tend to keep them down,
because the chief is not going to
allow people to get more than
he gets.
“The bill would tend to water
down this runaway program in
state wages we are having.”
Sitting uncomfortably in the
center of the troubles which are
apparently building up for the leg
islative pay cut bill was Vern
Metcalfe, former State Civil De
fense Director who has been em
ployed by the Senate and House
Democrats as a publicity agent.
Yesterday, Metcalfe, in a daily
radio program paid for by the
Democrats, said the Republicans
had stumped hard for a cut in
legislative pay and per diem dur
ing the 1960 election campaign.
Metcalfe said the actual cut was
much less than the GOP was
shooting for.
“All in all, we would say that
the slice was as thin as a piece
of restaurant bologna,” Metcalfe
commented. ‘And so, so as they
Carved Ivory Gavel
Will Be Used to Open
Century 21 Exposition
JUNEAU — A carved ivory
gavel which was used to open the
Alaska, Yukon, Pacific Exposi
tion in Seattle in 1909 will be
used to open Seattle’s Century 21
Exposition on April 21, 1962.
Ewen C. Dingwall, general
' manager of the exposition, said
use of the gavel was approved by
its present owner, State Rep. Pete
Deveau of Kodiak.
Dingwall, in Juneau to brief
members of the Legislature on
Century 21 plans, and to offer a
proposal to make it easier for the
state to participate, said President
Kennedy has been invited to open
the exposition.
“In any event,” Dingwall said,
“the ivory gavel will be used to
open the show.”
Dingwall said Century 21 had
advised members of the Alaska
Legislature that the state would
be permitted to sell native handi
crafts at a booth in the Alaska
Building, as a means of cutting
the amount of money the state
would be required to appropriate
for participation in Century 21.
say, another campaign issue bites
the dust.”
Reed and Strandberg were fur
ious.
Reed said he had enough sup
port to pull the rug out from un
der Metcalfe as the Democrats’
publicity man and indicated he
would attempt to do so.
“Metcalfe made the statement
without the knowledge or ap
proval of the Democratic members
of the Legislature,” Reed storm
ed.
Strandberg, who had asked for
House passage of the legislative
pay bill in the interests of har
mony, said he had no reason to
doubt Reed.
Together they issued a state
ment in the House in which they
termed Metcalfe’s statement “de
plorable.”
“After finally arriving at an
acceptable agreement on legisla
tive pay and passing the bill in
the House, we are greatly dis
tured to think that such publi
city as was given the pay bill
should come from the source it
did.
“The criticism was not only un
just but will only cause turmoil
and disrupt such harmony as we
may have had in the Legislature
which is a necessity to accom
plish putting through the mas
sive program that now confronts
us.”
Republican members of the
Senate indicated privately that
the bill, which had been given
a good chance of sailing quickly
through the upper chamber, now
might run into a batch of trouble.
Doubleheader Satellite
Launched—Only a
Partially Successful Shot
j WASHINGTON iff) — The
| doubleheader satellite launched
| from Cape Canaveral whirled
around the earth today but offi
cials called it only “a qualified, a
partially successful” shot.
It failed to achieve the nearly
circular orbit planned for it, -fly
ing instead in a path of coining
as close as 104 miles to the earth
and as far out as 617 miles.
Instead of staying in orbit for
many years, the satellites prob
ably will have a life of only “sev
eral weeks.”
The partial failure is reducing
the effectiveness of the radioed
information from the satellite.
Prior to the double launching
the United State had put up three
satellites in five days and built
up a string of six straight space
successes since the first of the
year.
Troops Open Fire on
Demonstrators in Burma
RANGOON, Burma U?) — Bur
mese troops opened fire on a mob
of several thousand demonstra
tors outside the U. S. Embassy
in Rangoon yesterday, seriously
wounding five persons.
It was the biggest anti-Ameri
can demonstration ever seen in
Burma. The demonstrators were
protesting the supplying of arms
with U. S. markings to Chinese
Nationalist guerrillas on the bor
der with Red China.
The U. S. Embassy has begun
an investigation of how the arms
reached the guerrillas.
Troops were called out after
police and firemen were unable
to check the demonstrators in a
melee that had left 3 policemen
and 35 demonstrators injured.
Propose Fast New
Ferries for Marine
Highway System
JUNEAU OP) — A representa
tive of a New York firm which
specializes in feasibility studies of
transportation facilities last night
strongly recommended the use of
a fleet of fast new ferries in
Alaska’s proposed Marine High
way System.
The recommendation was made
at a joint meeting of the House
and Senate Finance and State Af
fairs Committees by Gilman Smith
of the firm of W. C. Gilman and
Co.
Smith restated the position of
his company that a system of large
ferries is of prime importance in
implementing the Marine High
way in Southeast Alaska.
“Fast frequent and reliable
service is a necessity for the suc
cessful operation of this system,”
Smith said.
“It would be cheaper in the long
run to buy larger vessels now,
than to start out with a system
of smaller ones and have to add
to the fleet later.”
He said he felt it would be a
mistake to inaugurate a system of
smaller ferries with shorter runs.
Smith told the committees
that the Southeast Ferry System
was not only economically feasible
but would have sufficient income
on the basis of anticipated traf
fic to justify the issuance of
revenue bonds.
Smith said the traffic projec
tions made by the firm for the
Ferry System were based on a
study of all types of transporta
tion within Southeast Alaska, in
addition to a study of growth
patterns in the Panhandle.
Good advice: Don’t feel down
hearted if you strike out when at
tempting to do something. Babe
Ruth struck out 1,330 times in his
career, but that isn’t what he’s
best remembered for.
Senate Passes
Minimum Hourly
Wage Raise to $1.75
JUNEAU UP) — A bill raising
the minimum hourly wage from
$1.50 to $1.75 passed the Senate
yesterday by a vote of 17 to 3.
Before final approval, the
measure was amended to exclude
handicapped workers, apprentices
and “learners”, and youngsters
under the age of 18 who work
less than 30 hours a week.
Voting against the measure
were Sens. Paul Greimann, James
Nolan and Howard Pollock.
Pollock told the Senate that he
felt increasing the minimum
wage at a time when profits are
low and wages are high would
tend to force some people out of
work.
“We’re trying to create a good
business climate in Alaska. This,
I think, will scare business away.”
Speaking for the measure, Sen.
George McNabb said the “the
same old arguments have been
used since the first trade union
was organized — ‘industry can’t
! afford it.’ ”
Those who will be affected by
the minimum wage are those un
fortunate persons who are not or
ganized.
The Legislature must bargain
for these people and see to it that
they get a reasonable wage.”
Sen. A1 Owen said that in re
mote areas of the state where
employment opportunities are ex
tremely limited, such employ
ment is sometimes offered at the
lowest possible wage.
“Many of these people are un
able to make even enough for
their grubstake for the winter,
and thus must go on welfare.
“I cannot conceive of any basic
industry where most employes are
covered by contracts, being af
fected by this bill.”
Nolan objected that the state
should proceed gradually in in
creasing the minimum wage “so
that the impact on industry can
be absorbed.”
JFK Sends Khrushchev Message
Hoping for Better U. S.-Soviet Relations
By John M. Hightower
WASHINGTON UP) — President
Kennedy today sent a personal
message to Soviet Premier
Khiushchev expressing hope that
current diplomatic conversations
will bring better Soviet-Ameri
can understanding.
Kennedy gave the message to
U. S. Ambassador Thompson, for
delivery to Khrushchev, Thomp
son now returns to Moscow.
After he left, White House
Press Secretary Pierre Salinger
made the following statement:
“Ambassador Thompson has
completed his consultation in
Washington and leaves today to
return to his post in Moscow. In
a series of meetings, the Presi
dent and the Secretary of State
have received from Thompson a
first-hand report on a variety of
subjects affecting Soviet-Ameri
can relations.
“In addition, these meetings will
enable Ambassador Thompson to
return to Moscow with a clear
understanding of the President’s
views on the matters discussed
for his use as guidance in con
versations with Soviet officials.
He is taking a personal message
to Mr. Khrushchev expressing the
President’s confidence in Ambas
sador Thompson and the desire
that any further conversations
between Soviet officials and the
Ambassador will be fruitful and
assist in bringing about better
Soviet-American understanding.”
While Kennedy’s message ex
presses hope for better Soviet
American understanding, it is un
derstood the word that Thompson
is taking from the President to
the Soviet Premier is two
edged.
First, that the new U. S. Ad
ministration wants Soviet co
operation in many fields, such as
space science and the conquest
of disease.
Second, that the new U. S. Ad
ministration is deeply concerned
about Communist troublemaking
in places like Laos and the Con
go, and must judge real Soviet in
tentions largely by what happens
in these areas of conflict.
THE WEATHER
Continued fair. Little change in
temperature and windy. In the
last 24 hours: High of 16, low of
-10. Sunrise at 7:36 a. m., sunset
at 4:57 p. m. Temperatures a year
ago today: High of 30, low of 23.
Extremes on this date since 1907:
High of 35 in 1940, low of -33 in
1915.
Intensify Efforts
To Settle Flight
Engineer’s Strike
WASHINGTON U?> — The gov
ernment today intensified efforts
to settle the flight engineers
walkout that has brought air
travel to a standstill in many
parts of the country.
Secretary of Labor Goldberg
asked both Flight Engineers In
ternational Assn, and airline of
ficials to stand by for confer
ences — with himself, with a
peacemaking commission named
by President Kennedy, and pos
sibly with each other.
Goldberg discussed the strike
this morning with Kennedy.
He scheduled an afternoon
meeting with Ronald Brown,
head of the Engineers Assn. The
three members of the commis
sion appointed by Kennedy Tues
day were arriving in Washing
ton for a prompt start on their
inquiry.
The engineers group said it was
canvassing its members on
whether to yield to the appeal.
, But, a noon statement said, the
union was having difficulty com
pleting the poll because of li
gitation over the walkout.
The statement demanded a
“written promise from the air
lines regarding lawsuits and re
crimination proceedings.”
It also said there were many
questions the men wanted an
| swered.
| “If Western is out, the mem
I bership indicates it will not re
turn to work,” it said.
Western Airlines announced
yesterday that it was firing its
flight engineers. It called the
walkout a wildcat one.
At this point Goldberg told
newsmen that Western had not
been represented when other af
fected airlines agreed that no
disciplinary action would be taken
if the engineers returned to work.
As settlement efforts continued,
Eastern Airlines, American Air
lines and Trans World Airlines
were completely grounded. Pan
American World Airlines, National
Airlines and Western were only
able to maintain token service.
Some 86,000 employes had been
furloughed.
Trans-Pacific Air Route
Being Reviewed
WASHINGTON W — The Alas
ka Congressional Delegation re
ceived word from the White House
today that the Trans-Pacific air
route case is being reviewed and
some action may be forthcoming
next month.
The Alaskans, in a recent joint
letter, asked President Kennedy
to reopen the case in which Civil
Aeronautics Board recommenda
tions were rejected by former
President Eisenhower last month.
Sens. Bartlett and Gruening and
Rep. Rivers are especially inter
ested in a route from the East
Coast to the Orient by way of
Fairbanks.
Presidential Assistant Lawrence
O’Brien wrote the Alaskans the
matter is under review by the
CAB because of petitions filed by
various carriers.
O’Brien said Feb. 27 has been
set by the board as the deadline
for interested parties to file an
swers and that thereafter the
board will make a decision on
possible further action.
The Alaskans said today they
will continue to press for certi
fication of an East Coast-Orient
route with a stop at Fairbanks.