Nome Chamber of Commerce Airs
City Problems at Breakfast Talk
With Alaska Gov. Mike Stepovich
By RUTH McLEAN
Sitting together at the break
last table Thursday morning, the
N.W.A. Chamber of Commerce
and Gov. Mike Stepovich parti
cipated in a discussion of prob
lems of the Second Division.
Some of these problems are be
ing solved, others have yet to be
worked out. Gov. Stepovich ex
pressed his interest and desire to
be helpful whenever possible be
cause “problems affecting the
Second Division also affect the
rest of the territory.”
Mayor Steffen Andersen first
advised of a situation in which
Nome will be without a doctor
for about two weeks. Efforts
have been made to secure a mili
tary doctor or one from the De
partment of Health for this short
period, however, none are avail
able, Mayor Andersen learned.
The governor said he would take
immediate steps to help bring a
doctor to Nome.
In discussing the sewer and
water system for Nome, Mayor
Andersen said that the Alaska
Public Works administration and
the City are anxious to go ahead
with the project. The preliminary
engineering survey is now due
and the city must have it done.
The cost of the survey is $10,000
which will be returned to the
city once the system is realized.
Right now the big problem is
how to raise the money for the
survey. Andersen pointed out
that the money cannot be raised
by levying additional taxes since
90 percent of the taxes now are
paid by 10 percent of the people.
Since the APW funds will not
be available after next year, it
is imperative that the engineer
ing survey be made this summer.
The city must also hold a special
election on the issue which will
lequire the approval of 65 per
cent of the voters.
The governor said that the im
portance of a sewer and water
system cannot ibe over-empha
sized. It is the key to the devel
opment and progress of the whole
community, he said, and the peo
ple of Nome must work together
for its realization. He pointed
out that the circulating water
system in Fairbanks is most sat
isfactory and said it is amazing
how it improves conditions thru
out the community.
Willie Brown said The Nom
erama theater will show sanita
tion films, if they can be secured,
to help the public realize the
dangers of inadequate water and
sewer systems. Stepovich offered
to contact he Dept, of Sanitation
for such film, and Mayor Ander
sen said the City will also en
deavor to arrange for film to be
sent to Nome.
Stan Morgan pointed out that
the Federal Housing Authority
has waived many requirements,
in order to allow Nome to parti
cipate in the FHA program, but
the water and sewer system re
quirement is not one which they
will relax.
Speaking of another city prob
lem, the mayor said that the few
taxpayers of Nome are carrying
the burden of increased school
enrollment. He said that the
native people are moving in from
villages increasing the school en
rollment, yet there is no corres
ponding increase in city revenue.
Stepovich replied that the gov
ernment realizes that the native
people are moving to the centers
of population and that steps must
be taken to relieve the over
burdened communities.
Chas. D. Jones introduced the
subject of roads in the Second
Division. The governor agreed
that roads must be built and that
where there are roads, people
.1
will travel and build. He stressed
the importance of the road be
tween Nome and Fairbanks and
said that when he talks to the
Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce
in a few days he will remind
them of the road’s importance.
Many other subjects were
brought to the attention of Gov.
Stepovich, including the need for
an adequate terminal building at
Nome Field; the need for a terri
torial law enforcement officer at
Unalakleet during the construc
tion season; the return of the
Land Office to Nome; the need
for tax relief or an incentive to
help the mining industry. John
McNees pointed out that Ameri
'can investment capital is going
to Canada and Mexico but very
i little to Alaska.
!
uov. btepovich stated that he
is in favor of statehood for Alaska
and that he feels it is the only
way Alaska can progress, “nor
| do I feel that it will increase
i taxes.” The people will have the
j use of some 103 million acres of
j land when statehood is achieved,
; whereas now we have only one
| fifth of one percent of the land
1 in the territory, he said.
! Chamber President Jim Walsh
: brought up the question of a tax
free 25 percent cost of living
allowance for all Alaskans. Jerry
: Manning said that actually it is
not a cost of living allowance,
but is considered additional com
pensation for federal employees
in isolated areas. Russell Her
mann pointed out that there are
inequities within the government
itself in this matter since not all
federal employees receive the
cost-of-living differential.
Gov. Stepovich agreed that it
was unfair but it was his opinion
that a test case will have to be
made. Someone will have to re
fuse to pay his full tax and it
will probably go to the Supreme
Court, he said.
Stan Morgan asked about the
possibility of a representative
from Nome on the Game Com
mission and the governor said he
would advise the Chamber when
to expect a visit from the head
of the Fish and Wildlife Service.
The Governor said the problems i
of conservation in areas now
being opened up by the road
building program can be brought
to his attention while in Nome.
Gov. Stepovich agreed with
John McNees that the Legislative
Council should hold its fall meet
ing in Nome and said he will
make every effort to arrange
transportation for the Council’s
staff.
In concluding the breakfast j
meeting, Gov. Stepovich said, j
“Don’t hesitate to call on the |
governor's office. That’s what we i
are there for. We aren’t super- i
men, but we will do everything j
we can.”
President Walsh thanked Gov.
Stepovich for his interest and
understanding of the problems of
Nome and the Second Division
and expressed the satisfaction of
having an Alaskan, native-born
governor who has that interest
and understanding.
r-%
BRING YOUR
WATCH
I
tu the
Nome Drug Store
for
EXPERT REPAIRS
> . *
"Bering*, Once
On Nome Run,
Now Rotting Hulk
<The Alaska Liner)
Lying on the beach, just past
the channel entrance to the Bal
lard Locks serving as a break
water, is the weatherworn hulk
of a once-proud vessel—the Ber
ing.
Sand and salty seawater re
place the cargo she proudly car
ried in her now slowly rotting
holds, and empty cabins, their
doors ajar on rusting hinges, play
host to curious seagulls.
This boat is known to people
of northwestern Alaska as the
Arthur J. Baldwin, which came
to Nome many times starting in ]
1930, for the Arctic Transporta- j
tion Co. owned by the Lomen'
Commercial Co.
The Bering made her first trip !
to Nome on May 30, 1930. The!
schedule then included three trips |
•a year, the first of which was to
the Kotzebue Sound area. She
carried up to 12 passengers.
In March 1936 the Alaska
Steamship Co. bought the Arthur |
J. Baldwin, and she sailed under
her new flag from Seattle on
June 11. Renamed Bering, she
was used mainly on the south
eastern cannery route. In August ,
1941 she called at Barrow.
In 1943 the Bering was in Mil- I
banke Sound when she struck a
reef. Not badly damaged, she
sailed north to Skagway, then re
turned to Seattle, where, since
she was old and of wooden con
struction, she was scrapped.
Her present owner, A. C. Tony I
of Seattle, says her condition is j
such that she could never be j
moved, but with the completion
of the new breakwater off Gold
en Gardens she will have served
her usefulness.
Perhaps, he says, she will have
one final blaze of glory by inaug
urating some future Seafair.
INVITATION TO BID
Sealed bids will be received ai i
the Nome Light & Power Utilities j
office until 2:00 p.m. July 1L 1957!
and then publicly opened for i
pulling, hauling and stacking 100 j
power poles at a designated loca-1
tion in Nome. Poles to be taken j
consecutively from the aban- ]
doned A.C.S. line to Cape Nome, j
beginning with the second pole!
east of the road to the C.A.A. j
transmitter site. Messenger and'
telephone cable along route of
poles to be reeled up and hauled
to Nome together with pole hard
ware removed from poles.
Right is reserved to reject any
or all bids. Further information
may be obtained at the Nome
Light & Power Utilities office.
Nome Light & Power Utilities
By Luther Dunbar
Publish July 5, 8, 10, 1957.
GLUE POT
Soda Fountain :
I
l
CIGARS, CIGARETS
TOBACCO
CANDY
FRESH ICE CREAM
EVERY DAY
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Monte Market
P. O* (Box 579 JSlonte, c4la&kci
* ★ RIGHT ON FRONT STREET
> ★ RIGHT ON THE PRICE' . >
★ RIGHT ON THE WAY HOME W
> - |
I WE WILL BE OPEN i
i UNTIL 10 O’CLOCK i.
I TUESDAY NIGHT jj
l JULY THE NINTH l
d <
W U
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\ WATCH FOB i
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I SPECIALS ’
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W 1 IX
* PAY CASH AND SAVE * PAY CASH AND SAVE *
ARCTIC OIL DELIVERY
Why Worry ? — Call us and Relax !
Residence Office
Main 52 Black 76
WE CHECK YOUR TANK REGULARLY
HAVE YOU TRIED AN . . .
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