m NOME NUGGET
_OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS _
62nd Year No. 79 NOME, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, JULY 5, 1961 Per Copy 15^
Strike or Lockout of Union Men
Puts Squeeze on State ESC Fund
By Ward Sims
JUNEAU Iff) — An unintentional
squeeze play in the current con
struction industry dispute has put
Merrill Weir, boss of the State’s
Employment Security Ppogram,
on the spot.
It will be up to Weir to deter- 1
mine which of the workers idled
by the dispute will receive un
employment compensation bene
fits.
The answer is not as easy to
come by as it might seem at first
glance.
As a matter of fact, the answer
will be the first if its kind to be
issued in the State of Alaska, in
Weir’s memory.
Here is the background of the
problem facing the Employment I
Security Division:
After contract talks between the
Associated General Contractors
and seven construction unions
broke down last month, members
of four of the unions struck AGC
member jobs in Anchorage and
Ketchikan.
The AGC, operating as it has
in other states, acted quickly.
Contending that a “strike
against one member is a strike
against all members,” AGC con
tractors discharged members of
the four unions— the Teamsters,
Cement Finishers, Laborer and
Operating Engineers—on all AGC
jobs in the state.
Members of the four unions on
AGC jobs other than the three
originally struck in Ketchikan
and Anchorage immediately
claimed lockout.
Now, when he starts receiving
claims for unemployment com
pensation from these workers,
Weir is going to have to deter
mine which it is, strike or lay
off.
It it is a strike, there will be
no benefits for union members
dismissed by AGC members fol
lowing the Ketchikan and An
chorage walkouts.
If it is layoff, members of these
four unions will receive jobless
benefits—and the state’s unem
ployment compensation fund,
lively on the remend with a bal
ance in excess of $3 million, will
be dealt a crippling blow.
Members of the other three
unions involved in the contract
dispute, who have not struck but
who have been idled because of
Teamsters, Cement Finishers,
Laborers and Operating Engi
neer layoffs, will receive bene
fits, because their idleness is not
Jack F. Scavenius
Appointed Director
Of Air Commerce
JUNEAU (ff> — The appoint
ment of Jack F. Scavenius of
Spenard as Director of Air Com
merce for the Public Service
Commission has been announced
by the PSC.
Scavenius, now in charge of
probate for the Third District
Superior Court at Anchorage, suc
ceeds Neal Foster, who recently
submitted his resignation.
A graduate of the Unversity of
Chicago Law School, Scavenius
served as a commercial pilot in j
Alaska prior to and after World
War II. He served in the Air
Force during the war.
Scavenius is a former member
of both the Anchorage City Coun
cil and the Territorial Legisla
ture, serving in Juneau in 1951.
It
of their own making.
The first step in the ultimate
decision wrill be taken —and in
many instances has already been
taken—by the Teamsters, La
borers, Cement Finishers and
Operating Engineers who were
dismissed following the Anchor
age and Ketchikan strikes.
When they file their claims for
jobless benefits, undoubtedly they
will claim they were idled by the
actions of their employers.
Normally, the Employment So- j
curity Division would then obtain
comment from the employers on
the reasons for the unemploy
ment.
In this particular case, the an
swer will be:
“He is a striker.”
And Weir gets shoved into the
middle of ‘.he dispute.
Pulp & Sulphite Workers
Go On Strike Monday At
Ketchikan Pulp Mill
KETCHIKAN UP) — The Pulp
and Sulphite Workers Union went
on strike Monday night at the
Ketchikan Pulp Co. plant on
Ward Cove eight miles north of
Ketchikan.
It was the first strike since the
plant opened in 1955. The plant
had been shut down since June
| 24 for maintenance work.
The union representing 380 em
• ployes, threw up a picket line in
j support of its demands for higher
wages and a company-operated
commissary.
Powerhouse workers, who are
members of the Operating Engi
neers union, left the plant and
maintenance work was stopped
because the construction workers
would not cross the picket line.
The union rejected a company
wage offer over the weekend, of
ficials said. The union demands
and the company offer were not
disclosed.
Canadians Reject JFK's
Plea to Join the OAS
OTTAWA UP) — The Canadian
government reportedly has de
cided to reject President Ken
nedy’s plea that it join the Or
ganization of American States
(OAS).
Reporting this from informed
sources, the Canadian Press said
last night Prime Minister John
Diefenbaker’s government does
plan to play a bigger role in Latin
American affairs.
One source pointed out that
Canada has ordered new diplo
matic missions to some of the
smaller Latin American repub
lics since Kennedy’s visit to
Canada in May and has increased
its aid to Latin America.
The reported reason for de
ciding to stay clear of the 21
nation OAS is a fear that by
joining Canada would have to
choose between anti-Communist
members and extreme leftist
members, such as Cuba.
Norman Roberts of Palmer Wins
Seward's Annual Mount Marathon
SEWARD UP)—Seward’s annual
Mount Marathon was won by
Norman Roberts of Palmer who
scampered up the tall peak in 51
minutes, 2 and 4-10 seconds.
Richard Taylor -of Gilford, N.M.,
was second in 52 minutes 37 sec
onds.
Twenty three runners entered
the annual Fourth of July endur
ance race and all but two fin
ished.
Former Ketchikan
Man Charged with
Arson After 3 Fires
KETCHIKAN UR — A former
Ketchikan volunteer fireman
charged with arson after three
major fires which caused an esti
mated $250,000 damage here
Monday, was under arrest today
in California.
The FBI reported the arrest of
the man, William H. Mitchell.
Police Chief T. H. Miller said
he would fly to California today
to return Mitchell to Ketchikan.
Mitchell, who left here Monday
afternoon, was charged with ar
son in state court and also had
been sought on a federal charge
of flight to avoid prosecution.
He was out on bail after plead
ing innocent late this spring to j
two charges of arson in connec
tion with earlier Ketchikan fires.
According to State District At
torney Howard Staley, Mitchell }
was in Ketchikan Monday and
departed that afternoon for Seat
tle, disguised as a woman.
Staley said an FBI agent ques
tioned Mitchell at Seattle-Tacoma
International Airport Monday
i night after the FBI received a re
' port that a female impersonator
I was on the flight from Ketchi
I kan.
Mitchell was released, how
ever, because the new arson
charge against him had not yet
been filed in Ketchikan,
j Staley said the FBI and a re
presentative of the National Fire
Underwriters were investigating
the possibility that the three fires,
which sent two firemen to the
hospital for treatment of smoke
inhalation, were touched off by
timed incendiary devices.
The first fire broke ou* in a
third-floor laundry room of the
Tongass Trading Co. building, a
50-year-old Ketchikan landmark.
Firemen were just coiling up j
their hoses after controlling that j
fire when another alarm sent
them racing to the Federal Mar
ket Building, two blocks away.
The blaze had too much of a
start, however, and most of the
structure’s contents were des
troyed before the fire was con
trolled some five hours later.
The building housed a market,
apartments, a drug store and a
beauty shop.
While firemen were battling
the Federal Market Building
blaze, a patrol being maintained
at the Tongass Trading Co. Bldg,
noticed smoke billowing from the
Stedman Hotel, across the street.
Additional men and equipment
were dispatched to the hotel and
they brought the third blaze un
der control within an hour.
Fire Chief Ralph Batholomew
said the fire hoses at the Stedman
Hotel had been cut full of holes.
FAST READING . . .
WIRRAL, England UR — A
reader wrote the local librarian
complaining that a book he bor
rowed had been stamped by error
for return on the same day.
“Admittedly,” he wrote, “the
book is entitled ‘How to Speed Up
Your Reading’ but this ridicu
lous.”
THE WEATHER
Continued fair. Low tonight 40,
high tomorrow 50-55. In the last
24 hours: High of 51, low of 41.
Sunrise at 1:40 a. m., sunset at
10:31 p. m. Temperatures a year
ago today: High of 46, low of 43.
Extremes on this date since 1907:
High of 73 in 1959, low of 32 in
1924. I
Traffic Deaths
(Jimh to Record
High Over the 4th
By The Associated Press
Traffic deaths climbed to rec
ord heights for a summer holiday
during the long Independence Day
weekend.
The tally today also showed that
the over-all accident toll, includ
ing a heavy loss of life on water,
reached an all-time mark for any
holiday period.
Late reports boosted the motor
vehicle fatality total beyond the
500 mark. It passed the previous
high of 491 set during a four
day observance of Independence
Day in 1950. That had been the
top mark for any summer holiday
period. And it went far beyond
the National Safety Council’s ad
vance estimate that 450 Ameri
cans might die in traffic accidents
during the 102-hour period be
tween 6 p. m. Friday and mid
night Tuesday.
The previous record for deaths
in accidents of various kinds, in
cluding traffic, had been estab
j lished in the four-day celebration
| of Christmas in 1956. It was 884.
During that same period traffic
deaths soared to 706, a standing
record for any holiday period.
Traffic 509
Boating 63
Drowning 204
Miscellaneous 148
TOTAL 924
Castro Claims U.S.
Forcing Cubans
To Go Hungry
By Jose Maria Orlando
HAVANA UP — Fidel Castro
claims the United States is trying
to force Cubans to go hungry by
embargoing food exports to Cuba.
In a nationwide television
radio address Tuesday night, the
Prime Minister accused the Unit
ed States again of economic ag
gression and said the Soviet
Union had offered Cuba 10,000
tons of lard to make up for a
U. S. shipment of 12 carloads that
was stopped last week.
Castro did not explain the cir
cumstances of the embargo on the
lard shipment. A Florida court
ordered the shipment seized to
help satisfy a $429,000 bill the
Cuban Government Tourist Agen
cy owes a Miami advertising
agency.
Castro called the lard seizure
the latest act of “imperialist ag
gression” and announced Cubans
would have to cut down on fats
until production can replace U. S.
imports. Cuba has depended on the
United States for most of its lard,
but Castro said Cuba would buy
no more U. S. lard, imports of
which, he said, had run to $20
million a year.
The Prime Minister announced
that Cubans, who normally con
sume about 40Vi pounds of fats
per person annually, would be
rationed to one pound of oil and
one pound of lard a month.
Castro also complained about
the seizure of a Cuban twin
engine passenger airplane in
Miami Monday. The plane, hi
jacked in flight by some of its
passengers, was seized when it
landed to be applied toward the
Miami advertising firm’s judg
ment. Three Cuban crop-dusting
planes that landed in the Florida
Keys also were seized for the
same reason.
ANG Armorv in
Nome Dedicated
On Fourth of July
The Alaska National Guard
Armory, headquarters for the 1st
Scout Bn., 297th Infantry, was of
ficially dedicated with an impres
sive ceremony yesterday after
noon with Maj. Gen. Thomas P.
Carroll, Adjutant General of the
Guard from Juneau and Col. B.
P. Major of the Intelligence Dept,
of the U. S. Army at Ft. Rich
ardson giving the main addresses
for the occasion.
Gen. Carroll said it was always
a pleasure to dedicate a new ar
mory because they are a symbol
of the cooperation between the
guard and the community.
“Every man in the Guard is
part of one big team,” explained
Col. Major, who showed with
maps and pictures how the
Guard, the military in Alaska and
the military headquarters in
[ Washington, D. C., are closely
I unified and kept in constant con
! tact with what goes on any place
| where the Guard is located.
■ Master of Ceremonies was Don
| Perkins and welcoming the
| guests who filled the parachute
| decorated auditorium was Mayor
Roscoe Wilke.
Special addresses were made
by SP/4 Andrew Kunayak in Es
j kimo and by State Sen. Lester
! Bronson.
Rcognition was givon to the
territorial legislators of the 1957
session who took the first step in
obtaining this needed headquar
j ters for the Guard.
Following the ceremony the
Northern Light Dancers headed by
Paul Green presented some in
I terpretive Eskimo dances.
A no-host dinner was held in
the evening, under the sponsor
ship of the Chamber of Com
merce and a Dedication Ball was
held at the Armory in the eve
ning.
Winner of the door prize —
the transistor radio — was John
Attatayak.
The committee in charge of the
dedication ceremonies was head
ed by Capt. Lawrence Nevue,
Chaplain for the 1st Scout Bn.,
and assisted by Lt. George Foster,
M/Sgt. Alfred Sahlin, M/Sgt.
James Blanning of ACS and Sen.
Pearse Walsh.
The Armory Board, which will
direct the use of the Armory for
public functions, is composed of
Marc Beauchamp, Bob Reddaway,
Capt. Robert Steele, Capt. Nevue,
and Sgt. Sahlin.
(Continued on Page Six)
4th of July Gunplay
Cost Man's Life in Haines
HAINES UP) — A Fourth of
July argument erupted into gun
fire here yesterday and left a
31-year-old Haines logger. Die
trich N. Gottschalk, dead.
State Trooper Don McQueen
said Gottschalk was slain in the
apartment he shared with two
other loggers. He was shot in the
head with a bullet from a large
caliber revolver, according to
McQueen.
McQueen arrested Iieo R. Al
becker, 47, and took Albecker to
Juneau, where he was being held
in the state jail.
Albecker was charged with first
degree murder in a complaint
filed with District Magistrate
Henry C. Leege this afternoon.
The complaint was signed by
State Police Sgt. John Monagle.