™s NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
VOL. LXII No. 33 NOME, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 1960 Per Copy 15*
City Moves For
Collection of All
Delinquent Taxes
The City of Nome now has a
legal adviser as Virgil Vochoska
was named city attorney by the
Council at its meeting Monday
night.
The first project on the agenda
of the city, now that it has legal
counsel, will be the starting of
legal action against those busi
nesses which are delinquent in
their sales tax returns. This will
toe followed by the compiling of a
list of property owners w-ho are
delinquent in their taxes, which
list is to be published and pro
per legal action taken against
them.
The street committee reported
that Bering Street drains had
been thawed for the protection of
the paved street and the needs of
the school.
City Jail Superintendent Herb
Jenks gave a summary of condi
tions at the recently-acquired jail
and read figures indicating that
the facility has operated at a pro
fit to the city during its first
month.
Bon Davis explained the pro
cess of financing the medical care
of prisoners and helped the Coun
cil formulate a plan to simplify
payment for this care.
A bid on the purchase of the
power line east of Nome to the
C.T. Site, which was under con
sideration, was tabled pending the
arrival of an engineering consult
ant for the Nome Utilities.
Spokesman for the Bowling
Assn., Gordon Osborne, asked for
information on the possibility of
a 20-year lease oy the group for
the lots west of the N. C. Cat
Shop. Osborne also asked for in
formation as to how steps could
be taken toward getting a city
manager form of government.
Councilman Doyle suggested
that the City adopt a nepotism
ordinance forbidding the employ
ment of more than one member
of the same family in any de
partment of the city.
At the request of the Nome
School Board, an ordinance was
passe'd making it unlawful to
smoke in the school building, ex
cept in the office of the admin
istrator, teachers’ lounge and the
boiler rooms. In the past it had
been permissible to smoke in the
hallways.
A letter from the Nome School
Board concerning acquiring ad
ditional playground space was re
ferred back to them for recom
mendations.
The Board of Equalization will
sit on March 29, 30, and 31, and
at this time the School Board was
requested to present an estimate
on their budget.
Judges for the City Election on
April 5 were named as Loretta
Waldheim, Lillie Lewis and Omie
McCarthy. Clerks—Edith Arnold
and Reca Godsbe.
The Street Committee was re
quested by the mayor to take ac
tion concerning the moving of a
house onto a city lot without per
mission in the E Street area by a
person who plans to leave town
soon.
The Council acted to give ten
days notice to military personnel
to obtain city stickers for personal
vehicles.
A report on the Community
Christmas fund, of which Verna
Mickelson was chairman, shows a
balance of $140.56 with which to
start next year’s project.
PRESIDENT PUBLICLY |
ENDORSES NIXON FOR!
GOP NOMINATION
WASHINGTON, UR— President
Eisenhower publicity endorsed
Vice President Richard Nixon to
day as his choice for the Republi
can presidential nomination.
Eisenhower made plain at a
news conference that he supports
Nixon, who at this point has no
opposition for the nomination.
ARR Manager
Terms Nonsense
Accounting Charge
WASHINGTON, UR — General
manager Robert Anderson of the
Alaska Railroad yesterday de
scribed as “bookkeeping non
sense” an accusation by the Gen
eral Accounting Office that the
road distorted financial state
ments to show it operated at a
profit instead of a loss.
The GAO filed a report with
Congress yesterday saying the
railroad “materially distorted” its
financial statement for the past
two fiscal years.
Anderson said in a statement
“a sieable portion of the GAO’s
criticism hinges on arguments be
tween bookkeepers on how to fig
ure depreciation rates. They now
criticize our bookkeeping rules
which they earlier approved. I am
quite willing to submit our re
ports to the press and the public.
“The GAO says our surplus of
$452,800 for 1958 and 1959 was in
stead a loss of $1,807,600. This is
bookkeeping nonsense.
“Congress has always maintain
ed the railroad should operate
within its income.
“If Congress now, however,
chooses to accept the GAO system
of figuring, then the imposition of
the GAO system must necessarily
mean that the railroad must seek
new avenues of revenue. The only
way that can be done is to raise
rates, which means a very sustan
tial increase in the charges we
make to the people of Alaska
who use the railroad.”
Ore. High Court
Justice Picked to
Fill Senate Term
SALEM, Ore., UP) — Oregon Su
preme Court Justice Hall Lusk,
76, a Democrat, was appointed
U. S. Senator to serve until the
November election. He fills out
the term of Richard Neuberger,
also a Democrat, who died last
Wednesday.
Republican Governor Mark Hat
field announced the appointment
at the capitol, ending speculation
he might name Maurine Neuber
ger, the senator’s widow, who is
a candidate to succeed her hus
band by election.
Lusk is a jurist who was ap
pointed to the State Supreme
Court in 1937 and has remained
on it toy election since. Before that
he had been a state circuit judge
in Portland seven years.
A COOL $45,000
NEW IBERIA, La., UP)—Russell
James Theriot, 23, was arrested
today in the $45,000 armed rob
bery of a New Iberia bank.
The FBI said all the money
taken Saturday from a branch of
the New Iberia National Bank
was recovered from an air con
ditioner at the man’s home. Ther
iot admitted the holdup, officers
said.
Highway 97 Gets
Unanimous Okay
Of Alaska Senate
JUNEAU, UR—'The State Senate
yesterday endorsed the proposed
Highway 97 to Nome.
The action on the Nome-Fair
banks highway came as the Sen
ate unanimously passed a resolu
tion urging the federal govern
ment to plan and construct the
long-sought route “with all delib
erate speed.”
The resolution, orignally spon
sored by Sen. Lester Bronson, was
amended before passage to in
clude as sponsors northwestern
Democrats Eben Hopson, John
McNees and Senate President
William Beltz, and Senate Major
ity Leader Ralph Moody of An
chorage.
Bronson said passage of the
resolution, along with other high
way planning, made the road
“closer than it’s ever been, and
there’s real hope now.”
Legislative Tempo Steps
Up As Adjournment
Approaches Next Week
JUNEAU, UR—'The Alaska Leg
islature, acting at a stepped-up
tempo, appeared today to be head
ed for a likely adjournment some
time next week.
In the most concentrated floor
action of the 1960 session, the
House disposed of 26 bills in five
hours yesterday. The Senate dealt
with Id and then went into a
night session.
Being the 51st day of the ses
sion, yesterday was the last
chance for transmittal from one
house to another of bills intro
duced by individual members
From now on only committee bills
will be considered.
The House adjourned for the
day without acting on two of the
more controversial issues facing
it, the liquor hours measure and
borough legislation.
The stepped-up activity paved
the way for action on major leg
islation in the next few days.
March 24, the 60th day of the
session, has been informally set
for adjournment.
Two bills died in the all-day
House session.
One would have added a new
condition to the list of grounds
for divorce in Alaska.
Earlier, the House voted 19-12
to kill a bill which would pro
hibit public servants from having
interests in public contracts.
Gates Asserts U.S.’
Power Several
Times Russia's
WASHINGTON, UO —Secretary
of Defense Thomas S. Gates Jr.
testified today that this country
surpasses the Soviet Union “sev
eral times” in total destructive
power of its nuclear weapons and
capacity for delivering them.
Gates rejected suggestions of
Democratic critics of the Eisen
hower defense program that this
country should match the Soviet
“missile for missile.” He took the
same stand on an immediate air
borne alert to protect the Strate
gic Air Command from possible
destruction on the ground by a
surprise missile attack.
Gates testified at a combined
public hearing by the joint Sen
ate Space Committee and the De
fense Preparedness subcommittee,
led by Senate Democratic Leader
Lyndon Johnson of Texas.
Russians Propose Total Disarmament
To Counter Western Allies 3-Stage Plan
By TOM OCHILTREE
GENEVA, (JPi — The Soviet
Union today proposed that the
United States, the U.S.S.R. and
Red China cut their armed forces
to 1,700,000 men each within 18
months.
Soviet delegate Valerian Zorin
made the proposal to the 10-na
tion disarmament conference at a
closed session during which the
five Western allies formally sub
mitted their three-stage plan to
halt the arms race. The Western
plan was made public yesterday
and got a chilly reception from
the Soviets.
The Soviet plan—which has not
yet been formally put before the
conference — is based on Soviet
Premier Khrushchev’s proposal to
the U.N. General Assembly last
September that all nations disarm
completely within a four - year
period.
The Western plan calls for the
United States and Soviet Union
to hold theii forces to 2Vi million
men each in the first stage, and
to cut them to 2,100,000 in the
second stage, with corresponding
reductions in other countries. The
plan sets no timetable for the
stages.
Zorin told a news conference
that under the Soviet plan, all
stages of disarmament would be
supervised by an international
control organization and an in
spection system. In previous dis
armament negotiations, however,
Soviet and Western ideas of an
adequate control system have
been far apart.
In the second stage of the So
viet plan, said Zorin, all armed
forces would be disbanded and all
foreign bases would be liquidated.
This could be completed within
two years after the first stage, he
said.
In the third stage all types of
nuclear weapons would be de
stroyed.
Alaska Ferry
Authority Depends
On Congress
JUNEAU, UP) — Legislation ap
proved unanimously by the Sen
ate yesterday could lead to cre
ation of an Alaska Ferry System
Authority.
The bill was changed somewhat
before being passed and sent to
the House. As it now stands, it
makes creation of the authority
contingent on the availability of
federal funds.
The question of federal money
for the project, 13 million dollars
in all, is under study in Congress.
Spokesman for the state confer
red with congressmen and other
federal officials recently, and it
was said then the state would
seek federal aid highway money
for the project.
The bill would leave two
courses of action open to the gov
ernor in the event funds for a
ferry system are approved. He
could start the proposed author
ity, a semi - autonomous, inde
pendent state agency, or he could
authorize the State Department
of Public Works to take over the
system.
The upper chamber unanimous
ly passed a bill calling for pay
ment of time and a half to gov
ernment workers for overtime
after the regular 37 Vz work week.
In the past, overtime work has
been compensated by equal time
off.
Margaret’s Intended Ii^
Descendant of Edward I
LONDON, UP) — Princess Mar
garet isn’t marrying a mere com
moner after all.
Within the next few days she
will receive a lineage chart show
ing husband-to-be Anthony Arm
strong-Jones, is a direct descend
ant of Edward I, king of England
from 1272 to 1307.
Patrick Montague-Smith, assist
ant editor of Debrett’s Peerage,
“Who’s Who” of the nobility did
the trick.
“I was certain in my mind that
Armstrong - Jones had a strong
connection with royalty,” he said.
“But it required many hours of
research to prove it.”
No title goes with the discovery.
Queen Elizabeth II is expected to
supply that for Tony before the
wedding.
Five Rescued from
Plane Crash On
Nevada Mountain
ELY, Nev., UP) — Strong winds,
heavy snow and ice smacked
down a light airplane onto the
slqpe of a snow-covered north
eastern Nevada mountain, but all
five aboard survived and were
rescued yesterday after more than
two days of sub-zero temperature
weather.
An Air Force helicopter car
ried the five members of the
same family from the mountain
to warmth, safety and medical
care in Ely.
The conditions — cold, blowing
snow and high altitude (about
11,000 feet)—were extremely haz
ardous for the operation of a heli
copter.
Here’s how Wes Stoddard, 50
year-old bush pilot from Anchor
age, tells it:
“We had taken off Sunday in
good weather, and as we were
flying along we suddenly were
weathered in — I mean, really
weathered. My wife saw a few
trees in front of us as we were
moving along on instruments.”
The small, twin - engine Piper
Apache stayed upright as it sliced
into the snow, but the sudden de
celeration threw Stoddard against
the windshield and knocked out
some of his teeth. It hurt his
back too, as did his wife. The
other three persons were less ser
iously hurt.
Six-year-old Randy Cumbie
was quite excited about the whole
thing. He had a birthday party in
the disabled plane atop the moun
tain Monday. His present was a
sweater which could not have
been more appropriate. Tempera
tures dropped to 15 below zero.
Alaska Senate Resurrects
Atomic Devices Measure
JUNEAU, OP)—The Alaska Sen
ate killed and then brought back
to life yesterday a bill to give
the state the final say on whether
atomic devices may be exploded
within the state.
Sen. Seaborn J. Buckalew Jr.,
sponsor of the bill, said it is de
signed only to require that fed
eral agencies convince the gov
ernor or legislature that a nuclear
blast is safe.