23S NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
VOL.LVIII No. 16 _NOME, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1956_Per Copy—154
Representative of
Social Security
To Visit Nome
The Department of Health Ed
ucation and Welfare has announ
ced that Everell C. Cummins,
field representative, will visit
Nome on Wednesday and Thurs
day, Feb. 15 and 16 on behalf of
the Social Security Administra
tion.
Mr. Cummins will be at the
Wallace Hotel and will want to
meet anyone seking information
about his Social Security Ac
count. The trip is solely for the
purpose of giving information
about and taking claims for Old
Age and Survivors Insurance
Benefits.
Relatives of persons who have
died recently are encouraged to
collect any benefits due, based on
the social security contributions
of the deceased. Maximum family
benefits are $200 a month.
Maximum old-age benefits for
a person past age 65 is $103.50.
Mr. Cummins has said he’d like
to contact anyone over age 65
who is not now drawing Social
Security benefits even though not
retired.
Many persons lose some of
their benefits by not inquiring
at the age of 65. Payments are
made for any month after that
age when a worker or self-em
ployed person is “retired” within
the meaning of the Social Secur
ity Act, even though the worker
is not off work for good.
Social Security contributions
are compulsory ’and support a
nationwide program of old - age
and survivors insurance.
Ten new claims for monthly
benefits were taken in Nome dur
ing Mr. Cummins’ last visit in
August.
Mail Rate Boost
Seems Unlikely
WASHINGTON UP)—1The Eisen
hower Administration’s hopes for
increased mail rates to help curb
the huge postal deficit appeared
doomed today in the House.
Following a closed-door huddle
yesterday with Postmaster Gen
eral Summerfield, some influen
tial members of the Republican
Policy Committee predicted there
would be no rate-boosting action
in the House this year.
Democratic leaders have made
the same prediction in private.
Summerfield outlined to the
GOP Policy Committee his pro
posal to increase most postal
rates. Included would be a 1-cent
boost in the present 3-cent cost of
mailing a letter.
The House Appropriations Com
mittee said last week the postal
operating deficit—the mail han
dling cost in excess of revenues
from postage—will come to about
$470 million this year. The com
mittee called for postal rate in
creases in approving a $3,618,699,
000 bill to finance the Post Office
and Treasury Departments in the
bookkeeping year starting July 1.
The House passed the appropria
tions bill yesterday and sent it to
the Senate.
Chamber Backs
Highway Aid Act
C"' V
The Chamber of Commerce Is
taking immediate action support
ing the Federal Aid Highway Act
now before Congress, advising
those members of Congress on the
committee not only of the im
portance of ^including Alaska in
the bill but 'drawing their atten
tion to the fact that with state
hood in the offing, more than ever
before Alaska should be treated
on an equal status with states of
the Union without discrimination.
Discussion was also held at the
noon luncheon yesterday on the
proposed $11,000,000 for rehabili
tation of Alaska natives. This was
presented to the Chamber a week
ago by Mr. Fred Geeslin, local
director of the Alaska Native Ser
vice.
Andrew Nerland,
Fairbanks Pioneer,
Dies Suddenly
FAIRBANKS—Andrew Nerland,
85, prominent pioneer of Alaska,
died suddenly this week after he
was stricken with a heart attack.
The attack occurred in the Ner
land Furniture Store here.
One of the best-known and re
spected citizens of Alaska, he
was a member of the University
of Alaska Board of Regents and
of the Alaska Statehood Commit
tee. He was one of the earliest
supporters of statehood for Alas
ka, and he lived to see the Alaska
constitution signed one day before
his death.
He is survived by his widow,
Annie; son Leslie, who was a del
egate to the Constitutional Con
vention; and three grandchildren,
Leslie, Ron and Milesse, as well
as several great-grandchildren.
Andrew Nerland came to Daw
son at the turn of the century,
later moving his business to Fair
banks. He served as mayor of
Fairbanks and also served with
the city council in this city. He
was a member of the council in
1914 and served as mayor in 1916.
He served in the Alaska legis
lature as both a representative
and a senator.
Red Foxes Are
Making a Quiet
Invasion of Nome
Foxes are making a quiet inva
sion of Nome.
One morning recently, a little
before six o’clock, Olaf Halverson,
principal and teacher of Nome
School, was greatly surprised
when he opened his back door.
There, only 10 feet away and on
the summit of a snowdrift, was a
beautiful tan or red fox with a
white marker on the tip of its
tail. The animal was not startled
but moved slowly away.
On another occasion a fox was
seen by Halverson at the intersec
tion of Steadman and Third Av
enues at 10:30 p.m. The fox, like
some loose dogs, was searching
the surroundings of the houses in
search of food.
' Six red foxes have been coming
to the ACS area on north Stead
man, where they have been fed.
Seattle-Nome Club
Honors Charles Garfield,
Former Nugget Editor
SEATTLE, UPV—1The Seattle
Nome Club will honor Charles D.
Garfield, former manager of the
Alaska division of the Seattle
Chamber of Commerce, at a
luncheon Monday in the Wash
ington Athletic Club.
Garfield will be 89 Monday. He
was born in Olympia in 1867, the
year the United States purchased
Alaska from Russia.
Garfield was associated with
the northland some 60 years. He
first went north in the winter of
1897 to Dawson, Y.T., where he
staked and worked mining claims.
In the spring of 1903 Garfield
went to Nome and became the
U.S. customs collector. In Nome,
he also managed the telephone
company two winters and man
aged and edited the Nome Nugget
for two years.
Garfield left Nome on his 42nd
birthday and traveled to Valdez
by dogteam. The journey took
one month.
Later, Garfield was appointed
assistant customs collector for
Juneau. He came tq Seattle in
1923 to manage the chamber divi
sion. He remained in that position
11 years and helped organize the
Seattlle Mining Club and the Fur
Exchange. He founded the Fur
Journal and edited it 21 years.
Visitors Assn.
Holds Annual
Meet at Fairbanks
FAIRBANKS, Feb. 4—A nu
cleus of Alaskans interested in
boosting tourism met here yester
day to elect officers for 1956, pay
tribute to a pioneer arctic trader,
hear what has been and will be
done to bring in more tourist dol
lars, and make recommendations
which will stimulate interest in
tourist promotion in the terri
tory’s smaller communities.
Ben Crawford, president of the
City Bank of Anchorage, was re
elected president of the Alaska
Visitors Assn, at their annual
meeting which opened here yes
terday. Other officers for 1956
are O. F. Benecke of Juneau, first
vice president: John J. Ryan of
Fairbanks, second vice president;
Mrs. Bernice Stocke, Petersburg,
re-elected secretary; and Robert
Sparks of Anchorage, treasurer.
All but Sparks held offices dur
ing 1955.
Almost all of the 12 directors
whose terms expired with this
meeting were reseated on the
AVA board.
Six other directors were ap
proved and will be seated on the
board providing the entire AVA
membership is in favor of amend
ing the articles of incorporation
to boost the number. This must
come through a two-thirds vote of
approval by written ballot.
The six are: Robert Casey, of
Circle Hot Springs; George Bea
com, Sitka, and Milton Daley,
Ketchikan, for a one-year term
each; Tommy Martin, of Nome;
George Ashby, Copper Center,
and Jack White, Anchorage, each
for a two year term.
Eisenhower Asks Revision of U.S.
fnum«ration Laws, Larger Quotas
Maj. Elvis M. Farmer
Named *o Succeed Noyes
As ANG Adjutant General
JUNEAU, <#>—Maj. Elvis M.
Farmer has been named acting
adju*ant general of the Alaska
National Guard.
Gov. B. Frank Heintzleman an
nounced his appointment, with
the rank of colonel, to succeed
Brig. Gen. John R. Noyes, who
was fatally injured in a plane
crash near Nome.
Farmer, 29, has been assistan1
adjutant general since 1954. He
came to Alaska in 1952 from the
National Guard Bureau in Wash
ington D.C. to direct the person
nel section in the Alasva office.
He is a native of Arkansas, a
graduate of the University of Mis- j
souri, and a veteran of World
War II. He has been in the active
reserve for 12 years.
Another I*ai:an CoV^e**
Wins *32,000 on Tir
W;*h Koowled"0 o? Onof!)
NEW YORK, iypi—A second Ital
ian-born cobbler has won $32,0A0
by displayin'? an amazing knowl
edge of opera on the same televi
sion quiz prog"am.
Michael Della Rocca, 54, a pro
moter of amateur opera perform
ances in his Long Island neigh
borhood, reached the ha’f-wiy
mark last ni^ht on the r'BS-TV
show “The $64,000 Question,”
He hinted that he wo”ld seev
the be’p of Gino Prata and might
try for the grand prize next Tues
day night.
Prato, 55-year-o’d Bronx shoe
make", won $32,000 in his chosen j
opera category last August and 1
quit ra‘her than risk his winnmgs
by trying for $64,000.
If Della Rocca hies for the ^64,
000 he can take an expert of his
own choosing into the program’s
sound-proof booth to help him
with the answer.
Della Rocca, father of five from j
Baldwin, N.Y., answered ques
tions about six operas bv compos
es of va"ious nations in his third 1
appearance on the program.
^ncliora^e ^enor*"
*?e~r>rf| ^rnn’ovm0!!* and
UrKwn’ovmen4 fo»- Jan. 1
JUNEAU, WJ—A bi-mon hlv re
port by the Alaska Employment
Security Commission shows more
than 5,000 persons listed as un
employed in the Anchorafe, Fair
banks, Ketchikan and Juneau
areas. In all areas except Ketchi
kan, however, emp'oymen as of
January 1 was higher than a year
ago.
The Anchorage area reported
both the heaviest January 1 em
ployment, 19,761, and ‘he largest
number of jobless, 1,913. Unem
ployment a ygar previously was
2,700.
Fairbanks reported 1,57’ unem
ployed as against 1,^08 a v ar a o
but said defense install" ions in
the interior proba lv wo d u
ploy twice as many men as woo
required for the DEW radar proj
ect last year.
! WASHINGTON, UP)—President
Eisenhower today recommended
elimination of an administrative
provision requiring inspection of
aliens coming to the mainland
from Alaska and Hawaii.
Eisenhower said this is an ex
pense to the government and an
inconvenience to travelers.
His recommendation was in a
special message to Congress on
the immigration laws.
He said there is no need either
fo- pplying admission standards
to aliens simply passing through
this country enroute elsewhere.
For example, he said, South Am
er'c"ns ^oing to and from Europe
bv a;r tv ss thi'ough the
United r -'
•ged Congress
to ov,v ' tion’s immigra
tion laws out “inequali
ties” and ease Ihe way for 220,000
foreigners to come to this country
as permanent residents each year.
Eisenhower said he thought
this rise of about 65,000 over the
prerent annual quota of 154,657
immigrants is justified by the
country’s past growth and current
economic conditions.
e said too that it would be a
' o ni ion of “our responsibili
ir world leadership.”
Eisenhower also told the law
m ’• err, there is need to speed up
the process of deporting unworthy
aliens—persons who have “been
found to be criminals of the low
est character, trafficking in mur
der, narcotics and subversion.”
The President’s message dealt
to a great extent with recommen
dations for revision of the 1952
McCarran-Walter Act, which be
came law over the veto of former
President Truman.
. enhower also made recom
’ ’; tlons in these other prin
cipal fields:
. Granting discretion to the
. t o ney general to waive techni
cality :n special cases where
a an. seek entry to the U.S. At
present Congress must pass indi
vidual bills in such cases.
?. Elimination of “unnecessary
re riel ions ... of our immigra
tion laws.” In that connection,
one recommendation was for the
el.mina ion of the requirement
that all aliens visiting this coun
try be fingerprinted. Eisenhower
said that “although in our minds
no s igma is attached to finger
printing it is not a requirement of
.ravel in other countries.”
There have been objections by
Russian visitors to being finger
p.i ted. They say it is done only
,o criminals in their country.
Some of the visitors were given
o...a..c status to get around
the equirement.
cout Anniversary
0"“ecord Membership
ASHINGTON, UJV-The Boy
Scouts of America reported today,
on heir 46th anniversary, they
have a record membership of
4,i "3,134 boys and-adults.
The announcement was made
at a “Report to the Nation” break
fas attended by representatives
of Congress, the White House, the
Supreme Court and many nation
a >. ganizations.