THE
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS _
62nd Year No. 20 NOME, ALASKA, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1961 Per Copy 15l
Arthur D. Little Co. Consulting Firm
Appalled at Small Amount of Money
Alaska Spending On Tourist Researeli
By Ward Sims
Associated Press Staff Writer
JUNEAU UP) — A representa
tive of the Arthur D. Little Co.
told the Legislature yesterday the
consulting firm was appalled at
the small amount of money Alas
ka was spending on tourist re
search.
The Little Co. was given the
task last year, at the direction of
the Legislature, of determining
investment possibilities in Alaska
and drawing investment capital to
the state.
In a preliminary report to a
joint session of the House and
Senate, the project manager, David
Clinkenbeard, said Hawaii recent
ly appropriated $233,000 for tour
ist research alone.
Gov. Egan’s proposed budget
for the entire activities of the
Division of Tourism and Econo
mic Development during fiscal
1962 is $271,751.
Clinkenbeard said the Little Co.
is now in the process of evaluat
ing a survey of some 3,000 versons
who have expressed an interest in
touring Alaska.
“Most of these people showed
a very definite interest in visit
ing Alaska, if they had the South
east Ferry System available for
travel,” Clinkenbeard said. “They
want to come to Alaska one way
and leave by another route.”
Clinkenbeard prefaced his state
ment by saying his firm was not
interested in the pros and cons
of the Ferry System or whether
it was a feasible operation, that
the company was interested only
in the replies of prospective tour
ists.
The Little Co. recently met with
representatives of 34 Japanese
companies, associations and agen
cies in Tokyo and Clinkenbeard
said the interest shown by the
Japanese in Alaska was “extreme
ly gratifying.”
He said Adaskans could not ex
pect to see much progress in the
development of the state’s hydro
electric potential in the next
decade.
Clinkenbeard said a Japanese
industry interested in Alaskan
coal advised the Little Co. staff
during the Tokyo meetings that
it would contract immediately for
several hundred tons a day, “if
Alaska’s labor costs could be cut.”
Japanese interest, Clinkenbeard
said, were highly cognizant of
Alaska’s high labor, transporta
tion, employment security and
workmen’s compensation costs.
In answer to a question from
Feb. 28 Is the Deadline
For License Plate Tabs
JUNEAU UPl — The State De
partment of Revenue warned
motorists today that no vehicle
may be driven on the highways
of Alaska after Feb. 28 without
1961 license tabs attached to the
1960 license plates.
M. M. Moore, Administrator of
motor vehicles within the Depart
ment said field offices at Anchor
age, Fairbanks, Ketchikan and
Juneau will remain open until
5 p. m. tomorrow and the follow
ing Saturday to process title and
registration applications. The
Nome office will maintain its
normal schedule.
Moore said applicants for 1961
tabs should produce their 1960
registration slip as evidence upon
which to issue registration. '
I
the floor, Clinkebeard said many
U. S. industries, too, “are more
aware of your labor costs than
your climatic conditions.”
Asked if the Little Co. had
sounded out any American indus
tries on their thoughts on Alas
ka’s business climate and its in
dustrial tax incentive status,
Clinkenbeard replied:
“Any solid industry is inter- |
ested primarily in its operation
over the long haul. It is not in
terested in getting a temporary
tax break, then getting sandbag
ged.”
Clinkenbeard urged the Legis
laturt to direct its attention to
those developments which will
bring results in the immediate
future.
“Don’t spend your time on
something which is going to take
years to develop, those things
will work themselves out.”
Sled Dog Races
On New York’s
Fifth Avenue?
NEW YORK UPi — Things are
really getting wacky in this
world. Now Alaska wants to hold
sled dog races on Fifth Avenue,
or else have New York ship some
snow up there.
Mayor Robert F. Wagner got
a telegram Thursday from a man
who identified himself as William
Strandberg, President of Greater
Anchorage, Inc.
He said a “serious snow short
age” might force cancellation of
that city’s annual Fur Rendez
vous World Championship Sled
Dog Races scheduled for Feb.
24-26.
“Mushers are disconsolate be
cause of poor prospects for com
peting in the $7,000 classic,” he
said.
In case prospects don’t improve,
he asked, could the races be held
on Fifth Avenue in New York, or
could New York ship some of its
extra snow to Anchorage?
Mayor Wagner wasn’t too sure
what a Fur Rendezvous sled dog
race is, but he was plenty certain
the city has snow to share. He had
to order private cars off the
streets a few days last week while
thousands of sanitation workers
shoveled 17 inches of snow. He
replied to Strandberg by wire:
“Sincerely sympathize with you
on shortage of snow in Anchorage.
We do have some extra here, and
if you will make arrangements
for transportation we will do
nate it free of all other charges.
"Cannot guarantee quality or
condition on arrival. You must
take it F. O. B. New York.
“As far as permission to hold
the Fur Rendezvous on Fifth Ave
nue is concerned, you have my
permission provided it does not
interefere with traffic, which is
again moving.
“We do have our own supplies
of furs, processed.”
THE WEATHER
Fair and cloudy tonight with
little change in temperature. Low
of -10, high tomorrow 5 to 10.
In the last 24 hours a high of 5,
low of -9. Sunrise at 7:52 a. m.,
sunset at 4:41 p. m.
Temperatures a year ago today:
High of 27, low of 22. Extremes
on this date since 1907: High of
36 in 1947, low of -31 in 1915.
House-Passes Bill
Will Close Poliee
Files to Public
JUNEAU, UPi — Legislation
which would close down all police
files to public scrutiny passed j
the House for the second time
Wednesday after a personal plea
by the State Commissioner of
Public Safety.
Approval came after the House
resolved itself into a committee
of the whole to hear Commission
er Martin B. Underwood describe
the legislation as “necessary to
protect—rather than to suppress.”
The bill was variously described
by lawmakers as one which
would “protect the innocent from
gossip mongers and witch hunt
ers” and, on the other side,
“create a police state in Alaska.”
Underwood told the House that
the law would bring Alaska into
step with the other 49 states, and
would “close the door to misuse
of these records.”
He said that the military and
investigative agencies from other
states are very much opposed to
the fact that Alaska’s records are
open to the public.
The commissioner said that the
Department of Public Safety and
local police agencies have set up
regulations of their own which
bar the general public from going
through the police files “without
I good purpose.”
“However, an Attorney Gener
al’s opinion in 1955 held that
these records are, in fact, open to
public scrutiny and any citizen
denied access might take his case
to court and our regulations
would be struck down.”
The legislation is an amend
ment to the state’s Vital Statis
tics Law” which closes to public
scrutiny adoption proceedings,
records pertaining to juveniles,
medical and related public rec
ords, and records kept confiden
tial by federal law and regulation.
Bank Embezzler
Sentenced to
15 Year Term
SIOUX CITY, Iowa 0P> — An
Iowa banker’s daughter, who em
bezzled $2 million from his bank
and apparently lost much of it
in market speculations, was sen
tenced to 15 years in prison today.
Mrs. Burnice Iverson Geiger, 58,
smiling faintly as she entered the
courtroom, was sentenced to serve
five years on each of three counts
of embezzlement. The sentences
are to run consecutively.
The matronly-looking woman, a
cashier and director of the de
funct Sheldon National Bank, oc
casionally dabbed at her eyes
with a handkerchief during her
20-minute appearance in court.
During the brief appearance,
government and defense attorneys
brought out that she spent huge
sums of money in various ways.
One of these was speculation on
the “Board of Trade,” where she
lost about $1,000 a month in a
period of nearly 30 years, the
government said.
Mrs. Geiger, daughter of W. P.
Iverson, 83, long-time president of
the bank, under the law faced
a maximum of 175 years in pri
son and a $175,000 fine.
The information specifically
accused Mrs. Geiger of embezzling
$122,593.54 during the period of :
No. 5, 1957 and Jan. 13, 1961. Au
thorities said she admitted taking
$2,126,859.10. ,
Seward and Kodiak Play For
Class B Championship Tonight
The Class B Basketbal Tourna
ment was thrown into a tie for
the top spot this afternoon as
Seward topped Kodiak 64 to 47.
Seward led all the way. The
quarter scores were 11-8, 28-24,
46-33 and the final 64-47.
The championship will be de
cided tonight at 8 o’clock when
these two team, Seward and Ko
diak, meet in the 11th game of
the tournament.
In yesterday afternoon’s game
Kenai defeated Nome 37-35 with
the game being won in the last
minute. Nome’s loss was due par
tially to the fact that two of its
best players were fouled out early
in the game, Herman and Brown.
Brown was high point man with
14.
At 9:00 this evening the Senior
Class sponsors a Valentine dance
for the visitors from 9 until 1.
All departing ball teams must
be at the field by 6:30 a. m. Those
not having transportation are
asked to call the school.
The Kenai and Kodiak teams
were augmented by peppy cheer
leaders including the following
girls and their chaperones: Svea
Breckherg, Evelyn Knudsen,
Kathleen Long, Kathleen Schwi
zer, Nancy Waller and Polly
Perry of Kodiak; Amber Berton,
Lynn Crandall, Dianne Moran,
Would Require Labor
Commissioner to Keep
A List of Jobless Alaskans
JUNEAU UPi — A resolution
which would require the State
Labor Commissioner to compile
and maintain a list of jobless
Alaskans was introduced in the
House today by nine lawmakers.
The list would be used to give
residents of the state preference
in filling vacancies in state agen
cies and in recruiting skilled and
unskilled labor for projects
throughout the state.
Find Missing Satellite
WASHINGTON, UPL-The space
agency found its missing polka
dot satellite to be firmly in orbit
today and proudly named it Ex
plorer IX.
The 12- foot inflatable sphere
was launched from Wallops Sta
tion, Va., Thursday, but could not
be tracked adequately on its orbit.
NASA said the radio beacon on
the sphere is not operating.
Alaska to Receive $1,081,188
From Federal Land Receipts
WASHINGTON UP> — Alaska
gets $1,081,188 as its share of
receipts from mineral leasing ac
tivities on federal land within its
borders the last six months of
1960.
Secretary of Interior Stewart
L. Udall announced the alloca
tions by states yesterday.
SALE OF FIREWORKS WOULD
BE PROHIBITED IN STATE
JUNEAU [R — A bill which
would prohibit the sale of fire
works throughout the state was
introduced in the House today
by Rep. James Carson of Anchor
age.
ROUND HOT DOgT. .
CHICAGO (R — A round hot
dog that looks like a doughnut
is in the works. Hyman Kleinberg,
president of a firm that hopes to
start national distribution this
spring, said consumers had asked
for a frankfurter that fits circu
lar hamburger buns and bagels.
Carole Olsen, Rhoda Sandstrom,
of Kenai.
Nome cheer leaders are: Tweet
Hardy, Jo Chambers, Carolyn
Johnson, and Jeff Grant.
Special referees brought for the
games were Herman Smith and
Ralph Schrade. Pete Hahn was
scorer and Gene Dinkel time
keeper.
Tournament committee was
Dick McCormick, chairman, La
vonne Small, Bob Emmons, Mina
Bachelder, Tweet Hardy, Bob
Herman and Pete Hahn.
TEAM ROSTERS —
EIELSON
Dave LeBlanc, Danny Pape,
Ken Schroeder, Ben Ray Smith,
Mickey Olmstead, Marty Lasater,
Louis Wegener, Jim Hass, Dick
Stockton, Larry Pensinger, Mgr.
Jim Savage and Coach William
Shears.
HOMER
Jack Alexander, Tom Baum
gartner, Bill Bishop, Glenn Car
roll, Dave Christy, Lee Martin,
Carl Nelson, Kurt Nelson, Dave
Sanders, Gary Sentman, Mgr.
Lewis Carr and Coach William
Wiltrout.
KENAI
Ross Cooper, Ernie Fletcher,
Charles Jackson, Doug Jones,
Larry Jordan,. Don Lewis, Bill
Robinson, Eric Thompson, Mike
Tauriainen, Marcus Victor, Mgr.
Dan Sample, Coach James Even
son.
KODIAK
Danny Olson, Carl Ellison, Den
nis Huey, Perry Florte, Reinhart
Biermanski, Courtney Starbird,
Bob Richmond, Jim Allain, Gary
Olson, Don Buckingham, Mgr.
Fred Zharoff and Coach Joe
Floyd.
SEWARD
Russell Murkowski, Robert
Stanton, David Watsjold, Mike
Blair, Mike Trevethan, Emil Nel
son, Terry Turner, Gregg Walker,
Darrell Hill, Richard Wilsgard,
Mgr. Fred Wemark and Coach
Jim Campbell.
NOME
Langford Adams, Ernie Ailak,
Gordon Brown, James Bell, Curtis
Chunn, John Herman, Ronald
Locke, Bill Oman, Gabe Wilkal
kia, Wayne Wittie, Mgr. Floyd
Kugzruk and Coach Dick Mc
Cormick.
U.S. Launches Its
Heaviest Satellite Yet
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE
BASE, Calif., Iff)—The largest and
heaviest Discoverer satellite ever
roared from its pad today with
orders to wait a record four days
before ejecting its recoverable
capsule.
Its first stage Thor ballistic
missile has a more powerful en
gine using a more powerful fuel
than its predecessors.
Its second-stage Agena B rock
et—all of it designed to enter
polar orbit—is 6 feet longer and
750 pounds heavier than the 19
foot, 1,700-pound Agena A used
earlier.
The 300-pound bell-shaped cap
sule in Agena’s nose, where mon
keys will ride in some future
flights, was loaded today with
gear being tested for other satel
lite programs.
Plans called for the capsule to
be ejected, upon orders from pre
set instruments, next Tuesday.
Hawaii-based cargo planes were
to try to snag its parachute as
it floats down over the Pacific.