™£ NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
VOL. LVI No. 147 NOME, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1954 Per Copy—15^
- -— --— LT.S» ■ .
U neni ploy me nt
Fund Expected
Depleted In March
ANCHORAGE, — Alaska’s
unemployment compensa tion
fund will be exhausted next
March if benefit payments con
tinue to exceed contributions by
the same rate they have the past
several months, the Territorial
Employment Service said today.
The Employment Service ad
ministers the fund, which is main
tained by a tax on employers.
Benefit payments the first 11
months this year were 35 per cent
higher than during the same 11
months a year ago, while em
ployers’ contributions were down
12 per cent, a spokesman noted.
Should the rate of contributions
continue the same, the fund bal
ance will be down to $1,370,000
by next Feb. 28th, he said, and
added:
“This would not be enough to
pay anticipated benefit payments
for March if they should be 35
per cent higher than the March,
1954, payments of $1,216,860.56.”
The status of the fund has
caused concern in labor, manage
ment and legislative circles the
past several years. Suggestions for
safeguard it, as well as insuring
continuance of payments, have
varied. Sweeping changes are ex
pected to»be suggested to the
legislature convening next month.
Under present Alaska law,
workers are eligible for $35 week
ly benefits, plus allowances for
dependents, as long as the fund
remains above two million dol
lars. When it drops below that
point, the payments must be cut
back to $20 weekly.
PNA Will Buy Turbo-Jets
If CAA Renews Permit
ANCHORAGE, IjP) — Six new
English-made Vickers Viscount
turbo-jets will be added to the
Alaska run of Pacific Northern
Airlines if the Civil Aeronautics
Board allows it to continue ser
vice to the territory, president
Arthur Woodley said yesterday.
Only the board’s decision on its
application to have its air certifi
cate renewed has delayed pur
chase of the new-type planes,
Woodley, of Seattle, said.
They are made by the Vickers
Co., and were inspected by Wood
ley on his recent trip to London.
They are similar in appearance
to DC-4’s and are now used by
British Overseas Airways, British
European Airways, Air France
and Transcanada Airways.
“The six turbo-jets would sup
plant the five DC-4’s and the
four DC-3’s which we now have
in operation,” Woodley said.
“They would each carry an aver
age of 44 persons.”
Their purchase would bring a
realignment of the line’s routes.
They are reported to cruise at 325
miles an hour at 25,000 feet.
TOKYO, UP)—Hisashi Sekido, 42,
confessed he was the mysterious
slasher who had wounded nine
women, but, police said, he only
wanted to go to jail to dodge his
estranged wife who wanted
money.
They released him to face her.
X-Ray of School
Children Will
Start Thursday
The mass X-ray of school chil
dren will be carried out tomor
row at school. All parents able to
are asked to send a dollar to
help defray the cost so that other
children in other communities
may also get their chest X-rays.
Anyone who cannot afford the
dollar will be X-rayed anyhow.
For the rest of the community,
the X-rays will be taken at the
Court Room in the Federal Build
ing starting on Friday, Dec. 17
between 12:45 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.
At those hours, all persons whose
last name starts with the letters
A or B are to get their x-rays
taken.
For the group whose last names
start with C, D oi; E, x-rays will
be taken on Saturday, Dec. 18
between 8:45 a.m. and 12 noon.
The F, G or H, group, Satur
day, Dec. 18, 12:45 to 4:00 p.m.
I, J or K—Monday, Dec. 20,
12:45 to 4:00 p.m.
L, M or N—Tuesday, Dec. 21,
8:45 a.m. to 12 noon.
O, P or Q—Tuesday, Dec. 21,
12:45 to 4:00 p.m.
R, S or T — Wednesday, Dec.
22, 8:45 a.m. to 12 noon.
U through Z — Wednesday,
Dec. 22, 12:45 to 4:00 p.m.
Remember if you can afford a
dollar—pay it. If you cannot af
ford the dollar, your x-ray will
be taken anyway.
Christmas Tree
Program To Be At
School On Friday
The annual Community Christ
mas program will be presented in
the school gymnasium on Friday,
Dec. 17, at 8:00 p.m. All grades up
to and including the sixth will
take part.
The program, called “The Gift
of Song,” was written by Robert
Heath and is dedicated to the
Nome School children, who have
worked very hard to make it a
success. The story protrays the
spirit of Christmas as it might be
observed in the homes of children
in many parts of the world.
Some carols seldom heard in
America will be sung by the vari
ous rooms. Mrs. Dunbar’s room
will sing two German carols in
that language and Mrs. Glavino
vich’s room will sing a song in
Norwegian. These songs may cre
ate a bit of nostalgia in the hearts
of some of the old-timers.
There will be some solos, a duet,
and some small group singing
during the program. The Nome
School band will play familiar
carols during the change of scenes.
Save Friday night for the Christ
mas Program.
Canadian Airline Requests
Permission T& Fly To Alaska
WASHINGTON,UP)—The White
horse (Y.T.) Flying Service today
asked CAB permission to operate
irregular service from White
horse to Haines, Juneau, Fair
banks, Anchorage and Skagway,
Alaska. 1
No one appeared to protest the
request at a brief hearing.
Will Ask Congress
Postpone April 1
Excise Tax Cuts
WASHINGTON, (Pi—President
Eisenhower said today he will ask
the new Congress to postpone the
scheduled April 1 cuts—estimated
at three billion dollars—-on cor
poration and excise taxes.
The President told his news
conference the budget deficit
makes it necessary for him to
make such a request.
He said when you have the
government going into the red
federal income must be kept up.
Eisenhower expressed confi
dence he will have very real co
operation from the Democrats as
well as the Republicans on for
eign policy, national defense and
mutual security matters.
In regard to national defense,
Eisenhower indicated, but did not
say so specifically, that the ad
ministration might be thinking
about a further cut in the strength
of the armed forces.
He said that development ot the
long-range bomber and atomic
weapons has made it necessary
for the United States to concen
trate first on continental defense,
and secondly on preventing strat
egic areas such as western Europe
from falling to an enemy attack.
He said that in doing those two
things, the nation can cut back
on its active forces so long as it
has an adequate trained military
reserve.
Navy Abandons Search
For “The Brothers”
HONOLULU, I* — The Navy
called off at dark last night a
massive air and surface search
for two Washington State fisher
men who radioed early Sunday
that their boat, “The Brothers,”
was sinking 70 miles north of
Honolulu.
A spokesman said the Navy be
lieved the men were lost.
Arthur Otness and his cousin
John Otness of Seattle and Ta
coma, the two fishermen aboard,
had reported they would abandon
the sinking 48-foot boat for a
small raft they carried.
The Navy, Coast Guard and Air
Force combed 7,000 square miles
area all last night.
The Otnesses formerly were of
Petersburg, Alaska, and the boat
was registered out of that fish
ing port.
Justice Wm. O. Douglas
Weds Member of His Staff
TALLULAH, La., OPI — Associ
ate Justice William O. Douglas
and a 37-year-old member of his
Washington staff were married
late yesterday at her parents’
home here.
The bride is Mrs. Mercedes
Hester Davidson, ex-wife of for
mer Asst. Sec. of the Interior C.
Girard Davidson, now a Portland,
Ore., attorney.
Douglas, 56, was divorced last
year by Mrs. Mildred Douglas,
who said he abandoned her while
engaged in his work and world
travels.
The new Mrs. Douglas did re
search for Douglas on his last
three travel books. 1
Alaska Delegate Bartlett and Hawaii
Delegate Farrington Disagree On Plan
To Press For Hawaii Statehood Only
House Comm. Chairman
Opposed To Linking
Two Statehood Bills
WASHINGTON, (tf — Chair
man Miller <R-Neb' of the House
Interior Committee said yester
day he is opposed to linking Ha
waiian and Alaskan statehood in
one bill. Each should be handled
on its own merits, he said,
He told a reporter he intends
to vote for Hawaiian statehood
if it is brought to a vote in the
new Congress but he is not “as
strong for it as before.”
The congressman said he had
reached no definite conclusions
regarding Alaskan statehood.
However, he said he probably
would support it if the northern
part of Alaska is left as a mili
tary reservation.
“I am going to vote for Ha
waiian statehood, but I am not
as strong for it as I was before,”
Miller told a reporter. “I have
some misgivings. There are a
number of reasons.
“For one thing, if they obtain
statehood I do not believe any
Caucasians will be elected to of
fice from local offices on up. And
members of the Caucasian race
are the ones who made the wheels
go round out there. This matter
should be carefully weighed.”
Miller said labor unions are
under the control of Harry
Bridges and Bridges can ham
string the islands at any time.
Miller said that under present
conditions the military can step
in and take over shipping if
necessary.
—
Pope Pius On Mend Today
VATICAN CITY, OPI—1The Vati
can press office said today Pope
Pius XII is again on the upgrade.
Though internal bleeding is re
ported to have complicated his
gastric ailment, his condition was
described as improving.
Quoting a dispatch set up for
publication late today by the Vati
can newspaper, the press office
said:
“The holy father has overcome
his stationary situation and his
condition now has again started
to improve.”
No Fire Results In Near
Miracle As Fuel Tank
Cars Are Derailed
PARIS, 111., UP) — Twenty cars
of two New York Central freight
trains flowed off the right-of-way
in this city of about 10,000 early
today and a witness said, “It’s a
miracle the entire west end wasn’t
blown up.”
Among the cars which left the
rails were three tank cars con
taining naptha, gasoline and fuel
oil. Tilted or overturned and with
seams leaking, they still were a
menace to the community several
hours later.
There were no fatalities. Only
four persons were slightly injured.
They lived in a store-apartment
building into which a string of
three cars crashed, wrapping
themselves around it. i
HONOLULU, I/P) — Alaska’s
Democratic and Hawaii’s Repub
lican delegates to Congress, both
here for Interior Committee hear
ings, disagreed yesterday on
President Eisenhower’s decision to
press for statehood for Hawaii
only in the next Congress.
Delegate Bartlett of Alaska said
the action “may well deal a fatal
blow to Hawaii’s chances.”
Delegate Elizabeth Farrington
of Hawaii said the experience in
the last Congress led her to be
lieve both territories would have
better chances in separate bills.
Bartlett said:
“If Eisenhower fails to include
Alaska, naturally it will be hurt
ful to Alaska, but likewise it may
well deal a fatal blow to Hawaii’s
chances because the singling out
of one and failure to mention the
other will give statehood oppo
nents in the Congress a rallying
point and will introduce partisan
consideration into the whole state
hood cause.
“That is the last thing we
should want.
“I simply do not understand
why the President, who spoke so
eloquently for Alaskan statehood
together with that for Hawaii in
1950, will not promote the Alaska
statehood cause now.
“His attitude has been in con
trast to that of former President
Truman who urged statehood for
both territories with equal force.”
Mrs. Farrington said:
“I will introduce a bill for
statehood for Hawaii on the open
ing day of Congress. I will sup
port statehood for Hawaii and Al
aska.
“However the experience of the
past session of the Congress when
there was a joint bill leads me to
believe that both territories would
have a better opportunity of hav
ing the legislation passed and
signed by the President if each
were considered on its own
merits.”
CAA Reveals Development
Rupture-Proof Flexible
Airplane Gas Tanks
INDIANAPOLIS, OP — The
Civil Aeronautics Administration
announced today the achievement
of a major step toward prevent
ing plane-crash fires—the devel
opment of flexible bladder-type
fuel tanks for aircraft.
CAA said Goodyear Tire &
Rubber Co. and U.S. Rubber Co.
have developed rubberized nylon
materials so strong and light
weight and elastic that:
1. It has now become possible
to make integral tanks—fuel cells
built into an airplane’s wings—
out of them.
2. In accidents where passen
gers can be expected to survive
the crash impact, these tanks will
not rupture and cause fire.
One CAA official said fire after
the crash, resulting from the rup
ture of fuel tanks and the spray
ing of gasoline over the wreckage,
accounts for almost one-fourth of
the fatalities in airplane acci
dents.