125 NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
VOL. LVII No. 36NOME, ALASKA, FRIDA V, MARCH 25, 1955Per Copy—15^
Democrats Abolish
Alaska Legislative
Investigative Body
JUNEAU, Lfu'The Senate voted
to abolish the legislative investi
gative committee yesterday as it
acted on an extended list of bills.
The vote was 11 to 6 to Wipe
out the committee created by. the
1953 Republican-controlled legis
lature.
The Senate also defeated a
Hou§e bill which would give cities
the right to increase sales taxes
to three per cent if the city voters
are in favor of it.
In other action, the Senate re
versed itself on a House bill to
establish ~a ban against any sales
or leasing of tidelands or shore
lands for fishtraps if the terri
tory should come into possession
of such lands. The Senate had re
jected the measure before noon
but reversed itself on a 14 to 2
vote after Speaker Wendell Kay
appeared before the Senate and
explained that it is a measure
aimed toward the future—just in
case Congress should give the
territory title to the coastal areas.
The Senate also approved a fi
nancing plan which may allow the
University of Alaska to enter
agreements with Alaska Public
Works administrators. The bill
makes a commitment of SI,300,
000 for the 1957-59 biennium, so
the University can make definite
agreements for getting even
matching honey frof APW.
It was explained that the legis
lative action could not be bind
ing on the next legislature, if it
Should change its mind, but a
commitment by this legislature
would be sufficient to get ear
marking of APW monies.
The Investigating Committee
issue provoked long debate in the
Senate, with opponents of the
committee’s continuance contend
ing that its investigating powers
were an abuse of legislative au
thority and an encroachment on
the executive branch of the gov
ernment.
Senators who had served on
the committee argued at length
that the committee had carried
on its work carefully without try
ing to be a sensation - producing
committee or a “little McCarthy
group.”
Some Democrats contended that
the mere fact of a person being
called before the committee cast
a cloud over his reputation, while
the fact that the Legislative Coun
cil has now been granted sub
poena and investigating powers
takes care of any investigating
that is needed in behalf of legis
lation.
Noil-Atomic Charge Is
Exploded at Yucca Flat
LAS VEGAS, Nev., W—A non
atomic charge was exploded to
day high over Yucca Flat, pos
sibly to test the ability of TNT
to break up the mushroom cloud
of an A-bomb.
The blast, which replaced an
atomic test postponed last night,
was made in a sky criss-crossed
with a crazy patchwork of white
smoke trails and smoke puffs
laid by many planes.
The Atomic Energy Commis
sion did not reveal the purpose
of the non-atomic test. No atomic
device was used in this test. The
AEC said only that the test “in
volves military effects studies by
the Army and Air Force.”
The non-atomic shot was vi
sible only as a tiny puff of smoke.
City Council Accepts
Architect s Plans For
Nome School Addition
Wednesday evening the Nome
Council, the Nome School Board
and other interested citizens met
with Lynn Forrest, architect for
the Nome School, for a final re
port and to see the final plans of
the school.
Forrest was accompanied by
Grayson Allen and Howard
Schroeder, who are associated
with him, and gave a complete
and detailed account of the proj
ect. Many questions were asked
and the proposed refrigerated
foundation was particularly of in
terest, as it will be the first build
ing in the community with this
new type of foundation.
Forrest assured those who
doubted the feasibility of this
that it was the best available
type and was being used in other
places successfully and on much
larger buildings.
Before accepting the plans, the
council called another meeting
last night, and following more
explanation and discussion the
plans were accepted.
Today the Alaska Public Works
in Juneau is being notified and
are being asked to expedite the
letting of bids and limiting the
time for bids to be accepted to
30 days so that equipment may be
on the first boat to get the build
ing under construction .
Late Breakup Seen
In Nenana Despite
Thinness of Ice Now
FAIRBANKS—The first ice
pool was in 1906. There were sev
en men and they put in $5 apiece.
They were Adolph Nelson, Oli
ver Lee, Joe Johnson, Louie John
son, Jones the Woodcutter, Gunny
Sack Jack, and Jim Duke.
They had no tripod at that time
—all they had were three stakes,
one at the south side of the river,
one on the bank of the north side
and one in the center of the river
in the ice.
They lined these three stakes up
and when the center stake moved
they took the time.
Oliver Lee won this pool. It
went out in April (time and date
not known).
Then in 1916 when the railroad
came through here a man named
Scot started the tripod and stop
clock system and also had pigeon
holes made to sort tickets. We
still use the same system.
Old sourdoughs in this area pre
dict late breakup. The weather is
warm now and old-timers look
for colder weather in April.
The ice is about 28 to 30 inches
thick, thinner than most old-tim
ers can remember seeing it.
Britain Accuses Russia
Of Secrecy Breach In
Disarmament Talks
LONDON, OP — Britain angrily
accused Soviet Deputy Foreign
Minister Andrei Gromyko today
of a “gross breach of secrecy
rules” governing the five-power
disarmament conference in ses
sion htre.
The foreign office, in an un
usually strong statement, con
demned Gromyko for leaking de
tails of the conference to a Tass
correspondent leaving yesterday
for Stockholm and Moscow. Tass
is the Russian news agency.
A spokesman said repeated So
viet leaks from the conference
“show clearly that Russia is all
out for propaganda and not for
taflks which might make pro
gress.”
$20 Income Tax
Cut Proposal
Is Defeated
WASHINGTON, </&—A Senate
House conference committee to
day voted to kill a Democratic
proposal for a S2Q a person in
come tax cut next year.
Democrats said they “reluctant
ly” yielded and accepted a Sen
ate bill merely extending pres
ent corporation income and ex
cise tax rates for one more year.
Sen. Milliken 'R-Colo) said the
conference committee recommen
dation would go to the Senate
floor this afternoon.
It is expected to reach the
House floor next Tuesday. The
committee decision is subject to
approval by both Senate and
House.
Democrats had pushed through
the House a plan to give each
taxpayer and each dependent a
S20 tax cut starting next Jan. 1.
They tied this into an Eisen
hower administration bill contin
uing corporation and excise taxes.
The Senate voted 61-32 to take
the tax cut out of the bill. The
Democrats said in the face of that
opposition, they were forced to
yield on the issue to avoid a
major loss in revenue from cor
poration and excise taxes.
Corporate and excise taxes are
scheduled to drop on April 1 by
three billion dollars annually un
less the extension bill is enacted
by that date.
The conference committee
voted down a last-minute Demo
cratic compromise proposal call
ing for a $10 per person income
tax cut.
To File For Collection
Of Taxes From Repealed
General Property Tax Law
JUNEAU, M — Atty. Gen. J.
Gerald Williams said last night he
plans to file court action prompt
ly for collections under the Gen
eral Property Tax law that was
repealed in 1953 after four years
on the books and in the courts.
He stated his intention short
ly after Tax Commissioner Karl
Dewey provided a list of persons
and firms which had been re
billed for the old taxes more than
30 days. The list was provided to
Williams after Rep. Ken John
son (D-Anchoragei, chairman of
.the House Ways and Means Com
mittee, said he made an insist
ent demand for them.
Williams and Johnson said the
taxes due from canneries and can
companies total about $25,000 on
this initial list, with the largest
for more than $5,000.
Drivers' License Bill
Calls for Renewal
On Holder's Birthday
JUNEAU, (#>—In a session that
was dominated by issues of taxa
tion and employment security, the
Senate took the following action
yesterday afternoon and Wednes
day night on lesser measures:
Killed a bill to outlaw fireworks
in the territory, by a 6 to 7 vote.
Completed legislative action on
a bill to provide $2,328 more for
the session’s expenses.
Voted $10,000 for the Civil Air
Patrol.
Completed legislative action on
a bill to have all drivers’ licenses
renewed on the holder’s birthday
every two years, to avoid the big
year-end rush. The territorial po
lice will handle the job in place
of the tax commissioner.
Senate Territories Committee Seeks
To Determine If Eisenhower Will Veto
"■Reservation” Alaska Statehood Bill
Legislature Adjourns
Without Enacting E.S.C.,
General Appropriation Bill
JUNEAU, </Pi—Alaska's legis
lature adjourned at 10 a.m.,
amid bitter charges and coun
tercharges, without completing
action on the general appropri
ation bill and Employment
Security legislation.
The House asked Gov. Heini
zleman to issue an immediate
c^ll for a special session and
sent the Democratic Policy
Committee to confer with the
governor. No immediate com
ment was available from the
governor's office.
To Re-establish
Base On T-3 For
Scientific Studies
WASHINGTON, UP—A party of
U. S. scientists will move back
next month to the floating ice
island which weather observers
abondoned in the Arctic Ocean
almost a year ago.
The Air Force’s Research and
Development Command said the
scientists will remain until Sept.
1 for a series of studies.
The big ice cube, designated T3,
was large enough to support a
4,000-foot runway at one time. It
has drifted high up in the Arctic
Ocean, and at one point came
within 150 miles of the north
pole in its rambling course.
The island had moved to a
point near the tip of Ellesmere
Island by last spring and on May
14 a group of weather observers
left the island. The Air Force
said at that time the island had
floated too close to a fixed wea
ther station ashore to be of fur
ther use for that purpose.
Even before Americans left the
island in May, at least one Rus
sian plane was observed flying
over T3, apparently to check
whether it was still occupied.
The new group will go to the
island for scientific studies, in
cluding terrestrial and biological
research. A ski - equipped C - 47
will fly the party from Thule Air
Force Base, Greenland, to T-3.
DUTCH TREAT BANQUET
FOR CAGERS AND FANS
A Dutch treat banquet for bas
ketball players and fans will be
held March 30 in the Bering Sea
Club dining room. All persons
interested and wishing to attend
contact Sammy Mogg, William
Ullrich, Bob Emmons or George
Bell by Sunday, March 27, at the
latest.
DEPENDENT STUDENT
BOULDER, Colo., dP)—A grad
uate student applying for a
scholarship at the University of
Colorado was asked to state his
principal reason for needing
assistance. He wrote:
“My wife and I are now sep
arated, which has left me as my
sole means of support."
LYNG'S MILLION DOLLAR
ROAD BILL PASSES HOUSE
The Nugget received a wire
from Senator Howard Lyng yes
terday with the information that
the House had unanimously pass
ed Lvng’s million dollar road
bill.
f WASHINGTON, UP — The Sen
ate Territories subcommittee will
| meet next week, chairman Jack
' son <D-Wash> said todav, to de
♦
| cide whether to reopen its hear
ings into Alaska - Hawaii state
hood legislation.
The Senate told a newsman the
question before the subcommittee,
fn effect will be: Would Presi
dent Eisenhower veto an Alaska
Hawaii bill permitting him to set
up defense reservations in an en
larged area of Alaska as pro
posed this week by the Depart
ment of the Interior and mildly
endorsed by the Defense Depart
ment?
Jackson said his reaction-to the
departmental letters was that
neither department said flatly it
would endorse statehood for Al
aska if the proposed amendment
were adopted.
Interior, asserting that previous
proposals do not “adequately”
meet defense needs, expressed be
lief the problem “could be eased”
by its proposal. The Defense De
partment said the Interior pro
posal “comes nearer than any
othqr pending amendment to
meeting defense needs.”
The Interior proposal roughly
would permit the President to set
aside as a special defense area
all or part of the land north and
west of the Porcupine, Yukon and
Kuskokwim rivers — some 188
million acres.
This compares with a provision
incorporated in the bill by the
House Insular Affairs Committee
several weeks - ago. The commit
tee specification would limit the
President in setting up such areas
to not more than 40 per cent of
the 148 million acres north of
the Yukon and a line running
west from the 160 degree longi
tude across Seward Peninsula.
Jackson, commenting on the In
terior amendment, said he felt the
subcommittee would be “reluc
tant” to make any changes unless
the members felt it would en
hance the chances of passage and
approval by the President.
“So far,” he declared, “there is
no indication that this proposal
will eliminate the President’s ob
jections.”
Justice Dept, to Determine
Perjury In Peress Case
WASHINGTON, Ufi — The Sen
ate Investigations subcommittee
today wound up its new study of
the Irving Peress case, voting to
let the Justice Department decide
whether perjury had been com
mitted by any of the witnesses.
Chairman McClellan said the
decision was still subject to a
motion to reconsider from Mc
Carthy and Sen. Mundt. Mundt
promptly said he had no present
plan to make such a motion, but
McCarthy was not reached im
mediately.
McCarthy had indicated he
might pursue his questions as to
whether Brig. Gen. Ralph W.
Zwicker, a decorated combat vet
eran of World Wrar II, had per
jured himself “10 or 12 times”
in testimony.
Most members of the commit
tee said they were convinced that
Army red tape, errors and ‘‘bung
ling” were responsible, not some
Communist “mastermind” in the
Pentagon, as McCarthy has al
leged.