222 NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
VOL. LV No. 18 NOME. ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1952 Per Copy—15^
Sen. Morse Battles
Senate Group over
Defense Waste
WASHINGTON, W> — Senator
Morse (Ind-Ore) threatened Tues
day a continuing battle with the
Senate Armed Services Commit
tee over its handling of accusa
tions there is “fabulous waste” in
the defense effort.
Morse, bumped from the com
mittee after he quit the Republi
can party during the presidential
campaign, took bitter exception to
the way in which it is following
up a report he helped prepare on
alleged waste.
Monday, it was learned, he
clashed both with the committee
and Gen. Omar Bradley, chair
man of the joint chiefs of staff,
at a closed door investigation.
Later he declared he would
feel free to make public any part
of the report that was not “clear
ly security matter” if he consid
ered the committee unduly cen
sored it before publication.
The report, written by Morse
and Sen. Long (D-La) provided
the basis for congressional orders
that halted work on $146 million
worth of overseas military proj
ects pending a review of the al
legations. The document is still
secret.
Morse filed a hot protest with
the committee after learning that
it had scheduled for Wednesday
morning—when he will be out
of town—another closed meeting
to hear Pentagon witnesses tes
tify in defense of the projects.
The senator sent word to chair
man Saltonstall (R-Mass) that “it
woud be unfair and unheard of”
to bring in witnesses unless both
he and Long could be on hand
to share in the questioning.
Committee sources said Bradley
offered a broad defense of De
fense Department planning of the
projects stalled by the Long
Morse report.
These sources said Morse at
one point told Bradley and the
committee that “if this were a
court room, and this a jury trial,
I would now move for a directed
verdict in my favor.”
MISSING WIEN FLIER
TURNS UP SAFE
FAIRBANKS, Iff) — James
(Andy) Anderson, missing 28
year-old Wien Airlines pilot, has
arrived safely at the small village
of Hughes by dog team, a radio
message received in Fairbanks by
the Wien office said Tuesday.
Anderson took off Sunday on a
100-mile flight from Hughes to
Betties, a trip between two Koy
ukuk river towns deep in the in
terior, but failed to arrive.
Tenth Rescue Squadron planes
were called back to Ladd Field
after the message telling of his
safety was received.
Telephone Service Inaugurated
From Seoul, Korea, to the U.S.
SEOUL, UP)—The International
Telephone Exchange today an
nounced the opening of telephone
service from Seoul to any point
in the U.S.
Calls cost $12 for three minutes
on weekdays and $9 on Sundays.
Calls are sent out by radio
transmitter to Oakland, Calif.,
and from there over telephone
■ ’ lines to points in the states.
There Was An Old Lady
Who Lived In a—Trolley
And Saved All Her Money
CHICAQO, UP) — There’s no
place like home—if it’s a Chicago
street car — for a 73-year-old
woman who says she’s been using
trolleys as sleeping quarters for
seven years.
Mrs. Anna Cox said she solved
her housing problem—and saved
money — by taking her night’s
lodging in street cars.
Mrs. Cox, who will be 74 Fri
day, is in Cook County hospital
recovering from a broken leg suf
fered in a traffic accident Jan. 16.
She disclosed she had no living
quarters other than street cars
when officials sought her address
preparatory to releasing her. '
Mrs. Cox said she is planning
to go back to her polling home
after her release. She quit living
in hotels, she said, because she
found them unclean, cold and
dangerous.
Her night’s lodging in street
cars—three round trips on a 21
mile route—costs her $1.02 for
six tokens. A round trip takes
nearly four hours.
Mrs. Cox who had been making
a living as a door-to-door sales
man selling hair nets and other
articles, said she keeps a change
of clothes in u warehouse and
freshens up in public washrooms.
She said she was able to save
regularly and produced a bank
book showing deposits totaling
$8,326.
“I come from a very frugal
family,” she told reporters.
House Ways and Means
Committee Intend Early
Action on Tax Reductions
WASHINGTON, UR—'The Eisen
hower administration evidently
has accepted politely a decision by
Republicans on the House Ways
and Means Committee to vote for
early action to reduce income
taxes.
Informed sources said today
that treasury officials made it
clear to committee members, at
a private dinner party last night,
that they will neither support nor
oppose right now a tax cutting
drive led by Rep. Reed (R-NY).
Earlier yesterday, at a caucus,
GOP members of the tax-writing
committee were reliably reported
to have decided to vote next Mon
day in favor of chairman Reed’s
bill to reduce individual income
tax rates 10 per cent starting
June 30.
SECRETARY MacKAY STILL
HAS NOT RECEIVED WIRE
RECOMMENDING REEVE
WASHINGTON, UP) — Interior
Secretary McKay’s office says it
still has not received any tele
gram from the Alaska Central
Committee. The committee recom
mended appointment of Robert
Reeve of Anchorage as Alaska’s
next governor.
Territorial Sen. Elton Eng
strom of Juneau has insisted a
telegram telling of the Reeve en
dorsement was sent McKay’s of
fice some ten days ago.
WILMINGTON, Del., UR — Two
young fliers died in the crash of
an Air Force F94F all-weather jet
interceptor on a wooded hillside
near here yesterday.
At The Legislature
By JIM HUTCHESON
JUNEAU, UP)—A bill to create
a multi-million dollar fund in the
Territorial treasury for use in
public works if bad times come,
and another to liberalize the Old
Age Pension law have received
Senate committee approval.
The Finance Commitee recom
mended to the Senate Tuesday
that the stabilization fund bill be
passed. It calls for setting aside
two million dollars yearly until
the fund builds to ten million. It
could be tapped only with legis
lative approval if a rainy day
comes.
A bill to boost pensions to $90
monthly maximum from the pre
sent $80 also bore committee ap
proval today. It also would elim
inate a citizenship requirement.
The House also has a bill from
four Democratic members to raise
pensions to $100 monthly.
A bill to make it a misdemeanor
for any minor to buy or try to
buy intoxicating liquor also re
ceived a “do pass” recommenda
tion from a Senate committee.
A House-approved bill by Rep.
Dorothy M. Prior (R-Anchorage)
to provide for the popular elec
tion of committeemen of the
major parties was started toward
the Senate floor Tuesday with
divided support.
The measure is known as the
anti-White bill, with its support
ers aiming at dislodging Albert
White of Juneau from his power
ful position in the Republican
party organization while holding
the title of party general counsel.
Concern about what might hap
pen to special provisions in the
General Property Tax if it is
repealed, as expected, appeared
in the House during a Tuesday
hearing which produced a flare
up between Speaker George Mis
covich (R-Flat) and Atty. Gen.
Gerald Williams.
Some legislators expressed con
cern whether repeal might affect
collections which towns and
school districts have collected as
their own revenue under terri
torial law in lieu of their own
property taxes.
Chief White House Phone
Operator Is Retired And
She Doesn’t Like It
WASHINGTON, UP) — After 20
years of handling the telephone
lines leading to the President,
Miss Louise Hachmeister was out
today — and she and the White
House disagreed as to the cir
cumstances.
The veteran chief operator,
nicknamed “Hacky” by Presi
dents and others, said yesterday
she was fired and that she was
“shocked and upset” by the way
it was done.
James C. Hagerty, President
Eisenhower’s press secretary, said
“It is my understanding” she was
not ousted, but was on leave of
absence. - ^
Miss Hachmeister said she had
planned to retire, at age 62 in
October and draw her govern
•ment pension but that she was
told she would have to go on
leave immediately.
She will draw pay while on
leave and then be eligible for the
retirement benefits.
Three Prisoners Ecape
From Ladd Field Stockade
But Are Taken After Chase
FAIRBANKS, UP) — Three mili
tary prisoners who escaped from
the Ladd Air Force base stockade
carrying a small safe were caught
and returned to military author
ities Tuesday.
The men escaped from the
stockade by shutting off a flood
light in the yard and scaling a
barbed wire fence.
They took from the stockade
a small field safe which had been
chained to the floor. The safe and
its contents of about $30 later
were found two miles from the
stockade. The safe hadn’t been
opened. • k
The three men stole a car on
the air base and escaped through
the main gate.
The gate guard notified the
Highway Patrol and the Air Po
lice and the men were appre
hended after a wild pursuit thru
Fairbanks.
They were identified as Pvts.
Arthur Poole, Hershel Hcmsell
and Joseph P. Tester.
19-year-old Play girl
Testifies In Vice Trial
Of Margarine Heir
NEW YORK, UR—Play girl Pat
Ward’s roster of live customers
today stood at 50 to 100, including
a former European munitions
maker, as she began her third
day of testimony in the vice trial
of margarine heir Minot F. Jelke
III.
The 19-year-old red-haired girl,
who jumped from Manhattan’s
lower East side into cafe society
circles, was reported near the end
of her direct testimony and ready
to face cross-examination by Jel
ke’s attorneys.
Jelke, 23 - year - old scion of a
socially - registered family, is
charged with inducing Miss Ward
and two other young women to
become prostitutes and with liv
ing off Miss Ward’s earnings.
Although newsmen and the
public have been barred from the
courtroom by General Sessions
Judge Francis L. Valente, defense
and prosecution attorneys have
been permitted to answer report
ers’ questions.
Newsmen thus learned that
these were some of the highlights
of Miss Ward’s testimony:
Many customers are “nice peo
ple” with “big names” and some
are from New York’s clothing
industry. Others named are not
known to be politicians or Holly
wood figures. One was a former
European munitions maker.
Her fees for a night of love
were $50 and $100, depending on
what the traffic could bear.
Mrs. McCarthy Named to Welfare
Board and Mrs. Nerland To
The Board of Health
JUNEAU, OP) — Gov. Gruening
sent the Alaska legislaure for its
approval names of two persons
for appointment to the Welfare
Board and four to the Health
Board Tuesday.
The Welfare appointments were
Mrs. Omie McCarthy, Nome; and
Ivar Skarland, College.
Health Board appointments are
Donald Gordon, Fairbanks; the
Rev. Rolland Arfnstrong, Juneau;
Mrs. A. Nerland, Nome; and Dr.
Dwight Cramer, Fairbanks.
* . .
$1,058,000 Airport
Program Outlined
By Aviation Board
JUNEAU, {fl—A $1,058,500 air
port construction program for
Alaska this year was disclosed by
the Aviation Board of the Alaska
Aeronautics and Communications
Commission as it wound up its
meeting here Tuesday.
The biggest project is prelim
inary work on a 1,500-foot ex
tension of the Juneau airport
runway and construction of a
mile-long freshwater seaplane
float. The project would cost
$300,000 on a federal airport aid
matching basis, with the Territory
paying $75,000.
Among other projects approved
by the board were:
Bethel, preliminary work on a
4,000-foot airport, which would
cost $200,000, on matching basis;
a 1,500 - foot extension at the
White Mountain airport; a “DC-3”
length airport at Hooper Bay; a
“DC-3” length airport at Lost
River; a “DC-3” steel mat field
at Barrow; a 1,800-foot steel mat
field at Selawik; and a “DC-3”
length steel mat field at Gambell.
During sessions with legislators
the board defended its practice of
dividing gas tax money evenly
among the divisions. Bert Ruther
ford (R - Anchorage) wanted the
same amount of money returned
to an area as the amount taken
out in taxes.
The board pointed out that big
airfield areas would get all the
money because planes fuel there
and that construction in outlying
areas, made possible by gasoline
tax monies, means more money
to populated areas as transporta
tion becomes easier.
Alvin Polet of Fairbanks was
named the new board chairman,
replacing Shell Simmons of Ju
neau, who was named secretary.
Maritime Board to Hear
Requests for Vessels In
West Coast-Alaska Trade
By FRANK W. VAILLE
(AP Special Washington Service)
WASHINGTON, (£>—1The Mari- -
time Board begins tomorrow the
first of two hearings on applica
tions toy two steamship lines to
charter vessels for use in the Pac
ific Northwest - Alaska trade.
The applications have been
made toy Coastwise Line, which
seeks three government - owned
Liberty-type vessels, and by the
Alaska Steamship Co., which pro
poses to charter two dry cargo
craft.
Examiner A. L. Jordan, before
whom the hearings will be held,
said charters which the companies
held on the vessels previously
were not renewed after a Septem
ber hearing developed testimony
that there was then no need for
the vessels.
He said the decision reversed
earlier board policy which had
recognized the seasonal aspects of
the Alaska trade and had permit
ted charters with lay-off privi
leges.
Purpose of the hearings is to
develop evidence as to the need
for the service for which the ships
are to be chartered.