22 NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS_
VOL. LX No. 64 NOME, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 1958 _Per Copy—15^
House Democrats Accuse Morningside
Owners of Misuse of Hospital Money
WASHINGTON UPl — A Demo
cratic-controlled House Commit
tee today accused a Portland,
Ore., hospital of having mis
treated mental patients while its
owner used hospital money to
line his own pockets.
The Government Operations
Committee’s Republican minority
discounted the Democratic charges
as raking over old coals. Act
ually, the GOP group said, there
have been great improvements at
the hospital due to Interior De
partment efforts since 1953.
At issue was an inquiry into
the Morningside Hospital which
had long been under Interior
Department contract to care for
the mentally ill from Alaska.
The Democratic majority said
that until congressional investi
gations started in 1955 the hos
pital was guilty of “wholly un
justifiable . . . outright mistreat
ment and abuse” of patients.
They said the mentally sick
did not have enough trained per
sons to look after them, were
given poor food, were made to
work, and were given dangerous
medical treatments that killed
some of them.
As for the hospital owner,
the committee majority said they
have found evidence “abundantly
clear that Mr. Wayne Coe . . .
has, throughout the period under
investigation, been motivated in
his operations primarily by a de
sire for the highest possible
profits rather than by a desire to
provide adequate care for the
patients entrusted to the com
pany.”
The Republican minority ques
tioned the majority’s competence
to criticize Morningside’s medical
practices. They said the Ameri
can Psychiatric Assn. rated
Morningside as an “acredited hos
pital.”
Navy Moon Falls
To Earth After
2,000 Mile Flight
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., UR—
Navy scientists searched tireless
ly today for a technical “bug”
that brought their second bas
ketball-sized satellite plunging to
earth after a brief flight into
space.
Blasted aloft by the Vanguard
rocket shortly before midnight,
the 20-inch ball flew 2,000 miles
out in an arc-like course, then
hurtled back into atmosphere.
For the moment the Navy was
.unable to say what caused the
satellite to fall after what ap
peared to be a perfect launching
toward an orbit around the earth.
Meager information radioed
back by the satellite before it
went silent eventually may tell
why it wound up just like the
first basketball “moon”—at the
bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.
Only a few flaming fragments
may have hit the sea however.
In all likelihood, said Dr. Rish
ard W. Porter, chairman of the
Vanguard satellite panel, most of
the satellite was consumed by
friction heat in its dive to ob
livion.
Eisenhower Says He
Always Liked de Gaulle
WASHINGTON, UP) — Presi
dent Eisenhower said today he
happens to be one of the people
who likes Gen. Charles de
Gaulle.
Eisenhower told his news con
ference that because of the crisis
in France and elsewhere he did
not intend to discuss the French
situation, in which de Gaulle
appears likely to take govern
ment control.
However, a reporter recalled
that Eisenhower had dealt with
de Gaulle when the later was
head of free French forces dur
ing World War II.
The reporter asked if Eisen
hower could give his personal
opinion of de Gaulle without
reference to the political situa
tion in France.
Eisenhower replied that he
happens to be one of those
people who like de Gaulle. He
said he and the French general
have had long and friendly re
lations.
President Plugs
For Statehood For
Alaska and Hawaii
WASHINGTON, UP) — Presi
dent Eisenhower put in a new
plug today for statehood for tooth
Alaska and Hawaii.
Answering news conference
questions, the President said he
thinks both the Republicans and
the Democrats in Congress should
honor party pledges and vote
both territories into the union.
He noted that both platforms
of the major parties have pledged
support for statehood for the ter
ritories.
As far as he is concerned,
Eisenhower said he did not, in
1952 or 1956, accept the Repub
lican Presidential nomination un
til he could see the platform of
his party and toe sure that he
approved it.
Since both parties have urged
statehood, he said they should
carry out the pledges.
Eisenhower added he had rec
ommended statehood in his state
of the union messages and had
instructed his liason officers to
point out his position to mem
j bers of Cngress.
Emily Boucher Attends
U. of A. Graduation
Enroute *From Seattle
Mrs. Emily Boucher, accom
panied by her son Rodney, re
turned from Seattle this morn
ing where they have been with
Antonio Polet who has been
critically ill at the Swedish Hos
pital. They report he is much
better.
They stopped in Fairbanks en
route home to attend the U. of
Alaska commencement exercises
where Sec. of Interior Fred
Seaton gave the commencement
address stating that this would
probably be the last group to
graduate from Alaska as a ter
ritory.
He lauded three outstanding
leaders of the university: James
Wickersham, Charles Bunnell and
Ernest Patty for their achieve
ments in higher education for
the territory.
He also called attention to the
fact that many of the territories
which became states had no col
leges when admitted to the union.
STATEHOOD BILL PASSES HOUSE
-<
PROS AND CONS
OF STATEHOOD
BY WILLIAM TOBIN
JUNEAU, UP) — Advocates and
opponents of Alaska statehood,
who seldom see eye-to-eye, stood
on common ground in the vast
territory today.
With uncommon agreement,
they viewed a preliminary vote
on the Alaska statehood 'bill in
Congress yesterday as another in
a long series of legislative moves
that over the years have con
tinued territorial status.
“All this is window dressing,”
said John Manders, an Anchorage
lawyer who is the most out
spoken resident critic of state
hood. “Congress isn’t going to
give us statehood. All this talk
is for the benefit of the folks
back home.”
His comments followed a House
vote, 144-106, to strike the en
acting clause from the 1958 ad
mission bill that would make
Alaska the 49th state.
Deletion of the enactment
clause would have been fatal to
to bill.
“I hate to see a tyll like this
defeated by parliamentary chi
canery,” said Robert Ziegler of
Ketchikan, a member of the ter
ritorial legislature and a support
er of the statehood movement.
“We’ve 'been through such maneu
vers many times before—this is
nothing new.”
The administrations strongest
advocate of immediate statehood,
Interior Secretary Fred A. Sea
ton, was near the end of a seven
day trip in Alaska when the
House vote came yesterday.
“I most earnestly hope the
action will be reversed on a roll
call,’’Seaton said, “and that the
House will get about the business
of passing this bill.”
Alaska’s biggest push for state
hood in its 90-year history as a
U. S. possession has been made
in the last 17 months.
Statehood opposition has cen
(Continued on Page Two)
House Committee Extends
Corporate, Income Taxes
At Present Levels
WASHINGTON, UP) — A one
year extension of corporate in
come and excise taxes at present
rates was voted today by the
House Ways and Means Commit
tee.
The tax extension bill was sent
to the House for probable action
next week by a 21-2 vote.
The committee overwhelmingly
rejected a proposal to give auto
makers special tax relief.
A 19-2 vote turned down an
amendment to permit the present
10 per cent excise tax on new
automobiles to drop to 7 per cent
July 1.
TUESDAY BALL SCORES
American League
Kansas City 7, New York 3
Chicago 7, Washington 3
Cleveland 7, Baltimore 6
Detroit 3, Boston 2
National League
Philadelphia 5, San Francisco 1
Pittsburgh 5, Los Angeles 3
Cincinnati 4, Chicago 3
Milwaukee 3, St. Louis 2
Pacifgic Coast League
San Diego 5, Seattle 4
| Vancouver 9, Sacramento 6
Spokane 9, Salt Lake City 8
> WASHINGTON, (/P) — The House voted today
to make Alaska the 49th state. The vote was 208-166.
Before the fingl vote' the House twice refused
to send the bill back to th Insular Affairs Committee.
It also reversed yesterday’s tentative vote to kill the
bill by striking its enacting clause.
Amendments accepted before the bill’s final ap
proval would:
Shave the land grant to 102,850,000 acres and
reduce to 25 years the time in which Alaska can
select an additional 400,000 acres of forest land.
Require Alaskans to vote, simultaneous with
e-fhev elections provided in the bill, on th° specific
question of whether they favor immediate statehood.
Retain federal control of fish and wildlife re
sources until the interior secretary certifies Alaska
is prepared to manage them in the national interest.
U. of A. Presents
Honorary Degree
To Mike Walsh
Mike Walsh, University of
Alaska regent since 1943, was
honored at the commencement
exercises Monday morning with
an honorary doctor of laws
degree.
This well-known Alaskan has
served in many capacities during
his 52 years residence in Nome.
In his citation recognition was
made of his work with the Pio
neers of Alaska and his dis
tinguished service as a member
of the constitutional convention.
The conferring of the degree
was a complete surprise to Mr.
Walsh as was the honor con
ferred Monday evening when he
was made an honorary member
of the Alumni Association with
Mrs. Walsh because of their
staunch support of the U. of
Alaska and because six of their
children were alumni.
Other recipients of honorary de
grees included Sec. of the In
terior Fred Seaton-honorary doc
tor of laws in recognition of his
service to the development of
Alaska; Dr. Sidney Chapman,
president of the committee for
International Geophysical Year
in recognition of service in geo
magnetism and aurora and iono
sphere; Marie Drake, writer of
the words of Alaska’s Flag song
received an honorary doctor of
letters degree for her contribu
tion to Alaskan literature; and
Rev. Franklin Fry, president of
Lutheran World Federation (first
American to hold this office) was
awarded an honorary doctor of
letters for inspired administra
tion.
Mr. and Mrs. Walsh accom
panied by their daughter Ann re
turned to Nome yesterday.
Also participating in the com
mencement ceremony was LeRoy
Reader, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Pete Reader, who sang with the*
university choir.
g' i.-iiniiiMri» mmumm.
M. J. WALSH OF NOME is pictured above with Secretary of
the Interior Fred Seaton and Dr. Franklin Fry. president of the
United Lutheran Church in America. The three are shown
shortly after an honorory doctor of laws degree was conferred
by the University of Alaska on Mr. Walsh "in recognition of
his distinguished contribution to the political and social devel
opment of Alaska." Photo by Fairbanks News-Miner