zs NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
VOL. LXI No. 16 NOME, ALASKA FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1959 Per Copy—154
Mushing
Through
Washington
By FRANK W. VAILLE
Associated ^Press Special Service
WASHINGTON, UP) — A tele
phone jingled in the Washington
offices of the Bureau of Land
Management. At the other end,
calling from New York City, was
a breathless young man who
wanted the bureau to grant him
a homestead in Alaska imme
diately.
“By the way,” he asked, “What’s
the one-way plane fare from New
York City to Alaska?”
The incident, vouched for by
Edward Woozley, BLM director,
was cited by the lands chief as in
dicative of the reaction created
in the smaller states by Alaska’s
admission to statehood.
Further indicating the tremen
dous interest developed in Alaska,
he said the bureau mailed out
nearly 9,000 booklets on Alaska’s
public lands and resources in the
two weeks following enactment
of the statehood bill. In another
10-day period, there were 16,000
queries concerning job opportu
nities in the 49th State.
Woozley also tossed in some
facts and figures about Alaska’s
potential for oil, gas, iron, copper,
tin, coal and wood products.
On oil and gas alone, he said,
the 39 million acres of Alaska
under lease by mid-1958 totaled
well over half the total for the 48
other states, including the outer
continental shelf.
Since the big day in July of
1957 when Richfield Oil Company
struck oil on the Kenai Peninsula,
revenues from oil leases have
poured $10,000 a day into Alaska’s
territorial and state coffers.
While waxing eloquent on Alas
ka’s potentialities, the BLM chief
also observed that it must be ack
nowledged that local resources
cannot be profitably developed un
til economic and technological
conditions warrant.
“Perhaps the greatest need for
realism,” he said, “is in connec
tion with the development of Alas
ka’s agricultural lands.”
While he didn’t come right out
and say so, Woozley appeaed tp
urge extension to Alaska of au
thority now granted the bureau
in the other western states under
the Taylor Grazing Act, to make
land classification studies. He re
ferred to the act as the most im
portant tool the bureau now has
to reconcile potential uses of pub
lic lands throughout the west. Un
der it, the bureau may examine
and classify land for its best use
and ‘enure before a land applica
tion is granted.
Without such authority in Alas
ka, settlers are on their own in
the selection of land and the bur
eau can't reject a Vu.idly filed ap
plication, even though it may be
obvious the land isn’t suitable for
its intended use.. That’s one reas
on, Woozley said, why 1957 saw
only 16,000 acres of crops har
vested in Alaska, despite years of
(Continued on Page Two) ;
Boy Scout Week to
Be Observed Here
Starting Sunday
Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Explor
er Scouts, will start Scout Week
by attending their own churches
in uniform on Sunday.
In the Western Alaska Council,
which is comprised of the Scouts
of Nome, Fairbanks, and Anchor
age* there are 2,736 Cub Scouts
in 60 Cub Packs, 2,202 Boy Scouts
in 78 Scout Troops, and 367 Ex
plorers in 21 units.
Current total membership of
Scouts throughout the United
States is 4,700,000, and the organ
ization is still growing rapidly.
World Scouting encompasses 67
nations, with an enrollment of
7,589,183.
This anniversary week stresses
the “Scout is Friendly,” part of
the Scout oath each member
subscribes to.
A Blue and Gold Banquet is
planned for later in the month.
Mayor Anderson has proclaimed
February 8 to 14 as Boy Scout
Week in Nome, which proclama
tion urges “all citizens to support
the unselfish, patriotic service
being rendered in our community
by the volunteer leaders who have
given generously of their time,
their efforts, and their energy to
the benefit of the youth of our
city.”
Sunday will be Scout Recogni
tion Day at the Methodist Church.
John Bandy, Scoutmaster for
Troop 666, will be the principal
speaker.
Cubmaster of Pack 363 is Doug
las Scott, with assistant Don Col
lis. Den mothers are Bev Blan
ning, Alice Scott, Peggy Kelliher,
Audrey Bayer, with Mrs. Frances
. and Mrs. Conklin forming new
dens.
Cubmaster for Pack 345 is John
Rauch, with den mothers Audrey
Rauch, Alice Marie Kunnuk and
Mari Koguluk.
Scoutmaster for Troop 666 is
John Bandy, with Jim Brake as
assistant.
Advisor for the Explorer group
is Ash Craft, assisted by Don
Billman.
Scoutmaster for Troop 663 is
Spencer Strand, assisted by Ken
Anderson.
The District Committee is com
posed of Walter Hodge, Jim Blan
ning, Ash Craft, Roy Snyder,
Father Nevue, Gordon McCray
and Roald Amundson.
B-E-C-K & Associates
Low Bidders On Shemya
Air Force Project Work
SEATTLE, Iff) — The constsuc
tion firm of B-E-C-K-MfcLaugh
.lin & Associates, Seattle, offered
the apparent low bid of $8,664,751
for extensive work at the Shemya
Air Force project, the Alaska Ar
my Engineers District Office an
nounced yesterday.
The government estimate was
$8,528,489. The eight bids were
forwarded to the district office at
Anchorage for study.
The apparent low bid was sub
mitted as a joint venture by Koon
Boen Inc., Cummins-Egge Inc.,
McLaughlin Inc., Raber-ies Inc.,
and Morrison-Knudsen Co. Head
quarters are maintained here and
in Alaska.
Six Washington State
Solons to Come to Alaska
On Fisheries Problems
OLYMPIA, [ff] — Three lawmak
ers from each house of the State
Legislature were selected Friday
to make a trip to Alaska to dis
cuss fisheries problems with offi
cials of the 49th state.
Lt. Gov. John Cherberg named
Senators Victor De Garmo, Olym
pia Democrat; Don Talley, Kelso
Democrat, and Harry S. Elway Jr.,
Hoquiam Republican, to represent
the Senate.
Named from the House were
Representatives Chit King, Ray
mond Democrat, Dick Kink, Bel
lingham Democrat, and Audley
Mahaffey, Seattle Republican.
Midwest Feels Sting of
New Cold Wave
(By The Associated Press)
A new cold wave, just as bitter
and unwelcome as the one last
weekend, stung the Midwest to
day. Frigid air blanketed most of
the nation’s mid-section.
It was 30 degrees below zero
in northern Minnesota and it was
near zero as far south as northern
Arkansas. Snow added to the
wintry chill from northern Ar
kansas and southern Missouri into
Tennessee and southern Kentucky.
It was freezing in nothern sections
of the Gulf states. v
More than five inches of snow
covered Fayetteville, Ark., and
storms swept across parts of the
middle Missouri and Ohio Valleys
yesterday, and continued during
the night in some areas.
Michigan Lawmaker Wants Revision of
Laws To Ease Task of Alaska Settlers
By RICHARD WESLEY
WASHINGTON, UP> — A fight
for more federal assistance for
persons who want to settle in
Alaska was promised today by
Representative William Broom
field (R-Mich).
He said he already has begun
work on two possibilities — re
vision of the homestead laws to
make group settlements easier, and
release of surplus foods to settlers
who need the supplies.
A 50-family group known as the
“Fifty-Niners,” has announced
plans to move from Michigan to a
primitive section of Alaska’s
rugged Kenai Peninsula next
month.
Representatives of the group
tried unsuccessfully earlier this
week to get surplos food sopplies,
‘use of some heavy farm and road
building machinery and a few
exceptions to the hunting and
homesteading laws.
“The homestead act in particu
lar,” Broomfield said, “has some
antiquated provisions which ought
to be brought up to date. It was
designated to take care of indi
vidual families, not groups like
the Fifty-Niners.”
Representatives of the Fifty
Niners had hoped to get an agree
ment which would permit them to
live in one community instead of
building a home on each 160-acre
homestead as required by law.
Broomfield said:
“There is no reason in the world
that surplus foods could not be
made available to people like this.
It’s costing us almost a million
dollars a day just to pay storage
costs and we’re giving it to prac
tically everybody else in the
world.”
Broomfield said Alaska offers
a solution to many persons af
fected by adverse economic condi
tions in Michigan and other in
dustrial areas.
A lot of people would like to
make the move if they had a
reasonable chance of making a go
of it,” he said. “I think the fed
eral government should do all in
its power to encourage such
people.”
One-Day Senate Passage of Pay Bill
May Prompt Acting Governor’s Veto
JUNEAU, UP) — There was specu
lation yesterday that Acting Gov
ernor Wade would veto the Legis
lature’s salary and expense bill.
The measure passed the House on
Monday, 3CL10, and was approved
by the Senate Tuesday, 11-9. The
bill was under legal review yes
terday by the State Attorney Gen
eral’s office.
Much of the speculation con
cerning a possible veto was based
on a technical point involving a
section of Alaska’s new State Con
stitution. The section reads:
“No bill may become law un
less it has passed three readings
in each house on three separate
days, except that any bill may be
advanced from second to third
reading on the same day by con
currence of three-fourths of the
house considering it.”
The Senate passed the bill in
just one day’s action. It received
the bill from the House in the
morning, gave it a first reading
in mid-afternoon and two hours
later had suspended its rules and
passed the measure by a two
vote margin.
If the bill is rejected on the
technical point, it may take
more than a simple vote to over
ride the veto. One lawmaker said
the pay measure may have to be
re-introduced as an entirely new
bill, which would have to move
through the two houses.
Meantime, members of both
houses huddled in committee
meetings much of the time yester
day. The House did not convene
at all yesterday afternoon and the
Senate met only for a few min
utes.
BILL INTRODUCED TO SET UP
FOUR STATE BOROUGHS
One new bill was introduced in
the Senate. It would set up four
unorganized boroughs for local
government with seats of govern
ment at Juneau, Anchorage, Fair
banks and Nome. The Constitu
tion permits the Legislature to es
tablish the borough system, with
organized boroughs.
The measure’s sponsor, Hubert
Gilbert, chairman of the Senate
committee on local government,
proposed the Legislature appoint
a supervisor for each of the un
organized boroughs.
The supervisors job, Gilbert
(Continued on Page Two)
N. Y. Representative Says
Hawaii Statehood Bill May
Pass By March 1st
WASHINGTON, UP) — Chair
man Leo O’Brien of the House
Territories Subcommittee thinks
the Hawaiian statehood bill may
pass the House by the end of the
month.
“I may be overly optimistic,”
said O’Brien, “but we just could
have the bill passed by the House
by March 1.
The New Yorker, who last year
piloted the Alaska bill success
full yhrt ugtohAiTer-O ETA SH
fully through the House, said his
optimism stems from conversa
tions with House leaders, mem
bers of the rules committee and
from statements attributed to
House Speaker Sam Rayburn
that “it looks like the skids are
greased” for Hawaii.
WEATHER FORECAST
Cloudy with snow and blowing
snow this afternoon, occasional
snow tonight and Saturday. East
erly winds 25-35 mph today, de
creasing Saturday.
Lowest temperature expected
tonight 10, high tomorrow 15-20.
Eisenhower Will Consider Moscow
Trip Tf It Will Serve Cause of Peace’
THOMASVILLE, Ga, (ff) —The
White House said today Presi
dent Eisenhower would consider
visiting Russia if future develop
ments indicate it would serve the
cause of peace.
Press secretary James Hagerty
made the statement in comment
ing on Soviet Premier Khrush
chev’s invitation to Eisenhower
yesterday to come to Rusia.
But Hagerty stressed that Eisen
hower has no present plans to go
to the Soviet Union.
Hagerty declined to comment
yesterday on the Khrushchev in
vitation, but today he volunteered
this statement at Eisenhower’s
vacation headquarters:
“Premier Khrushchev’s invita
tion to President Eisenhower to
visit the Soviet Union occurred
in a lengthy speech which con
tained very hostile references to
United States leaders.
“It seems strange that Premier
Khrushchev, if he really wel
comes a visit by the President,
would extend it in such circum
stances.
“The President has no present
plans to make such a visit —
in fact, he hasn’t received any in
vitation except through the re
ports of an off-hand invitation ex
tended in a political speech.
“Should future developments
suggest that a visit o the Soviet
Union or anywhere else would
serve to advance the cause of
peace, then it certainly would foe
considered.”
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