IS NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS_____
YoETlXI No. 39 NOME, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 1959 Per Copy—15<f
legislature Looks To April 11 As Last
Bay Of 1959 State Lawmaking Session
JUNEAU, (iP — It looked today
as If Alaska’s first legislative ses
sion will wind up its affairs by1
April 11.
The Legislative Policy Commit
tee held two sessions yesterday
and apparently gave its blessing
to a resolution sponsored by Sen.
McNabb of Fairbanks, which calls
for adjournment on or before
April 11.
The Senate unanimously passed
a House bill earlier yesterday
which appropriates $76,120 for
legislative expenses through April
15. Before its passage, Sen. A1
Owen said:
"I think we may not have to
■Use all of the money . . . we may
complete our work earlier.”
The major roadblock to adjourn
ment is passage of the general
fund appropriation bill expected
to total 26 million dollars. The bill
is being reviewed by the joint
Senate-House Finance Committees
and probably will be reported out
for House action early next week.
Another big legislative problem
was disposed of yesterday when
Senators approved a Senate com
mittee substitute for a House bill
on highway planning. The accep
Candidates File
For City Election
City elections will be held next
Tuesday, and the following can
didates have filed:
For Mayor, Steffen Andersen,
for re-election.
For City Clerk, Robert F. Scott,
who is seeking reelection.
For School Board, Edgar Bibb
and Ash Craft. Retiring member is
Willie Foster.
For Utility Board: Elmer Straub
and Lester Keller. Retiring mem
ber of the board is Tom Martin.
For the City Council (one-year
term): Everett Bachelder, Axel
Edman and Verna Mickelson.
For City Council (two-year
term). Gordon Osborne, John
Reader, Clint Gray, Allen Doyle,
Jack Blattler, Keith Hedreen,
Fred Cavota, Robert Casperson.
Ernie Bohrer is the retiring
member of the Council; Edman
is up for re-election; Osborne and
Doyle were serving by appoint
ment.
Alaska Steam Plans
Cut In Service
To Bristol Bay
SEATTLE, l* — The Alaska
Steamship Co. said Tuesday it has
scheduled only three voyages to
the Bristol Bay area this year, all
by the MS Coastal Rambler.
R. C. Rose, traffic manager for
Alaska Steam, said the abbre
viated 1959 Bristol Bay schedule
may fee cut even further because
of the elosure of the bay to com
mercial salmon fishing this year.
The Coastal Rambler will sail
from Seattle for Bristol Bay on
May 28, July 9 and August 20,
Rose said.
While the three trips represents
a cut of only one trip from the
number scheduled last year, it
does not give a full picture of the
extent of the service cutback.
Two of last year’s trips were
made by Liberty-type ships, which
have a cargo capacity 50 per cent
more than ships of the Coastal
Rambler class.
tance kills a separate Senate
measure on the same problem.
The new bill calls for the De
partment of Public Works to work
out a long range highway pro
gram and stipulates that the Gov
ernor should submit periodic re
ports to the Legislature on the
progress.
The bill also provides that motor
fuel taxes be deposited in a spe
cial highway fund to be spent by
the Public Worke Department for
matching purposes in a road con
struction program.
Division of gasoline taxes was
the key issue in the debate. Pres
ently state law requires spending
of the taxes within the districts
in which they are collected as
much as practical. The discarded
Senate bill would have divided
the funds equally among the four
districts of^he state.
This provision would have in
creased the revenue in the North
western part of the state which
seeks early construction of a road
from Nome to Fairbanks.
The only votes against the com
promise solution, which now goes
to the House, came from William
Beltz, Eben Hopson, John McNees
and Lester Bronson.
Japanese Crab
Fishing Ship Will Work
In Bristol Bay Waters
HAKODATE, Japan, UP — A
Japanese fishing mother ship left
here today for Bristol Bay, to en
gage in crab fishing.
The 5,386-ton Tokei Maru was
sent jointly by the Nichiro, Nip
pon and Taiyo Fishery Companies.
The Japanese companies dis
patched two crab fishing boats
late last month to the Bristol Bay
fishing grounds.
Their goal this year is 70,000
cases of canned crab.
Detroit ’59ers Seek 35.000-Acre Kenai
Land Reservation for Townsite Area
WASHINGTON, UH — Leaders
of the Detroit, Mich., group seek
ing new homes in Alaska waited
hopefully today for a decision on
their request for temporary res
ervation of a large block of land
on the Kenai Peninsula.
Harry Tacina and Frank Mi
lazzo, co-leaders of the “ *59ers”
group, and Rep. William Broom
field (R-Mich) met with Edward
Woozley, Bureau of Land Man
agement director. They said Wooz
ley gave them a “sympathetic
ear” but planned to look fur
ther into the matter.
Tacina and Milazzo said they
represent some 600 persons who
plan to leave Detroit June 22 to
homestead on the Kenai. Thirty
nine of their group arrived in
Anchorage last week. An addi
tional 200 will follow the main
body later this summer or fall.
The two men said they hope to
have the department reserve a
block of approximately 35,000
acres on the peninsula as well as
a townsite area, so that all mem
bers of the group may be on ad
jacent homesteads.
They said they hoped to avoid
having the group separated by
speculators who might move into
the homestead area and profit
from the group’s work.
The 35,050-aere area, within
which families would stake 160
acre homesteads, would not be set
aside permanently for the .group.
The reservation would be effec
tive for possibly 60 days only, to
accommodate members whose ar
rival in Alaska was delayed.
Reservation of the townsite
also would qualify the group to
receive surplus government equip
ment such as hospital and fire
fighting supplies, bulldozers and
the like, Broomfield said.
The importance of such assist
ance was indicated by an $18,000
estimate the group recently re
ceived for air transportation of a
bulldozer into the area.
Each of the 200-plus families to
make up the June caravan Is re
quired to demonstrate availability
of a minimum of $3,000 cash.
While this is well under govern
ment recommended levels, the
group hopes to offset this by its
cooperative efforts.
None of the group is going to
Alaska with the idea of finding
a job. Members plan to function
as a cooperative until all have
received title to their land under
the homestead laws.
The Michigan congressman is
pressing the Agriculture Depart
ment to permit distribution of
surplus food stocks to groups such I
as the ’59ers as a means of en- j
couraging settlement in Alaska, as
well as seeking more flexibility
for group migrations under the
homestead laws.
U. S. Ignores Soviet
Threat to High -
Flying Transports
By SEMOUR TOPPING
BERLIN, IJfi — The U. S. Air
Force served notice on the Soviets
today it will go on flying high al
titude transports to West Berlin “if
at any time a military requirement
is established.”
An Air Force spokesman made
this statement shortly after a So
viet Embassy warning that com
plications would arise if the
United States persisted in flying
planes to West Berlin at altitudes
above 10,000 feet.
The spokesman said that if at
any time a military requirement
is established for transporting car
go or military personnel in or out
of West Berlin, the high-altitude
planes will be used.
“The most efficient altitude for
carrying cargo over relatively
short runs is between 20,000 and
30,000 feet, depending on winds
and cargo,” he added.
A guarded statement from the
Soviet Embassy hinted that explo
sive incidents might erupt in the
three air corridors used by West
ern planes into the isolated city
unless there is a settlement of
the dispute which became public
Tuesday.
The U. S. State Department has
declared that the United States
will continue to fly planes into
Berlin at whatever altitude it
deems necessary.
The dispute came into the open
when the United States and the
Soviet Union traded protests over
the flight of a U. S. Air Force
transport into West Berlin last
Friday.
The transport, a turbojet flying
at its normal cruising altitude jf
about 20,000 feet — was buzzed
by three Soviet MIG jets on both
its inbound and return flight to
West Germany.
Government Brief States Trap Owners
Have No Loss, No Legal Claim, for Suit
WASHINGTON, (* — The gov
ernment asked the district court
yesterday to reject a suit brought
by Alaska fish trap owners seek
ing to upset a ban on their op
erations.
In a reply brief asking dismissal
of the industry action. Secretary
of the Interior Seaton and Com
missioner Suemela of the Fish and
Wildlife Service said they had no
legal alternative but to prohibit
operation of the salmon traps in i
Alaska.
“It is the further position of
the defendant officials that the
plaintiffs have no standing to sue
in the cause, are without irrepar
able injury and are barred from i
relief by other principles of
equity,” the brief stated.
Had No JUiarnaiiT#
In contending that they had no
alternative but to prohibit trap
operations, the two officials noted
that Alaskans in adopting the pro
posed Constitution in 1956 had
approved an ordinance outlawing
fish traps in Alaskan waters; that
Congress had approved this Con
stitution in passing the bill giving
Alaska statehood, and that the i
statehood act also gave Alaska
control of its coastal lands under
the submerged lands act.
Furthermore, the brief noted,
the final section of the statehood
bill specified that all acts or parts
of acts in conflict with its provi
sions were thereby repealed.
“It is the position of the Sec
retary therefore, that any regu
lation promulgated by him prior
to the admission of the union in |
conflict with the fish trap prohi-1
bition above recited was void as of
the date Alaska achieved state
hood,” it said.
The officials also contend the
industry has no legal right to use
the lands involved in the trap op
eration, and that it has been spe
cifically prohibited from such use
by the state.
*PropoMl To Viola!* Law*
“Far, then, from permitted
peaceable possession of a public
territory,” the brief stated, “these
plaintiffs can claim nothing but
a proposal to violate law.”
Discussing the possible damage
resulting to the industry from the
prohibition, the brief contended
the trap operators had "full
and fair warning” of the eventual
demise in Alaska.
“In addition to this, since 1948,
the number of traps operating in
Alaskan salmon fishery has from
year to year been reduced on a
voluntary basis. It is questionable
therefore if any new traps have
been constructed in Alaska dur
ing the past five, and perhaps the
past 10 years.
“It is in addition the practice
and custom in the industry to
amortize the cost of the traps
over a five-year period and to
charge off the costs of the wire
annually. Under these circum
stances and without the present
right to the sites, it is most diffi
cult to see how any irreparable
injury is shown by these plain
tiffs.”
The brief also contended that If
the case is to proceed, Alaska
should be brought into it as a
party, inasmuch as it deals “in
timately with the Constitution of
and with the real property of the
State of Alaska.”
Egans In Portland For
Alaska Tanker Christening
PORTLAND, Oh — Alaska Gov
ernor William Egan and his wife
were in Portland today, and Mrs.
Egan was to christen a new tank
er, the Alaska Standard.
The vessel was built by the Al
bina Engine and Machine Works
for the Standard Oil Co. of Cali
fornia.
Egan is recovering from abdom
inal surgery and his wife said he
was “progressing satisfactorily.’*
“He is naturally impatient to
return to Alaska, but that will
have to depend on the doctor’s re
port,” she said.
Immediately after the christen
ing the tanker was to leave for
Point Wells, near Seattle, and load
a cargo of petroleum for Alaska.
Federal Aid To Be Asked
For Bristol Bay Residents
JUNEAU, — A plea for fed
eral aid for the stricken Bristol
Bay area probably was expected
to be endorsed at a Congressional
subcommittee hearing opening
here today.
The Senate Interstate and For
eign Commerce Subcommittee
hearing, conducted by Sen. Bob
Bartlett, will spend two days tak
ing testimony concerning fishery
problems. Main purpose of the
hearing is a pending Congressional
measure that would ban import of
Japanese canned salmon. How
ever, the Bristol Bay closure is
sure to be discussed.
Acting Governor Hugh Wade,
who earlier certified the Bristol
Bay region as a disaster area,
heads a list of 16 witnesses to be
heard.
Dr. Keller Speaks
Tonight On Cape
Thompson Plans
Dr. James Keller of the Uni
versity of California radiation
laboratory, spoke at Rotary Club
this noon, concerning the Cape
Thompson atom blast project.
Another meeting will be held
this evening in the multi-purpose
room of the school, and is open
to the public.
The Cape Thompson project
will be an experiment in the use
of atom power for peace-time pur
poses, and should be of great in
terest to everyone, as one of its
proposed uses is for the benefit
of mining facilities in this area.
Alaska Airlines Requests
Mr Route to Honolulu
WASHINGTON, (I*—'Two air
lines in Alaska propose direct air
links between the two newest
states.
Alaska Airlines has asked the
Civil Aeronautics Board for a
route between Anchorage and
Honolulu, and also between Hono
lulu and Los Angeles, San Fran
cisco, Portland and Seattle. Alas
ka currently operates between
Fairbanks and Seattle and Port
land.
Pacific Northern asked for ex
tension of its route between An
chorage and Seattle-Portland to
San Diego, by way of San Fran
cisco and Los Angeles. Pacific
Northern also requested a route
from Anchorage to Honolulu by
way of Ketchikan, Seattle and
Portland. v