The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, March 19, 1937, Page 1

THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE «ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME” VOL. XLIX., NO. 7436. JUNEAU, ALASKA, FRID. AY, MARCH 19, 1937. MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS _ PRICE TEN CENTS HORROR * * * * R0 * * * * * * * * * * » » * * * * * * Hundreds Of Bodies 1aken From Wreckage GOVERNOR TROY URGES ECONOMY IN LEGISLATION Chief Executive Recom- mends Special Session Handle S. S. First BRUNELLE, JOE GREEN AGAIN HEAD HOUSES Purposes for Which Legis- lators Again Called Set Forth in Message Urging economy in considering costs in connection with Social Se- curity, and recommending that no other legislation be considered, at least until Social Security is en- tirely disposed of, Gov. John W. Troy today sent a message to the extra-ordinary session of the 13th Legislature after it was formally convened by E. W. Griffin, Secre- tary of Alaska, this morning. Senator M. E. S. Brunelle of Cor- dova again was elected to be Pres- ident of the Senate and Represen- tative Joe Green of Hyder will continue to serve as Speaker of the House, the same as at the regular session which closed a week ago. Full text of the Governor's Mes- sage follows: “Before welcoming you in Extra- ordinary Session $0 consider Social Security legislation, I congratulate you on the successful termination of your regulgr session. You did intelligent and diligent work for the Territory of Alaska. Importance Stressed “I suggest in beginning the Extra- ordinary Session that you first give Atlantic City FAIRBANKS, Alaska, March lB.( —The Fairbanks Ice Carnival and, Nome Kennel Club officials are| discussing the possibility of sending| Miss Marguerite Lee, the Miss Al-| aska of the Ice Carnival here, to| Atlantic City in competition with! others for the title of Miss America.' She is of pure Nordic type. 0. K. SAYS MANAGER | NEWARK, New Jersey, March; 19.—John Hollinger, President or‘ the organization sponsoring the At- Miss A>laska M;ly Be Sént to Big Beauty Sho to Compete in w Staged There Nome Kennell Club and the Fair- banks Ice Carnival Association planned to send her to Atlantic City. GLAMOROUS BLONDE Miss Marguerite Lee, of Nome, glamorous eighteen-year-old blonde, was chosen at Fairbanks as Miss Alaska, Queen of the Ice Carnival, by judges who were non-residents of Fairbanks and not representing any of the towns who had queens in the contest. The judges were lantic City Beauty Pageant, sa:d]resldents of Dawson and Mayo, Y. Miss Marguerite Lee, of Nome, the| T., Juneau, Los Angeles and Hol- Miss Alaska at the recent Fairbanks, Ice Carnival, is eligible to compete with the beauty queens of the na- tion if she won in a bona fide| contest with other girls. ! “Tell her to come on down and| bring her dogs,” Hollinger said ini answer a query as to her eligi-; bility when it was reported the lywood. cember 23, 1919, and was reared in the Nome country where she has spent practically all her life. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Lee. Her father is a prom- inent mining man of the Solomon district. 010 THREAT | IN PACIFIC NORTHWEST Will Attempt to Organize Shipyard Workers— Other Action [ SEATTLE, March 19—The attempt | by the John L. Lewis Committee {for Industrial Organization to| ;wrest control of Pacific Northwest, CHIEF JUSTICE HUGHES MAY BE COURT WITNESS Head of Highest Tribunal May - Appear ‘Before Senate Committee WASHINGTON, Mar. 19. — Some iSenate opponents of President | Roosevelt’s court reorganization iplan hope Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes will testify next week consideration to the necessary leg-iLabor from the American Federa-!at the committee hearings but the islation to permit the Territory to cooperate with the National Social Security Act.. It is very important to the people of the Territory and to the country that Alaska cooper- are completely in this beneficent work. It is a matter of paramount importance to all the people. I trust that you will get this legislation out of the way before you do anything else, even before you provide addi- tional revenues if they are needed for Social Security Administration. I urge that while the participation in Social Security on the part of the Territory must be adequate, that you closely guard the cost thereof and keep it as low as is compatible with full cooperation. To this end I wish you would con- sider the suggestion that po mini- mum amount for old age allowance should be set forth in the law. The law should recite that the allowance should meet the circumstances ang needs of each case, and in every- thing else I think the Board or in- dividual who will have charge of ad- ministration should be given wide leeway to meet each case according to its circumstances and needs. Limit Activities “I think the legislation if needed to provide revenues for admnistra- tion should not be taken up until the Social Security legislation is completed. While I believe that the Extraordinary Session should limit its activities to the matters set forth in the call for the session, under no circumstances should any- thing else be considered until after the purposes set forth in the call have been compleud‘lnd out of the way. > “I trust that in this session as in the regular session just closed that harmony might prevail and satis- factory results achieved.” Ruby, Alaska, Man To Get Sausage And How! RALEIGH, N. C., Mar. 19. — Thomas Devane, former resi- dent of this city but now a pro- minent man of Ruby, Alaska, wrote his sister here for “some hot, spicy Carolina sausage.” The sausage is now en the way to Alaska by air express at a cost of $25. — e, W. C. Arnold, prominent attorney the steamer North Sen, b and Oregon last week tot#led only and former U. S. Commissioner Illfnur hundred million feet which is Ketchikan, returned to his homelanout twelve million feet less than city from here last night aboard|the weekly production before the ition of Labor, is now under way. | Activity centered here as CIO!' will try to organize the shipyard ! workers at a mass meeting tonight.! Longshoremen and Typogmphical: union delegates to the Central La- bor Council said they will support Lewis. The Council is expected to make| a decision at the next meeting| whether to remain with the AFL or| go with the CIO. General Strike | Sound Lumber M@Avartsd' Believed Workers Will Ac- cept Raise Pending " Negotiations BULLETIN—Seattle, Mar. 19. —Twelve hundred Seattle lum- ber mill workers have voted to accept the employers offer of 7% cents an hour increase, pro- vided the employers also agree to negotiate for an additional 2!% cents, but union members said the employers at the last minute refused to negotiate the difference and the workers are still out on a strike. SEATTLE, March 18—The threat- ened general strike in the lumber industry throughout the Puget Sound area is believed to have been averted when workers voted 2,600 to 600 to accept the 7% cents hour- ly wage increase pending negotia- tions over the demanded ten cents an hour boost. Tacoma workers rejected the plan. The Seattle workers’' vote is not totally counted but if approved, as expected, five Seattle mills will re- open. Columbia River mill and lumber workers demand a full ten cents an hour increase immediately or they will strike. PRODUCTION DROPS SEATTLE, March 19.—Production of 171 lumber mills in Washington decision depends on whether the Su- preme Court opposes such a move. Opponents would like to see the Chief Justice be the first witness next Monday. REPORT CAUSES BUZZ WASHINGTON, Mar. 19, — The Senate Judiciary Committee room buzzed with reports this afternoon that Chief Justice Hughes may be the principal witness next week and preparations are under way to for- mally invite him unless he is dis- inclined to accept. Inquiries at his office in the Jus- tice'’s Building brought the reply that he had nothing to say. ALL 1S CLEAR FOR WALLIE'S FINAL DIVORCE No Grounds for Collusion Charge—Final Decree Will Be April 27 LONDON, March 19.—Last appar- ent barrier in Wallis Simpson’s ab- solute divorce and her marriage to former King Edward was removed today when 8ir Boyd Merriman, President of the British Divorce Court, ordered a collusion charge dismissed, after the King’s Proctor had told the Court that he had failed to find grounds to prevent an absolute decree being granted April 27 Francis Stevenson, attorney who charged collusion, approved dent. Spring Arrives Tomorrow; This Is Last of Winter Spring is here tomorrow. The Vernal Equinox takes place at 7:45 o’clock tomorrow morning, Eastern Standard time. Today one can say goodbye to winter, which has not been so bad in this section, at that. There has been plenty of snow, tempera- ture has not been severe, but maritime strike, anyway—welcome ¥ to spring. Miss Lee was born in Seattle De-| STRONG PROTEST ISSUE ENTERED Federal Officials Says Leg- islature’s Action Wil Cripple Palmer Colony U. S. HAS NO FUNDS FOR TRANSPORTATION Territorial Senate Censured for Cutting $65,000 Item from Appropriation Bill Vigorous protests by Federal au- thorities against action of the Ter- ritorial Legislature in eliminating appropration for transportaton of school children and appeals that re- consideration of the matter be giv- en at the special session which con- vened today are being received daily by Gov. John W. Troy. Federal officials are directing their protests against the condition which will result in the Matanuska colony as it is understood the Fed- eral government has no funds with which to provide transportation and | if the Territory does not supply such | money it is declared that it will ser- iously cripple the colonization pro- ject at Palmer. An item of $65000 for school transportation was approved by the Territorial House at the regular ses- sion but cut out by the Sepate the result that there is no money available during the next two years for transportation. In view of the| ON SCHOOL BUS| Fairbanks Area; Spearhead Is F ound in Jawbone of Mammoth . iRy AT o i) Another Prehistoric Find in| | FAIRBANKS, Alaska, March 19.— Apparent proof that humans of a eomparatively high order lived con- temporaneously with mammoths of | this area, is reported in the discov-| ery of a flint spearhead embedded | in the upper jawbone of a baby mammoth, | The anthropological relic has been discovered by Peter Mass in frozen muck on Ester Creek, ten miles from here where the United | States Smelting, Refining and Min- {ing Company is preparing to start| spring operations. The news of the find is con(lrmed! :by General Manager Roy Earling. The spearhead is of fine work- manship. It has been forwarded to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. | SIX THOUSAND | MAJOR PROBLEM OVER 450 CHILDREN, TEACHERS - KILLED AS EXPLOSION SENDS GAS FUMES, FALLING GIRDERS OF STEEL IN T0 THER RANKS Luxurious Building, Erected Ten Minutes Before Dismissal of Classes—Victims Crushed Beneath Debris—Rescue Workers Quickly on Scene—Martial Law Declared by Governor— Pathetic Incidents Occur as Parents Rush to Peer by Oil Wealth, Torn Apart STRIKERS NOW (IN NAVIGATION FACING ARREST FACES EARHART Writs Are Issued for Sit- Leaves Honolulu Today for| downers in Eight Chrys- | Tiny Howland Island, | ler Corporation Plants 1,532 Miles Distant | DETROIT, Michigan, March 19.| HONOLULU, T. H., March 19.—A| —Circuit Judge Allen Campbell has,major problem in navigating faces| Amelia Earhart and the crew of her ordered issuance of writs of at- tachment calling for the arrest of {$80,000 flying laboratory in piloting | her airplane across the 1,532 miles| 6,000 sitdown strikers who have oc-| cupied the eight Chrysler Corpora-|of Pacific Ocean from Honlulu to! at Remains for Identification—Probe Is Started to Determine Cause of Nation’s Great Disaster BULLETIN — New London, Texas, March 19. — Laborers ceased digging in the school house ruins late this afternoon. They said they were weary but the “job is practically finished.” Col. C. E. Parker, National Guard Commander, « announced that “about 425 bodies” have been removed. The basement has been thoroughly explored, Col. Parker said, but the final cleaning up will take several hours longer and “a few more victims may be found.” National Guardsmen are continuing exploration of the basement for further victims as other wearied men went to their homes and bereaved wives. tion plants for the past twelve days. Corporation officials indicated they would not proceed immediately in the case. e l.gh officials of the United Auto- mobile Workers of America, also strikers, are made respondents in the injunction which was issued last action of the Legislature Commis- sioner A. E. Karnes has suggested Monday. Sheriff Thomas Wilcox said he that each community effected take would make no attempt to eject|{Fred Noonman to hit the Island. a sand bar two gnd one-half miles| wide. 5 Members of the crew said they would probably start for Howland Island late today. Army fliers here pointed out’ that |day viewed the wreckage of NEW LONDQN, Tex., Mar: 19.—Military authorities to- the concrete steel reinforced {covering most of the distance by ’night would facilitate the pertect |navigation needed by Navigators {Capt. Harry Manning and Pilot {[New London Consolidated |School in a driving rain and |immediately called a court of | {inquiry to fix the cause of the NEW LONDON, Texas, Mar. 19.—The horror of the Nation’s_worst school disas« ter in history mounted this forenoon as the tangled wreckage of the New' London Consolidated School yielded immediate steps to incorporate as the strikers until he obtains addi- the | iaction of the Divorce Court Presi- school districts and raise funds| through taxation to pay for trans- portation, or to construct and main-| tain a separate school. No Funds, Wesfbrook Says Declaring that there will be no transportation for children in the Palmer colony unless the Territory co-operates, Col. Lawrence West- brook, assistant administrator of! WPA, in a message to the Governor said: “I am advised the Territorial Sen- ate has cut $65,000 from education appropriation for transportation of school children which would have| the effect of stopping operations of | school bus within the colony. The| Alaska Rural Rehabilitation Cor- poration has no funds which can be used for this purpose and unless the Territory supplies funds it will be impossible for children to attend school. In view of the fact that the Federal government constructed the school and other facilities in Matanuska without cost to the Ter- ritorial government and has for- feited development which will re-j turn important tax monies to the Territory, I certainly think the Ter- ritory should bear this expense. If understand a special session of the| Legislature is called for Friday. I| would greatly appreciate it if you| would present this matter, urging reinstatement of sufficient funds to, provide transportation of Matanus- ka children.” Dimond Enters Plea { Delegate Anthony J. Dimond in a| message said: - | “Ross Sheely, General Manager of ARRC, has wired me about dis- tressing conditions faced by school children in that region through ac- tion of the Territorial Senate in cutting $65,000 off education ap- propriation for school children’s transportation. If members of Leg- islature think that FERA would supply transportation they are en- tirely mistaken since it is impos- sible in my judgment to get any more money for Matanuska Colony| and FERA erected school house| without cost to Territory of one| ,cent. If economy must be prac-| ticed it would be much better to| reduce term for all school children in Territory one half month or so| and thus economize on all children| equally. It appears that cut in| transportation imposes greatest bur- den and penalty upon poor chil- dren who live on farms or have| homes some distance frorh school house and whose parents are unable to furnish transportation. In Pal- mer colony, particularly, we cannot | | | (Continued on Pnge Two) | I tional deputies or assistance of the National Guard. e HOUSE AIDS FOR NEUTRALITY BY JITO12VOTETESTIFIES ON To Allow President to Use Own Discretion—Senate Would Ship Munitions WASHINGTON, March 19—A bit- ter clash between the Senate and House appears likely over Lh:,-j Gale on February I4 amount of discretion Congress should give President Roosevelt in enforcing the neutrality program.| The House voted 374 to 12 yester-| day to allow the President to do as| he sees fit. The Senate had previously voted to direct the President to install a' system, should there by an out- break of war in any foreign coun- try, whereby war materials could! be exported to foreign combatants, but not in American ships. il BERGER TRIAL IN GONCLUDED Capla_in of Discoverer Says Ship Was Threatened with Foundering SEATTLE, Mar. 19.—The Federal Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation prepared transcripts of its trial yesterday of Capt. Heinie Berger who was accused of inatten- tion to duties and making no at- tempt to rescue Byron Smith, sec- ond mate of the M.S. Discoverer, who was lost overboard in a storm in Alaska last November. Capti“Berger testified that he did not turn the ship about to search |for Smith because of the danger of foundering. He said that Smith was swept overboard in an unusual swell which he believed was caused by a submarine earthquake which nearly capsized the Discoverer. The Board will make its conclu- sions and send them to Washington, D. C, for the Bureau's decision. Miss Earhart or@ered the motors checked again today. “They have a long way to go,” she said, “and we want to be sure they are in shape.” Paul Mantz, technical adviser, Ueaving the plane here. .. IAPORA CAPTAIN VESSEL'S WRECK {Ship Went Ashore on Ad- | miralty Island in Howling SEATTLE, Mar. 19.—Capt. Eldred Hansen, of Puyallup, master of the Zapora, testified befare the “B” Marine Investigation Board, that his vessel went ashore on Admir- alty Island February 14 in “a howl- ing, living gale.” Capt. Hansen said that he was in the pilat house when he sud- denly saw an expanse of white through the driving snow ahead. “I shouted orders to put the ves- sel full astern, but it was too late, Natives on the Island told me later that the storm tore bark from trees and laid them bare.” FREIGHT RATES T0 BE BOOSTED ON APRIL FIVE WASHINGTON, March 19.— The Interstate Commerce Commission announces increase in freight rates have been filed by the Alaska Rail- road peftween Seattle, Tacoma and points served by the railroad, and American Yukon Navigation Com- pany to be effective April 5. The increase applies to all classes of freight and includes wharfage hand- ling, storage and dockage charges. The Copper River and North- western Raflroad had also filed in- creased freight rates effective April| 10. e e Mrs. Ralph Rieck, with her baby, left Juneau for Seattle on the steamer North Sea. Mr. Rieck, who is employed at the Thomas Hard- ware Company, remains in Juneau. scores more of crushed bodies. lal Gaston Howard reported disaster which buried an es- timated 450 children beneath tons of rock and steel and gas umes. Assistant Adjutant Gener- early this forenoon that 388 bodies have been recovered| and excavation work will be completed perhaps late this afternoon. Torrential rain is impeding the work. _ Orders From Roosevelt President Roosevelt direct- ed that every assistance be rendered and Albert Evans,| Red Cross Disaster Director, | is flying here from St. Louis. President Roosevelt also or- dered all government agencies assist in the relief work. Workmen are dropping out| in the rescue work after 19| steady hours of boring into) the ruins of the $250,000 structure, proclaimed the world’s wealthiest rural school. Work has been stopped in the oil fields, the largest pe- troleum section in the world.| Thousands stand silently in a vast semi-circle about the| shattered building. Occasionally a body is brought out and parents surge forward to peer at the form and if possible, identify it, ( ALASKA TRADER | DIES OF CANCER { | | 16 and | | SEWARD, Alaska, Mar. Harry Samuelson, 55, trader post operator between Bethel and Akiak, is dead here as the result of cancer. He had been ill for months. A widow and five children survive. it 4ot} T e IR Making a brief business trip to| Seattle, Bert Elstad, agent of the' Mutual Health and Accident Asso-| ciation here, left Juneau aboard the | steamer North Sea. : The known dead teachers and children is up into the hun- dreds. Walter Elliott, Texas High- way Patrol Captain, here from his Austin headquarters, said over 400 bodies have been re- covered, including those of seventeen teachers. The bodies are taken from the explosion torn debris of the luxurious school which was built by the oil wealth of the vast East Texas oil fields, wrecked yesterday afternoon by a blast believed caused by seeping gas of those same fields. i The blast occurred about ten minutes before the class- es were to be dismissed for the day. Martial Law Order has been restored in the stricken community where Gov. James V. Allred declared martial law last night after inrushing sightseers mingled with rescue workers and frenzied parents and brought chaotic conditions. Capt. Elliott said the work of examining the wreckage for bodies should be completed Page Two) (Continued on Pathetic Tales Are Told by Survivors NEW LONDON, Texas, Mar. 19.—~Many tales of pathos from the few survivors are told. John Nelson, aged 17, said: “Five of my classmates and my mother, who is a teacher, killed. I am lucky to be telling you this. I guess in our room at room suddenly a big mass of sand that like a fire ball, tumbled room and wrecked i beams began falling. I know how I managed cape the debris, but I did al- though T was nearly blinded by dust and choking from gas.” 45 il 58§ ?EE HH T F SCHOOL BLAST IS GROWING