The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, June 8, 1948, Page 1

THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE “ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME” VOL. LXVIIL, NO. 10,908 Shipp MORE BODIES RECOVERED IN OREGON FLOOD Brings Known Disaster Toll fo 29 with 545 Still Reported Missing PORTLAND, June 8—®—Two more bodies were taken from the waters over flood-destroyed Van- port today. The increased to four the nup- ber of known dead in the Mem- orial Day disaster and to 29 the toll throughout the Pacific- North- west in its three weeks of flood. The first two bodies found last Friday were both children. There was still no information as to the possible number of dead at Vanport. The Red Cross, which last night listed 745 as unaccounted for, today revised the total to 545. It said 170 persons called to report they were safe after the list' was issued. While the search for the dead went on, the Columbia and Fraser Rivers fired their third flood crest downriver today. Weary sandbag battalions defending battered Amer- ican and Canadian dikes were re- inforced for three more weeks of siege. . Scorching weather throughout the Pacific Northwest sent tons! of water from fast-melting moun- tain snow into the two rampag- ing river systems. The Kootenay River, one of many feeding' the Columbia, crashed through another dike in Canada. Water poured over 8,000" wecres .of rich farm- land pear Cteston, B, C.. 350 miles east of Vancouver. In both countries, more man- power and earthworking equipment was thrown into the battle that al- ready has cost perhaps $140,000,000 damage. Hundreds still are listed as missing in the Memorial Day drowning of Vanport, war housing city of 18700, on the Columbia in Oregon, near Portland. Authorities at New Westminster, JUNEAU, ALASKA, TUESDAY, JUNE 8, 1948 MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS PRICE TEN CENTS — HOLY LAND BATTLING INCREASES Russia Announces Enfrance Info Observance-U. S. Is Stumped | (By The Associated Press) | Arab troops fought within eight miles of Tel Aviv in Israel Territory today, while politicians weighted the 50-50 chance for a truce. The Jews themselves acknowl- edged the loss of Wilhelma, eight miles east of their seat of govern- ment. The place is within heavy artillery range of Tel Aviv, but there was no indication the city was in any immedjate peril. The main action in the shooting war was 23 miles south of Tel Aviv at Jsdud, and 30-odd miles to the (northeast around the strong Arab /triangle in North Central Palestine. The Jews said one or more Egyp- tian naval ships landed reinforce- ments on the coast to relieve 1,000 ‘of their expeditionary force which the Jews asserted were trapped at Isdud. The Egyptians said they cap- tured Meisanim (Nitsanim), three miles southwest of Isdud, killing or wounding 220 Jews and seizing 110 angle held firm. Russia finally made her move to get both feet into the Palestine Act. Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei A. Gromyko said Russia wants to send her own military observers to Pales- tine. The United States was upset. Russian Troops, whether observers ior fighters, were exactly what the { United States does not want in Pal- leave when time runs out. Recent {cases in point have been Northern Iran, Manchuria and Denmark’s {Bornholm Island. ! But just how the United States servers into Palestine and yet keep the Russians out was far from clear. The Arabs promised their reply to- morrow to Count Folke Bernadotte’s Palestine truce proposal. £ The: Bushions.offen. relye to. |expected. to send her military ob- | | VFW AUXILIARY OFFICIALS WILL ARRIVEAT5P.M. Officers of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars organizations are to greet the two officials of the Wo- men's Auxiliary who arrive here this afternocon at 5 o'clock aboard the Steamer Baranof. The visitors are Mrs. Dorothy Mann, National President of the VFW Auxiliary, irom headquarters in Kal s City, Mo., and Mrs. Grace H. Davis, National Secretary= Treasurer, also of Kansas City. The official greeting party will be composed of Department, Post and Auxiliary officers. These in- clude Mrs. Betty MecCormick, Na- tional Deputy, Chief of Staff of VFW in Alaska; Mrs. Bonnie Jo Gronroos, Juneau Auxiliary Presi- dent; Vern Metcalfe,, VFW Post Commander; John McLaughlin, De- partment Commander, and Allan Marcum, Junior Vice Commander of the Alaska Department. Other representatives of the units here will also greet the visitors at the dock. A no-host banquet will be held at 7 o'clock in the Gold Room of the Baranof Hotel. American Legion Post and Auxiliary members are asked to join VFW members for the banquet. Following the meel- ing Alaska movies will be shown for the entertainment of the guests. Tomorrow there will be a noon luncheon and a visit to the Min- more as prisoners. Arabs in the tri-} fio1q Home for the visitors. Mrs. ¢Mann will give a radio talk be- tween 8:15 and 8:30 tomorrow night before the initiation cere- monies to be held in the Moose Lodge Rooms at 8:30. Thursday Mrs. McCormick will entertain with a breakfast at the Baranof before the visitors leave via PNA for the westward. While in Juneau, Mrs. Mann piafis to study veterans' programs in connection with education and hospitalization for the Territory’s veterans. Annual Assessment Work Nof Required; PROPOSED FOR Part of Confin—gent for Al- aska Posts - Amend- ment by Sen. Lodge BULLETIN—WASHINGTON, June 8.—(M—The Senate voted today to let the Army enlist 25,000 aliens. The 43 to 33 vote put the per- missian into the two-year draft bill. Senator Lodge (R.-Mass.) sponsored it. Under Lodge's plan, the en- listees would be eligible for citi- zenship after five years of serv- ice. He said the group would not be formed into a “Foreign Le- gion” but would be spread through the Army for service. WASHINGTON, June 8—f— Senator Lodge (R-Mass.) today eut {to 25,000 the number of aliens he {proposes the United States should enlist in its Armed Forces. Lodge is trying to amend the two-year draft bill to permit re- cruiting of anti-Communist Poles, Czechs and others who have fled {Russia’s “iron curtain.” Each man so lenlisted would mean one American iwho would not have to be drafted. | Lodge proposes that they be used in Alaska, the Far East and the Car- |ibbean. They would not be face-to- |face with Russians there. , As originally introduced, Lodge's jamendment proposed enlistment of 50,000 aliens. He cut the number to 25000 at the suggestion of Senator Tydings, (D-Md,). - The Senate leadership was drive {ing to dispdse of the Lodge amend- jment and other proposed changes in the draft revival measure. They 1hoped for a final action tonight. The House has a simialr draft bill it will take up once the Senate acts. |34 FROM SEATTLE ARMED FORCES I i CUTS FOR 2 AGENCIES SUGGESTED AEC WouFGeI Money Slash of 9 Per Cent, | VA of 7 Per Cen | WASHINGTON, June percent for the Atomic Energy Commission and seven percent for the Veterans Administration were suggested today by the House Ap- propriations Committee. At the same time the commit- tee called for a halt to “hobby” training under the GI Bill of Rights. It also said Atomic Energy Com- mission offcials should show less reluctance to consider the “prac- tical realitfes” of spending govern- ment funds. 1 In a $5,795,048,921 bill to finance six agencies during the year start- | ing July 1, the committee recom- | mended: 1. Atomic Energy Commission— $501,850,000 in cash—a cut of $48,- | 150,000 from what President Tru- man asked, but $326,850,000 more than was appropriated this year— plus $400,000,000 in contract auth- ority, the amount the President asked. 2. Veterans Administration $5,125,300,000 in cash—a cut of $354,600,000—plus $43,000,000 in con- tract authority as requested. The| total is $649,850,000 less than the! VA had available this year. 3. Maritime Commission— $1.02,- | 377,831 in cash—a cut of $39,475,- 139—plus $75,000,000 in contract au- thorization, $14,858,008 more thar was asked. The committee scorched the Ato- mic Energy Commission for us‘ “refusal to furnish . . . information | and appraisals of its various bud- geted items.” e ~ ByGen. Elec. | General Electric Co. today offered 8.—P— Cash money cuts of nearly nine|hour.” jand Warehousemen’s Union {mill entrance and showed the per- |CONTRACT DISPUTE, - Wage Boost Is Offered NEW YORK, June 8.—(® The an ecight percent wage increase to an estimated 125,000 workers in GE plants threughout the country. The company said the offer would amount to an increase of “nine cents to over 15 cents an It was made to negotiators for the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers (CIO) during ne- gotiations which have been under way since March 2. Union negotiators recessed until mid-afternoon to consider the off- er. PICKETS REFUSE PERMISSION FOR CROSSING LINES IWA Maintenance Crew Is Repuled by ILWA Pick- efs at Juneau Spruce An IWA maintenance crew, bear- ing a work permit from its own union, was refused entrance this morning to the Juneau Spruce Cor- poration by pickets of Local 1-18, CIO International Longshoremen IBPWC CHAIRMEN NAMED MONDAY Committee Chairmen for the en- Acéording to company and IWA (suing year were named at the Busi- ternational, Woodworkers of Ameris TRUMAN IN SUN VALLEY, WEST TOUR Is Promise& TWelve Idaho Votes for President at Democrat Convention SUN VALLEY, Idaho, June 8— (—President Truman got physical |and political lifts in Sun Valley before departing today on an auto- mobile tour of Idaho apparently in & mood for fence-mending and “a fighting campaign” for the White House. The political lift came from a promise by State Chairman Dan Cavanagh of Idaho's 12 votes in the « Democratic National Convention, i Thé other was a ride 1200 feet up this Union Pacific resort’s “Dol- lar Mountain” in one of the chair lifts used by ski jumpers from all parts of the world. The President conferred for 25 minutes with 25 Idaho Democratic tage of W. Averell Harriman, “rov- ing ambassador” and former Sec- retary o1 Commerce. Emergthg, Cavanagh told report- ers they had assured the President jof Idaho's convention votes. e ! spokesmen, Local M-271, CIO In-iness and Professional Women'’s club/ .regular meeting yesterday noon on ca, had granted- permission to 20 (the Bubble 'Room Tei¥ive of the of its members to do matnzennnce; work at the sawmill pending settle- ment of the dispute which has tied the mill up for 60 days. When the crew arrived at the| mits to ILWU pickets, the long- shoremen refused to recognize the validity of the permits and the sawmill workers said they could ' Baranof Hotel. Chairmen appointed are: Bonnie Jo Gronroos, Membership; Betty McCormick, Program Coordination; Helen Webster, Education and Vo- ‘cation; Lucille Johnson, Finance; Dr. Evelyn Butler, Health; Elizabeth Mosher,. International Relations; Dorothy Pegues, Legislation; Edith Moore, Public Affairs and Helen politiclans in the Sun Valley cot-' ing Service To Alaska Again Discusse 25,000 ALIENS WARNING IS GIVEN OUT BY SENATOR Capehart Gives Opinion on Proposed Extension- Hearing Takes Place BULLETIN —WASHINGTON, June 8. — (M — A Senate Com- merce Subcommittee approved today legislation to extend the present temporary steamship service to Alaska until March 1, 1949, The measure, by Senator Cain (R.-Wash.), was amended to make it identical with one ap- proved by the House Merchant Marine Alaska Subcommittee. It provides for continuing the plan under which government- owned ships are chartered to three Seattle ship operators at one dollar a year plus insurance for the vessels. | WASHINGTON, June 8--#— Senator Capehart (R-Ind) warned | yesterday that if an agreement is not reached on proposed exténsion of shipping service to Alaska he ! will recommend letting the law ex= :plre June 30. | A Senate Comincrce Subcommit- tee spent the day hearing testi- mony opposing bills to extend the present service giving three Se- T'.'nlllt steamship companies govern- iment-owned ships at one dellar a iyear to carry on the Alaskan ser- vice. ““There has been too much con- fusion, to much ill feeling over this {matter.” Capehart, ehairman of the subcommittee, said. “F am_inclined to let the present law expire June 130 or at best extend it only until | next February 28." | He asked counsel for the Terri- |tory, the operators and others in- terested to confer with him today if they wished. No definite time was set. ! Maybe No Strike |Ehrendreich, Publicity. Betty M- |Cormick will serve as Club Parli- mentarian. During the hearing, settlement of an Alaskan shipping dispul BY PAN AMERICAN B. C, advised 5,000 residents of suburban Queensborough on Lulu not walk through a picket line without permission of the other ALASKA SHIPPING, ' | Island to evacuate nightly while the swollen Fraser crashes into high tides coming up from the sea. LES STURM MEAT | Okeh by_(ongress WASHINGTON, June 8.—#—Thé House passed today and sent to the President a bill to suspend the re- ! Pan American flights yesterday | brought 34 persons here from Seattle iand, took 13 from Juneau to Seattle| { WILL BE STUDIED union involved. -ee H HERE FROM WRANGELL Charles Jenkins and Henry Bow- Gladys Vuille, Club President, pre- sided over the luncheon session. tover the Taft-Hartley Labor Law without a strike was predicted by " Stanley B. Long, counsel for the | Guests included Doris Barnes, Miss; Alaska Steamship Company and the The coroner’s office said bodlasl lo(KER SYS'EM recovered today were Florence. as follows: From Seattle: ;Delia Guthrie, . Margo Freeman, !Mrs. Rayno Johnson, Evie Hastings Northland Transportation Company. quirement for annual assessment Long said disagreement over the John Shaw, Paul| WASHINGTON, June 8—M—!man, both from Wrangell, are visit- Beadle, 44, identified by her son, Douglas Cramer, Seattle, and a middle-aged woman tentatively identified from a description as | OPENS TOMORROW At 8:30 a. m. tomorrow, Leslie work on unpatented mining claims jfor the year ending June 30. The law requires that $100 worth of labor be performed each year on Lorena Smith. The two bodies re-!R. Sturm will open for business|a mining claim or improvements be covered last Friday were children. AT FROM COLORADO Herb Hollister and Tom Liston, visiting from. Boulder, Colo., are now in Juneau amnd registered at the Baranof Hotel. —————— Margaret S. Connor of Mt. Edge- cumbe is a guest at the Hotel Juneau. The Washington Merry - Go- Round By DREW PEARSON (Copyright, 1948, by The Bell Syndicate, 1Ine.) ASHINGTON—Michigan’s Con- gressman Jesse Wolcott, who has been bottling up the housing bill, thought he would show he was not anti-veteran by calling two wit- nesses to speak for the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He did this despite the fact that he had a telegram in his pocket officially repudiating the two wit- nesses. Signed by Merle Hopper, Michigan VFW commander, the telegram read: “George Lyle and Arthur Greig purported to represent Michigan Department VFW on housing at your Committee hearings. No -one but myself is authorized to speak for VFW in Michigan on any sub- ject before Congress.” Deliberately ignoring this pro- test from the VFW commander, Wolcott in effect deceived the pub- lic by putting Greig and Lyle on the stand to denotunce low-cost housing for war vets. He also fail- ed to mention that Greig and Lyle for a long time have been playing hand-in-glove with the real estate lobby in Detroit. However, Boggs ‘of Louisiana, himself a ot o g ot il g, Sl RS, (Continted on Page Four) Representative Halel :the Sturm Locker System in the | basement of the AB Hall. This {new emterprise will offer an entire- ly different service to the citizens of Juneau. Sturm explains that customers will rent lockers from him for the ;storage of meat which they may isecure from him at wholesale prices plus a three cent cutting charge, where. The locker fee will be a small annual charge. He now has 500 lockers available with room for an additional ‘500 lockers. He says that he will offer all types and ¢uts of meats which his butchers will cut, trim and wrap and then place in the customer’s individual locker. Butchers will be on duty during regular daylight business hours, but customers may {enter their lockers at any time of day or night. Sturm says that fresh fish i§ the only item which cannot be kept in the lockers, but that he can quick freeze and glaze the fish so that they can be kept. STOCK QUOTATIONS NEW YORK, June 8.—(®—Clos- ing quotation of Alaska Juneau mine stock today is 3%, American Can 88, Anaconda 397%, Curtiss- Wright 77%, International Harvester 997%, Kennecott 57%, New York Central 16%, Northern Paoific 25%, |Us. ‘steel 813, Pound s4.03%. | Saled today were 1,530,000 shares. Averages today are as follows: industrials 192.16, rails 60.99, util- \ities 35.49. —— - TILLICUM TIES UP WITH SALMON CATCH i | i The Tillicum, skippered by Art Mantyla, was in yesterday with 11,000 pounds of king salmon, taken at Cross Sound. e ———— FROM PETERSBURG i staying at the Gastineau Hotel, or which they may secure else-] | made in a like amount. A similar bill to suspend assess- ment work on mining claims in Alaska until July 1, 1949, also was passed by the House and sent to the Senate. ROTARY (LUB SEES ALASKA PICTURES OF BIRD, ANIMAL LIFE Showing of colored slides depict- ing Alaska birds and animals in their natural habitat taken by Malcolm J. Greany highlighted the Rotary club meel today noon in the Gold Room 0 Hotel. Greany described the indi- vidual pictures of wildlife as he pre- sented the slides. . Ellis Reynolds presided at the meeting in the absence of Homer Garvin who left yesterday for a visit in the States. Members decided to purchase tick- ets for the Minfield Home's 40 child- ren so that the youngsters may enjoy the University of Washington Glee club concert here Sunday afternoon. A date has not been set yet for the Rotary picnic, the committee re- ported. Next meeting of the Rotfary club will be July 6 in the evening at the Baranof Hotel when 35 South Bend, Indiana Rotarians and Rotariannes will be visiting Juneau. Guests of the club today were Harry Morgan, A. Polet, George Ross of Seattle, a Lion; John Elli- son of Shelton, Wash., and, Dr. Phil- lip Moodre Orthopedic surgeon of Mt. Edgecumbe. j PR “JB” DOCKS WITH 28,000 POUNDS FISH The JB was in at Juneau Cold Storage today with a 28,000 pound halibut load which was split by Engstrom Brothers and Alaska Coast Fisheries for 17.80 on med- Lenna Davis from Petersburg is|ium, eight for chix, and 16.60 cents a pound for large. the Baranof | | Fromberg, Ray Coffee, Eddy Wolfe, | Harry Meridith, Charles Scott, John | Alwin, William Cochran. Perry Ethington Annar Johnson, Edward Liston, Robert .Cocoran, :James Rude, John Thommason. |vivian Johnson and infant Jerry, | Johnson. Robert Keiltinski, Dell Wimer, B. Sandstrom, Elmer Kogben, Paul | Holm, Sr., Paul Holm, Jr., George Transtrom. cock, Antone Scavani. Vera Charles W. Perry, Leivers, Tom Liston, John Dille, J. H. Whit- ney, Les Merhens, Max Beebe, Nes- tor Bretz and Mrs. George Wilcox. To Whitehorse: A. A. Wright. To Fairbanks: Mr. and Mrs. Carl {Hardin, Mrs. Bess Cross and daugh- ter, Evertt Call and C. W. Jordan. Adjournment of Congress June 19 Is I!oi Doubtful WASHINGTON, June 8 —#—The Senate Republican Policy Commit- tee decided today there is serious doubt Congress can complete its iment. Chairman Taft (R.-Ohio) told re- porters the committee went over the situation and reached that con- clusion. It scheduled Senate action on four bills, including the pending two-year draft measure, but left the fate of a half dozen other measures up in the air. After the draft bill is acted upon, Taft said, the Senate will take up a resolution by Senator Vandenberg (R~Mich.) to pave the way for American aid to a proposed Euro- pean Defense Alliance. — e SEATTLE VISITORS ' William Hanson, Francis Nelson, | work in time for a June 19 a\d.yourn-l !John Johnson, Fay Johnson, Rita{of the maritime contract disputes. | !the Alaskan trade probably will be | Government officials said today a | shipping contract dispute affecting included in a Presidential fact-find- ing study now being made for the Atlantie, Gulf and Pacific Coasts. President Truman has named a! five-man board to study all phases: An all-coast strike is threatened for June 15. Two panels of the Board have} begun their fact-finding job in! New York and San Francisco, Ofii- Kenneth Kent, Alice Kent, Don|cials here said the San Francisco iMcMorran, Henry Owen, C. A. Lae- | panel probably will decide whether | To Seattle: Mr. and Mrs. J. W.|dispute. Maier, Ben Mullen, H. Hollister,|gested today that the Alaska phase fed the a pplication. to include the Alaska phase of the Unions of the West Coast sug- should not be included in the fact finding because some Alaska ship-| ping lines are no affected. - CHOOL u 4 | HAINES S DISTRICT | The City of Haines today filed | a petition in U. 8. District Court here for permission to hold a spec- cial election on a proposed Inde- pendent School District. Of a tot- al of 126 registered voters, 59 sign- ARSI 5 Sy MCMS MEETING The Memorial Church Missionary Society has called a special meet- ing this evening for 7:30 o'clock in the church parlor. It is desired that as many members as possible ; attend. ——l FROM LOS ANGELES John Shaw from Los Angeles, is a guest at the Baranof Hotel. —————— . LEIVERS ON TRIP ing Juneau and guests at the Bar- anof Hotel. HERE FROM KETCHIKAN | John Ashbaugh and wife from Ketchikan are here and staying at the Baranof Hotel. S g HERE FROM PELICAN is and Mrs. Selma Smith. Reba Hardin, | enroute to Pt. Barrow, stopped to say goodby to her many friends in the group. The club voted not to sponsor a Queen candidate for the Fourth of July Celebration this year. Members were reminded of the request for donations for Loxes to Grace Rodgers from Pelican staying at the Gastineau Hotel. KETCHIKAN VISITOR . Jack Jacobsen and Sam Funter from Ketchikan are visiting here and staying at the Gastineau Ho- tel. SIS FROM ELFIN COVE Del Wimer from Elfin Cove is a guest at the Gastineau Hotel. e FROM FISH BAY Wallace Westfall from Fish Bay is currently visiting here and stay- ing at the Baranof Hotel. i RIS N FROM TULSEQUAH Frank MacPherson from Tulse- quah visited Juneau yesterday and registered at the Baranof Hotel. He left on the Princess Louise for the wouth, e ' OM- HOOD BAY A. E. Owens, here from Hood Bay, is presently here and stay- ing at the Baranof Hotel. — .. ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA C. B. Beaudon and wife from Alameda, Calif, are now in Juneau, registered at the Baranof Hotel. T by PETERSBURG VISITORS Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Reid from Petersburg, is visiting Juneau and Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Leivers left here yesterday afternoon via PAA| for Bellingham, Wash., where he will attend a session of the Ma- sonic Grand Lodge. — e JOINS AIR FORCE Robert M. Simpson, Juneau and Ketchikan draughtsman, was sworn into the U. S. Air Force here yes- terday as a private by Technical Vindent Nastos and R. E. Thor-)Sergeant Ervin S. Craig of the Re- sell, both visiting are guests at the Baranof Hotel. in Alaska, staying at the Baranof Hotel. e WASHINGTON—Congress head- ed into a hectic week today in the rush to adjourn in time for the Re- publican National Convention. The deadline for adjournment is only 12 days away, L o o e d MIAMI—One of the gayest night spots on the Florida Gold Coast, the | | Alaska O be sent to the Dental Assistant stu- dent living in the Russian Occupa- tion Zone in Germany. Donations should be left at Mr. Ehrendreich's office, Room 3, Shattuck Building. Because of the three-day holiday in July, the next club meeting will be held Monday July 12. STEAMER MOVEMENTS Baranof, from Seattle, scheduled to arrive 5 p. m. today. * Princess Norah, from Vancouver, scheduled to arrive at 8:45 tonight. Square Sinnet scheduled to sail irom Seattle today. ,George Washington scheduled to sail from Seattle Thursday. Aleutian scheduled to sail from Seattle Saturday. Princess Loulse scheduled to sail from Vancouver Saturday. scheduled southbound sometime Thursday afternoon. > e 0o 0 0 00 00 o * WEATHER REPORT i (U, 8. WEATHER BUREAU) | ® Temperatures for 24-hour period . ending 7:30 this morning In Juneau— Maximum, 51; minimum, 45. At Airport— Maximum, 54; minimum, 44. FORECAST (Juneau und Vicinity) Variable cloudiness tonight and Wedngsday. Highest temperature near 60 degrees Wednesday. PRECIPITATION | ® (Past 24 hours ending /:30 a.m. today e In Juneau 22 inches; since Jufie 1, 290 inches; since July 1, 8866 inches, ie . . . Copa Cabana, where entertainers were paid $20,000 a week, was total- from Seattle, | cruiting Service. Simpson will serve 'ly destroyed by an early 'morning|® fire, At Airport .05 inches; since June 1, 184 inches; e since July 1, 5387 inches. . e e 0 0 0.0 0 0.0 00 interpretation of the law probably will ke settled at conferences. “My best information,” he added, “is that there will not be a strike.” Discussing the present shipping services, Long said the arrange- (ment was a “subsidy for Alaska,” inot for the companies, and was designed to permit lower rates than would be required if the companies purchased ships for the Alaskan trade. Freight Increase He said the companies werg will- ing, ready and had the money to (purchase the ships if that cost is {added to the base upon which rates are determined it will cause another increase of approximately 37% per- cent in rates. Long said the steamship com- panies had agreed to the proposed House version of the extension law. He testified also that his clients objected to a proposal, by Gren- ville, Mellen, Maritime Commis- sioner, to give the President au- thority to use Canadian ships to serve Alaska in emergencies. Safeguards Malcolm Miller, counsel for Al- aska, urged the committee to put on an extension measure safe- guards which would make sure Alaska and not the steamship lines will benefit from the subsidy. Mellen told the committte he thinks “this type of legislation giving ships to the operators for less than nothing is unsound, and {can only be justified as an interim | remedy."” | The commissioner said he agreed to legislation extending the plan for 15 months. He proposed, how~ ever, that it be permitted to ex- pire at the end of the month and general agency operation of the service to Alaska be inaugurated by the commission until the end of next February. Counsel for the three steams ship companies told Capehart they supported the proposed House ver- sion of the extension legislation and opposeds the Alaskan version | which would give the Interior De- 'partment’ veto over action of the commission on rates and on con= tracts with the carriers.