The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, March 15, 1951, Page 1

VOL. LXXVI, NO. 11,758 HE DAILY ALAS “ALL TLIE NEWS ALL THE TIME” EMPIRE JUNEAU, ALASKA, THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 1951 MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS PRICE TEN CENTS American Troops Enter Red Supply Center Communications SEN. SNIDER WALKS OUT ON SENATE By JIM HUTCHESON | Sen. Heinie Snider's one-man| walkout threw the Territorial Sen- ate into turmoil this morning. The Wasilla Republican donngl| his coat and hat and left the cham- ber at 11 am. With an angry: “I'm | going home; I've had enough The blowup of the doughty little| Dutchman came after the Senate passed, 9 to 7, a general salary in- crease bill for Territorial officials and employes. President Gunnard shouted at Snider: “You are not excused; you have no right to leave and you will be ordered to return.” To which Snider retorted: *“It will take more than one to get me.”| Snider told a reporter later, from the home of Albert White, where he is staying, that he would be back in the Senate this aftrnoon. After he had eluded Se t-at- arms Chris Henning and his aide, | Terry Pegues, in leaving the build- ing, Engebreth ordered the sergeant | to get the U. S. marshal and bring | Snider back. | Then, upon counsel of Howard | Lyng that a noon-hour conference | might well result in Snider’s re-| turn, the Senate president can- celled the order. Engebreth Snider’s Protest Snider saic afterward: “I did it in protest because that bill would only raise the big ones. The little guys wouldn’t get much of it. I'm elected by thie people, not by the office holders. And look what HER brother would get.” He was referring to Sen. Anita Garnick’s brother, Ed, deputy com- | missioner of labor, who was brought into the salary increase bill con- troversy for the second straight day. Under the bill, the deputy Iabnr; commissioner would get $7,500 a; year. Miss Garnick introduced the bill and spoke for it. Before Snider blew the final fuse, he had crossed angry words with Miss Garnick to bring his temper to the boiling point. The bill would increase the at-| torney general and commissioners| of education, health and taxation! to $12,000 a year and such officers as auditor, treasurer and main de- partment heads to $10,000. It calls for a 15 per cent increase for em- ployes getting under $300 monthly | and 10 per cent for those over $400 who are not covered by specific sal- aries. The ranges in between range between the 10 and 15 per cent. The raises for officials would be a top of 50 per cent for the educa- ! tion commissioner and 33 1/3 per cent for most department and of- fice heads, from $7,500 to $10,000. i i i White-Engebreth Before the mid-day controversy simmered down — if it has — Re- | ernor Gruening, GOVERNOR'S OUSTER BILL FAILS, 810 8 By JIM HUTCHESON A bill removing the governor from the Board of Road Commissioners died in the Alaska Senate last night on an 8-8 vote. It was the second in a series of removal bills, recommended by Gov- | which were de- feated in the Senate after passing the House. The Senate also killed on an 8-8 vote a small loans act proposed by the Alaska Bankers’' Association. The act provided for 3 per cent in- terest per month on loans under | $400. Sen. Dan Lhamon (R-Fairbanks), speaking for the measure, called it| a bill which would “eliminate loan sharks.” Sen. Frank Barr (D-Fair- banks) ‘countered that it would “make loan sharks out of banks,” and Sen. Howard Lyng (D-Nome) said it “smacks of usury.” Marshall Crutcher, Kodiak banker and legislative chairman of the Bankers’ Association, told the sen- ators the small loans act was based on standard state statutes and said most banks were unwilling to make small loans for a short time because it was too much trouble and ex- pense for a small return. Argument Sen. John Butrovich argued for the bill that he had seen conditions in Fairbanks that could be rem- edied by a small loans setup. He vited a loan shop that waxed rich off soldiers who would pay $10 or so for borrowing $25 before pay day, with a watch or ring as secur- ity. Sen. Elton Engstrom responded that it all sounded good, but that a bank still wouldn't make such loans without security or two sig- natories to guarantee it — “so in my position I'd be stuck as a signatory just as before.” Lyng commented, after Barr's loan shark jibe, that “it makes them so in a milder sort of way, but it still smells as bad.” Lyng and President Gunnarc Engebreth had one of their several sharp exchanges of the day and eve- ning after Lyng made reference fo how “my heart bleeds” for some of the senators who had told how there were times when they needed the help a small loans act would pro- vide. Engebreth cracked the gavel and admonished Lyng to cut out the reference to bleeding in the Senate chamber. That brought the Noms¢ senator back, red-faced, with @ sharp retort that neither the presi- dent nor anyone else could censor his speech on the Senate floor ar long as he didn’t impugn anothe! senator’s motive. 3 The Senate passed 14-1 another banking bill to legalize interest col- lections in advance on such con- tracts as car purchases where the publican Leader Albert White and Senate President Engebreth had joined in some side shooting — via statements to the press. Critics of the Garnick bill, Sen- ators Butrovich, Lyng and Nolan in particular, argued that teachers are in line for only an 8 per cent salary increase under the House Appropri- ation Bill and other increases should be on an individual office basis. Nolan and Lyng insisted any in- creases should be worked into the general appropriations bill, instead of being handled as separate legis- lation. They said the House and Senate budget-framing committees should iron out the matter. Garnick Argues Senator Garnick argued: “We in Juneau realize the danger of losing many employes, They can make more glsewhere and we can't replace them.” > Steve McCutcheon supported her with the contention that the cost of living increases make salary boosts necessary to keep capable employes, to do them justice and to keep them half-way satisfied at their work. To Miss Garnick’s statement that it would be difficult, or impossible, to replace Territorial employes, Sni- der retorted after his walkout: “We could advertise and replace ‘em by the bushel — and with just as good ones.” The Snider temper flared first after he protested that when he worked for the Alaska Road Com- mission, the pay increases went to interest for the year figured intc monthly payments. The bill goes tc the governor. Barr led off the debate on the bill — by Rep. Mike Stepovich (R- Fairbanks) — for removal of the governor from the Board of Roac Commissioners with the contention it “won’t improve the board to put the attorney general on. We should leave the governor there.” Sen. Steve McCutcheon (D-Anch- orage) suggested the board might handle some Federal funds in which case the governor should remain. Governor's Traveling Lyng denied any Federal funds would be involved but suggested re- placing the governor on some boards with the Secretary of Alaska. “I read in the papers he was out of the Territory for six months last year,” Lyng said. “Why keep the governor on the boards if he is gone so much? He asked to get off. Why not put in the Secretary of Alaska who serves anyhow when the governor is gone?” Sen. John Butrovich (R-Fair- banks), who said he was voting for the bill and did, argued “it is only a stop gap. “The real solution is eliminating the hodge podge of boards,” he said. “The attorney general is getting into the high salary bracket where he would be wasting his time on board meetings when he should be attending to legal duties.” The rollcall for the bill for re- moval was: Republicans Butro- vich, Coble, Engstrom, Lhamon, Sni- (Continued on Page TWwo) «Conthfixed on Page-'lv‘i;(;r Editor, Daily Alaska Empire, Dear Sir: According to the March 12 issue of the Empire, the Terri- torial Senate passed a bill which is a sad commentary on our legis- lators, the Senators in particular, and on our Territorial government in general. It is the bill to allow selection of a Territorial Education Commis- sioner who may not be qualified for | Alaska High School teaching. Sena- tors McCutcheon and Miscovich in- troduced the measure, saying that the Board of Education had found in its search for a successor to Dr. Ryan that there are qualified administrators with .a string of degrees who actually fall short of the technical requirements for an Alaska high school teacher. At a superficial glance, this idea might appear to have some merit, | because it is true that the pos- session of college degrees does not guarantee an efficient administra- tor or an educator of high caliber . but it does help. Those who would attempt to justify the lower- ing of the qualifications for the Commissioner of Education are, knowingly or unknowingly, blind to the implications. The arguments for the bill are shallow, shabby and invalid. Appar- ently it is a case of the legislators selecting a candidate as the suc- cessor to Dr. Ryan, and then lower- ing the qualifications for this im- portant position to make eligible their choice, at least legally. Those who appoint the Commis- sioner of Education have not looked far for a worthy choice, since they have not discovered (or will not discover) that there are candidates who possess not only the educa- tional requirements, but also many or all of the necessary and desir- able qualifications for a director and supervisor of education. What are the implications? 1. Lowering the qualifications, and therefore the efficiency, of edu- cators at the top, policy-making level of the Territorial educational system. 2. Gradual lowering of all of our educational standards in the Terri- tory. 3. Continued and increased inter- { ference of politics in education and the threat of political domination of our educational system. And these are the greatest threats to democracy! Sincerely, (Signed) MARY E. WEIDNER. GREAT, GREY SHIP BRINGS HOME FIRST BiG KOREA GROUP By Paul Wells SEATTLE, March 15.—(®—The yreat, gray ship warped slowly alongside a Seattle pier today to she clamor of throaty whistles, blar- ing bands and welcoming cheers. This was homecoming for the nearly 350 passengers aboard—a homecom- ing from Korea and from Japan. This was the first large group of its kind to reach Puget Sound in the backwash of the Korean war. Several were from Washington State. Among those aboard were 405 en- listed men and 56 officers from all branches of the service. In addi- sion there were 144 military depend- ants, including three wives whose husbands are missing, and 27 gov- ernment employes. They came back to their home- land on the big transport, the Gen. H. B. Freeman—which on this voy- age was a ship of hope and despair, joy and sadness, a means of transi- tion from a world behind to a world ahead. The predominant feeling, fhough, was one of gladness, A rejoicing to be home. Cpl. Harold Perry, Vancouver, Wash., echoed the sentiments of his buddies when he whooped: “Am I glad to get back? Man, and you can say that twice.” He was one of seven Marines back for dis- charge, all of whom were in the bloody withdrawal from Chongjin Reservoir. STEAMER MOVEMENTS Princess Norah from Vancouver | scheduled to arrive Saturday after- noon or evening. Denali scheduled to sail from Seattle 4 p.m. Friday. Baranof scheduled to arrive Sun-|ice headquarters in Washington, day a. m. southbound. Editor, Daily Aldska Empire, Dear Sir: We see in your yester- day’s paper that Walter Walsh has been appointed area attorney for the Alaska Office of Indian Affairs. The article failed to state that his | calary will be about $10,000 a year, I plus all expenses, which will amount to about $6,000 a year, plus sick leave and vacation. All this comes out of the tax payers, whose returns fo the Collector of Internal Revenue are due today. The Natives of Alaska don't want Walter Walsh in spite of the fact he will work for them free, for the Natives know that “No man can |serve two masters, for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other.” The Natives for more than four yvears have had their own attorneys in Juneau, Seattle, and Washington, D. C. without expense to the tax- payers. These attorney are fit and able to represent their clients. The Indian Office has plenty of lawyers in Washington, D. C., where legal matters are decided for Mr, Wade's office. Why do the taxpayers have to ‘t»hell out $16,000 a year for Walsh? | This is equal to about $66 for each: working day. Sincerely yours, (Signed) AL WILLARD, ANB Grang Secretary. 4 Million Man Limit Is Kayoed, WASHINGTON, March 15.—(®— The House Armed Services Com- mittee approved today a military| manpower bill that would draft | youths at 18'% years. The vote was 32 to 3. The bill, in addition to lowering the present draft age from 19 years,! would extend the present length of service from 21 months to 26. Before acting on the bill finally, the committee knocked out a pro- posed 4-million-man limit on the] size of the armed forces. Chairman Vinson (D-Ga) said the vote was 18 to 15 in support of a move he made to strike the ceiling from the committee bill to widen the draft and set up universal mili- tary training. The action was taken in closed session. Any limit on the size of thel armed forces has been opposed by President Truman and military leaders, but the 4-million-man ceil- ing was passed by the Senate. FRANK SAUCIER DIES FROM HEART ATTACK Frank Saucier died of a sudden heart attack this afternoon at about |2 o'clock in the Empire office. Saucier, about 83 years of age, had come into the office to buy tickets on the Nenana ice breakup when he suffered the attaek. At his death he still held a $20 bill in his hand that he had planned to spend on the tickets. About a month ago, Mr. Saucier had been flown from Haines here on a special flight by Alaska Coastal Airlines with three other patients, Since then, he had been a patient at St. Ann’s Hospital. Dr. Joseph Rude was called when Mr. Saucier had his attack, but the elderly man’s heart evidently was to weak for any aid and he quietly passed away. ‘The remains were taken to the Carter Mortuary. Tacoma Firm Bids $108,000, North Star SEATTLE, March 15 —(#—A high| e bid of $108,000 for the purchase of { @ the old Arctic vessel North Star has I . been offered by the Western Boat.e Building Co. of Tacoma. e The vessel is being offered for;e sale by the Alaska Native Service. The bid, together with three others submitted, will be reviewed at serv- l | 3 | . . 3 . 3 D. C. | {INFORMATION WHEN [for your food dollar in times of EARTHQUAKE, NOT A-BOMSB, NO.GERMANY FRANKFURT, Germany, Marc 15 —®— German scientists today reported an earthquake which shook part of Europe yesterday was cent- ered in the Eifel mountains of British-occupied Rhineland. ‘They said the shock was the most severe in several years, Officials at the Stuttgart and Goettingen observatories agreed on the epicenter and said the disturb- ance, felt in Germany, Holland and Belgium could “absolutely have not been the result of an explosion.” There had been some earlier speculation that the quake had been caused by an atomic explosion in East Germany. The town of Mechernich, near the quake’s center, suffered dam- age to buildings estimated at 1,500,- 000 Deutsche marks (about $300,00). PUBLIC TO RECEIVE P-TA MEETS MONDAY How to get your money's worthI rising costs will be the subject dis- | cussed at the next meeting of the Juneau Parent-Teacher Association by Miss Hallene Price, Home De- | monstration agent from the Uni- versity of Alaska. The P-TA will have the regular monthly meeting Meonday, March 19, at 8 p. m. in the high school study hall. This topic should be of interest to the mothers and dads alike. Miss Price will also show a film called “You are What you Don't Eat.” Food wheels will be distributed which will show the seven basic food groups. { -Special music for this meeting | will be a whistling solo by Mrs. | Harold Schultz, accompanied by ! Mrs. C. L. Popejoy. Mrs, Schultz| has delighted Juneau audiences sey- ! eral times with her unique gift of | whistling. | Hostesses for the next P-TA meeting will be a committee of Sixth Grade mothers. Mrs. Harold Cargin is chairman. Mrs. Florence Oakes is president of the Juneau P-TA. She presided | at the executive board meeting last Monday at the high school. Pro- gress of the sale of tickets for the P-TA scholarship benefit movie were discussed. The P-TA is spon- soring the picture, “Stars in My Crown” at the Capitol Theatr March 21, 22, 23. Congress May Get Yoice in Sending €, | | | Troops fo Europe McCABE RESIGNS (By Associated Press) In Washington, members of both parties predicted today early Sen- ate approval of two resolutions to give Congress a voice in future U. 8. Troop assignments to West- ern Europe's defense forces. Two committees approved the resolu- tions yesterday. FROM SEATTLE John E. Putnam of Seattle at the Baranof Hotel. WEATHER REPORT Temperature for 24-Hour Period ending 6:20 o'clock this morning In Juneau Maximum, 34e minimum, 27. At Airport — 32; minimum, 21. Maximum, FORECAST Fair tonight and Friday. Lowest temperature tonight near 26 and highest Friday near 35. PRECIPITATION (Past 24 hours ending 7:30 a.m. today City of Juneau — Trace; Since March 1 — 1.06 inches; Since July 1 — 51.95 inches. At Airport — Trace; Since March 1 —81 inches; Since July 1 — 33.19 inches. ® 0o ¢ 00 0 0 00 @000 cccse0 0000000000000 Dt s Rl e Bl B Ol Moty I'simple ceremony here today. Wedding |k 980 Elliott Roosevelt, 40, and Mrs. Mi as they stroll about the hotel grounds at Key West, Fla. The couple applied for a marriage license shortly after Mrs. Ross had been granted a divorce from Dr. Rex L. ® Wirephoto. Bells nnewa Bell Ross, 39, hold hands Ross, Jr., of Santa Monica, Calif. ROOSEVELT, ROSS WED MIAMI BEACH, Fla. —#—Elliott Roosevelt, second son of the late president, married Mrs. Minnewa | Bell Ross, California heiress, in a The wedding was at Mrs. Ross'| home on fashionable Sunset Island| No. 1 It was the fourth marriage for each. The wedding was performed by Judge George E. Holt of the Dade County Circuit Court. It followed by three days the bride's divorce at Key West from Dr. Rex L. Ross, Jr., a Santa Monica, Calif., phy- sician and surgeon. The tall, slender 39-year-old brx;!e wore a natural shade pongee suit elegantly simple in cut. ‘The bride’s 7-year-old son, Rexxie Ross III, was among those attend- ing. Before the wedding, he emerg* ed from the house and told a re- porter that “it’s all a mess inside. Flowers all over the place.” Guests included the bridegroom’s younger brother, John, and his wife, Anne, x Elliott, asked if he was a “nerv- ous bridegroom,” permitted his hands to flutter and laughingly re- plied, “Not very.” AS FED. RESERVE BOARD CHAIRMAN KEY WEST, Fla,, March 15.—(P— Thomas B. McCabe resigned today as Federal Reserve Board chair- man and President Truman picked William McChesney Martin, Jr., to succeed him. Martin is now assistant secretary of the Office of International Fin- ance. Mr. Truman chose Martin as the new chairman on McCabe’s recommendation. Martin’s nomination will go to the Senate soon, Presidential, Secretary Joseph Short announced. smii@fimous NEW YORK, March 15 — Closing quotation of Alaska Juneau mine stock today is 3%, American Can 105%, American Tel. and Tel. 153%, Anaconda 39%, Douglas Aircraft 94%, General Electric 53%, General Motors 51%, Goodyear 71%, Kenne- cott 70%, Libby, McNeil and Libby 9%, Northern Pacific 32%, Standard | Oil of California 44%, Twentieth Century Fox 22, U. 8. Steel 42. Pound | $2.80%, Canadian Exchange 95.56'% i Sales today were 2,070,000 shares.| Averages today were as follows: Industrials 244.85, rails 81.17, utm-I ties 42.49, Memorial Asks Road, Skagway To Whitehorse By BOB DE ARMOND A road to connect Skagway with the Alaska Highway at Whitehorse is sought in a memorial introduced in the House of Representatives this morning by the Committee on Ju- diciary. This memorial is addressed to the Secretaries of Interior, Agricul- ture and State, the Alaska Road Commission, Bureau of Public Roads, Delegate in Congress and the Hon. J. Aubrey Simmons, House of Commons at Ottawa, It cites the development of new mineral properties in the Mayo and Atlin districts and the desirability of an alternative route to the In- terior. This could be accomplished, the memorial states, by construction of a 50-mile road from Skagway tc Carcross. A road from Carcross to Whitehorse, on the Alaska Highway already exists. The House worked on its own bills yesterday afternoon and this morn- ing and spent a good deal of time on the bill amending the Alaska Workmens Compensation Act. Refused by Senate One bill amending this Act, by providing for medical care for in- jured employes for a maximum of 18 months instead of one year, passed the House by a vote of 16-8 yesterday afternoon. The bill was killed by the Senate this morning. however, which voted 8-6 against receiving the bill. House Bill 92, providing a $1 fee for persons who file vertificates of birth or death, failed to pass the House yesterday afternoon by a vote of 12-11. Tt was revived this morning on a reconsideration and on its sec- ond try sailed through unanimously The House this morning amended the Workmen's Compensation bil by increasing permanent , partial disability payments a flat 25 per cent over the present schedule. The substitute bill, as introduced, pro- vided much greater increases, The increases proposed in the bill were first deleted by a 13-10 vote. A proposal to increase the payments by 50 per cent was amended, by a 13-11 vote, to reduce the figure to 25 per cent. Asks Too Much “It is better to make some gains now and let future legislatures make other increases than to put in too much now and lose the entire bill,” said Rep. Hendrickson in speaking of the amendment. ‘I was not en- dorsed by labor but tjat does not mean I am against labor,” he added. Rep. Franklin moved to tahle the (Continued on Vl;:ze Two) bill and the motion lost by a ‘l-l'lI HONGCHON TAKEN BY U. 5. FORCE Tank-Led AITied Columns Also Advance So. Kor- ean Red Foothold By Associated Press Tank-led American assault troops entered the levelled town of Hong- chon today. Only five civilians and a mangy white horse remained in the town that once numbered 15,000. Only a flurry of small arms fire greeted the Americans as they occu- pied the road junction town that hds been a major supply center for at least one Communist Army in recent days. The town is just 20 miles south of Parallel 38. Reds Fire Back The Reds later subjected the town to mortar and artillery fire. Allied troops also entered the South Korean capitol of Seoul in force today and got an ovation from the city’s remaining residents, Of a normal 1,500,000 population, but 200,000 remained to greet South Korean and American troops. The reoccupation by the South Korean First Division and the U. 8. Third Division marked the fourth time the city has changed hands since the fighting started last June 25. Near Parallel 38 At points along the advancing Allied lines, UN units were less than 18 miles south of Parallel 38, the dividing * line between North and South Korea. H East of Seoul, tank-led Allied columns advanced on Chunghon, the Reds last chance for a foothold in South Korea. The Reds must hold the key supply base of Chung- hon to maintain a force south of Parallel 38. On the east coast of the penin- sula, South Korean Marines were in hot pursuit of Red troops north of the village of Kumkok. INT. REVENUE INVESTIGATES RACKETEERS WASHINGTON, March 15.—(®— A special “racketeer” force of rev- enue agents is making an “intensive investigation” of tax returns of racketeers involving $57,000,000 in taxes and penalties. The Internal Revenue Bureau gave this report to a House Ap- propriations Subcommittee which made it public today. ‘The committee is considering the Bureau’s 1952 budget. It made a special inquiry into tax enforce- ment policies as a result of Jaxness with respect to racketeers and gang- ) sters. STAMPEDE FOR NET SITES SEEN IN BRISTOL BAY AREA DILLINGHAM, Alaska, March 15 —{M—Bristol Bay fishermen predict a stampede for net sites when the 1951 salmon season opens. Intertidal waters of Bristol Bay will be open to set net fishing this year. Under previous Alaska com- mercial fishing regulations set netters were prohibited from fish- ing the open beaches Bay fishermen have reported as many as three sets of location stakes already driven on the bea- ches. The accepted rule for possession of a set net site is that it goes to the first man getting his net into the water on opening day of the season, A FROM TENAKEE A. L. Slagle of Tenakee is stop- ping at the Hotel Juneau. SEATTLE VISITOR W. B. Johnson, Seattle, lguest at the Baranof Hotel, is a