The activities of some of the military and contractor personnel on the Dewline project continue to cause considerable anxiety over their right to come into this village bringing their immorality and VD. Many of these people continue to violate the expressed wish and democratic ruling of the local village people by bringing in liquor, appearing drunk on our streets, molesting property, and endangering lives. Certainly this situation calls for action in placing this village off limits to those undesirables who have no real interest in or care for the welfare of the Eskimo people nor their rights, interests, or feelings. The Barter Island people have made their position clear to the military and their desire not to have their village rules broken. The military people and contractors there have been most cooperative on this. Why should Barrow be different?

Educational needs: It is clear to all of us that our young people need to have the fullest possible educational preparation for life, even if they plan to spend all of their lives right here in Barrow. It is the position of our church that education is good for everyone and is not wasted on people who continue, if they so desire, to live largely a native way of life. Even an elderly person may want to go on learning and using his mind to the fullest. This is to be admired.

We know that in Barrow many drop out of school due to lack of interest and a feeling that they will not be able to go on to complete their schooling anyway. It is rather clear that many would be encouraged by more complete schooling available locally, and they would not be tempted to drop out in the seventh and eighth grades if they saw more of the older children continuing in school right here. There are many very good reasons for not sending children out to school. In most cases they would do better here. I will not go into this extensively, but stress the immediate need for the ninth and tenth grades here and a full high school in the near future.

Note these statistics:

Barrow young people who are 15, 16, and 17 years old..

65

In high school at Mount Edgecumbe or Sheldon Jackson (more than half of the rest have dropped out of school)..

15

Barrow children who are 5, 6, and 7 years of age.

135

LOCAL NATURAL GAS

Although certain governmental agencies and individuals have been slow to give their approval for the release of the natural gas which is already accessible and in good supply here, there are many who do not see any good reason for not releasing the gas for village use. Regardless of the plan used-whether to generate electrical power for local use in quantity or to pipe in the gas-there is still good and sufficient reason for the native people to have the resources that are available locally under their domain. As it is now even during times of employment, many homes are cold too many days out of the year, leading to excessive sickness and added burdens for hospital care and treatment.

My personal opinion in discussing the use of the gas well would divide the need into two separate parts. With all the Government agencies here running their own light plants night and day-ACS, the Bureau of Standards, Weather Bureau, and Public Health Service hospital which also supplies the schoolit appears to me as a taxpayer that we have a responsibility to have a common power source for them. We buy power from the Government now and we would hope to continue this and we would like to see that the village has access to a good source of power to fill the need for villagewide use.

The matter of using the gas well for general heating is another issue and a big one. I cannot speak for the other churches which are new in the village since 1954 and do not have our extensive program, but we spent over $5,000 on fuel last year. In this present year, we have budgeted $5,900 for fuel. This should give some idea of the present expenditures on fuel in the Government installations, all but one of which have a great deal bigger heating requirement than we do. It is clear that the ANS has sponsored the Meade River coal mine project and that this does give some employment to local people. If this was for the greatest good for the most people in the long run, we would like to see it continue. Instead it means that the school and hospital are run at a tremendous cost to the taxpayer, and money that could well be spent on more needful things goes to pay extremely high prices for coal ($42 a ton) and stove oil, deisel oil, and gasoline ($30 to $50 per 50-gallon drum). If there was no natural gas available, there would be little choice but to continue carrying the tremendous financial burden for fuel); however, under the present availability of the gas, it seems unbelievable that anyone would favor bringing coal 85 miles by cat-train and oil all the way from Seattle by ship.

There is no question in my mind but that our ability to serve this community would be greatly augmented both from the standpoint of our budget and staff, not to mention the saving in maintenance labor and upkeep, if we could use natural gas instead of coal and oil.

DEAR SIRS: To speak on behalf of the local needs on education, I feel qualified to do so from the standpoint of residence sufficient in length (4 months) to understand the people and their needs in this regard through Christian education in the church. Also, I hold a bachelor of arts degree in education from the University of Washington at Seattle.

The facilities of the public school at Barrow have greatly improved over what they were a number of years ago before the Second World War and have expanded to barely keep up with an increasing population of school-age children.

The specific problem which I would like to see reviewed is the objective of the school curriculum. The general education at Barrow is fine; however, it is my feeling that a vocational program should be added which would give the Eskimo people some badly needed practical training. Business training in home finance and budgeting, homemaking, maintenance (tools, guns, and equipment), carpentry, engine mechanics, electricity (home wiring), and leather tanning (for women) to meet present day standards are the areas which need attention if the Eskimo people are to adequately meet the inroads of our mechanized culture based on a money economy which they did not have 5 to 15 years ago.

Each year has seen more building, increased use of vehicles such as jeeps and weasels, motorboats, modern home appliances, and other innovations of stateside culture. If the Eskimo people are to adjust to this tremendous change, it will require the type of education which can be met only by vocational courses. This underlines the need for a ninth grade immediately. Such training would create interest and need for standard curriculum.

I think this recommendation is a necessary step to help the Eskimo people become responsible citizens in the Territory, contributiong to the potential of Alaska as a peer among States.

Here, too, is the possibility of working out solutions which would have a direct bearing on the overall Indian problems in the States to pioneer action in support of the eventual elimination of the reservation system (which does not exist here). Respectfully submitted.

WILLIAM ZEIGER.

CAPE SMYTHE WHALING AND TRADING Co., Barrow, Alaska. SUBCOMMITTEE TERRITORIAL AND INSULAR AFFAIRS,

Washington, D. C.

GENTLEMEN: As a citizen of the village of Barrow listening in on the three major items being presented to the committee by the village council:

1. Housing.

2. Natural gas and light plant for Barrow.

3. Education.

I was in favor of all, and the records shown in the minutes of the Barrow Village Council should clarify all points. However, I would like to make this statement on issue No. 3 (No. 2) natural gas and light plant. In view of the high cost bringing in from Seattle diesel fuel and gasoline. I recommended that a turbine capable of operating on natural gas situated at the well site piping in power 7 miles to Barrow would be a blessing to Barrow. Natural Gas which could be used as power being of unlimited supply, would give much-needed space on the supply vessel for project No. 1-Housing. I hope this statement be given consideration as I have brought this out in 1954 to other hearing committee, checking the health of our community.

Sincerely,

THOMAS P. BROWER.

BARROW NATIVE COUNCIL,

Barrow, Alaska.

BARROW, ALASKA, September 30, 1955.

(Attention Mr. Fred Ipalook, Secretary)

This is in reference to your letter of September 27, 1955, requesting for the statements I made before the committee from Washington.

The following are the statements I made as shown in the minutes of the meeting as kept by your acting secretary:

Our schoolrooms are overcrowded. Nine teachers are doing the work, or carrying the loads of 12 teachers. We have converted an old warehouse into a classroom. Better housing is needed for teachers. Living quarters for teachers are inadequate.

Hoping that the above in letter form will be of help to you in your community problems, I am

Very truly yours,

STERLING G. CROELL, District Principal, Alaska Native Service.

ALASKA, 1955

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1955

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON

TERRITORIAL AND INSULAR AFFAIRS OF THE
COMMITTEE ON INTERIOR AND INSULAR AFFAIRS,

Nome, Alaska.

The subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 9 a. m., in the courtroom, Federal Building, Nome, Alaska, Hon. Leo W. O'Brien (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.

Mr. O'BRIEN. The hearing will please come to order.

I would like to say at the outset that I recognize a number of the people here this morning that we met last night. While the hearing this morning will be a little more formal in its nature than our very pleasant gathering last night, we would appreciate the informal approach. We are here to find out what your problems are and do our best when we get back to Washington to get help from our colleagues in solving them.

Another point I would like to make. We are anxious to complete the hearings at noon exactly because we have a flying schedule we would like to meet. So we will try to govern ourselves accordingly in the presentation.

I think most of you know who the members of the subcommittee are. Starting at my left, Mr. Utt of California; Mr. Dawson of Utah; I am O'Brien of New York; our counsel, George Abbott; Congresswoman Green of Oregon. Of course, introduction of the distinguished Delegate from Alaska, Bob Bartlett, is unnecessary.

Having taken care of the amenities, we will now proceed to the first witness.

Mr. ABBOTT. I believe Mayor Andersen, for a brief statement.

STATEMENT OF HON. STEFFEN ANDERSEN, MAYOR, CITY OF NOME, ALASKA

Mr. ANDERSEN. I have nothing to say at this time other than that I appreciate these people coming to this hearing. It is for your benefit, and I assure you these men are very much interested in your problems. So feel free to say all you wish, because they are very interested in what we have to say.

Mr. ABBOTT. Thank you, Mayor Andersen.

Mr. Chairman, we have been handed a list of several witnesses with specified subjects. My suggestion would be that we take those witnesses as we have them listed; that during the break we will take the names of other people who wish to appear, if they will consult with myself or Mr. McFarland, our committee engineer, or Dr. Taylor, our consultant for the Subcommittee on Territories.

It is our hope that schoolchildren who have come up today may search among themselves to find one or two spokesmen.

(Discussion off the record.)

Mr. ABBOTT. The first witness I have is Mr. McNees.

STATEMENT OF JOHN A. McNEES, NOME, ALASKA

Mr. McNEES. Mr. O'Brien and distinguished members of the Subcommittee on Insular Affairs and Territorial Possessions, Delegate Bartlett, and other members, I was assigned the question of statehood, and I have entitled my paper just that: "The Question of Statehood for Alaska."

I might say before I begin I will have copies of this statement for each of you, as well as a longer detailed and more factual report of how I feel about statehood that you will be able to take with you on your departure.

I have entitled my few remarks that the limitation of time does permit "The Question of Statehood for Alaska," for the reason that the subject raises numerous questions in anyone's mind who has given any consideration to the subject at all.

First, how can anyone hold opinion on the subject?

Secondly, I can respect the man who does not feel that Alaska is ready for statehood or who holds with an alternative plan that he thinks may have merits that statehood does not answer. I am all ready to listen to those arguments and firmly feel that it is a subject that must be argued and discussed fully and freely, with as little prejudice as possible and with selfish motives and interests set aside.

To state my own position quickly and positively, and fortunately it is an opinion that the people of Alaska in a majority approved a few years ago when it was voted upon in referendum, to wit: Alaska and Alaskans are ready for statehood, need statehood, deserve statehood, and have every right that God gave freeborn man to expect that a just and liberal statehood bill be drafted and approved at the earliest possible date in the next session of Congress.

In the last 36 hours I have formed an opinion or two relative of these individuals who compose the Subcommittee on Territories and Insular Possessions. One of these opinions is that Mrs. Green and her fellow congressional companions must be the cream of the congressional crop-so many of them, in fact, I think without exception, are heartily in favor of statehood for Alaska, and that now. Furthermore, I have formed the opinion that when they return to the States from Alaska, which means "the great land," they will be more convinced than ever that Alaska is ready for and needs statehood and that the United States needs statehood for Alaska.

When statehood comes to Alaska-and note I do not say “if”—and only then will Alaska be able to take its proper place in the scheme of things internally, nationally, and in the worldwide scheme of things. As it stands, we do not truly govern ourselves internally, being limited by the enabling act, which gives only very limited power to govern ourselves. We have a very fine Delegate to Congress in Bob Bartlett, who accomplishes more in a year in Washington than we have any right to expect of him, knowing that he is there without the bargaining power of a vote equal to that these individuals hold in Congress.