M. L. Borders, administrative officer of the medical center, Frank Calvin Warren C. Christianson, attorney at law... Andrew Hope, member of the executive board, Alaska Native Page Charles W. Kidd, chairman, public schools committee, Chamber of William W. Knight, representing the Sitka Chamber of Com merce 2 Dr. Carl Mankinen, United States Public Health Service, Mount William Olsen, area director, Alaska Native Service Mrs. Hopewell Rands, Chamber of Commerce committee on Myrth B. Sarvela, secretary, Northern Fishing Vessel Owners Fred Van Horn__ Leslie Yaw, superintendent, Alaska Miners Home, Sitka.. Petersburg, Alaska, October 3, 1955: Statement of-- Ralph Hall, president, Chamber of Commerce.. 107 Malcolm E. Hardy, professional forester, United States Forest Georger Anderson, Industrial Unity Council, 634 Grant Street__ 144 120 W. K. Boardman, manager, Ketchikan Chamber of Commerce. 160 154 185 J. F. Krause, representing the Southeastern Alaska Seine Boat 148 W. O. Smith, trollers union. 133 Hydaburg, Alaska, October 4, 1955: Summary of hearing 217 231 239 ΠΙ Robert E. Ellis, territorial senator from the first division, Page 243 Oscar Erickson, Alaska Fishermen's Union, Ketchikan branch.. 253 273 D. Force, district commander, southeastern district of the 265 270 Mark Glover, territorial department of mines. W. M. McCall, secretary, Fishermen's Allied Workers Union.... Annette Island Reserve, Alaska, October 6, 1955: Summary of hearing.. 262 257 277 ALASKA, 1955 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1955 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON TERRITORIAL AND INSULAR AFFAIRS Mrs. PrOST. The Subcommittee on Territories and Insular Affairs will now come to order. We have 2%1⁄2 hours at our disposal this morning. I would like in opening the meeting to introduce to you the subcommittee members present. On my left is Congressman Utt, of California, next is Judge Chenoweth, of Colorado, then your own Delegate, Bob Bartlett. To his right is Congressman Sisk, of California. Traveling with us are three very able staff members. Here behind us is Dr. John Taylor, consultant for our subcommittee, and to my left at the end of the table is Sid McFarland, who is our full committee engineering consultant, and our very able reporter is Karl Veley. We also have with us Colonel Libby who is keeping us on schedule. We have now spent three most enjoyable and constructive weeks in the Territory of Alaska. But this committee has had little time to relax, to go sightseeing, or to otherwise participate in the pleasant social functions here. We have spent 67%1⁄2 hours in actual hearings. We have heard from 182 people, and we expect to increase that somewhat today. We are told, however, that we must be finished by 12 noon. Our able chairman, Mr. Leo O'Brien, found it necessary to leave from Juneau to return to his home in Albany, N. Y., last week. We are sorry because Mr. O'Brien is an Alaska enthusiast, and you can depend that he will be selling Alaska legislation to eastern Members of Congress when we all return to the session next January. This group, as you know, is a two-party group. We have 2 Repubicans and 2 Democrats at this time with us. However, in committee work we do not indulge in party politics. We have a common desire to search into your problems, and we will assume a nonpartisan approach in attempting to solve them. Yesterday afternoon we viewed the site of the new pulp mill which, I understand, is a very fervent hope of this community. We, along with you, certainly hope that you will be able to induce that industry o locate in your community. I understand too, that hydro projects are something that are vital to his area. I might add that they are most important in my own State of Idaho. We have that great, deep Hells Canyon gorge on the Snake River, which I have been trying to get authorized since my lection to Congress 3 years ago, so that we may develop our natural esources in Idaho. EARLY PASSAGE ALASKA MENTAL HEALTH BILL URGED It is our suggestion that this committee give consideration to the Alaska mental-health bill, which is now before Congress, as an immediate and urgent step that could be taken as one measure to help in staving off a serious juvenie delinquency problem in Alaska. When this bill is enacted, it will make it possible for us to obtain the necessary trained persons, in sufficient numbers, so that it will be possible for us to hold clinics, to which juveniles may be referred to give them the necessary early assistance through patient consideration of their problems, directing them toward making wholesome plans and participating in worthwhile activities, and if the necessity arises, giving them early treatment to prevent more serious mental conditions arising, which might lead to permanent injury and damage. We have made a beginning, by employing 1 full-time psychiatrist, 2 psychologists, and 2 psychiatric social workers in the Alaska department of health. Without the necessary facilities to work in, and without the correction of the inhumane, archaic legal procedures now in effect, the work and efforts of this small number has been much less effective and worthwhile than it should be. In reviewing the legislative history of the Alaska mental-health bill, the committee will find that it has had a very rough go of it. The reasons for this have varied. On of the reasons has been that there are always those who do not desire change, wishing to retain the old methods, even as outmoded as they might be. A second reason has been lack of understanding and appreciation of the importance of this type of legislation for the people of Alaska. The current status of the Alaska mental-health bill has discouraged Alaskans to a very marked degree, because delays have resulted from the fact that political impl cations and pressures have become involved in its passage. Unless a broader and more humanitarian point of view is taken, the bill may be again lost and valuable time wasted, and the situation will remain uncorrected. In a recent article in the Juneau Empire, there was expressed the concern Alaskans have that this bill may be delayed in its passage. "HEALTH CHIEF URGES ALASKANS TO HELP PUSH MENTAL MEASURE "By Dr. C. Earl Albrecht, Territorial commissioner of health "There are very few matters in Alaska that are receiving more seri attention on the part of Alaskans everywhere than their interest and desire to have their mental-health problems improved. Nearly every community. even many of the smaller ones, have in someway come close to the problems that arise from the present handling of a mentally ill person. It seems unne sary to review the present archaic, inhumane method of managing these cases because these facts have frequently been brought out into the open. Again Alaskans are actively supporting the enactment of Federal legislation which will correct this unsatisfactory procedure. "Now Alaskans are hopeful again, because we have heard that the Hose Interior and Insular Affairs Committee reported out an Alaska mental-hes bill. But it came out of the committee by a divided vote. This is distressing to Alaskans, because it is hard for them to understand why a matter which pertains to the health of their relatives, neighbors, and friends could have any possible political implications. "For some Alaskans this is a matter of life and death. The present law which is a Federal law under which Alaskans are now subjected, meant the life of a mother in the Federal jail in Juneau several years ago. She was the mother of children who have now become beneficiaries of the Government a result of her suicidal death in the jail during an excitement phase of be mental depression. "Had it been possible for her to have been hospitalized within Alaska in the first stages of her illness, we are told by authorities and specialists in psychiatry that she might very well have been treated and returned to her family. But he is dead because of her improper care and disturbed mental condition. The e rection of this situation is indeed a matter of life and death for Alaskans. "Incidents of this kind have aroused Alaskans everywhere and strong appeals have been made to the Department of Interior, the Public Health Service, and the Congress that an adequate Alaska mental-health bill be passed by Congres Only then will it be possible for a comprehensive mental care program established within Alaska. to be The present administration through the Department of Interior and the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, with the approval of the Bureau of the Budget has placed before the subcommittees of the House of Representatives a very adequate bill. And yet, Alaskans read that this bill, which has administration support, has developed political implications and as a result has a very stormy course before the Rules Committee and the House of Representatives when it is up for passage. "It is considered that the bill before the Rules Committee of the House of Representatives is a good bill. I believe that it should be enacted promptly without political implications and have the support of both parties. This bill has the support of the Federal administration and the executive branches concerned; it has the strong support of Gov. B. Frank Heintzleman, Delegate E. L. Bartlett, the Alaska Department of Health, numerous societies, medical groups, ministerial associations, legislative committees, members of the joint house and senate committee of the Alaska Legislature. "With this overwhelming unanimity of opinion, over and above political considerations, it is hard for Alaskans to understand if this much needed legislation is not enacted. "Alaskans do have faith, however, and believe that when full consideration is given by the House and Senate of our Congress, they will by an overwhelming majority, hastily enact the Alaska mental health bill. We must look to each and every Member of the House and Senate of the United States Congress as our special representative, and we must appeal to each one individually to give this matter his serious attention." We Alaskans recognize full well, that this type of legislation is unusual, but we have been forced to this procedure because of the organic act, which makes it necessary for us to go to the Congress to correct the outdated procedures and the antiquated legislation. We further recognize, full well that it is unusual to appeal to the Congress for Federal financial assistance in helping to meet our mental-health problem. The question is asked "Why should Alaska have assistance when other areas do not?" But Alaska needs this assistance, again because of the position the Federal Government has placed it in. For example, the vast resources of this great Territory, consisting of most all of its land masses, are Still under the direct control of the Federal agencies. Its resources are, therefore, not available as yet to Alaskans as sources of income. If they were, it would make it possible for us to meet our own costs, excessive as they are, for the care of the mentally ill. For many years it has been pointed out by different officials from Alaska, that if the Territory were granted the income from the net profit of the sale of the Alaska seal certainly one of Alaska's own natural reSources, rather than have the funds go directly into the Federal Treasury, it would be possible for Alaska to meet some of these health problems. ALASKA A DEFENSE BULWARK It is thus evident, Alaska is placed in an unusual situation. Alaska certainly Is in a strategic location in world power politics. It must be a defense bulwark, So we must have healthy, strong, manpower to develop this great country, and o strengthen and build its defenses. To build and maintain this health and Strength it is going to cost much more in every way than it will in other areas under the American flag. This committee should be told that I realize that the enactment of the Alaska mental-health bill is not, by any means, the answer to all that is needed to prevent he occurrence of juvenile delinquency, but I am persuaded that it is a first and most urgent step that Congress needs to take to help make this aspect in the preventive program of juvenile delinquency effective. Much needs to be done, after the act is passed, but this is an urgent emergency step that needs to be aken. ALASKA JUDICIAL SYSTEM AND PENAL SYSTEM Before I close my testimony, there are two other aspects of this whole problem, which I would like to refer to and that is that I believe that our judicial system in Alaska needs to be strengthened and improved. Somewhat in connection with this s that our penal system, by that I mean our Federal and municipal jails, need much improvement. When the juvenile delinquent reaches the point that he ecomes involved with the judicial system or the penal system, unless these are working efficiently at a high level with good standards, it is inevitable hat a profoundly bad impression will be made upon the juvenile. One of the most glaring deficiencies in Alaska, in our Federal judiciary system, is the eplorable shortage of Federal judges. The very fine judges that we have are |