Daily Sitka Sentinel And The Arrowhead Press

Prospects brightest for mental health bill in 1956
by Frank W. Vaille

WASHINGTON (AP) Two Alaska controversies—statehood and mental health—will carry over to the second session of the 84th congress.

Legislation on these issues tops a dozen bills of Alaska interest which have been acted upon by either the house, the senate or their committees.

Prospects are brightest for the mental health act. Chairman Engle (D-Calif) of the house insular affairs committee expects to go before the house rules committee soon after congress meets in January to ask an early floor consideration of the bill which has been approved by his committee.

Chairman Murray (D-Mont) of the senate insular affairs committee has indicated his group will take up the question early in the session.

There is little, if any, opposition to that phase of the proposal which would modernize Alaska's commitment procedures for its mentally ill. Verbal pictures of adults and children being held in jail while awaiting sanity trial by their neighbors have caused more than one member of congress to assail Alaska's present program as barbaric.

The stumbling block has been a proposal for outright grants to permit Alaska to take over the program. This would include funds for construction of hospitals and care centers in Alaska. Rep. Miller (R-Neb) has been the principal spokesman for those who would like to see the territory required to match any federal money it gets.

Whether there will be any attempt to revive statehood for Alaska—or Hawaii—is questionable. A bill to admit both territories was sent back to committee by a vote of 218-170 when brought to the house floor early this year under procedures barring amendment.

Sen. Jackson (D-Wash), chairman of the senate territories subcommittee, is convinced the senate would insist on a bill combining hopes of both territories. He has declined so far, on grounds it would be a waste of time in view of the house action, to bring the statehood matter to a vote of his subcommittee.

Pending in the senate with house approval is a bill to eliminate the 10 per cent tax on transportation between the United States mainland and Alaska.

Another proposal, by Sen. Magnuson (D-Wash), to set up a commission to study highway and rail routes to the territory is before the house committee. It has senate approval.

Although it involves no legislation, another major Alaska item which will carry over to the next session is the request by secretary of interior McKay for approval by affected committees of his proposal to open to private development some 20 million acres on the arctic slope.

The area, adjacent to naval petroleum reserve No. 4, is considered potentially valuable as a source of oil and gas.

A senate subcommittee held hearings on the question last session but reached no decision.

Other bills, in addition to various proposals affecting individuals, have been passed by
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the house and now await senate action.

These would permit leasing of school lands for 55 years instead of 20 as at present; let the University of Alaska select mineral and unsurveyed lands to fill out a 100,000 acres grant given it in 1929; permit yearly lease of the Annette Island airport until 1999 and authorize creation of camp grounds, parking areas and other recreation facilities in Alaska.

Approved by its mining subcommittee and awaiting action by the full senate insular affairs committee is a bill to spur Alaska's tin program. It would set a base price of $1.20 a pound for placer tin and $1.35 for lode tin. Hearings on a similar bill have been held on the house side.