THE NOME NUGGET
Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday by The
NOME PUBLISHING CO.
Nome. Alaska
Telephone: Main 125 p. O. Box 61«
•1.50 PER MONTH $16.00 A YEAR
W. A. and EMILY BOUCHER.Editors
Entered as second class matter October 14, 1943, at the postoffw'*
at Nome, Alaska, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
Wednesday, April 8, 1947
i
Federal Taxes 1
(Daily Alaska Empire)
IN 1946 THE FEDERAL government collected in in
come tax collection from Alaska the huge sum of $15,
187,544. This is one reason why the Territorial Legisla
ture, just ended, had some difficulty in finding tax rev
enues to bring in about half of that amount over two
years.
This is a situation which exists not only in Alaska, but
in all the States and Territories, where the national!
taxes extracted leave little left for the local govern-*
ments.
A. W. Robertson, chairman of the Westinghouse Elec
tric Corp., was so struck by the disparity of the tax|
schedules that he wrote the following letter to all mem
bers of Congress: i
“You will be astonished, as I was, that I paid 37 times,
as much tax to the Federal Government as I paid to all,
other tax collectors (Federal tax from 1942 through
1946—$746,717; all other taxes for the same period,
$20,200). What is still more remarkable, this $20,200
paid for all public school facilities, all police protection,1
fire protection, sanitary service, including street clean
ing and garbage collection. While individual tax figures
vary, a similar comparison of services could be shown
by practically every taxpayer in the country, whether,
he pays much or little to the national government. It
seems to me that, unless we have embarked openly on a'
policy of confiscation of property of the citizens in the
guise of taking current income from individuals, regard
less of services rendered in return, Federal taxes must
be reduced until they are in line with other taxes.”
Mr. Robertson undoubtedly has a point which merits
a bit of pondering by members of Congress. In compari-1
son with the services rendered for the local tax dollars,1
the Federal Government doesn’t give the average tax-!
payer very much for his money. War expenses distort:
the picture to a certain extent, of course, but the point
still holds good.
i
Mr. Lie’s Questionable Conduct
(Rocky Mountain News)
THE SPEECH by Secretary General Trygve Lie of
the United Nations has been widely interpreted as an in
direct criticism, of President Truman’s Greek-Turkish
policy.
If that was its intent—and Mr. Lie seems to have in
spired such an advance billing—the secretary’s speech
should have been more to the point.
Words should be used to express their purposes, not
to conceal them. If this country is at fault in any respect,
Mr. Lie should spell it out.
In its essence, all the speech did was to urge a willing
ness among nations to seek agreement, with “a readi
ness to resort to the United Nations, even when the most
vital national interests are at stake.”
If Mr. Lie intended to imply that the United States
has not shown a sincere desire to get along with the Sov
iet Union, the shoe doesn’t fit and we decline to put it
on. And if he implied that we have any selfish national
interest in the Mediterranean area, a slur doesn’t make
a fact.
This ugly implication should be supported by evi
dence or Mr. Lie should be called upon to withdraw it.
Our interest in the Greek-Turkish situation stems whol
ly from a desire to maintain peace, and to prevent two
small nations from being pushed around by* a bully. Mr.
Lie’s concern should be the same as ours, if he is as
m
thoroughly dedicated to the purposes of the United Na
tions as a man in his position ought to be.
The Greek situation has been before the Security
Council, which Mr. Lie heads, since last December. The
slowness with which an investigation got under way.
even after it was ordered, suggests that Mr. Lie, him
self, may be partly to blame for the extent to which
conditions have deteriorated. We might not have be
come involved in the case at all, had it been handled
with expedition.
The one prior incident in which Mr. Lie assumed per
sonal initiative was when he urged Security Counci1
action against Franco Spain—after that issue had been
warmly debated by the council itself.
Mr. Lie has yet to point an accusing finger at Russia
or any of its satellites, although numerous opportunities
have been provided him. That he has seemed to front
for the Soviet viewpoint in the only two instances in
which he has spoken out may, be quite coincidental, but
it is recalled that he was Russia’s candidate for the posi
tion he now holds.
It would be easier to dismiss a suspicion of bias, had
his comment on American policy been withheld until he
had heard the statement by the United States, which he
knew was to be made Friday. A member state would
seem to be entitled to such courtesy.
One Man’s Opinion By Walter kiernan
The state department is planning shortwave broad
casts in Greek, Turkish and Arabic — Soon it will be
possible to misunderstand us in fifteen languages. . . .
There is no estimate of how many listeners “Life Can
Be Bountiful” would draw in Greece and Turkey, but
Washington is more interested in pitching than catch
ing. ... I hear the rating of the broadcasts to Russia is
so low that Hooper is digging down through a sub-cellar
trying to find it. . . . Anyway, Senator Pepper says
Greece and Turkey should be left to the U. N. to handle
—No smile crossed his face as he spoke it so he must
have meant it. . . . Congress used to have the dodge,
“Lay it on the table,” but “Send it to U. N.” is guaran
teed interment for any problem. . . . You’ve got to say
“Franco!” to make the boys’ eyes light up — “Greece!”
won’t do it... . Secretary Acheson says our aid to Greece
and Turkey should bring peace rather than war — or to
revive a faintly remembered slogan “All Aid Short of
War.” . . . Anyhow no one can complain these are dull
days what with fighting Communism in Greece, Fascism
in Spain and capitalism at home.... But it is pleasurable
to report that the treasury has just lifted its claw out
of the taxpayers’ pocket in one small respect — tele
vision. The treasury has decided that television in a bar
room is not entertainment for tax purposes — There are
those who feel that television currently is not entertain
ment, period. — In some respects it’s a little like the se
cret of the atom — We have it but we’re darned if we
know what to do with it... . And I speak as one who has
fried under the lights — I lost enough salt to fill all the
shakers in Childs. *
By GEORGE S BENSON
President cf Harding College
Searcy. Arkansas
r i ~
_ <
ITS TIT FOR TAT
The definite, dynamic relation
ship which prices bear to wages
| and wages to prices has been
dramatized effectively in recent
weeks. To the average American
housewife, however, who counts
out carefully and apportions out
even more carefully her husband’s
weekly pay, the relationship has
been real enough all along.
To Mrs. Pennythrift, the house
wife, taking her change out of the
crockery pot in the cupboard to
exchange it for basic family needs,
the fact that prices “down” repre
sents a real "raise” in wages is
well understood. With her the
basic problem is: How far will the
money go? When she has to take
p
out less change to buy a loaf of
bread or bottle of milk, that’s as
good to her as a pay boost for
her husband. And cause for jub
ilation.
The Mass Production Way
Henry Ford II, whose grand
father practiced so well the me
chanics of good ecenomy and who
dealt fairly and well with the
I mass output system, recently start
ed what may become a trend in the
automobile industry. In making
the first postwar price reduction
on cars, Mr. Ford actually gave
, the equivalent of a wage boost tc
all Ameicans who buy Fords, and
if other car manufacturers follow
| it will mean a boost to all whc
l buy automobiles. And as mass pro
duction of automobiles comes to
a peak, still lower prices will sure
ly follow.
While labor leaders thought this
■ a step in the right direction, some
! of them quickly stated that “price
! cutting” would have no effect up
on their plans for wage drives.
Neither industry nor labor look
forward to extensive price cutting,
| particularly without greater pro
| duction, nor should either expect
I to gain from continued wage
' drives—without better production.
The key to the wage-price balance
i is: more output.
Bigger Pie
One manufacturer has advertis
ed this balance thus: “If we want
a bigger cut out of the income pie
either as management or labor, the
best way for all concerned is to
bake a bigger pie.” He continued,
“You can’t cut bigger pieces out of
a smaller pie. You can’t continue
to raise wages, anywhere, out of
shrinking production.” That is
right.
In an industrial democracy like
ours, we have a high standard of
living largely because our produc
tion of goods has been brought into
line with the lowest possible con
sumer prices. Volume production,
everytime, means greater value to
the consumer at lower prices. It
also means more to those who in
vested the capital that bought the
tools. And it means more to labor
that builds the product.
Keep A Balance
These thoughts may explain why
not all of labor has been willing to
get behind the banner that “indus
try can afford a 25 per cent gen
eral wage increase Without raising
prices.” The American Federation
of Labor has reported its findings
that in 1946 an 18Vfc cent wage in
crease brought increases in living
costs of equal amount. The balance
of wages and prices is just that
close in our economic structure.
Now is the time for each Ameri
can to understand, along with Mrs.
Pennythrift the housewife, that all
of us must cooperate in order to
use these fundamental economic
1 facts to the advantage of the whole
nation. We cannot hope to main
1 tain for long this* free America
which we love, unless we seek long
! range cooperation and understand
1 ing. rather than shortsighted group
i advantages which in the end are
destructive to all.
Army Day
; At Nome A.A.B.
The commanding officer of the
Nome A.A.B. has expressed his de
sire that open house be conducted
j on April 11, 1947, from 1:00 to
5:00 p.m., with the Base being
j open to the general public of Nome
and vicinity, as part of the pro
gram in observance of Army Week,
which is during the period of April
6 to April 12, 1947.
1 The general public is cordially
invited to visit Nome Air Base on
Friday, April 11th, for the purpose
of observing the functions and cer
tain installations of the Air Base.
Installations open to visitors are
the following: Hangar No. 1, Gym
nasium, Service Club, N.C.O. Club,
, Officers Club, . Library, Station
. WXLN and Chapel.
Visitors are reminded of the reg
> ulations pertaining to smoking in
; or around the aircraft hangar, and
i to obseve the prescribed walking
* lines in the hangar. "
> Recreational facilities will be
l provided for the visiting public.
r There will be military personnel
> at the gate to direct visitors to the
■ avenues open to the public.