THE NOME NUGGET
Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday by The
NOME PUBLISHING CO.
Nome, Alaska
Telephone: Main 125 P. O. Box 618
$1.50 PER MONTH $16.00 A YEAR
W. A. and EMILY BOUCHER.Editors
Entered as second class matter October 14, 1943, “at the postoffice
at Nome, Alaska, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
Friday, November 22, 1946
What To Do?
We must be on the right track now since we have the
City Council up in arms about the seriousness of the
situation. The town of Nome needs more than anything
else, a certain quantity of internal cooperation. Our City
Council has designated Friday night (tonight) as a gen
eral get-together for the citizens of Nome, to discuss the
pros and cons of a very serious problem confronting us.
What are we citizens supposed to do in the matter?
It is up to us as individuals to find out for ourselves, per
sonally and collectively, just how much each and every
one can help the other fellow to a more trouble-free and
■enjoyable existence in Nome . . . Free from worries of
encroachment by the Bering Sea.
The Council has made it possible for all who have any
civic pride at all to be present at the High School gym
nasium on Friday evening by declaring it a public
meeting sponsored by the City Council.
The Council members held a special meeting on Tues-1
day evening last, and resolved to forward to key-men, |
telegrams which described the plight of Nome in the!
recent storm-caused catastrophes and its helplessness;
to cope with the situation.
‘The citizens of Nome will be expected to give of their
ideas on the matter before the community, in the inter
est of the community.
Some have an idea that the town should be moved
away from the ocean.
(Others believe that even though a move is made some
protection is needed for what we still have.
Still others feel that under no circumstances should
a move be made but that all efforts should be bent tow
ard the complete preservation of the property rights
of the citizens who have individually been protecting
the property of others in the defending of their own.
In the first idea, a complete survey has not been
made.
The second combines the first and the third.
The third is a present consideration and one which is
being paid for by each and every individual in the com
munity, if not directly, through increased prices and
taxes. Merchants cannot sustain heavy losses contin-.
ually without reflecting those losses in their price struc- i
tures.
All this goes to show that regardless of opinion, we
•each have a responsibility to the community and to our-1
selves.
Last but not least, the right to hold a town meeting,!
is not only a privilege which Americans enjoy, it is a
duty to assist our leaders. The City Council has called;
upon us, we must not be found wanting. Remember,'
George cannot do the job alone, to our satisfaction. Go I
to the meeting tonight and give your wholehearted sup
port, whatever it may be, but, be there! j
New Light On Labor |
I
(Anchorage Daily Times
This month’s Fortune magazine, which is devoted to
the single subject of labor, contains the findings of a
public-opinion survey on that subject conducted by
Elmo Roper. Because we think they are of considerable,
importance and interest, we are printing some of those
findings here. i
Mr. Roper’s poll-takers found a good measure of sup
port for compulsory arbitration of labor disputes among
the rank and file of labor and management, even though
leaders of both groups have repeatedly rejected the
idea.
They found that 50.4 per cent of those questioned feel
it is “never all right” for a striking union to keep every
one away from a plan. And they made the encouraging
discovery that 64 per cent of union members polled
don’t think that the bulk of management is out to para-;
Vze labor unions, while 61.4 per cent of executives don t
think union leaders are trying to oust management and
run American industry. ;
On the subject of politics, 48.9 think the PAC should
be dissolved; 19.4 favor its further existence; 32.7 have
no opinion. I
The general public seems to disagree with labor lead
ers who have denounced Congress for betraying labor
and selling out to big business. At any rate, 37.8 percent
of those answering the Roper poll think that labor gets,1
the most benefits from legislation, while 28.1 percent;
think business does.
There was an extremely enlightening answer regard
ing the big names in labor. A list of well-known union
leaders was presented, and each person questioned was
asked to choose two he liked most, and two he liked
least.
“James Petrillo, John L. Lewis, and Harry Bridges
are the most heartily disapproved,” says Fortune,
“while Philip Murray and William Green emerge as the
people’s favorites. But nearly 57 per cent of the people
cannot think of any labor leaders they definitely disap-1
prove of. When it came to picking two for disapproval,'
only 33 per cent are unable or unwilling to reply.
The magazine also believes, on the basis of this sur
vey, that Congress could undertake the following labor1
legislation “with some assurance that it has the backing
of the people”:
1. Summarily outlaw strikes by civil service em
ployees, general strikes in a given area, and strikes
against companies taken over by the government, as a
means of reducing labor disputes.
2. Enable government to enforce its own solution of
railroad disputes and play a major part in settling dis-l
putes in companies which manufacture important and
necessary consumer goods, such as electrical equipment.
3. Force public accounting of union funds.
4. Amend or clarify the Wagner Act to guarantee
management the right to present its side at a strike-vote
meeting.
These surveys are admittedly fallible, but this one
sounds like a logical expression of general opinion.
It indicates that perhaps the public as a whole is
thinking more clearly about labor disputes than some
of the self interested disputants engaged in them. It also
seems to indicate that the public as a whole is doing
some independent thinking and not swallowing all thr \
pleas and propaganda of management and labor.
Surely both those contentious groups, as well as Con-;
gress and the executive officers of our government con-1
cerned with labor disputes, could ponder this poll’s re
suits with a good deal of profit.
ay ivia«x LbL COUNCIL
Secretary to E. L. (Bob) Bartlett, Delegate to Congress from Alaska
ALASKA SHIPPING RATES 4
Hearings held before the Mari
time Commission this week reveal
ed a difference of opinion between
the steamship companies operating
in Alaska as to what ruling the
Commission should make on the
petition to increase shipping rates
from, to and within Alaska.
In August Examiner Horan of
the Maritime Commission recom
mended, after extensive hearings
during the past year, that the pe
tition should be denied and the
proceeding discontinued.
The attorney for Alaska Trans
portation Company urged the Mar
itime Commission to grant a 67.4
percent increase based upon ac
tual operating costs of 1945. The
*—
attorney for the Alaska Steamship
Company and the Northland
Transportation Company argued
that the petition should be discon
tinued inasmuch as the original pe
titioner, the War Shipping Admin
istration, had been dissolved and
had, in effect, abandoned the ques
tion.
David E. Scoll, representing the
| Territory of Alaska and the Alas- j
ka Development Board, recom
! mended to the Commission that
I Examiner Horan’s decision be
| adopted by the Commission.
It was revealed that all steam-1
: ship companies anticipate return
j of their ships by the Maritime
1 Commission for reversion to pri- j
vate operation by Decembe
although under the law the
mission may continue such o
tion until February 28, 1947
attorney for Alaska Stean
and Northland Transport
pointed out that upon retur
i ships to the companies t<
'would be published, submits
,the Maritime Commission foi
proval with 30 days’ notice 1
to protestants of such tariffs,
procedure would undoubtedly
suit in future hearings as th
torney implied the tarriff y
1 be in excess of the present
to meet operating costs.
All witnesses before the (
mission stated they looked to
gress for enactment of legisl;
to ease the whole Alaska ship
problem. These easements w
take the form of ship constru<
subsidies authorizing the Mari
Commission to construct comb
tion passenger and freight ve
suitable to the Alaka trade. 1
would also include establishr
of certificates of public conv
ence and necessity and per
| which would give "grandfat
lights to serve all the Territor
the three companies and apprc
ate rights to any other carriers <
tinuing to operate as ofthe“gr;
father” date as to the area
| class of business which they
form.
The Alaska Transports
Company also urged the Com:
sion to take action together 1
the Post Office Department for
provision of higher rates for i
transportation. Recommenda
was also made that all governn
traffic, including that of the ai
and navy, be routed over exis
carriers. A further suggestion 5
mitted by the attorney for AU
Transportation was a proposa
a conference among all Ah
carriers to arrange non-conf
ing sailing schedules with c
dination of uniform rates
practices throughout Alaska.
FOOD FOR ALASKA
Negotiations instigated by E
gate Bartlett are under way to
tain meat from Canada to ease
food shortage in Alaska.
The difficulty arises from
fact that Canadian beef and c
meat is under allocation coi
of the International Emergi
Food Council embracing mem
from the United States, Cai
and Great Britain, and Great
tain has been the principal
signee of excess Canadian st(
It is hoped all parties will a
to the release of at least 100
of meat a month for the Fairb
area as long as the emergency 1
The food shortage in souths
ern and interior Alaska wil
somewhat alleviated by arriv;
a relief ship which started loa
in Seattle on November 15.
union has agreed to man and
a ship to carry emergency
plies such as food, medicine
animal feed for Kodiak, Sev
Cordova and points to the nor
GLACIER BAY
NATIONAL MONUMENT
Delegate Bartlett has urgec
President to reduce Glacier
National Monument to assist
tiers in farming and stock ra
enterprises.
The Monument was create
1925 by Presidential Prod
tion, and boundaries of the M
ment may be modified by
same procedure.
The President’s attention
called especially to an area ki
as Strawberry Point which i
largest level area in no**
southeastern Alaska suitable
agriculture. Delegate Bart
i stated Strawberry Point '