THE NOME NUGGET
Published Monday. Wednesday and Friday by the
NOME PUBLISHING CO.
NOME, ALASKA
Telephone: Main 125 P. O. Box 6i»
$1.50 PER MONTH $16.00 A YEAR
W. A. Boucher . Owner-Publisher
Entered as second class matter October 14. 1943, at the postoffice
at Nome, Alaska, under the Act of March 3. 1879.
Nome, Alaska, Monday, April 25, 1949
CHIEF SUGGESTS “FIRE SAFETY” HOME CHECK
“How much would your house cost to build today?”
The question is Fire Chief W. W. Laws’. Building costs
have risen 109', above those of 1938, making it more
important than ever that home-owners protect their
property, the chief declared in a statement urging all
householders to cooperate in this year’s Spring Clean
Up.
The house that cost $5,000 before the war, he addqd,
would cost $10,450 to build today.
Many home-owners may not have increased their in-,
surance proportionately, and fire would be a double
tragedy in the loss of the home and greatly increased
costs of rebuilding, the chief warned in his request that
householders start their home check-up.
Outlining a systematic clean-up, the chief suggested:
Get rid of all rubbish, old newspapers, magazines,
odd pieces of furniture or clothes, that may have collect
ed in the yard or garage, in closets or the attic.
Clean out the heaters throughout the house. See that
rubbish or kindling wood is never placed next to the
stove where it might ignite from the heat.
See that the ceiling and walls near the stove are prop
erly insulated with asbestos or other non-combustible
material, leaving at least an inch of air-space.
Clean the chimney, checking for cracks through
which heat might escape.
Never use kerosene or other flammable liquids to
quicken a stove fire. Don't use gasoline, benzine or'
naphtha for home cleaning. It is safer to send clothes'
out to professional cleaners, but if cleaning must be j
done at home, be sure it’s done with fluids listed by Un-j
derwriters' Laboratories, Inc.
See that portable heaters have guards on them and
that they are so placed that they can’t be knocked over
easilv.
Put all oily rags and mops where air can circulate j
freely about them. Matches should be kept in metal con-1
tainers out of the reach of young children. Enough ash!
trays should be distributed about the house for all1
smokers.
Look over electrical wiring for signs of fraying. Don't j
run them under rugs or through doorways. Buy only i
those cords and fuses which bear the Underwriters’'
Laboratories label. When replacing burned out fuses,;
buy only 15 ampere fuses, sufficient for ordinary house
hold use. Never “bridge" fuses with pennies or other
metal bits, which prevent them from operating proper
ly as “safety valves” to warn against shorts or over
loaded circuits.
—
UNCLE SAM, M.D.
(Claremont, Minnesota, News)
One of the hang-overs of the new deal era is the pres
ent agitation for socialized medicine. It is contended
that many people who are in need of medical attention
cannot afford to get it because of its high cost. That the
recent war showed us that the soldiers of both Germany
and Japan, where socialized medicine has been prac
ticed for many years, were in much better average phy
sical condition than our young men. That many of our
children are handicapped by defective eyesight and
dental troubles due either to lack of attention by par
ents or lack of funds.
It must be admitted that the doctors have made great
strides in their profession without any government sub
sidies. Early medical history tells us that at one time
the life span was about 25 years, by 1700 it had grown
to 35 years in the more civilized countries. Now we un
derstand it is close to the 70 mark. The medical advance
PROOF OF THE PUDDING
■ ':/ aaiMMawtam—
merit has been made by careful study and experimenta
tion, mainly because of a code of ethics which held out
i its greatest reward to be acclamation in the service of
: humanity. At the present time when a doctor is called,
he responds as quickly as possible. It is the only profes
sion we know of where a set fee is not arranged in ad
vance with scheduled terms of payment.
Many people can still remember when appendicitis
was treated with opium pills, a hot water bottle and
castor oil. This was cheaper than an operation but the
patient usually died. A specified diet and codeine went
for diabetics. This was cheaper than insulin but the
treatment ended with an obituary notice. Many weary
hours of research provided the present day technique
but we must admit it is worth it—even with the added
cost.
England has had a half year of socialized medicine
and dentistry. Reports indicate that the general public
is greatly pleased and flock in droves to the medics with
any fancied ill. Doctors report in the most sparsely set
tled communities their income has dropped from 50 to
00 per cent. In the industrial areas their incomes in
creased by about 25 per cent. Under the government
schedule, their average fee is about $3.50. And it must
be remembered they are under a 24-hour 7-day work
week. With the dentists, it is different. Many of them
have already put out signs, “No more patients for f2
months.” They get high piece work rates and the gov
ernment has found some of them are being paid at the
rate of $50,000 a year. The British Medical Journal re
ports a statement from one doctor who says, “To work a
7-day week with numerous night calls and 24 hours on
duty and find at the end of the quarter that one’s check
is exactly half the monthly check of a dental colleague
is more than human flesh can bear.” Dissatisfaction is
already apparent among the professional workers. It
had been estimated that a 5 per cent tax on incomes
would pay the expense of this experiment but costs are
running close to double the estimate. When Britain’s
borrowing power ends and the public has to foot the
bills, it is evident that there will also be dissatisfaction
among the general public.
we are not in favor of socialized medicine in this
country', but would like to see that every person was re
quired to take a complete physical examination at leas
' every six months. We already have the Blue Cross and
for those who cannot afford the needed medical atten
tion, w'e have our welfare agencies already set uo Wp
I oppose having our Washington over-lords collect $4 in
taxes in advance to return $1 to our doctors even if it
would be sf means of reducing some of the “Fair Deal”
high blood pressure.
ON ADVERTISING—“If there is one enterprise on
f.arth that the quitter should leave alone, it is advertis
1! ing.Advertising does not jerk—it pulls. It begins gently
: at lirst, but the pull is steady. It increases dav by day,
■; year by year, until it exerts an irresistible power.”
—John Wanamaker.
U. S. Seeks World
Over For Atomic
Energy Minerals
SEATTLE (A5)—Atomic director
David E. Lilienthal declared here
Friday night that the nation’s
atomic program involves “a fan
tastic exploration for ore the
world over.”
In discussing the peace-time
program, the atomic energy com
mission chairman said one of the
primary functions “certainly is” to
make weapons and improve them,
“and this is being done rather well
in terms of progress. But the real
function is much broader than
that: to foster knowledge.
“Just how that knowledge will
be applied, only a fool would be
too sure about. . . . We cay say,
however, with assurance that it
will affect the whole complex of
life, agriculture, nutrition, educa
tion, international relations, in
dustry, peace and war.”
Lalienthal described the nation s
program for developing atomic
knowledge as “very extensive.”
“It is to be found pretty much
all over the world,” lie declared,
“from the heart of tlie Belgian
'Congo on across the Continental
United States, to Eniwetok Atoll
in the Marshall Islands. It in
volves universities, hospitals, a
fantastic exploration for ore the
world over, industrial develop
ment on a large scale, industrial
production, medicine and a great
many other fields.”
He cautioned a University of
Washington audience against “the
myth of the atom bomb.” He said
ihat myth was that atomic ener
gy’s only important use is as a
military weapon: that talk about
peaceful usese is nonsense.
“Nothing.” he admonished,
could be farther from the truth.”
Speaking ahead of Lilienthal.
Rep. Henry Jackson (D.-Wash.*,
declared it would take “an Ameri
can iron cifrtain, police state
methods and total imitation of
Russia” to keep all atomic secret-;
intact. He said it was not feasible.
Railroad To Alaska
To Be Discussed
SEATTLE, bP)— A railroad to
Alaska—a primary interest of the
Pacific Northwest Trade assn.,
and the reason it originally was
established—will be discussed in
the group’s convention at Belling
ham April 21-25-26.
C. B. Lindeman, publisher of
the Seattle Post-Intelligences and
past president of the association,
will lead American discussion of
the Alaska railroad situation as
chairman of the Seattle chamber
of commerce railroad-to-Alaska
committee.
It is expected H. G. T. Perry,
Prince George and Prince Rupert,
B. C., publisher, will lead the Ca
nadian discussion.
Other convention speakers will
include governors Langlie of
Washington and Douglas McKay
of Oregon; Premier Bryon I.
Johnson, British Columbia; Dr.
Wilson Compton, Washi n g t o n
State College president; Col. T. G.
Norris, president of the Vancou
ver board of trade, and J. J. Wads
worth, special assistant to the ad
ministrator of ECA in Washing
ton, D. C.
Engineers estimate it is just as
«a:v to see a white thread on a
black background in very low
light as to see a black thread on
a black background when 2,000
times as much light is used..