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. 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, Wednesday, August 10, 1949
IS A DEPRESSION IMPOSSIBLE?
It may be true, as Mr. Theodore Yntema, Ford Motor
Company official, asserts that a depression like that of
the thirties is “practically impossible” in the next year
or two but this does not mean that the “marked decline”
or “recession” has been stopped in its tracks.
It is never safe, oi< easy, to predict what will happen
to the economy of the United States. In fact, the more
reassuring the statements we hear from leading busi
ness men, the more suspicions we have that the situa
tion is worse than we think.
After all, the business men have something to sell.
They know that sales decline as the buying public loses
confidence in future prospects. To sell, one must sup
port optimism. Hence, men with things to sell are opti
mistic when they speak in public. i
This does not indicate that the same optimism is visi
ble in the management of businesses. In fact, there is
general agreement that the present lethargy in econo
mic affairs has been largely the result of the business
hold-off in buying for inventry. Moreover, retail sellers
reduced their buying more than consumers. This, too, to
reduce inventory.
The steady effort of business men to reduce inventor
ies does not imply great confidence in continued buying
at present prices. It is symptomatic of putting one's
house in order for the uncertainties ahead. Naturallv,
the average buyer, somewhat apprehensive about de
clining income, will follow the example of business it
self and try to get set for a possible stringency in com
ing years.
_
THE DOLLAR SHORTAGE EXPLAINED
In the thirty-five vears since 1914 the United States
sold goods and services to the peoples of other nations
to the value of $270,285,000,000. During the same period
we bought, from other nations, goods and services to
the value of $169,230,000,000.
Inasmuch as the other people had to balance their ac
counts one wonders how it was accomplished. The 35
year-difference was $101,055,000,000. How was it paid?
Here is what statistics reveal:
Two-thirds, or more than $66,000,000,000, was cov
ered by loans and grants from the U. S. government;
for eign gold and dollar assets, sold in this country,
amounted to $15,581,000,000; individuals and charitable
organizations sent abroad nearly $11,000,000,000; in
vestments abroad, by business and individuals, totalled
about $10,000,000,000; about another billion was made
available through the World Bank and the International
Monetary Fund.
These figures, taken from a recent issue of the U. S.
News, are not balanced to the dollar but represent ap
proximately the trade and financial transactions of the
last thirty-five years. It is plain to see that our exports
have been heavily subsidized by the money of the gov
ernment which, it is obvious, cannot offer a permanent
basis for our commerce.
The present condition of world trade revolves around
the dollar shortage which, from the above figures, is
easily understood. The rest of the world must find more
adequate markets in this country or reduce purchases.
This is now underway and may become more pro
nounced unless the United States finds a way to buy
more goods and services from other peoples.
We have no solution that we wish to persuade any
body to adopt. Nevertheless, since an export market is
vital to the growth and prosperity of agriculture, as
well as industry, one wonders if a satisfactory plan can
be developed to buy more abroad. Possibly, there would
occure some loss in the domestic market if more foreign
General Relief
Program Outlined
In order to acquaint the public
with the provisions of the Terri
torial laws as they relate to the
general relief program, the direc
tor of the department of public
welfare, Mr. Henry A. Harmon, :
wishes to make public the follow
ing information.
The general relief program
which is financed by Territorial
funds is established to take care
of the needs of persons who are
unable to earn a livelihood in con
sequence of immaturity, sickness
of physical infirmity. According
to a recent interpretation by the
attorney general, no relief pay- j
ment from general relief funds
may exceed $30.00 per individual
per month for any purpose exclu- .
sive of medical or hospital care.1
This $30.00 maximum per individ
ual per month applies therefore to
subsistence needs, such as food,
shelter, fuel, and clothing, or
board and care payments for
adults or children.
In strict adherence to this re- j
cent interpretation of the law, it j
is necessary for the department of •
public welfare to limit many of'
the important services which
come under the general relief pro- j
gram. The $30.00 limitation obvi
ously will not permit the depart
ment to provide the necessary liv- ;
ing conditions for many needy
persons. Individuals living alone,
and children dependent upon the
Agency for foster care payments
will be most affected as their
needs cannot possibly be met
within the $30.00 maximum. The
department of Public Welfare
recognizes the effect of this re
struction, but is required to ad
here to Territorial laws and their
interpretation in the administra
tion of the program. Apparently
only legislative action can solve
present conditions.
These policies which the Alaska
department of public health must
follow have been of great concern
to many people in the Territory.
The department will, therefore,
keep the people of the Territory
Dr. Bertram,
Visiting Research
Scholar At U. of A.
Dr. G. C. L. Bertram of St.
John’s College, Cambridge, Eng
land, has been appointed a Visiting
Research Scholar according to an
announcement released by Dr.
Terris Moore, president of the
University of Alaska. Dr. Bertram
will head a party of research
workers to the Pribilof Islands
where he will study the fur seal.
On his return it is hoped that he
will deliver a lecture at the Uni
versity on his findings.
This study on the fur seal is
made possible through a grant-in
aid by the Arctic Institute of
North America. Dr. Bertram is be
ing brought to this country from
England by the conference board
of associated research councils
committee on international ex
change of persons, which group
i; the cooperating agency of the
government’s exchange program
under the Fulbright Act. The Uni
versity of Alaska is acting as the
sponsoring agency for this study.
The project is being conducted
to study the fur seal herd in the
Pribilofs during the breeding sea
son this summer. Dr. Bertram ex- j
pects to remain on the field for a
period of from two to three
months. He states, ‘’This herd of
seals affords the finest example.of
the rational use of a stock of wild
animals 'under the auspices of the
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service* in
the world.” The field work would
involve three main aspects, 1.
Census work and age determina
tion. 2. Utilization of carcasses.
3. Extension of biological theory
on the comparative behavior of j
the Pinnepedia <fur seal*.
informed on the various activities
and policies in relation to the Gen
eral Relief program. It is hoped
that this publication will answer
many of the questions which here
tofore have come through letters
and personal contact to the Dis
trict Welfare Offices.
goods and services wer& purchased.
The acquisition of more stable foreign markets, how
ever, might equalize the matter. The development of
higher living standards, in other nations, might even
increase our total market for goods, products and serv
ices. In short an enlarged, two-way trade might help
everybody.
" ~ *
-NOW. HERE COMES THE PAY-OFF"
■nnw - ■-1 I
Tiulana, Native
Of King Island;
i Gets New Leg
* -
SEATTLE, —Tiulana, son of
| Ukitguna, sat in a hotel room yes
I terday waiting for his left leg.
■ He sat patiently, waiting until
j the white men were in their of
; fices and he could telephone them.
Meanwhile, he worried intermit
j tenlly about getting to church
| next Sunday.
1 Tiulana, whom the army in 1942
drafted and enrolled as Paul Tiu
i lana, private, stevedoring batta
lion, is proud. He is a native of
King Island, and everybody knows
that the tiny Alaskan Eskimo is
land in Bering Strait is the most
Catholic spot on earth.
Tiulana knows it. After that
day in 1943, when he was in the
barge at Nome and a cable sling
broke, burying him in falling tim
bers, he was hospitalized in the
States. He went to army hospitals
in Vancouver, Wash., and Brig
ham City, Utah, and he was not
able to go to church because they
had to amputate his left leg.
This time, it is going to be dif
ferent. Tiulana is determined not
to miss mass.
“The veterans administration
gave me a new leg but I come
now to get it changed for a better
one,” he explained simply. “Even
with the first one, I went on the
ice this spring and shot two wal
ruses.”
Tiulana, now 27, is married and
has a son 2 years old. He does not
want to stay in Seattle any longer
than the three weeks it will take
to lit his new leg. The King Is
landers are at Nome now. carving
and selling their ivory to the tour
ists. He wants to get back before
the coast guard packs the villag
ers back to the island for the long
winter.
“When the lumbers fall on me,
I get moneys from the government
now.” Tiulana explained. “The
Alaska Native Service brought me
my own lumbers and celotex last
year and I paid $400 for it. Now
my wife and baby have our own
home. 12 by 20.”
So. an a monthly pension. Tiu
lana has his own one-room home
on King Island. Gasoline is too ex
pensive. so his Coleman lamp is
rarely used. Instead—
“We took the door off the stove
and fill the door with dry moss
and and seal oil,” he said. “That
keeps ous house warm all winter
long, and this winter we have lots
of oil. I shot ribbon seal, hair seal,
two walruses, even ugruk ...”
Ugruk—the great bearded seal
—is vital to Tiulana. He is proud
then everr with only one good leg,
he can struggle across the ice on
his crutches.
“On these smooth streets I will
use my cane when I go to church
Sunday, he nodded, “but I think
people will not know why I can
not kneel.
“It worries me.”
PLAGUE RETURNS
TO CALCUTTA
CALCUTTA, (/P) — Plague has
rejoined the ranks of the many
endemic diseases of Calcutta after
an absence of 42 years. Last year
there were 254 cases and 14 deaths
during the 17 weeks ending July
31. But this year it started early
in January and already it has
killed 50 out of 366 cases.
Except for strap imported cases,
Calcutta was free from plague
since 1906. In 1899, about 60,000
were reported to have died of
plague in Calcutta alone.
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