THE NOME NUGGET
Pul 'shed Monday, Wednesday and Friday by The
NOME PUBLISHING CO.
Nome, Alaska
Telephone: Main 125 P. O. Box 618
$1.50 PER MONTH S16.00 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.
Wednesday, December 12, 1945
LOCKING THE GATE IN TIME
(The Alaska Weekly)
The question of the manner of handling the retail
liquor business of Alaska is increasingly engaging the
attention of the thinking citizenship of the Territory
and the present modus operandi is coming in for a good
deal of criticism in certain localities.
While most of the criticism centers around the Native
problem, it is by no means confined to that question.
Many people who are not averse to a drink for them
selves or for the other fellow resent some of the dives
♦which are bringing the retail liquor business into disre
pute and are toying with the idea of Territorial monop
oly and the abolishment of cocktail lounges and bars.
On the other hand, we know few Alaskans who are
anxious to return to the palmy days of white mule and
the backroom bootlegging joint or who feel that such
a program would offer any improvement on the pres
ent situation.
Along with the operators of gyp joints, who have no
scruples as to selling to minors or to the intoxicated, ar:
a large number of good citizens who are operating their
cocktail lounges in a manner in which their fellow cit
izens may take pride. These men are as gravely con
cerned over abuses of the license privilege as are any
other citizens.
All of which brings to mind an experiment now being
made in the State of Louisiana which is being fostered
by the Allied Liquor Industries in cooperation with the
Wine and Spirits Foundation of that state.
In brief the plan is the formation in each community
of a citizens’ committee composed of bankers, real es
tate men, clergy—a cross section of the community life
—who will work with the legitimate liquor interests to
secure strict law enforcement and the elimination of
unsatisfactory conditions. It is planned that a represen
tative of the tavern kepeers’ organizations will sit on
this committee and be in a position to interpret the
ideas of his group to the committee and, in turn, keep
his organization in step with the efforts of the commit
tee.
The four-point program thus far stressed is, in con
densed form: (1) the establishment of retail liquor
dealers’ organizations stressing self-regulation. (2) Ap
pointment of a self-regulating committee by such or
ganization, the activities of which would be directed
toward the elimination of undesirable practices by a
small minority. (3) Publication, where such action
seems desirable, of a “sales to minors” and “modera
tion” series of advertising at the expense of the organ
ization. (4) Establishment of the citizens’ advisory
committee heretofore discussed to meet periodically
with public officials and the liquor dealers’ organiza
tion.
According to reports the plan is working admirably
in several Louisiana communities and receiving whole
hearted public support.
It is worthy the consideration of the legitimate retail
liquor dealers, the distributors and the Alaska citizen
ship in general.
POLITICS
(Daily Alaska Empire)
Senator Howard Lyng of Nome, Democratic National
Committeeman for Alaska, is on the trail of a petition
which was presented to President Truman some time
ago, signed by the majority of Territorial Senators,
asking for the removal of Governor Ernest Gruening.
Lyng, when he heard of the petition, sent a letter to
Democratic National headquarters stating that the Sen
ators who signed the petition were not representative
of the Democratic Party in Alaska, even though all of
the Senators signing the letter were Democrats.
Lyng says that the petition should have been pre
sented through his office and channeled first through
ihe divisional Democratic committees, but he did not
consult the divisional committees when he rushed the
letter in telling national headquarters the signatures
were not representative of the Democratic Party in
Alaska.
At any rate, as a result of Lyng’s letter, his Demo
cratic colleagues in the Territorial Senate may noP
show Lyng much cooperation during the next session, j
The nine Senators who signed the petition will control'
the Senate vote, and three of them are from the Second
Division.
Alaskan Republicans, who will have a Territorial j
convention in Anchorage early next month, are sup-;
posed to be considering nominating George Grigsby of!
Anchorage to run for Delegate against E. L. Bartlett, if
Bartlett runs again for the Democratic nomination.
Grigsby was defeated in the primaries last election by
John Manders, now Mayor of Anchorage.
FIRST SN0WFAU,
GENERAL MAINTENANCE SHOP
Automotive - “Cats”
Acetylene Welding
READER BROS.
Located Sommers “Cat” Shop
NORTH POLE
BAKERY
And Restaurant
WE SERVE WHOLESOME FOODS
- - - NONE BETTER * - -
OPEN 6:30 A. M. TO 11:30 P. M.
FRONT STREET PHONE MAIN 159
Alaska To Be Represented
At Special Selective
Service Award
Alaska "'ill ho renrecentr>^ ->♦ a
special Selective Sorvic° a" 'ml
erremonv at the White T4o»i~« in
Washington, D. C.. on J^r,,^a,v 21
bv a member of an Alaskan Coral
T^oarrl, it is announced by Terri
tor'al Director, John L. McCor
mick. The award, a medal signify
ing voluntary, patriotic and faith
ful service, will be presented by
President Truman and will tynify
an award to be made to volunteer
Selective Service workers.
National Headquarters of Selec
tive Service has stated that local
board members with four years or
more of continuous service and
still actively serving are eligible.
Selection of the member to repre
sent Alaska will be made by pub
lic drawing, said John L McCor
mick. This includes a list of twen
ty-six in Alaska. They are:
P. J. McDonald, Fairbanks; Fe
lix Gray. Juneau; Joseph F.
Krause. N. R. Walker and H. G.
McCain, Ketchikan; Stuart H. Nu
ckols, Merrill Coon and Jack All
man, Kodiak: Anthony Polet. Ai
mer Rydeen, C.C. Tanner and O. S.
Weaver, Nome.
William W. Knight, Charles E.
Wortman and Ben C. Miller, Sit
ka Earl N. Ohmer, Harold F.
Dawes, C. E Swanson, Charles G.
Anderson and Erick Ness, Peters
burg.
B. W. Neily, Kotzebue: Leon
Urbach, John M. Ives and Alfred
H. Bryant, Seward; C. Don Mil
ler, Wrangell; and J. H. Rosswog,
Cordova. (
For the drawing the name of
each will be put on a single slip
of paper, inserted in a capsule and
placed in a bowl, glass jar.or suit
able container. The date of the
drawing has been set at 2:00 p.m..
December 18, 1945, in the U. S.
District Court Room, 5th Floor,
Federal Building, Juneau. A rep
resentative of the American Le
gion, Chamber of Commerce, Ro
tary Club and Lions Club wilt
each draw one capsule from the
bowl for a principal and three al
ternates in order to take care of
any eventuality.
The person selected will have
his transportation and subsistence
expenses paid for the trip to the
National Capital to represent
Alaska Selective Service.
It is expected that a lagre group
will be present and the public is
cordially invited to attend and
witness the drawing.
ARMY NEEDS 20,000
CIVILIAN WORKERS
Headquarters, Alaskan Depart
ment—In its endeavor to release
men as rapidly as possible, the
Army finds that it urgently needs?
20,000 civilians to replace soldiers
who become eligible for discharge
and are working at Separation
Centers, the War Department an
nounced recently.
Principal need is for clerical
and stenographic help, junior la
borers, automobile mechanics,
cooks’ and bakers’ helpers and
other categories. Key personnel
are needed also to replace officers
and high-grade non-commissioned
officers in administrative and
supply positions. ^
--- it
People have been walking on
leather for about 4,000 years.