THE NOME NUGGET
Published Monday. Wednesday and Friday bv the
NOME PUBLISHING CO.
NOME, ALASKA
Telephone: Main 125 _ P. O. Box 610
$1.50 PER MONTH $16.00 A YEAR
W. A. Boucher ...;.. Owner-Publisher
Emily Boucher ..Local Editor
Entered as second class matter October 14. 1943. at the postoffice
at Nome. Alaska, under the Act of March 3. 1879.
Nome, Alaska, Wednesday, January 26, 1949
A FRESH START FOR LABOR
(By George S. Benson)
(President of Harding College, Searcy, Arkansas)
Our unions have been accused of “Communism many.
times in recent years. Sometimes the charge has not■
stood up under close examination. At other times, labor:
•organizations have faced the music and set about the
job of cleaning out dangerous, un-American elements.!
A rceent decision of the CIO rank and file to clean house
is an example of the latter. Philip Murray and others j
helping in this unsavory task surely merit our full sup-!
port.
American labor itself knows that the charge of “Com
munism” is sometimes voiced carelessly. Labor, too, is
acquainted with the propaganda technique that tacks
unpleasant names upon worthy groups. That’s done too
often. Such a method itself reminds up of the ways of
Communists in dealing with persons and groups they!
consider enemies. But when a labor official openly
preaches what Communists stand for, what else can be i
the accusation?
Most of us little know what masters the Communists
are at clever organization. They do make good union
workers if they can find a union whose leadership is un-1
trained, or members uninterested, they know how to j
take over. The Communists want to use labor unions as i
outlets for their propaganda. They want new recruits.
Naturally, they want to have access to union funds.
From union treasuries can come paychecks for faithful,
advance-agents of Communism!
Moreover, a union base for operations is just what the j
agents of Communism want most. This gives them a
chance to see what they can do to insure failure for the I
enterprise system. With the reins of union leadership
in their hands, it is no trouble at all to make excessive
demands upon employers, to stir up unjustified strikes
and slowdowns. Industrial espionage for Russia is easy
then, and in case of war, sabotage can be undertaken.
These are some of the reasons why we must get be-1
hind Phil Murray and the CIO in their effort to oust
fifth columnists from their unions. More than that, we:
must become acquainted with the ways of the Com
munist. You know, American Communists have boast
ed that a dozen non-Communists stand ready to do the!
work and the bidding of each party member. This means j
that well-intentioned persons may find themselves do
ing things just the way the Communists want them
done.
We must be alert fo rthe Communist attitude, as well
as for the Communist himself. In every community,
good citizens, we must watch for the fellows that want
to sow discord and plant the seeds of strife. If there’s
honest disagreement, or differences of opinion, we are
free to discuss these over the conference table. Whenj
we’re unwilling to do that, we may be boosting the stock!
of the Communists in our own America.
Here’s what I mean by the Communist attitude. A
certain California union organizer said he operated in
this manner: No negotiations during a dispute until the
management is made to look bad to the public, in every
way. This labor official frankly stated he would not be
gin negotiations until the point is reached where man
agement appeared in the eyes of the public to be selfish,
greedy, crooked.
Then, said the organizer, when labor was shown to be
helpless and in need of protection, he was ready for con
ferences. Like this labor man, there are those who some
times fail to see which team they’re on. The pity is that
so many lend themselves to the purposes of those who
would destroy America and ail that labor stands for.
One of the prime objects of the Communist is to create
THE LINEUP
TAtfS
GOffMMhON I
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bitterness, anywhere and everywhere. Whenever he
can, he’ll turn employee against employer!
- ■ — ~ ■ ■■■
MR. TRUMAN’S BUDGET PROPOSAL
(British Information Service)
The Daily Telegraph writes on President Truman’s
financial proposals to Congress. The paper says:
“If Congress and public opinion, quite against Ameri
can tradition, are now ready to accept a policy of consid
erable re-armament, it is because the need is abundant
ly plain. The aggressive prospects of Russia have made
the United States’ objective of world peace unattain
able through the United Nations.
“American re-armament and redainess to take part in
an Atlantic Pact give the best hope of peace and stabil
ity. Armed might is the only argument which impresses
the Kremlin.”
The News Chronicle says:
“The mammoth figures for re-armament make the
sum to be spent on social services look pitifully small.
“It is the most appalling commentary on our times
that the United States and Russia, the two most power
ful nations, are pouring out so much productive wealth
for defense against each other.”
The Daily Graphic says:
“This country should not look with too much susoi
cion at the American scheme for supplying us with Vir
ginia tobacco for nothing. We should show gratitude
even if the gift plan is not entirely disinterested.
“If the Virginia tobacco growers lost the British mar
ket for good, they and many other Americans would be
ruined. The gift .will mean less queing and less disao
pointments for our smokers, while the Government will
get paid by the tobacco trade and will also collect tax
ation.”
_/___
PALESTINE
Once again the main topic is the shooting down of the
five Royal Air Force planes by the Jews and its possible
repercussions. The Daily Express is indignant that the
British crews should have been given orders not to fire,
even those who went out on reconnaissance after the
first four planes have been shot down. The Express says:
“Why was the toughest, hardest-hitting air force in
the world put at the mercy of its attackers over an area
that has been provocatively invaded
The Daily Mirror want to know what the British air
craft were doing there at all. It asks if the Royal Air
Force is in Egypt as part of some British plan, and if so,
what the plan is §imed at. The Mirror says neither the
British nor the Jews can at present have any real under
standing of what British policy consists of. The paper
call for the clear declaration of this country’s policy in
regard to the Arabs, the Jews and the whole Middle
East. “The consequences of the present drift,’* it says,
“might be extremely serious.”
Gruening Says
Legislature Must
Balance Budget
'Continued from Page One) 1
thoroughly requests of the depart- .
ments. adding, “it’s part of the
legislative functions to keep a
check on executive departments
and to see moneys expended are
expended prudently and economi
cally.”
In the educational field, he cited
buildings for the Territ o r y ’ s
schools as the most acute need and
said the University of Alaska
should have new buildings and
better salaries for “grossly under
paid” faculty members.
On social legislation Gruening
declared “It goes without saying
that $60 a month was an inade
qua e old-age pension, and he re
viewed a wide field for public
health program expansion.
The Governor dealt at length
with the national guard proposal.
He said the federal government
would advance about $400,000
while probable Territory cost
would be $100,000 per biennium
for h minimum program involving
1.300 men and substan ial increas
ess, in income to Alaska communi
ties.
He said he agreed with the mili
tary that scout battalions probably
would be of greatest value. There
fore, he said, a minimum program
would involve units in 54 undis
closed communities in the Second
and Fourth Divisions covering the
west and northern coast areas.
He said the federal government
also approved a program involv
ing about the same additional
number of men units in towns in
cluding Ketchikan, Juneau, An
chorage. Fairbanks, Kodiak, Sew
ard, Cordova, Wrangell, Sitka Pe
tersburg and Skagway.
If the communities want it and
the legislature finances it, the
Governor said, “It is my convic
tion the national guard ought to
be established.”
Highlights of the Governor’s
comments on other major subjects
included: I
Education — The commissioner *
now says budget es imates are too
low and that $5,000,000 more is
ruedrd for construction for pres
ent nee s. There are double school
shifts now at Anchorage and Fair
banks and there may be a similar
situation within a year or two in
Juneau, Ketchikan and Sitka.
“We seek federal aid,” Gnjening
said, ‘ but we must also help our
selves under a situation of greatly
increased costs of operation.”
He said a suggested boost in
teachers’ salaries of at least $500
a year ‘‘needs serious considera
tion.”
University—The $2,000,000 al
lotted in the budget i$ “extremely
modest. I consider this the abso
lute minimum.”
Gruening said he was “shocked
to discover University instructors
are receiving less than grade
teachers in Fairbanks.”
He envisioned the University as
a great center of research in
northern problems.
Southern Branch University—“I
haven’t lost interest, but the Ter
ritory can’t afford it this bi-enni
um, although we mustn’t lost sight
of its desirability in the future.”
The Governor apparently took
cognizance of an inquiry by House
members’ executive sessions into
veterans’ affairs.
With the assertion the legisla
ture should determine to what ex
tent funds to date have been wise
ly administered, what reforms