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 postaffice
at Nome, Alaska, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
Nome, Alaska, Wednesday, December 28, 1949
ON THE UP AND UP
(By Maurice R. Franks)
Too many people are prone to handle the matter of
industrial relations from a negative point of view and
are continually on the hunt for ways and means of
blocking labor and its representatives in their prograss
toward honorable goals.
Such an approach to a truly vital problem succeeds
only in creating needless friction up and down the en
tire line. Surely it does nothing to bring the essential
partners of industry together in a smoothly working
team.
This entire attitude needs correction. For whether we
like it or not, the unions are here to stay and it’s up to
management to get along with them in a positive, not a
negative, sense.
To hear some employers talk, a person is led to be
lieve that all unionism is a big-time racket and that all
labor leaders are either racketeers or radicals—minute
men, if you please, of a coming revolution. Well, such an
idea is plain screwy. The labor movement as a whole is
anything but an instrument created for the express pur
pose of overthrowing our form of government; it is in
very fact a direct expression of representative Ameri
canism. This much I can assert with positive conviction
after having spent more than a quarter of a century in
the labor movement in various official capacities—i.e.,
as committeeman, delegate, business agent, organizer
and editor.
In my day, it is true, I have met both Communists and
racketeers in the labor movement. But in my experi
ence, these were the rare exception rather than the rule.
Nor has the situation grown progressively worse. To
day, as formerly, better than 95 per cent of the rank and
file are good, honorable Americans willing to do the
honorable thing when they know it to be the honorable
thing to do. This percentage applies to their leadership
as well.
Of course, it is not always an easy matter to plot an
honorable course of action in a dishonorable situation.
This is mainly because the situation is frequently dark
ened by certain employers whose attitude toward the
unions and their leaders is one of intolerance and open
antagonism. Unfortunately we still have employers
who, in their own words, “would rather slug it out.”
Moreover, too many businessmen conduct their af
fairs behind a smoke screen, ignorantly seeking some
advantage in an effort to mystify and deceive. Yes, too
many business leaders allow neither the workers nor
their representatives any means of finding out the ac
tual state of affairs in a situation that closely affects
them. Hence, it is no wonder that the union leaders as a
group are forever ready to go at the employer hammer
and tongs and make demands upon him which are in
fact unreasonable.
(When we stop to analyze the situation, we soon dis
cover that in no few cases the employer is more to blame
than the union for a sudden flare-up. This is sinmply be
cause there are today employers who refuse to operate
their businesses on the up and up—who refuse to lay
their cards on the table and treat their workers as the
partners they so truly are.
Needed on the part of management throughout Amer
ican industry is a spirit of straightforwardness in re
porting its trials and tribulations in simple terms to the'
worker. At present there is too much hocus-pokus, too
little willingness to confide in the worker. This leaves
the worker in the dark and creates in his mind the
thought that management does not trust him. Why.
then, should we be surprised that, when trouble starts,
the workers do not trust management?
This situation must be eliminated. Immediate remedy
lies in a more general acceptance of the fact that the
Horseback Riding
Cures Hiccups
_
PUNXSUTAWNEY. Pa., <JP) —
Next time you have hiccups—try
a horse.
That’s the advice of Frank Sab
vnggio, local restaurant owner. He
say’s a horse cured him 21-month
case of hiccups.
Salvaggio, who lost 40 pounds
during the siege, took up horse
back riding after everything else
he tried failed to halt the spasms.
His doctor had recommended a
sport.
The restauranteur says he went
riding two hours every day and
the hiccups gradually disappear
ed.
TWO SETS OF TWINS
WITHIN TEN MONTHS
LOS ANGELES, UP) — Mr. and
Mrs Kohai are the proud parents
ol their second set of twins within
10 months.
Monday, the day alter their
wedding anniversary. Jeffrey and
Michael were born. Each weighed
a little more than five and a half
pounds. Mother and babies are re
ported to be “doing line.”
Las Feb. 9, Mrs. Kohai, 27, gave
borth to twin girls.
Following the latest additions to
the family, Kohai, 31, a grocery
manager, commented:
“I’m a little weak. But very
pleased.”
For Good Printing Gall Main 125
workers and their employers are anything but natural
enemies—that in truth they are partners in a common
cause: production. That mutual advantage lies in join
ing forces wholeheartedly to produce the most of the
best for the least. And that this can never be accom
plished in a climate of name-calling, back-biting, mysti
fication and all-around disharmony.
Calling labor leaders racketeers and radicals just be
cause of the demands they make upon the employer for i
the benefit of their constituents must cease. Labor lead-:
ers, if they are worth their salt, will always strive to 1
better the condition of their members—and to exactly
the same degree that any decent management will for-1
ever strive to advance the interest of its stockholders, j
So let’s not kid ourselves about the nature of the labor !
management relationship. And let’s get wise to the fact
that the workers of this nation, irrespective of their
calling, are anything but a pack of lame-brain nincom-1
poops unable to see through a situation when the facts
are laid before them.
Since the American worker is an adult human being,
with just about as much gray matter at his disposal as
the men who pose as his betters, it will be wise for man
agement to appreciate that legitimate business requires
no hocus-pocus, no sleight of hand, to put itself across.
If the employer expects to get along with his workers,
he will have to operate his business right out in the open
—so that his workers will come to accept him as one
who is ON THE UP AND UP.
■ ■■ --■
“The close proximity of danger will cause the heart
to beat rapidly,” says a physician. Yes, particularly if
the danger is a beauteous blonde.
We expect any time now to see the makers of break
fast foods putting continued stories on the back of the
boxes so that they can have serials outside and cereals
in.—(Everett Herald).
THESE WOMEN! Byd’Alessio
... —.—.-_
“In tiding, Mrt. Brodbeem, a three-point landing it not
regarded at highly at in aviation.**
News of the World
At A Glance - - -
(Continued from Page One)
Japanese occupation and revolu
tion.
"Merdeka" (freedom) has been
won from the Dutch. But great ^
masses of the people are impover
ished. Public utilities are run
down. Irrigation projects are bad
ly needed. Only 10 per cent of the
people are able to read and write.
The sprawling South Pacific
isles are potentially and actually
rich, but a great program of re
construction must be undertaken.
The new nation is saddled with a (
high national debt.
President Soekamo set the new
policy—cooperation with foreign
ers to build Indonesia—when he
addressed his people today.
He said: “We are on peaceful
terms with the Dutch and other
foreigners. They are all our gueste.
Show hospitality towards them.” *
He called for “Work and work/'
and work" to rebuild Indonesia. /
Washington observers said tht.
United States is considering art
early loan to finance a revival of
Indonesian trade. A long-standing
$100,000,000 loan application has
recently been dusted off by the
Export-Import Bank.
The United States of America
looks on the United States of In
donesia as a new sister republic
in the cold war against commun
ism.
Roving ambassador Philip C.
Jessup and other diplomats are in 1
the Far East now to cement terms
and friendly relations with non
communist countries in an effort
to contain Russian and Chinese
communism.
Maritime circles in London 6aid
the Cunard White Star Line is
planning to build a liner bigger
than the 83,673-ton Queen Eliza
beth—now the world’s largest. >
Pope Pius XII today informally
greeted world diplomats when
New Year’s greetings were ex
changed. Czechoslovakia’s Arthur
Maixner was the only delegate
present from iron countries within
whose borders are 80,000,000 of
the world’s Roman Catholics.
WRANGELL ESTABLISHES
SICK LOAN CLOSET
The Wrangell Health Council,.
The Red Cross and the T. B. Assn,
of Wrangell are co-operating on a
project to help solve the problem
of having sick room essentials m
available for everyone in the com
munity when needed.
They are going to outfit the hos
pital with a loan closet of sick
room supplies which may be bor
rowed by anyone in the commun
ity whbn needed, when there is
sickness in the home. ^
The loan closet will be supplied
with bedpans, urinals, hypodermic,
hot water bottles, thermometers,
enema bags, back-rests, bed blocks,
crutches, bedding, bed gowns, etc.
Most of the equipment is beingdo
nated by people who have these
articles on hand and have no use
for them. |
WORKTIME SCHOOLS URGED *
LONDON, (#*) — A government
committee urged British employ
ers to give their employees a
chance where possible to go to
school during working hours when
studying for special qualifications.
“When employees are enabled ^
to pursue part at least of their t
study in working hours the result
is far better than that obtained by
evening study after the day’s ♦
work,” the committee said.