But Must We Do
Our Thinking
By Machines?
(By Gene Lindberg)
(Denver Post Staff Writer)
Thinking machines, Lord Loub
Mountebatten tells us in a London
speech, are just around the scien
tific corner—gadgets that will ex
ercise choice and judgment. Such
thingummies, says the king"; cous
in, could even play mediocre chess.
Do we want ’em? Will they curse
us or bless us? There’s a neat little
problem in choice and judgment.
Let us wait till the machines are
built and let them figure it out, for
built they will be if, as Lord
Mountebatten predicts, their con
struction is possible. Like the
atomic bomb, they’ll be with us, if
science can get ’em here. One of
the first and greatest lessons Edi
son ever learned came early in his
inventing career. He and another
lad figures out an automatic vot
ing machine for Congress. All a
Congressman had to do was to
push a button on his desk and nisi
“aye” or “nay” was recorded and
counted automatically, up front.
Issues could be decided in mere
seconds and Congress could breeze
merrily or *o debate on other busi
ness. Efficient, very. And did the
Congressional * bigwigs jump to
snap it up? They did not. They
told that young whippersnapper,
Tom Edison, and his buddy that
the last thing in the world Con
gress wanted was hair-trigger, split
second voting. Where then would
be the time to send a page kiting
to the cloak-room to grab Con
gressman McGullicuddy from Osh- !
kosh by the coattails and drag him
in to do his stuff for the boys?
“Thumbs down!” was the vote
on that voting machine, but the
legislative bigshots added a kindly
bit of advice that Edison never
forgot. “If you must be an inven
tor,” they told him, “stick to in
venting things that people really j
want.” Edison heeded their words, J
and now look. Electric lights!
Machines that exercise choice
and judgment? We’ll probably get
Louis Easily
Defeats Partners
HAVANA. </P) — The largest
crowd in Havana boxing history—
25,000 who paid close to $40,000—
saw world heavyweight champion
Joe Louis meat-axe two sparring
partners in an exhibition here last
night.
Main event of the night saw the
Cuban featherweight titlist, Miguel
Acevedo. 130 lbs., batter Lulu Con
stantino, 13414 lbs, New York, for
an easy 10-round decision.
BANDITS CHICKEN-HEARTED?
BOSTON, (/P)—When two hold
up men threatened Hurgy Gordon
in his market, he made a hasty but
effective choice of defensive wea
pons.
Gordon jabbed a pencil at the
eyes of the nearest thief and held
him at bay while he reached for a
meat cleaver.
That did it. The intruders fled.
’em. Nothing seerr,s impossible,
now. But suppose a business man’s
choice and judgment machine tells
him to buy Plastic Collarbutton
Common at 567's because the stage
is all set for the stuff to hit 90
within three weeks. All the facts
are weighed and considered by the
n ..chine and that’: the answer.
So. the big chump buys and what
happens? The stuff flops to 167's
overnight and beds down in the
cellar for keeps. Why? Did the ma
chine slip up°
Nope. What happened was, the
bigshot banker in the syndicate
backing Plastic Collarbutton com
mon had a maiden aunt.. Thi
maiden aunt believed in dreams.
That night she had a dream she
saw a black cat across her banker
nephew’s path as he stopped to
pick up a collarbutton and a truck
hit him. She woke up screaming.
The banker got so upset he backed
out of the syndicate and the whole
deal flopped.
Give us a machine to predict a I
maiden aunt’s bad dreams, Lord
Louis, and we’ll say you’ve got
something.
Portraiture Photo Finishing
ABBEFOTO
Opens March 15th
2nd and “B" St. Phone Main 161
Newly arrived —
JERSEY PRINT DRESSES
GABERDINE SUITS
BLOUSES
VI’S DRESS SHOP
Phone Main 26
Neill, Clark & Company
PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS, AUDITORS
' TAX COUNSELORS
Office in Wallace Hotel - Phone Main 11
Juneau NOME Fairbanks
Vatican May Make
Five New Saints
VATICAN CITY, l/P)—A hero of
Switzerland, three French religi
on* figures and an Italian priest
were advanced today on the long
road toward canonization.
In a secret consistory held in
consistorial hall of the Apostolic j
Palace, Pope Pius XII got the vote
of the Cardinals present—given by
lilting their skullcaps—for the ele
vation to sainthood of Nicola de
Flue of Switzerland, Lubovico
Griggnion de Montfort, Michele
Garicoits and Catherine Laboure
of France and Guiseppe Cafasso of
Italy.
Thereafter, in a public consist
ory, the Pontiff heard advocates
plead the causes for canonization
and as is traditional replied that
he would take counsel in a latter
semi-public consistory with the
episcopate “in partibus”—the arch
bishops and bishops residing in
Home and vicinity.
This was a formality, however,
and dates for the elaborate cere
monies in the Bazilica of St. Peter’s
at which the five will be named
individually as saints already had
been set.
COMPLETE MOVING LOMEN
COMMERCIAL WAREHOUSE
Yesterday, George H'te, local
contractor, completed hauling the
big warehouse o! the Lo.n^i Com
mercial Co., from die company’s
holding in the east end of town, to
its new site behind the lumber
yard near the Standard Oil tanks.
The building which was too big
to move in one piece was cut in
half and moved in two sections
across the ice on Bering Sea and
brought to its new location, and
placed on a new foundation.
f CARD OF THANKS
Words alone cannot express how
much good your help and words of
comfort did for us. It is in our
hour of trial that we appreciate
the sympathy of our kind friends.
It helps us to bear more patiently
the burden which is sent us.
Assuring, one and all our deep
est appreciation of your sympathy.
Mrs. Norman Lee
I
and family.
SHOES
REPAIRED
See
GORDON OSBORNE
At Polet’s
Classified Ads
FOR SALE—Piano. Call Black
9. ' 28-3t
DREAM
THEATER
—•—
1 Show, Mar. 10 and 11, 7:30 P.M.
Monday and Tuesday
"THE CLOCK"
Judy Garland - Robert Walker
Also "It Looks Like Rain"
—•—
1 Show, Mar. 12 and 13, 7:30 P.M.
Wednesday and Thursday
"MURDER HE SAYS"
Fred MacMurray - Helen Walker
Also "Swim Capades"
German Food
Bill Runs High I
r _
• BERLIN, (JP)—From the end of*
the war through 1946, American
taxpayers contributed nearly
$500,000,000 worth of food and
other supplies for Germany, Amer
ican military government sources
estimated today.
The food bill alone of Germans
and displaced persons from Aug.
1, 1945, to Dec. 31, 1946, amounted
to $395,461,000, according to the!
latest military governor’s report i
issued by Gen. Joseph T. McNar-!
ney.
STEVE ANDERSON TWINS ILL
WITH PNEUMONIA
It is reported that the young
twin sons of Mr. and Mrs. Steve
Anderson are ill with pneumonia.
JOHNNY SCHWEGLER
RETURNS TO NOME
• Johnny “Muskrat” Schwegler,
former Nomeite and fur buyer in
Alaska since 1908 returned from a
trip to the States last week with
P.A.A., having made a survey of
the fur situation.
He states that “luxury items like
furs always are first to feel any
slump, but I think things will pick
up by fall and prices on furs will
then gradually rise.”
He states that fur business is
good business due to the Fish and
Wildlife's fine job of conservation.
SMALL ROOF FIRE
EARLY THIS MORNING
At two-twenty this morning the
fire department was called out to
put out a roof fire after the chim
ney had burned out.
Photostat your Discharge Papers.
SALE
Exceptional Values
on Good Things to Eat
3 cans Pink Salmon, tall can.'. $1.00
3 cans Minced Clams, flats . $1.00
3 cans Orange and Grapefruit Juice, No. 2 ... $1.00
4 cans Pineapple Juice, No. 2. $1.00
2V2 lbs. Jersey Cream Crackers... $1.00
8 rolls Toilet Tissue . $1.00
4 cans Quaker Quick Rolled Oats. $1.00
1 lb. Reliance Tea. $1.00
4 cans Happy Vale String Beans. $1.00
4 cans Happy Vale Peas . $1.00
0 cans Ceci Beans, No. 2. $1.00
3 cans Libby's Pineapple, 2’s . $1.00
3 jars Prepared Prunes, 2V2ys . $1.00
3 pkgs. Genuine Swedish Brittle Bread. $1.00
4 cans Portola Sardines . $1.00
Bargains in Household Items
Waterproof Bibs for Baby, 2 for. $1.00
Child’s Fur-trimmed Hoods . $1.00
Sleepers, flannel, 3 for . $1.00
Men’s Cotton Hose, 5 for. $1.00
2 Styles of Snow Goggles,
amber and green, in cases. $1.00
Child’s Mittens, 2 for. $1.00
Lacy Tablecloths, 36 x 36 in. SeveralColorsZ $L00
Shaving Mirrors . $1.00
Billfolds, sturdy . $1.00
Come in and see additional Money Savings Items!
A. POLET
-_ a