THE NOME NUGGET
Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday by The
NOME PUBLISHING CO.
Nome, Alaska
Telephone: Main 125 p. o. Box 618
W. A. and EMILY BOUCHER .Editors
»1.50 PER MONTH $16.00 A YEAR
Entered as second class matter October 14, 1943, at the postoffice
at Nome, Alaska, under the Act of March 3. 1879.
Monday, August 2, 1948
POWER TO BURN
In a recent issue a news item was printed in the col
umns of the Nome Nugget telling of a power survey
being made in other parts of the Territory.
A survey was made in the Seward Peninsula area in
the early days by the U. S. Bureau of Mines. A water
power project study was made by the survey party,
and a detailed report made. The report indicated good
water power possibilities for the entire Peninsula area
to be supplied with cheap electricity.
In view of the fact that a new survey is being con
ducted in the Territory, something might possibly be
brought to light in the Northwestern Alaska section
as well.
This looks like a job for the NWA Chamber of Com
merce.
ANCHORAGE GIRL WINS FIRST PRIZE
On May 29, the day before the American Legion’s
Department of Alaska letter-writing contest ended,
Grace McCandless, Anchorage high school senior,
wrote 173 words in explaining “Why Alaska Should
Have Statehood—Now.”
This week three judges announced that Grace’s letter
was the best of many entered in the American Legion
contest. Winner of a $50 cash prize for her convincing
words, Grace will receive about 30 cents for each word
in her letter.
Other prize winners announced by Wendell P. Kay
of Anchorage, chairman of the Americanism committee
for the Legion in Alaska, were second prize of $25, Bar
bara Craig, Fairbanks freshman; third prize of $10,
Donald Burnett, Fairbanks freshman.
Judging the entries were District Judge Anthony J.
Dimond, Guy Zalbourg of The Alaska Railroad and
Wendell Kay. The contest was open to all high school
students in Alaska. Each entrant was asked to give his
ideas about statehood for Alaska in not more than 250
words The three prize-winning letters are printed
below:
FIRST PRIZE—By GRACE McCANDLESS—Anchorage Senior
I believe Alaska should have Statehood now, so that we might
have two Senators in Washington to represent us; for as conditions
are now the citizenry of Alaska is paying more than $15,000,000 in in
come and other taxes. Therefore, we have an existing situation of tax
ation without representation, a completely undemocratic and un-Amer
ican condition.
We in Alaska are all American Citizens and yet we are not en
titled to our full citizenship. We have no voice in the elections of our
Presidents, and still the President of the United States appoints our
Territorial Governor without regard to whom the Alaskans might
choose to govern themselves.
Statehood, and at this particular time when all our boys are home
from service, would make our Territory grow. Our young men so re
cently engaged in preserving our democracy are desirous of making
permanent residences for themselves and their families. As a State
we could offer them homes within the United States of America; they
in turn making the State of Alaska their permanent home would help
our Territory to develop the permanent family life which Alaska needs.
* * *
SECOND PRIZE—By BARBARA CRAIG—Fairbanks Freshman
I think Alaska should have statehood now because statehood
would give equal rights with the forty-eight states.
Roads are important to Alaska because homesteaders need to be
able to get to the land and work it and produce Alaska’s needs, such
as food an dclothing. There are many places in Alaska that aren’t
quiet thoroughly settled and therefore transportation is essential.
We would also have the right to govern ourselves. I’m sure many
will agree that Alaska has more capable men to govern it than in
Washington. It don’t possibly see how anyone in another state could
know what Alaska’s life and prosperity needs for better development.
And, too, we could keep our own income from mining and fishing.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
OOM*STlC
commus
. *
The income now goes to the Federal Government and it allotted.
I’m for Alaska becoming a state.
* * * i'
THIRD FRIZE—By DONALD BURNETT—Fairbanks Freshman
l
Alaska as a territory has paid her cost to the United States many
times over, but she has received very few benefits from the hands of
the United States government. How do I know? I live in Alaska. Many
times we have felt close kinship with the “forgotten man” and “The
Man Without a Country.” Statehood should at least make the other
states realize that Alaska’s needs are just as real and just as true as
[ those problems which are constantly rising in the United States
1 proper.
We do not even vote for our own governor. He is appointed like a
guardian to irresponsible children by the President of the United
States. We have no taxes to build highways, finance schools, and build
recreation parks as they have in the states. We must depend entirely
on Federal Government appropriations. Here again we are too often
forgotten.
It has been estimated that the mining and fishing industries alone
if properly taxed, would have over one-half billion dollars in taxable
property. With the money better and larger schools could be built,
the roads and streets could be paved, playgrounds could be built for
the recreation of children, and in many other ways statehood would
be profitable to Alaska and also to the United States.
THE SPECIAL SESSION OF CONGRESS
(British Information Services)
The editorial Monday, July 26, dealt with a variety of
topics and nearly all of them touch the United States
The TIMES main editorial is on the secial session of
Congress called, it says, expressly to allow President
Truman to defy the Republican majority who so confi
dently expect to overthrow him in November. In the
view of the TIMES, Mr. Truman must be credited with
adopting vigorous tactics.
“The Republican Party, in formulating their
election program, have been careful to promise a
liberal policy. Mr. Truman regards this as a raid on
the Democrat clothing and is calling on his adver
saries to try on before the elections what he be
lieves will prove a grotesque misfit. The session
now opening is meant to be a spectacular calling of
a bluff.”
The TIMES goes on to estimate the damage to Mr.
Truman’s election chances through splits in his party,
notably the southern nomination of Governor Thur
mond as a rival Presidential candidate and the entry of
Mr. Henry Wallace into the campaign at the head of
the new Progressive Party. The TIMES says:
“Mr. Wallace’s poll in November can only weak
en the Democratic Party which he has left. But it
may be that his motive is to re-enter the party and
remold it nearer to the heart’s desire. But the ques
tion is whose heart?”
And here the Times gives a summary of Mr. Wal
lace’s Russian sympathies and says they are not likely
to meet with the support of many voters.
INDIAN WOULD STOP
INDIAN BUREAU
I am a half-blood Irish and
Indian of the Haida tribe in
southeasaem Alaska.
At an early age I was enrolled
in the U. S. Indian school at Che
mawa, Oregon. There I studied,
among other things, printing. On
becoming a journeyman printer,
some years later. I became a mem
ber of the ITU and have been a
member of that organization con
tinuously for 26 years.
I have not received, nor do I
want, any special privileges from
the U. S. since I left the Indian
school. My tribe in Alaska has
never been granted any special
privileges. We, the Haidas, have
no reservation. We vote and drink
whiskey over the bar in the man
ner of the white man. We never
have been a problem to the gov
ernment. Our policy is: Throw
away the blanket and the feath
ers, devote our efforts to prog
ress that we may take our own
place beside the white man as
free and independent citizens.
Annette Island in Alaska,
which is occupied exclusively by
a neighboring tribe, bears some
resemblance to an Indian reser
vation. It was set aside for use of
the Tsimsians as compensation
for previous exploitation and dis
location. The Indians of Alaska
were not privileged, in my time,
to attend the public schools, but
thank God we did have honest
missionaries up there in those
days who devoted the best part
of their lives to teach us.
My tribal headquarters in Hy
daburg were established 40 years
ago under the guidance of one
Rev. Howe. He taught them and
trained them in the way of his
faith. The result is that today we
have one of the finest communi
ties in Alaska, though in the be
ginning nothing larger than a
canoe could land on the beach.
In Hydaburg now there are
theaters, stores, a saw mill, a
cannery, electric power plant and
a wharf |p receive cargoes of
canned salmon and lumber—all
owned by members of my tribe.
Yes, we have beer joints in that *
country, and jails. But vve also
have schools, churches and ele
gant homes, native teachers, na
tive ministers and native lawyers.
If my tribe ever were called on
to pitch a pow wow and wear re
galias like they did at Pine Ridge
they would be out of luck. We
embraced the white man’s cus
toms so thoroughly just a gener
ation ago that we would have a
hell of a time finding out how to
act like Indians without the help
of the propaganda committee of
the Chamber of Commerce. 4
I know my people at home will
be surprised to know that the
Ogalala Sioux are still handing
out war bonnets and trying to act
like Indians instead of trying to
learn to live and act like Ameri
can citizens.
RAYMOND L. READY
Union Printers Home.
Colorado Springs, Colorado.
PLAYFIELD TO REMAIN
OPEN ANOTHER WEEK
It was announced today by
Mrs. Robert LoAg, of the Home
Arts Club, that the City Playfield,
operated for two months during -
the summer holidays each year,
will be kept open for another
week as the playfield had been
late in starting. As announced .
previously, it would have been *
closed the end of July, but it was
later decided to keep it open an
other week for the children.