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 .........I.,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.
—_ I _
Monday, June 21, 1948.
THANKS, SEATTLE AND ALASKA SPONSORS—
NOME IS INDEED GRATEFUL to the City of Seattle
and many Alaska businessmen who made it poss
ible for Nome and the rest of the Territory of Alaska
to hear the University of Washington Glee Club
on tour of the territory, giving concerts in all of
the larger populated centers.
It is a gracious and neighborly gesture of good
will expressed through the presentation of the fine
group of young men of the University of Washing
ton, under the splendid direction of Dean Lawrence
of the school of music of the University, who were
with us in Nome yesterday.
Rarely do we have the opportunity of hearing
such a splendid program. Many of our younger folk
born and raised in the far north have never seen
a male chorus.
In celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the gold
rush to Alaska, the businessmen of Seattle were
aware that something should be done, and laid
plans for a grand celebration in Seattle during the
summer. But on second thought came forth with
the idea that Alaskans could not participate fully
during their busiest season, so evolved the idea of
sending the University of Washington Glee Club
on a tour of Alaska to give All Alaskans a chance
to celebrate with Seattle the "Alaska Gold Rush":
fiftieth anniversary.
Again, Seattle, we thank you.
■-. I
THE COAI STRIKES, a steel price boost, and an in
ternational crisis in an election year have failed to
' reverse the trend of business in the United States
althopgh the rate of increase in prices, production
and profits has slowed down, and occasional price
cuts are in evidence. Included are some electrical
products, textiles, rubber goods, fuel oil, miscellan
eous machinery and specialties, as well as certain!
food products.
The mixed situation is evidenced by a report of the
Bureau of Labor Statistics indicating a decline of
industrial raw materials by some 13 per cent since
December. Metals are least affected.
Yet, during the week ending March 31st, the Dun
& Bradstreet Daily Wholesale Commodity Price in
dex moved steadily higher, continuing the upward
trend of the previous week and reaching 283.52 on
March 30th, compared with 278.47 on March 23rd
and 265.81 for the same date last year.
Grain prices were irregularly higher on the Chi
cago Board of Trade, with wheat rising sharply
and corn moderately on reports of large orders for
export and of cash wheat purchases for the gov
ernment's Commodity Credit Corp. The government
was reported to have purchased 7,315,683 bushels
of wheat during the week and 40,390,000 pounds of
flour, the equivalent of 82,671 bushels of wheat.
PROFITS RISE — As figures for the past year are an
alyzed, and profit records are shattered on all sides,
the sobering realization has come that the purchas
ing power of a corporation has been subject to the
same shrinkage as the purchasing power of in
dividuals especially in scarce commodities. The
"profits" must be viewed with a skeptical eye, to
quote one prominent company's president.
Conservative companies have set up special re
serves out of these earnings to cope with future
"WAIT’LL NKXT MONTH I**
contingencies, uneasy lest a decline in profit mar
gins intensify the problem created by increased in
ventories at high price .levels. One company has
set up a reserve of $400,000 for foreign exchange
adjustments, recognizing this hazard publicly for
the first time.
A tabulation by the Wall Street Journal shows
the interesting comparison of profits in various in
dustries for 1947 as compared with prosperous 1946.1
The increase for 332 companies in 22 fields last year
was 47.8 per cent ,as shown.
Uneasiness of industries is based upon future
fears rather than present facts, although many com-!
panies have not shared in the prosperity. Business
failures have punctuated the favorable statements
with greater frequency in the last year than in th6
previous year.
At the same time, first quarter earnings for 1948
are climbing in many industries with the outlook
brighter, for example, in steel, coal and oil.
I
ERP STARTS PROMPTLY — Commendable speed
has been shown in putting the new $6,028 million
omnibus aid and recovery measure to work. Presi
dent Truman's order to the Reconstruction Finance
Corp. to make $1,105 million available for a flying
start, and his appointment of Paul Hoffman, a busi
ness man of broad experience, who is chairman of,
the committee for Economic Development and pres-,
ident of the Studebaker Corp., have encouraged the
belief that the aid to Europe, China, Greece and
Turkey thus provided will be timely, effective, and
well administered. It should prove to be an instru
ment for peace and become a force for sound two-,
way trade revival throughout the civilized world, j
RECIPROCAL TRADE PAYS — No public fanfare
accompanied President Truman's message to Con
gress in March recommending extension of the Re
ciprocal Trade Agreements Act in its present form
for three years to June 12, 1951.
TRADE OR ELSE — Facing a distant fear is often
easier than facing up to an immediate task.
People learn not to fear death, by recognizing its
inevitability. But they learn to live only by doing to
day's work today.
Amid the headlines and the harangues from the
greater forums, came one apt bit of advice, in the
form of a story from exporter Toni Peruzt at the New
York Exporter Managers Club's Annual Gettogether.
He told of two talking parrots.
One said to the other:
"This atomic bomb has got me scared to death!"
Whereupon the other replied:
"Never mind the bomb. Keep your eye on the cat!"
We live by trade today—and always shall!
Air Reserve
Training Program
At Marks Field
FORT RICHARDSON, Alaska,
—Major General J. H. Atkinson,
Commanding General, Alaskan
Air Command, today announced
the formulation of a mobilization
'.raining program for all inter
ested Air Reserve Personnel liv
ing in Alaska.
This program would give the
Reservists assignments which they
would fill in time of national em
ergency. Under the program that
General Atkinson outlined Res
erve personnel, both officers and
enlisted, would be contacted to
determine those desiring to re
ceive periodic on-the-job train
ing. The men chosen would work
at their convenience with regu
lar Air Force officers and enlist
ed men in those duties utilizing
their past experience. Reservists
would don their uniforms at such
intervals and work side by side
with the Air Force members in
.he duties they are assigned
General Atkinson emphasized
the following points:
1. That regulations have already
been written to cover mobiliza
tion assignments of Reservists.
2. That the Reservists would be
authorized a maximum of 48 pay
periods <a pay period being con
strued as one working day) per
year, or as many days under 48
pay periods as the Air Force bud
getary restrictions would allow.
3. That the men called would
be voLunteer officers and en
listed men residing in Alaska who
live near Air Force installations.
4. The men chosen would be
carefully screened for past per
formance and asignments.
5. In the event of a national
emergency where Air Reservists
would be called to active duty,
men with mobilization training
report to their M-Day assignments
thus assuring immediate utiliz
ation of reservists in positions
where they are needed. This will
also assure them of an immediate
assignment near their area of
residence.
General Atkinson stated that
this training would not interfere
in any way with the 15 days of
active duty to which Reserve
personnel is entieled. In his state
ment General Atkinson stressed
the extension courses open to all
Reserve officers and the benefits
accruing therefrom. The general
said that the courses are divided
into four phases which are equi
valent to a pre-commission course
a second course comparable to
the Air Tactical School, a third
akin to the Air General Staff
School and the fourth comparable
to the War College. These courses,
stated the general, were and would
be a necessary part of the pro
motion for the reserve officer not
on active duty.
Further facts gleaned from Gen
eral Atkinson’s statement were
that the mobilization program has
no effect on regular officers and
enlisted men of the Air Force
who hold reserve commissions,
for they are serving in the regu
lar assignment, nor would any
benefits from this program ac
! crue to the Reserve officer ser
ving on active duty. The pay per
iods outlined above would con
sist of payments to the officer and
enlisted man of equal comparable
pay to the rank he holds in the
inactive Reserves. However, an
officer or enlisted man who for
merly was on flying status would
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