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
Entered as second class matter October 14, 1943. at the postoffict
at Nome, Alaska, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
Nome, Alaska, Wednesday, September 29, 1948
THERE’S NOTHING WRONG ABOUT POLITICS
(By Robert L. Chase)
I never cease to be amazed at the recurring proposals
to take some public function or other out of politics.”
If it isn’t the courts or the mayor’s office, it public
education or City Council. Now, in the name of common
sense, could you do it? And if you could, why?
There’s nothing wrong about politics—except the way
we the people operate it or permit it to be operated.
If you believe the people are capable of self-govern
ment—and I think we’re pretty well committed to that
premise—how do you propose the various functions be
carried on, if not through politics?
It seems to me the question is not one of politics or
no politics, but of who is to be let in on the politics.
Instead of leaving the authority with the public gen
erally, most of the proposals I have seen would merely
transfer that voice to a restricted group. If you go along
with the idea that such restricted groups are better qual
ified than the whole people to deal with these problems,
say so.
Webster’s Dictionary defines politics: “The science
and art of government; the science dealing with the or
ganization, regulation and administration of a state, in
both its internal and external affairs; political science.”
The dictionary recognizes use of the word “in a bad
sense” to cover “artful or dishonest management to se
cure the success of political candidates or parties.”
On that, of course, must rest the case for taking any
thing “out of politics.”
If there is anything to our idea of democracy, the peo
ple are the ones who can, and must, rebuff “artful or dis
honest” maneuverings in politics. The cure certainly is
not to kill the science and art of government in opera
tion of public affairs.
It’s no good scorning politics. Raise the level of it, yes,
but don’t pretend that politics can be—or should be—
eliminated.
_
I
THIS IS A PASSION WE NEED NOT HIDE
(By Mrs. Walter Ferguson)
We are not used to thinking of Herbert Hoover as an
emotional man.
<But his last two public appearances, at the Republi
can National Convention and recently at his old home in
Iowa, prove our thinking was wrong. In both cases he j
spoke with passion about something he loves — the
United States. *
“I have seen America in contrast with many nations
and races,” he said. “I was not a tourist. I was associated
with their working lives and problems. I have seen lib
erty die and tyranny rise. I have seen bitter famine and
the worst misery that the brutality of war can produce.
“I have had every honor to which any man could as
pire. There is no place on the whole earth except here
in America where all the sons of men could have this
chance in life.”
His words ring with sincerity. His is the voice of ex
perience. Self-made, American-made. Mr. Hoover now
tells his countrymen to hold fast to what they have. He
warns them to distrust those who sow dissension here,
and who would weaken their faith in a system of gov
ernment which has given more freedom and more
wealth to more people than any other that has ever ex
isted on the earth.
Mr. Hoover appeals to us to put some passion into love
for our country. It k our nature to cover up ou^ deeoest
feelings; we dislike emotional exhibitions. Tn the effort
to avoid them, we often behave as if we believed in
nothing.
Today the United States gives shelter to those who
| ArHUFFING A-PUFFM*
nave been allowed for many years to teach and advocate
its downfall. They are fanatics; they serve their cause
with passionate devotion. Because we have never had
any experience with mass treachery, we are in danger
from some of these people.
Unless we believe in democracy as they believe in
communism, and we are ready to defend it with words,
we may again have to defend it with weapons.
OUR FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE
(Rocky Mountain News)
Certain Republican Senators are gunning for J. Edgar;
Hoover, the FBI chief, in the event of Governor Dewey’s
election, it is understood, because of their dissatisfaction
with the FBI’s performance in the Kansas City vote
fraud investigation.
If this report is true, this ill-advised project should be
dropped before it goes any farther.
The FBI is not a partisan agency, and it must not be
made a political football.
This organization is our first line of defense against
communist sabotage, in the event of a war with Russia.
To destroy its morale in these critical times would be to
cut off our good right arm.
There isn’t a man in America better informed on the
communist problem than J. Edgar Hoover. That is why
he has been a continuing target for communist attack. He
belongs right where he is—in command of our home
front defenses.
It is most unfair to Governor Dewey to link his name
with this lunatic proposal. If he is called to head the na
tion, he certainly would not want to wreck one of the
relatively few effective agencies which he would in
herit.
Moreover, as an experienced prosecutor, he knows1
better than to inject petty partsanship into a bureau
that hasn’t been tainted by the spoils system since the
days of Hardingism.
Let’s hear no more of this nonsense. There’s serious
work ahead.
THAT’S THAT—By Bruce Gustin
Army Secretary Royall’s policy in the west coast long
shoremen’s strike deserves public applause. The army
“must and will” move the 200,000 to 250.000 tons of car
go monthly which are needed to supply American out
posts in Japan, Hawaii, Korea and mandated islands, he
said. “To the extent that the army is unable to load its
cargo by employment of contract, troops will be used to
do the loading.”
Harry Bridges, w ho heads the striking longshoremen,
complains that “the army engages in strike-breaking.”
When any group, either employers or labor union, en
gages in a strike which interferes with the movement of
army supplies, the army should break that strike. Brid
ges, it seems, must learn the hard way, as John L. Lewis
did, that he is not bigger and more powerful than the
U. S. government.
King Crab Fishing
Nets Government
Half Million Profit
M/P) Special Washington Service)
WASHINGTON, (/P)_The larg
est king crab fishing venture in
' U. S. history brought the federal
government a half-million-dollar
income this year, the fish and
wildlife service disclosed recently.
As a result, a sizeable amount of
Alaskan canned king crab is on
the markets for the first time since
the pre-war days when Japan met
most of the U. S. demand for this
delicacy.
A. W. Anderson, the agency’s
chief of commercial fisheries, told
a reporter the government’s fac
tory ship Pacific Explorer caught
418,000 of the giant crabs—all of
them males—this season.
Some of them weighed 15 or
more pounds and had an over-all
spread of up to four or five feet.
The pack totaled 18,000 cases by
far the largest ever put up by U. S.
interests, Anderson said.
He added that the catch was
sold, at $24 to $26 a case, to the
Columbia River Packers Associa
tion, Astoria, Ore. There also was
a limited catch in Alaskan waters,
he said, by three or four small pri
vately-owned vessels operating out
of Seattle.
Between 1931 and 1940 United
States buyers paid more than $27,
000,000 for Japanese canned king
crab meat. During the last five
years of that decade Japanese im
ports accounted for 95 per cent of
U. S. consumption of canned crab
meat. Some 413,000 cases were im
ported in 1939.
Experimental fishing this year
has established, Anderson said,
that there is potentially a large
crab fishery in the Bering Sea and
smaller, but still commercially im
portant, crab populations in Pav
lof and Canoe Bays on the south
side of the Alaska Peninsula,
around Kodiak Island and in lower
Cook Inlet.
The Pacific Explorer’s inexperi
enced crew caught 30,000 crabs in
Pavlof Bay within a few days in
mid-April. The vessel moved on to
the Amak Island area north of
the peninsula and in June caught
so many it became necessary to
limit the fleet ot 18,000 to 20,000
crabs daily. The largest one-day
catch was 25,000 crabs June 3.
1949 Fishing
Regulations Given
JUNEAU, </P) — Southeastern
Alaska 1949 fishing regulation
have been announced at a hearing
by Seton Thompson, the fish and
wildlife service chief of Alaska
fisheries, with an added statement
that more drastic changes may be
made later to preserve the area’s
depleted salmon runs.
The hearing was attended by 40
fishermen, cannery operators and
others, who made little comment
on the regulations.
Thompson announced opening
dates for Icy Straits, western and
eastern districts, would be Aug. 22.
It was Aug. 9 this year. Salmon
fishing in offshore waters at the
southern end of Prince of Wales is
land will be prohibited until Aug.
15. In the southern district, fishing
will be prohibited in Portland
canal, where Canada now forbids
i\ The closing date for all distrlafc
is set for Sept. 3.