Pan American .
Transport Workers
Ask Wage Hike
NEW YORK, (/P) — The CIO
transport workers union said Wed
nesday night it is demanding a 20
cents per hour wage increase for
about 4,000 maintenance workers
employed by Pan American World
Airways.
James Horst, director of the j
EWU’s air transport division, said
the union also is asking a pension
plan wholly paid for by the com
pany. At present, company and
union make equal contributions to
a pension plan, Horst said.
Wage scales now range from
$1.06 to $2.08 per hour for the
maintenance personnel, Horst said.
Negotiations began Monday
night for a new contract to replace
the one expiring Jan. 1.
Horst said the union was mak
ing numerous other demands,
among them that the company
stop sub-contracting work normal
ly done by its maintenance per
sonnel.
Another demand, he said, is that
the company cease hiring foreign
workers when American citizens
are available.
Strike Doesn’t
Stop Newspaper
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (/P) — A
strike of more than 20 newsmen
and photographers—over half the
staff—failed to affect publication
of the Arkansas Gazette.
The first edition rolled off the
presses at 10:47 p.m., seven min
TIN PRICE
DECLINES
The downward trend in the
price of tin continued with the
RFC lowering its spot quotation
for Grade A Tin to 78% c per
pound on Dec. 14th.
Up until the 28th fo September j
the price had held at $1.03 per
pound, but at that time the RFC
posted a lower price of 96c. On
Oct 24th they again reduced the
price another cent to 95c. The
price had a severe decline on Nov.
21st, when the RFC posted a new
selling basis of 85c per pound, a
reduction of 10c. On Dec. 1st the
price was set down to 83c, and the
following day, Dec. 2nd, it was
quoted at 81c. Dec 8th say the
price fall to 79c, and finally on
Dec. 14th go to 78%c per pound.
With a decrease of over 24c per
pound the mining of tin on the
Seward Peninsula will again be
come a difficult undertaking.
Such a decline will not mean the
closing down of present opera
tions, but any new ventures will
be carefully examined in this new
light before development work
will be commenced, which may
have an adverse effect upon the
economy in this region.
utes ahead of schedule.
A skeleton staff of supervisory
employees, editorial writers and
three reporters are getting out the
•paper. The Gazette employs 30
on its news and photographic
staff.
Strikers are members of the
American Newspaper Guild (CIO).
Chief issue is the Guild’s de
mand that it have a voice in dis
missal of employees. Management
says it should have the final say.
Wages are not involved.
May th# caroler’s song bring you every joy. and
■say the coming year be bright with happiness and
NOME SANITARY
SERVICE
Good Boy Gels
Chrislmas Wish
CALEXICO. Calif. (IP) — Some
small boy here is going to have an
“impossible” Christmas wish come
true.
On Christmas eve it will snow
on this California-Mexican border
town for the first time since 1932.
And all because of a letter to
Santa Claus.
The post office received the
note which the boy, who didn’t*
sign his name, told Santa how
good he had been all year and
how sad he was that he couldn’t
play in the snow at Christmas
time, like northern boys.
All he wanted this Christmas
was a snowstorm.
The post office passed the letter
on the the chamber of Commerce.
So, starting at 3 p.m. Saturday,
planes of the Border Flying Serv
ice will take off and, using crop
dusting ejectors, drop snow over
the city. Snow will be freighted
in from California mountain
areas. Santa Claus himself—plus
a few helpers—will load it into
the planes.
SOCIAL SECURITY TAXES
GO UP JANUARY 1
Social Security taxes on wages
will be increased to lVfe% for both
employees and employers effective
January 1, 1950, Clark Squire, col
lector of internal * revenue, has
announced.
Employers withholding Social
Security tax under Federal Insur
ance Contributions Act should
withhold 1 Vz'Vo tax from payments
of wages made on or after January
1, 1950. The employer’s tax is
1 Vfe%, making a total of 3%. The
formmer rate of tax was 1% for
employees and 1% for employers.
Httcrry
(Christmas
Let us give
thanks to*
gether for
the priceless
gift of
Christmas.
The
Trading Post
May ^&ur
c dhrisfi***
k be Merry V
? and fSrtytofc ‘
■ m,
IV" 1 -
HAPPY HOLIDAY
^ to all of you.
-f May no cloud
| appear to disturb
its serenity.
BEST WISHES
1949
"Scotty and Charlotte Patterson
•/
Chuck Keleourse, Hank Pearson
Jesse Nelson* Polly Nelson
w
Bertha Bourret
Here's success
in doing
what you have
to do and
a sincere wish
for a Happy
£ New Yeas:
NOME CAB