THE NOME NUGGET
Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday by The
NOME PUBLISHING CO.
Nome. Alaska
Telephone: Main 125 P. O. Box 6IS
SI.50 PER MONTH $16-00 A YEAR
W. A. and EMILY BOUCHER.Editors
Entered as second class matter October 14, 1943, at the postoffice at
Nome, Alaska, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
Friday, June 28, 1946
ALASKA NEEDS
AIR COMPETITION
NORTHWESTERN, Northern and Central Alaska
can never be fully developed nor properly popu
lated until it is provided with sufficient and adequate
transportation over its lifelines by steamer and plane.
Alaskans have not complained unduly about service
how being received, although they feel it could be
muchly improved in both instances, by water and air.
,Alaskans feel, however, that they are being sort of
pushed around, being only a foster-chold of the De
partment of the Interior, in that most of the regula
tion of affairs comes from that bureau.
The case befort us at present is the Trans-Canadian
route to some Midwestern city, direct from Alaska,
with immediate points on the route Nome, Fairbanks,
Edmonton, Minneapolis or Chicago, and on alternate
schedules, Anchorage, Fairbanks, Edmonton, etc.
It is felt that these schedules to the East will greatly
increase Alaska’s possibilities for future development
and for augmented service.
Air reservations from the States today are more
than one month behind schedule, with tourists taking
priority seats, while ligitimate Alaskans have to wait
sometimes for weeks for reservations. It seems that
there is room for improvement, even though more
passengers and freight than ever before, there still is
need for direct service to and from the East.
The Alaska-Midwest United States route should be
operated by an Alaskan airline, capable of ren
dering the proper service. This would give the peo
ple of the great northwestern territory a much quicker
route to the Central and Eestern States, with saving
in time and money.
In this particular instance, we received a report
that President Truman had sent the ‘CAB’ Recom
mendation back to to board for revision.
The mere fact that an airline may have provided
fairly satisfactory service to and from Alaska in the
past, is not sufficient reason to refuse to allow competi
tion along the same, parallel or entire new routes, even
though there may be great pressures put on the board
from some area which might be affected bv the deci
sion. 9
There is no reason to believe that airlines are out
of the free enterprise picture and that competition is
taboo. Service is the main point at issue, and com
petition will stimulate service according to the needs
of traffic, and in addition will develop higher stand
ards of operation.
The Northwestern Alaska Chamber of Commerce
has gone on record favoring the establishment of a
route Direct from Alaska to the Midwestern States.
Traffic to and from the* States has increased since the
war, and will increase still further in the future. For
proof of the necessity of the route to the Midwest, sev
eral times in the very recent past, Nomeites have been
in a rush to reach some eastern town in the United
States, they have flown the trans-Canadian route, us
ing Alaskan airlines to Whitehorse, Canada, and Can
adian planes to connect with the mid western States
ailyine. Additional proof is that the only route used
by the army for any great traffic was the route from
Minneapolis to Alaska through Edmonton. Even the
Army traffic from the Pacific coast points came to
Alaska via the Canadian route.
Still Feeling the Effects
Alaska’s life lines are to a great extent the airlines
which supply fast and efficient service in keeping with
traffic requirements. It is hoped the Civil Aeronaut
ics Board will report favorably on the short route to
the East, and certify an Alaskan airline for the route.
DIETING IS DIFFICULT
THOSE OVERWEIGHT individuals who have tried
diets will know how difficult it is, even with the
considerable incentives of their condition. One notes
his mounting avoirdupois, and makes a good resolution.
His weight increases, and he makes a half-hearted
stab at cutting his caloric intake. Bue unless he works
out, usually with a physician, a clearly defined regimen,
he is not likely to make much progress.
It is likely to be much the same way with any
voluntary program for saving foods on a national scale.
Everyone sympathizes with the famine-ridden peo
ples of Europe and Asia. If asked point blank, vir
tually everyone would agree to skip a meal occasion
ally, or follow Mr. Truman’s suggestion and drop to
the caloric level of Europe for two days a week.
But unless he is approached personally with a
specific proposal, the average individual just won’t
get around to it. And to approach enough millions of
Americans personally would require, probably a great
er total effort than a restoration of general consumer
rationing. The plain fact is that voluntary campaigns
to economize on food are uniformly unsuccessful, save
under the emotional impact of wartime.
By this time, Americans are aware of the famine
problem overseas. If wheat is withdrawn between
areasthe miller and the baker, and diverted to famine
areas, there will be few complaints, save from the
baking and related industries. In other words, the
average American will acquiesce cheerfully in a ra
tioning program inposed from above, because he knows
the urgency of the problem. ,
This seems the sensible way to draw off a fair
share of our current wheat supply for shipment over
seas, inasmuch as the period of stringency probably
will not be many months, and any scheme of con
sumer rationing would be impractical to meet the im
mediate need of starving peoples abroad.
_Cincinnati Enquirer)
By Marjorie Goding Neil
Assistant Secretary to E. L. Bartlett, Alaska's Delegate to Congress
BOND BILLS
After the House early in the
week had passed two of Delegate
Bartlett’s bills, the Senate Com
mittee on Territories and Insular
Affairs reported them out favor
ably for Senate consideration.
One bill would give Alaska ^
school districts legal authority to
i issue bonds for construction oi
school buildings. Now only in
corporated city districts have the
right to issue bonds for schools,
if this bill becomes law, that per
mission would be extended to in
corporated school districts which
include incorporated cities and
their adjacent settlement or set
tlements. V
These three types of school dis
tricts were set up by the TcrJ%
torial Legislature, but Congress
must grant them authority to is
sue bonds. The legislation is
supported by the Territorial Boarrp
of Education, Dr. James C. Ryan,
Commissioner of Education, and
Attorney General Ralph J. Riv
ers.
As reported out by the House
Committee on Territories, the
second bill would have authorized
Anchorage to issue up to $7,500,
000 in bonds for building needed
public works.
Passage of the bill was de
layed when one of the official
Republican “objectors” took the
view that Anchorage should not
be allowed to issue bonds in such
an amount. He also made ob
jection to the provision that some
of the money raised from the sale
of bonds could be used for pro
viding recreational facilities. In
! view of this objection, which
could have prevented House afir
tion on the bill at this session,
Delegate Bartlett amended it by
reducing the amount to $5,000.
000 and restricting the types of
projects authorized to those other
than recreational in ature. So
amended, the bill passed the
House the following day. ^
MINING OBLIGATIONS
In amended form, the Senate
bill providing for the suspension
of certain obligations against
mines forced to cease operations
because of the war was reported
out of the Committee on Mines 4
and Mining and is now on the
House calendar. The bill as
I passed by the Senate restricted
I its benefits to operators of gold
and silver mines, while the House
committee felt that they should
I be extended to other classes of
mines as well. Both the Sen*
! ate and House versions permit
United States courts, under cer
I tain circumstances, to suspend re
quirements for payments which
| were to have been made under^
| contract or to suspend the re
1 quirement that certain work be
j performed, in consideration of
! the fact that many mine operators
! were so gravely injured finan
' cially by the wartime closing of
i hte properties that they are en
| titled to relief.
Despite the favorable report by
the House Committee.it is said
! that prospects for the passage of
| this bill at this session of Con- 4
| gress are none too good.
JONES ACT EXTENSION
Following recommendations by
Delegate Bartlett, the War Ship
ping Administration has indicated
that the Treasury Department
will be requested to extend the
Jones Act waivers now in effect
| beyond June 30. This will be
of particular benefit to Skagway
I connection with Canadian ship
ping. Extension is dependent
upon renewal by Congress of the
Second War Powers Art W t tVinm