THE NOME NUGGET
Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday by The
NOME PUBLISHING CO.
Nom*. Alaska
Telephone: Main 125 P. O. Box 618
*1.50 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.
Wednesday, August 29, 1945
- - - - . ■ —
WAGE INCREASES
(New York Times)
Sidney Hillman has called for a 20 per
cent increase in wages and for a continua
tion of price control. This wage increase
would be designated to offset the decline
in weekly earnings of labor resulting
from the reduction of overtime and the !
gradual elimination of other wartime fac
tors contributing to the pay envelope. In
the various demands for higher wage
rates the fact is frequently overlooked
that such increases have a two-fold ef
fect: (a) the purchasing power of work
ers is increased (provided employment
is not discouraged), and (b) the cost of
production is increased. Although the
emphasis is usually given to the former,
it is clear that the rise in costs which
would attend a large increase in basic j
wage rates is equally important.
During the war period the increase in
labor and unit costs has been obscured
and has not had to be fully reflected in
prices because it has been offset in part
by the reduction in overhead costs at
tending the record wartime volume of
production and the decline in selling
costs. As wartime volume is curtailed,
overhead costs per unit, and selling costs,
will once more rise. A further increase
in basic wage rates of the magnitude
suggested by Mr. Hillman, when com
bined with these other increases in costs,
will inevitably necessitate a sharp in
crease in prices.
Attention usually is directed to war
time savings before taxes, to prove that
industry has the ability to raise wages
without the need for a sharp increase.
Record output rather thdn higher profit
margins has been the main factor con
tributing to the high level of wartime
earnings. The point overloked, however,
is that the factors making for a decline
in wage incomes will also operate to re
duce corporate incomes. The most im
portant of these factors will be the re
duction in volume as war contracts are
cut back.
If too high a price is set on a product
it tends to be priced out of the market
and demand is substantially curtailed.
Because of the emphasis given to the
purchasing-power aspect of wage in
comes,, the fact that labor, too, can price
itself out of its market is not as widely
recognized. But there is ample evidence
that this is the case. Wage adjustments
which are not related to increases in la
bor productivity must result in increase
in costs sooner or later. There is already
srave danger that we will go into the
r>ost-war period with cost-price relation
ships that are unbalanced. Further wage
increases at this time can only help to
aggravate this situation.
Use what talents you possess, the
woods would be very silent if no birds
sang except those who sang best.
RSASM FOB TMi FINAL CLEANUP
HOLLYWOOD
CHATTER
By BOB THOMAS
HOLLYWOOD — Congratula
tions are in order. I have been
named the worst dressed column
ist in America.
And by no less an authority
than Charles Bickford, who was
dubbed by somebody or other one
of the ten best dressed men in
America.
I corralled the rugged actor in
a fashionable men’s shoppe. He
spoke with authority and, I soon
learned, bluntly, as an oracle on
what should be worn and why.
“What do you think of bow
ties?” I asked.
“I think they stink,” he replied, J
gazing at my bow tie.
“Lucius Beebe claims only a
jerk would wear brown shoes
with a blue suit,” I countered. |
“What do you think?”
“I think it is all right—provided
a brown hat is worn,” he re
marked, glancing at my brown!
shoes, blue suit and hatless head, j
“How do you like this suit?” I j
inquired, turning gracefully.
“I don’t,” he said quite point
edly. “There is no form whatso
ever to it.”
“What do you think of these
socks?”
“I wouldn’t wear them on a
bet,” he declared without a smile.
“Look at them! They’ve got
squares and diamonds and stripes
and none of the many colors
matches anything else you are
wearing.” This guy wasn’t kid
ding. I tried to pull down my
trouser legs so the terrible things
wouldn’t show.
* * *
We exhausted that subject so I
asked about Bickford’s clothes
habits. He asserted he is quite a
conservative dresser, tending tow
ards tweeds. He likes them be
cause they wear indefinitely and
do not have to be pressed often.
“Don’t you find tweeds itch?”
I asked.
He was astonished at my in
quiry and replied, “of course not.”
Aside from tweeds, he likes serges
or worsteds in the evening and has
very little formal attire. He owns
19 suits.
Bickford likes his shirts slightly
tinted, with no designs. I'm glad
I wasn’t wearing my favorite
plaid shirt.
* * *
Amopg the other things he in
sists upon are: an absolutely har
monious color combination; no
jewelry; handkerchief in the
breast pocket; the top coat button
unfasened, a well-tied four in
hand.
We did agree on one hing—the
undershirt should be eliminated.
He revealed that his shorts are of
the Navy type and he buys them
at an Army and Navy store. This
did not seem proper for a best
dressed man, but perhaps the
judges did not go that far in their
consideration.
Is Bickford happy with this new
honor as one of the top ten dress
ers? I wonder. Sometimes he longs
for the days when he could walk
around the seashore looking I ke
a beachcomber.
“I can’t do that any more,” he
sighed. He explained with a de
gree of pride: “I am now one of
the ten best dressed men in Amer
ica.”
ALASKAN RECEIVES
NAVY CROSS
Commander J. W. McCaule
USN. formerly of Fairbanks an
now on duty in Washington, hi
received the Navy Cross “for e3
traordinary heroism” as Con
mander of a Composite Squadro
on the USS PETROF BAY durin
the Battle off Samar. The text <
the citation reads as follows:
“For exraordinary heroism e
Commander of a Composit
Souadron attached to the US
PETROF BAY during actio
against major units of the Japan
ese Fleet in the Battle off Sama
on October 25, 1944. When i
strong force of enemy men-of-wa
steamed through the San Berna
dino Straits and viciously attack
ed an escort carrier task unil
Commander McCauley promptl:
took off from his carrier unde
extremely adverse conditions anc
gallantly led his flight to the vi
cinity of the fierce action. Maneu
vering for maximum strikin*
power immediately upon contact
he launched an aggressive, deter
mined attack and, boldly plunginj
through the enemy’s shattering an
tiaircraft fire, directed relentless
strafing runs against Japanese
battleships with devastating speed
and skill, effectively diverting
their fire from our attacking tor
pedo planes. By his brilliant and
forceful leadership, his superb
airmanship and indomitable fight
ing spirit in the face of over
whelming odds, Commander Mc
Cauley contributed immeasurably
to the extensive and costly dam
age inflicted upon the enemy in
this decisive engagement and hi9
valiant devotion to duty through
out reflects the highest credit up
on himself and the United States
Naval Service.”
Commander McCauley, the son
of pioneer residents of Fairbanks,
who are now temporarily residing
in California, has previously been
awarded the Distinguished Flying
Cross.
The louse is a name commonly
applied to small wingless insects
parasitic upon mammals and birds.
Nome Directory
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HAGEN
JEWELER AND OPTICIAN
Court House Is Opposite Us
Phone Main 40
O. D. COCHRAN
Attorney At Law
Phone Main 121
Name, Alaska
IRA D. ORTON
Attorney At Law
Room 1—Nevada Building
Nome, Alaska,
Seattle Office:
801 Lowman Building
Telephone EL. 6398