THE NOME NUGGET
Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday by The
NOME PUBLISHING CO.
Nome. Alaska
Telephone: Main 125 P. O. Box 613
11.50 PER MONTH S16.00 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, September 20, 1946
A Jittery Correspondent
Gets More So In Alaska
(The Forty-Ninth Star)
If your relatives in the States suddenly start worry
ing over the fact you are living in Alaska, their concern
for your welfare can probably be attributed to a series
of articles on Alaska which were recently published in
the nationwide chain of Scripps-Howard newspapers.
Written by Jim G. Lucas, Scripps-Howard correspon
dent, the six articles are alarmist in content, and con
tain much information based more on speculation than
established fact.
In developing leads for his articles, Mr. Lucas dug
deep into the barrel for what is described in newspaper
parlance as “punch” or “life” for the introductory sen
tence of each of his articles.
Reprinted below exactly as they appeared in the New
York World-Telegram are the first sentences of five of
Mr. Lucas’ six articles:
“In the Aleutian Islands, Aug. 27—The Russians have
converted Petropavlosk on the Kamchatka peninsula—
490 miles from the last American outpost on Attu and
within flying distance of Japan—into a major air and
naval base.
“Fairbanks, Alaska, Aug. 28—Alaska is ripe to be
come a second Pearl Harbor.
“Point Barrow, Alaska, Aug. 29—The stage is set for
trouble in Alaska.
“Fort Richardson, Anchorage, Alaska, Aug. 30—The
Army and Navy must start from scratch to rebuild the
defenses of Alaska if it is to be successfully defended.
“For Richardson, Anchorage, Aug. 31—The Army
and Navy are again at war. Their foe: The Arctic. Their
objective: To capture the top secrets of survival in the
Far North.”
Even before Mr. Lucas enlightened us we realized
that the world’s ship of peace was having some pretty
rough sailing. We didn’t imagine, however, that the
time has already come—as Lucas insinuates—to start
digging bomb shelters.
Tax Cuts Feasible And Necessary
(Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
Representative Knutson of Minnesota has been ridi
culed by President Truman for his assertion that federal
income taxes affecting the American people as individ
uals can be reduced as much as 20 per cent next year
if the Republican Party wins control of the next Con
gress.
There is nothing ridiculous about Mr. Knutson’s pre
diction, and the President only exercises bad judgment
in trying to make it appear either difficult or impossible
of fulfillment.
It is not only entirely feasible to reduce personal in
come taxes, but the best interests of the country make
it absolutely necessary.
But, of course, the only way taxes can be reduced is
for the government of the United States to quit wastir
the money of the people, and to quit spending it without
legitimate purpose or logical reason.
And it is probably true, as Representative Knutson
says, that only a change of administrations, putting the
Republican Party in control of Congress, can induce the
government to keep its spending habits within the legit
imate and constructive and productive needs of the
country and the people.
• There are many Democrats who understand and de
plore and denounce the economic fallacy of deficit
| CAN YOU UNTIE THAT!
spending by government, but their handicap is that
they do not control the Democratic Party which has
been dominated by wastrels throughout three entire;
Presidential terms and is now nearly half way through j
the fourth term under the same extravagant domina
tion.
The dominant faction of the Democratic Party does
not believe in the restriction of government expendi
tures according to what the people can afford, and
neither practices economy in government nor encour
ages thrift among the people.
It has openly stated as its objective the “draining off
of the purchasing power of the people” with taxes.
It has frankly striven for the palse prosperity cre
ated by swollen government payrolls, plundering the
productive industries and thrifty wage-earners of the
country in order to support hordes of parasitic bureau
crats who contribute nothing to the wealth of the coun
try but only dissipate it among political pillagers.
Of course federal taxes can be reduced by the govern
ment of the United States, but only by a government
having the virtues of honesty and efficiency.
The New Deal government has neither practiced nor
professed those basic virtues and President Truman’s
ridicule of Mr. Knutson does not indicate any prospec
tive or intended change in either New Deal policy or
character.
I
Public Welfare General
Relief Drastically Cut
District Workers of the Depart
ment of Public Welfare were ad
vised the first of September by
Director Russell G. Maynard that
greatly restricted policies govern- j
ing the issuance )f Genera * Relief
were to be imposed for the bal
ance of the Territorial Biennium
ending March 31, 1947.
The local social worker for the
department, Miss Frances Schoe
nig, was advised by the office of
the director that allotments for
General Relief had been cut by
60% because of insufficient funds
to meet continuing high demands
for relief.
The Director’s statement also
placed in effect the restriction
that “no new cases of relief could
be approved except to save life,”
and that continuing cases could
receive only the barest necessi
ties. The director of the depart
ment also announced that all hos
pitals and the medical profession
had agreed to provide such serv
ices on a credit basis until the
legislature meets early in 1947.
a
Causes of the restricted policies
were explained by Mr. Maynard
as being a combination of greatly
increased number of cases during
the past year and a half, coupled
with the failure of the 1945 regu
lar session and the 1946 special
session of the Legislature to pro
vide necessary funds to meet the
anticipated demands.
The Department of Public Wei-'
fare, according to Mr. Maynard,
had anticipated increased de
mands together with increased
costs of services when it requested
from the 1945 Legislature an ap
propriation of $400,000.00 to meet
the requirements of the program.
The Legislature, after being fully
advised of the needs for the ap
propriation, appropriated the sum
of $300,000.00, a decrease of 25%
in the estimated funds necessary
to meet the demands, he said.
Mr. Maynard’s slatement also
revealed that the special session
of the Legislature in 1946 had
been requested to make a supple
mental appropriation in order to
meet the then existent increased
demands for relief, but failed to
I Rotary Club Has
Interesting Luncheon
Col. John Bodle, comm
officer of the Nome Air Ba
guest speaker at the Rotar,
meeting held yesterday n<
the lounge of the Nevada.
Following the luncheon
regular meeting, Col. Bodl*
an interesting resume of h
pressions of Nome as the
Hub of the World.”
He stated that he believes
as a name has much in ad
ing value and importance
Territory in that every schc
over eight years of age kn<
Nome from school books,
name “Nome” carries a ti
dous weight in the world,
the most romantic names i
tory. It represents the onl:
foothold of the white man
Dillingham to Point Barrm
yond the Arctic Circle. Nc
the world center of comn
aviation, he asserts, it is i
situated for this purpose,
as it does, literally on top
world.
Col. Bodle gave a numl
figures as to distances from
to the major cities of the woi
eluding them in a circle oi
miles radius. The follwoin
countries whose capitals fall
in this range: United States,
a d a , Newfoundland, Ic
Great Britain, Germany, Nc
Swreden, Finland, U.S.S.R.,
Japan.
This circle, he explains,
just short of Chungking, <
but does include the cities of
ing, Shanghai, and Teinsin a
as most of the northern p;
China. The circle also in<
most of the island groups (
middle and north Pacific, ir
ing Hawaii, Midway, Wake
the Marcus groups.
The colonel concluded,
might be of interest to know
this circle, 3500 miles in r
cuts inland on the North A
can mainland some distance
of the tip of Lower Califorr
Mexico, includes most of the
and strikes the eastern Amt
coastline on its northern swi
the vicinity of Charleston, S
A visitor from the Juneai
tary Club, Governor E
G r u e n ing, complimented
group on their efforts to ge
Rotary Club going in Nome
stated the groups all over
country are devoting their e
to service.
The governor also spoke o
coming hearing to be held he
September 26, 27, and 28 it
federal courtroom. He said
hearing is vital to the area s<
through lighterage facilities
that any reduction in rates
tained through the report o
Maritime Commission, whicl
partment is holding the he«
will truly benefit all concern
Mr. Gruening also spoke o
necessity for roads and air]
stating that the only wa
which Alaska can hope to re
the benefits of federal monie
these important improver
will be through becoming a !
provide any additional funds
Approval of the restricted
cies placed in effect Septemt
it was stated, was granted b;
Board of Public Welfare fo
ing receipt of information b;
Board from the director’s <
that cash funds were insuff
to meet the continuing i
throughout the Territory.
' /