THE NOM S NUGGET
Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday by t i»
NOME PUBLISHING CO.
Nome, Alaska
Telephone: Main 125 P. m. n->v «'"
$1.50 PER MONTH $16.O'1 A YR ‘ R
W. A. and EMILY BOUCHER E tors
Entered as second class matter October 14, 1943. at the postoltice at
Nome, Alaska, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
Monday, April 29, 1946
CONGRESS CAN DO SOMETHING
(Rocky Mountain News)
The John L. Lewis soft coal strike is now two weeks
old. It has closed more than 4000 mines and prevented
production of about 25 million tons of coal. And from
now on it is really going to hurt the country.
So far most industries have kept going on storage
stocks of coal. But these stocks are dwindling, and each
day the strike continues will see more and more indus
tries forced to close. Coal is essential to generate more
than three-fifths of the country’s electricity and more
than half of its industrial power, to run 92 of every 100
railroad locomotives, and to make every ton of steel
that gets made.
If the coal strike lasts only two weeks longer, its ef
fect will be felt for many more weeks in low production
and high unemployment in all steel-using industries.
And so, we hear it said, the time is getting close when
the government must do something to get the coal min
ers back to work.
President Truman could seize the coal mines. He still
has war powers. But most of the miners probably would
not work unless Mr. Lewis told them to work, which he
probably wouldn’t do.
The President could beg Mr. Lewis to be reasonable,
and we think that would be a waste of breath. Or the
President could pressure the mine owners to give Mr.
Lewis whatever he wants.
But what Mr. Lewis wants, we blieve, is bigger con
cessions than any other union has been able to get—
concessions that would put a tremendous new bulge in
the wage-price line against inflation.
We don’t know what else Mr. Truman can do. For
there is no law to prevent a ruthless labor leader from
controlling a strategic union and using his power to
hurt the country.
The mine owners have offered a wage raise that
would follow the pattern set in steel, oil, auto and other
industries. They also have offered shorter hours. But
Mr. Lewis has refused even to discuss wages and hours
until other demands are granted.
One of these is for a roaylty—10 cents a ton on all
coal mined, is the figure reported—to be paid into a
union-managed health and welfare fund. Another,
about which Mr. Lewis hasn’t said much lately, is that
mine foremen be required to join his union.
Congress should outlaw both these demands. The pro
posed royalty would be, actually, a sales tax, paid by
the public, with no obligation upon the union to tell the
public how the money is used. If the Lewis union gets j
that, all unions will want the same thing.
But no union should have power to tax the public and
use the proceeds as it pleases. And foremen in huge in
dustries should not be compelled to belong to the same |
union as the workers they are supposed to supervise.
Congress might not stop the coal strike by doing what •
we suggest. But it would at least cut down Mr. Lewis, \
cruising radius, remove a couple of phony and danger-1
ous issues from the coal negotiations, and require Mr.
Lewis to tell what it really is that his union is striking
for.
Marshal Homma insists he really is a sensitive kindly
person, by nature a poet in the the minds of Gilbert and
Sullivan:
When a warlord’s not engaged in his employment
Of perfecting his repulsive terror plans
His capacity for innocent enjoyment
Is just as great as any other man’s.
look, w; :o'f horn ins iisi
ONE MAN S OPINION
(By Walter Kiernan)
UNO HALL (Always a good Show)—The security
council and the Republicans both have new chairmen.
The only difference is that council chairmen rotate
once a month and Republican chairmen spin for years
without winding. . . . The new chairman, effective May
17, will be Hassan of Egypt—not so well known as the
leading brands, but a big seller in your father’s day. . . .
Fatima still leads in the women’s division. ... A source
close to the cafeteria tells me that Russia’s next demand
will be for the secret of the tidal wave. . . . Our side is
baing cagey about it — they think it may have been a
Soviet side-wheeler. . . . That's one for the new Repub
lican chairman to ponder — that and what to do about
Senator Taft. . . . Meanwhile there is news that the
peace conference in Paris may be postponed—the peace
loving nations can’t agree to the terms to offer the war
loving nations. . . . Stand by for further complications.
School Newfe
HIGH SCHOOL
Movies on Tuberculosis were
shown Tuesday afternoon to the
seventh and eighth grades and to
the high school.
Not long ago the Junior Class
had a meeting to make further
plans for the Junior-Senior Ban
quet and Prom. Committees were
appointed and they promptly set
to work.
GRADES ONE AND TWO
We welcome two new girls,
Christine and Andrea Hudert who
have recently come to Nome from
New Jersey. Christine is in first j
grade, Andrea is in second.
We are writing and illustrating
poems in our extra time.
We are so glad for the warmer
weather and the fun of wading in
puddles if we are wearing boots.
Barbara Trigg brought us our
first pussy-willows. We all have
seen the snow birds so are sure
that spring is really here.
GRADES THREE AND FOUR
Colds and slow clocks have
spoiled our attendance record.
There have been no gold stars for
two weeks.
The fourth graders have a new
reading book and are working
long division problems in arith
metic. Most of the class find it fun
to work with big numbers.
Maureen and Dorothea Hudert
enrolled in the fourth grade last
week.
FIFTH GRADE
The fifth grade received first
prize on the Art Exhibit posters
which we had on the walls of our
booth at the Fair. Recently we
made some Easter drawings of
rabbits, chickens, robins, swans
and Easter lilies.
In geography we are studying
the East Nurth Central States. We
learn the states and capitals of
each group as we study each sec
tion. It is a great farming and
manufacturing section. These
states are Wisconsin, Michigan,
Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.
Our honor roll pupils are:
George Bell, Clara Brown, Ruth
Fagerstrom, Chuckie Nelson, Ver
non Olson and Alfred Sahlin.
SIXTH GRADE
We are having weekly vocabu
lary tests covering words used in
our Reader, History and Geog
raphy texts. The pupils who have
acquired the habit of reading
books at home are the ones who!
receive the highest grades in these
vocabulary tests. We have a list of
names posted on our Bulletin
Board of those who need to spend
more time on home reading. All of
us benefit by outside reading and
it will do much to make our work
easier next year.
We are happy to welcome John
Hudert to our Sixth Grade. He
came a long distance, all the way
POST NEWS
_ «
Nome’s brightest social spot
shone brilliantly at the Post Offi
cers’ Club last Saturday even ng
where the ladies of the Post cre
ated the most delightful dance
party this cozy club has ever wit
nessed. The band under the able
direction of Sgt. Hoffman, and re
cently reorganized, gave their
numbers that little extra some
thing, filling even the most ele
mentary dancer with that hep
cattish urge, >
Miss Aubrey Hynes, the talent
ed Red Cross worker and a former
dramatic actress on the legitimate
■ stage, lent her talents os narrato#’
and mistress of ceremonies for
skits prepared by herself. Miss
Mary Manning and Lt. Bunts. Lt.
Stromberg made a levoly looking
dish as Tessie Tuttlebaum. Act
two featured Misses Delphine
Tochtrop, Floy Reeder and Kitty
Kelly in a scene in which they
really mopped up, portraying Pvt.
Fishmouth, Pvt. Jerk and Pvt.
i Humpback. Their catchy little dit
ties composed by Lt. Bunts, were
: web done and they performed like
veteran Singing Sad Sacks. (Note
to Hollywood: Hands off them
Tha*' gals.) The final skit for the
i evening, entitled "The Fitness of
Things,” topped off the floor show
with Miss Hynes as Lt. Humpback
i and Miss Manning as the pipe
smoking Post Commander. Flow
ers of all varieties and colors were
created by Mrs. Juanita Nelsyn
| and her associates. They gave trie
place a garden fresh appearance
and that good old spring feeling.
Misses Mabel Keef, Mildred Rhyne
and Margaret Dean whipped up a
nifty crab salad with all the de
lectable trimmings, inclu ding
fruits and nuts in individual as
pics. 4*
Many friends and neighbors
from Nome joined in the dancing.
Among those present were Mr.
and Bingham, Mr. and Mrs. Ga
brielson, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson
and Mr. and Mrs. Saario. The old
; favorites like Paul Jones, Ladies*
Tag and Ladies’ Choice reall^
made it a friendly and happy
party, forcing even the boys in the
amen corner onto the dance floor
—and liking it. Pfcs. Beaselv and
Sikes presided over the refresh
ment bar.
Col. Waters and the officers ap
preciated the efforts of the ladies,
conmittee and are planning a for
mal dance in the near future, now
that the girls showed them secrets
of running a real party. However,
o it Question is still unanswered:
How do you adjust the fireplac#
damper so the smoke can go up
the chimney?
_
J. W. THOMPSON BUYS
KUNELIS PROPERTY
Mr. J. W. Thompson, principal
of the Nome Territorial School,
purchased the property of Gus
Kunelis on Front Street. Gus
plans to take a long trip to the
States and possibly to Greece andfH
eventually return to Nome. Gus
plans to move to his home in the
east end of town.
Mr. Thompson would not di
vulge what plans he had for the
present barber shop site.
from New Jersey.
In History we have finished
with the Middle Ages and aug
studying the Modern Age. This
brings us to the Century of Explo
ration and Discovery. We will
now be studying the beginnings of
American history.