ROME INDUSTRIAL WORKER
TRI-WEEKLY
Published Tuesday. Thursday,
and«Saturday.
Ky Nome Miae Workers’ Union, No. 240, International Onion of Mine,
Mill and Smelter Workers.
Subscription Price
One Tear . $20.00
ftix Months . 10.00
Om Month . 2.00
"To secure to each laborer th® whole product of his labor, or as
nearly as possible Is a worthy object of any good government ”—Abra
ham Lincoln.
Address all communications to Tn-Weekly Nome Industrial Worker.
Box 210, Nome, Alaska. Thone, Black 134.
A11 changes in advertisements must reach this office before 9 A. M.
•n day of publication to insure insersion in same issue.
Advertising rates made knewn on application.
Entered as second class matter August 6, 1918, at the Post Office
•f. Nome, Alaska, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
NOME, ALASXA TUESDAY, OCTOBER, 15, 1»18.
.NOME’S FUTURE
Tfee exodus from Nome this winter
no doubt is disheartening to many
Who have no intention of abandoning
the camp. But it might have been
expected. The industrial activity Out
side has to offer what Nome has not,
a job or an opportunity during the
winter months. Winter work is simp
ly finished for the time being in this
camp. Several things make this so
and not least are the expenses atten
dant upon mining and prospecting.
Now this is the more discouraging
because it is the winter time that is
the best for prospecting and it is the
■winter prospecting which brot about
the greatest discoveries upon which
Nome has so much depended.
It was only when the section be
came worked out that it was realized
by the business men how much Center
Oeek meant to Nome. It helped to
keep up Nome in a manner more ef
fectively and more prolonged than
the third beach line, and winter after
winter its activity was the support,
comfort and maintenance of fuel man,
grocer, butcher and the rest.
Nome as a gold producer is still on
the map. It could not help but be on
the map, for there is probably more
gold in Seward Peninsula than all
the rest of the world combined. There
is no place the world over where gold
is found so plentifully distributed
and there are few streams whence
gold may not be panned.
Yet this general distribution of
gold will help but little because of
the fact that creeks of the productive
richness of Anvil and Ophir creeks
are comparatively rare.
Withal there is no section which
has been subject to such general neg
lect as this same Seward Peninsula.
It is a fact that outside the direct
vicinity of Nome, of Council, of Can
dle, of Taylor creek, there has been
very little deep level prospecting.
The reason of course is thait there was
no fuel. Willows and alder at best
make but poor material for much
labor to work on for the purpose of
rising steam. Unlike most of the in
terior camps there is no wood avail
ahla except at Council or in part at
Candle. In consequence the fuel
problem has always stood uppermost
as the main problem and that in turn
v»as based upon a transportation
problem.
At the present time with coal $36
a ton for winter use, it is perfectly
obvious that mining is strangled. It
be no less obvious that it is high time
that this commodity was taken out of
the bands of a private Seattle monop
oly and controlled either by the city
or by the government in some way.
Control of this commodity in this
•'amp leaves every miner, every pros
pector and every resident absolutely
tit its mercy. Its price regulation at
the present time is understood to be
with the approval of the Fuel Admin
istration. One would like to know
the system of figures which the Seattle
monopoly submitted to the fuel ad
ministrator in justification of an in
crease of ten dollars for coal has been,
some of it remaining in the yard, un
subjected to any sort of additional
"handling and yet which suddenly as
sumes a value by lying unconsumed
in this Alaskan atmosphere. It
would be very interesting to learn
Indeed how coal acquires an addition
al value by lying sacked in a snug
heap Tor the freighters to come and
get. It would be instructive indeed
to read what overhead expenses justi
fy this increase in price and what ad
ditional disbursements for labor or
otherwise have gone to make up the
additional values that make an in
crease necessary and approved by the
Kuel Administration.
Nome's future is dependent to an
inseparable extent upon the proper
aoSttfion of the fuel problem. That
proDiem, associated as nas Deer
pointed out, with the freighting and
transportation problems, is not to b«
solved by letting it go as it looks and
trusting to the tender mercies of s
Seattle monopoly.
On the contrary it is to be solved
by the people taking the matter intc
their own hands for proper solution
and in the most determined waj
bringing the matter before the gov
ernment and the territorial repre
sentatives for solution.
Given a fuel of reasonable prict
there is no limit to the extent o:
ground does not become immediately
open to exploitation. As it is now thi
price of coal is simply strangling the
camp.
We are of those who believe tha
this camp has a big future and a bij
future in winter or summer. Nomi
has a big future as a fishing center
as a distributing point, in relation t<
the trade with Siberia and the sup
ply or the ports and stations in thi
Siberian territory of Kamschatka. I
has a big future as a mineral produce
and above all as the leading place
camp of the world. The discovery b:
Liston, Connolly and Hedrick of gol<
on Monument creek in such rich quan
tities is a revelation of the actua
state of affairs. Innumerable ol<
channels score the countryside to bi
found ultimately by the indefatigabli
prospector. But with every doo
closed to the prospector; strangle<
by fuel prices, stifled by food prices
chokd by high freight rates.and lacl
of proper roads, he has a hard rov
of stumps to hoe. But he will hoi
that row if given half a chance am
the end is far from yet of this north
ern camp. The prime need of thi
camp is that the power to put thi
thumb screws to the camp’s prosper
ity be taken from any monopoly tha
may serve Seattle interests but is cer
tainly not serving Nome in the higl
prices’ of its fuel.
“AFTER THE WAR"
During the war. we are told by i
good many, although most of the writ
ers may have been very well thosi
within whom the wish was father t<
the thot, there was an evident reviva
of religious feeling among the bellig
erents. And now like a good man:
more considering wholly other ques
tions, it has been asked to what ex
tent will this continue after the war
That question is easily enuff answer
ed. To the extent to which the re.
.ligionists of any denomination wil
be able to ccnvince the people of th<
usefulness to society of that whicl
they preach, to that extent will th<
life of their teachings be prolonged
Hut in this connection they wil
have to answer how it is that preach
ing a religion of poverty so many o
their “pillars" and their institution!
acquired enormous wealth—wealth
of this world at athat, and how too
teaching a doctrine of passive, resis
tance and peace on earth, their fellow
ers brot war into the world and all its
woes. Honestly too, will they recog
nlze that for religious cant anc
earnestness, the Kaiser and his kith
and kin, have been notable exem
plars and bright and shining ec
clesiastical lights blessed the legions
that went forth to spread frightful
ness and atrocities over the world.
It is after the war, when humanitj
within the war zone begins to take
stock they will Inquire the precise re
lation that did exist between “my
self and Gott.”
I.enri Tm-ie Sain your money tlial
ho may equip his Army and Navy te
insure for you and your children the
blessings of liberty.
Invest now to the limit of you!
ability in IT. 8. Liberty Bonds.
LET THE NEWS RIGHT HEAD
THE WORKER.
PAID ADV
KlIrpSKMKM
HON. CHAS. A. SULZER
(DEMOCRAT)
FOR DELEGATE TO CONGRESS
ELECTION, NOVEMBER, 6, X91S
[
FOR REPRESENTATIVE
JAMES J. BOGAN
(DEMOCRAT)
ELECTION NOVEMBER, 5tii 1918.
t
l
FOR REPRESENTATIVE
ALMER (Slim) RYDEEN
(DEMOCRAT) of Candle.
ELECTION NOV. 5th, 1918.
PAID ABTHBHBHMKNTS
FOR RE-ELECTION TO THE TERRITORIAL
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES^
JAMES P. DALY
(DEMOCRAT)
ELECTION NOVEMBER 5th, IQ 18.
FOR RE-ELECTION
A. A. -SCOTTY- ALLAN
(REPUBLICAN)
SCHOOLS—ROADS—8 HOUR DAY
—EQUITABLE FREIGHT RATES—
ELECTION, NOVEMBER 5, 191*.
FOR SENATOR
JAMES FRAWLEY
H? (DEMOCRAT)
ELECTION, NOVEMBER 3, 191*.
FOR REPRESENTATIVE
E. B. =Duffy= O’CONNOR
. INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE
FAVORS EIGHT HOUR LAW, INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM;
OPPOSES INDUSTRIAL MONOPOLY
ELECTION NOVEMBER 5, 1018.
WASHINGTON STATE
FEDERATION OF LABOR
EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE committbi
EVEKETTE, WASH. Sept. 9th, ISIS.
To Trade Unionists of Alaska,
Greeting.
Ordinarily we would not thiuk of making any sugges
tions to you concerning political candidacies in your Territory
but in the present situation we feel justified in doing so. The
interests of labor in the entire northwestern group of states
and particularly Washington, is closely allied with the interest
of labor in Alaska. We have watched with growing concern
the efforts of large corporate aggregations to tighten their
hold upon the wealth of your country and hare watched the
splendid fight waged in Congress by your Delegate Mr Wick
ersham.
It is because we believe Mr Wickersham is fighting in
Congress against the exploitation of labor and. the great nat
ural wealth of Alaska by powerful private interests, that we
are taking the liebrty of urging our fellow unionists in Alaska
to rally to his support in his campaign for re-election.
Knowing that you will accept this communication in the
spirit in which it is written and assuring you the continued co
operation and good will of your fellow trade unionists, we beg
leave to remain,
Fraternally Yours,
E. P. M\RSH
President Washington State Federation of Labor.
CHAS, R. CASE
%
Chairman Legislative Committee, Seattle Central Labor Council.
J. G BROWN
President International Shingle Weavers’ Union of America.
WILLIAM SHORT
Sec.-Treas. Dist. No. 10, United Mine Workers of America.