• Oldest Newspaper In Alaska. “I lie News of the Day In Pictures" Member of I he Associated Press
THE NOME NUGGET
VOL. 44. No. 143. NOME, ALASKA, MONDAY, OCT. 26, 1942 Per c°Py l*
Air Force Heavily Raids Hongkong
COFFEE RATIONING TO START ON NOV. 28
« . . . . . ..
11. S. Air Forces In China Cascade
Explosives On Hong Kong and Canton
With the U. S. Army Air Forces in China, Oct. 26
(/P)—American bombers cascaded explosives on Hong
Kong early today for the second time in 24 hours, add
ing new fires to those started by the devastating Sun
day assault which smashed again at the frequently
aided White Cloud airdrome, near Canton.
After setting the Hong Kong waterfront aflame yes
terday, Gen. Stilwell’s headquarters announced, to
day’s raiders destroyed the North Point power station
there, planting every one of the bombs in the target
area. At Canton, many fires were started and heavy
• explosions noted in the vicinity of the airdrome. Both
missions were accomplished without the loss of a plane
despite Jap efforts at interception.
Attempting to minimize the raids at Hong Kong, the
Tokyo radio said the damage was negligible and that
the raiders were “forced to turn tail” by the fire of
Jap anti-aircraft guns. Tokyo gave the time of Sun
day’s raid as 3:30 p.m. and Monday’s raid at 1:30 a. m.
These blows by the U. S. air forces were greeted by
rejoicing in Chungking and word was flashed from all
sides that the big American aerial offensive was on.
Customers’ Part In enforcement Price
Control Outlined By Director Of OPA
■ • - — ■ ...
Released for Publication by Office Price Administration
To All Radio Stations and Newspaper of Alaska
JUNEAU, Oct. 2 — The part,
which customers should play in
the enforcement of price control
was sharply outlined in a radio
address delivered by Mildred R.
Hermann, Alaska Director of the
Office of Price Administration in
Juneau. Calling upon all consum
er? of commodities and services I
y to be vigilant in the matter of
checking on prices, Mrs. Her
mann pointed out that the en-.
forcement of the Price Control
Act will be greatly simplified if
every consumer does his part to
ward keeping prices at an even
keel.
Be Price Conscious
“In the first place” she said,
“Be price conscious, study your
prices from month to month. Our
prices should now be fairly well
established. They should not rise
higher save on certain excepted
items, and when Congress finish
es its task of passing the Anti
Inflation Bill there should be no
excepted items. Consumers must
expect prices to be higher than
they were during the weeks be
fore Pearl Harbor, but they
should not go appreciably high
er than they are now. In fact
they should go down. If consum
ers throughout the Territory
would form the habit of listing
the price of merchandise they
buy each month and comparing
these prices with subsequent pur
chases, they would have an easy
check on whether or not their
merchants are raising prices.
“Consumers should also pay
close attention to ceiling post
ing,” Mrs. Hermann stated. “Un
der the present regulations every
merchant selling cost-of-living
commodities is required to post
his ceilings on those items in
his store. The ceiling may be
written on the article itself, on
hte bin or shelf which contains
it, or a poster of prices may be
placed conspicuously in the
store. The main point to be em
phasized is that the prices should
be posted so conspicuously that
they catch the eye of the custom
er even when he is not looking
for them. This is what is known
as the “eye-test,” and simply
I means that the prices should be
visible at the point of purchase j
and no consumer should have to '
look for them.
“If ceiling .prices have not i
been posted conspicuously in the
store,” Mrs. Hermann continued.
"The customer should ask the
merchant why they are not post
ed. Every inquiry made will
serve warning on the merchant
that his operations are being
watched. If, after one inquiry,
the customer does not find the
ceilings posted, he should write
to his nearest OPA office or Lo
cal Rationing Board and give full
i particulars.”
The importance of asking for ;
sales slips in making purchases j
j of goods that seem unduly high .
! was also emphasized by the Al
aska Director. Under OPA reg
! ulations, she pointed out, the
merchants are required to give
sales slips if the customers asks
for them. The slip should show
the amount of the goods purchas
ed, as well as the sum paid for it.
Serious Penalties
“Serious penalties are provid
ed for the violation of any part
of the Office of Price Adminis
tration regulations,” Mrs. Her
mann stated. “The merchant may
be fined in an amount up to
$5,000, or sentenced to as much
as a year in prison. He may have
his license revoked for a period
of months, and civil redress is
provided whereby every custom
er may recover three times the
amount of each overcharge, or
I $50, whichever is the larger
I amount.
| “However," Mrs. Hermann con
| tinued, “Do not try to be a price
j policeman. Leave that to the en
1 forcement staff of the OPA. Be
vigilant, but do not be a vigil
ante. If you think you are being
overcharged, ask your merchant
j about it. He may have a perfect
j ly good explanation. If he hasn't,
i then ask for your sales slip and
I forward your complaint tc the
| proper authorites. It will receive
! prompt and efficient considera
I tion.”
* j
Consumer Services
! Mrs. Hermann also pointed out
Red Troops
Breach German
Flank Stalingrad
Moscow, Oct. 24 (/P) —
Red troops breached the
front line of the German’s!
i fortified left flank north
west of Stalingrad. The |
; city’s garrison repulsed all
1 attacks, to hold the north ;
side of a factory against a
tank supported brigade, de
spite a shower by 1500
Stuka planes. Recent rains
; and snow apparently lift
ed to permit German aer
ial activity.
; . __
I
JAPAN Cuts Travel
On Iluss Border
New York, Oct. — A Tok
i vo broadcast said strict re
strictions have been put
into effect along the Man
churian frontier bordering
Russia. The broadcast quot
ing a dispatch from Hsink
ing, Manchukuo, said that
border control measures
had been taken in the in
terest of national defense.
Travel within the frontier
area is restricted.
' that the price of consumer ser
vices is regulated by the General
Maximum Price Regulation,
which .provides that the highest
price that may be charged for
consumer services is the price
! charged during the month of
March, 1942.
"We do not eat or wear con
sumer services," Mrs. Hermann
; said, "But we do pay an enor
mous amount of money for them
| and they constitute an important
part of our cost of living."
Consumer services include
, such services as laundry and dry
cleaning; repair of automobiles, I
boats, and electrical household
appliances; shoe repairing; film
developing, commercial printing;
rental of cold storage lockers,
and many other services perform
ed for hire. If these prices go
higher than the March level for
the same services, the customer
should immediately protest to!
the seller of the service. If he 1
persists in his higher price, the
transaction should be reported to
the Local Rationing Board or
nearest OPA office.
War Can Be Lost At Home
"Remember," Mrs. Hermann
concluded, “Price control has
■been established as a weapon ag
! ainst inflation. Inflation is the
great menace to our Nationl ec
onomy, and as dangerous a wea
! pon as any used on the real bat
tle fields of the war. The fight
1 against inflation is just as much
| a part of the war effort as the
; building of planes and ships,"
‘the said. “Make no mistake
about this,” Mrs. Hermann con
| eluded’, “This war is going to be
; won on the battle fields, but it
j can be lost at home.”
Be alert to what is going on
around you. Be price conscious.
Do your part on the home front
to keep our National economy
stabilized. Fight inflation on the
home front. We qall on every cus
I tomer of commodities and servic
; es to join in this battle; to do
j his part toward the stabilization
, of our National economy.
RAF Again
Hits Italy
in Force*
London, Oct. 24 (/P) —
The biggest lot of RAF
bombers went back in
force over Italy for the sec
ond successive night and
showered explosives again
on Turin, Genoa and Sav
ona, in a sweep over three
of Italy’s northernmost
| provinces. A Fascist com
jmunique mentioned “not
able” damage at Savona,
port on the Ligurin coast,
25 miles west of Genoa.
The British said the raid
| ers were in “strong force”
and all but three returned.
_
OPA To Take
Action Against
0 f f en decs
The following wires were
1 received by the Nome War
and Price Board from the
Alaska Director of the
OPA, Mildred R. Hermann
with headquarters at Jun
eau:
“Scavenger service un
der consumer service
clause of General Maxi
m u m Price Regulation.
The maximum price is the
highest price charged in
March for the same service
If merchants raising pric
es under claim invoices
not yet received undoubt
edly violating regulations.
Maximum Price Regula
tion 194 requires ceiling
be computed on basis of
wholsale cost. Without in
voices this would be im
possible.
“We shall definitely
take action against offend
ers. Advise merchants file
cost-of-loving reports im
mediately as required by
194, under penalty of crim
inal persecution for fail
ure.”
---—
Consumer Services
“You should publicize
the fact that consumer
should not pay more for
consumer service than he
paid in March, 1942.
Included in the list of
consumer services are laun
dry and dry cleaning charg
es, shoe and other garment
repair, film development,
cold storage locker rentals,
mortician services, auto
mobile and boat repairs,
and many other services of
similar nature.”
That unique and humorous,
and typical Alaskan stationery—
“Sourdough Roadhouse” Letter
heads and Envelopes, have been
brought strictly up to date, and
are now available at the Nugget
office.
Coffee Rationing to Start Nov. 28
One II). Every 3 Weeks Per Person
WASHINGTON, Oct. 26 (/P) — Coffee is to be ra
tioned, starting at midnight November 28th, at a rate
of one pound every five weeks for each person over
15 years of age, it was announced by the OPA. On the
basis that that are 35 to 40 cups in a pound, the ration
means slightly more than a cup a day per person.
Retail sales will halt at midnight November 21, Hen
derson said in a week-long freeze in which the gro
cers will stock their shelves and start rationing.
The first rationed coffee will be purchased with the
last stamp in the sugar ration bok, stamp no. 28, and
subsequent rations will be issued working backwards
in the sugar boks, using stamps 28 to 19 in sequence.
Henderson attributed this emergency action main
ly to “excessive buying by consumers.”
I ul! Scale Fighting on Guadalcanal
C C
Americans Beat Back 5 Jap Attacks
WASHINGTON, Oct. 25 (/P) — Full scale fighting
started on Guadalcanal Island with American soldiers
and marines beating back five heavy Japanese on
slaughts, the Navy reported tonight, but the Japanese
landed fresh reinforcements. The Japanese opened the
big push Friday night, laying down a heavy artillery
.barrage, then throwing tanks and troops aaginst the
American’s western defense lines. The lines held firm
through-out four attacks that night, repulsing the Jap
anese and destroying five tanks. Enemy attacks Sat
urday were repulsed. The United States forces had the
support of artillery, themselves countering blows, but
the Navy mentioned no American tanks.
Aircraft also fought the foe during this daylight at
tack. One American plane was lost. Before sending
their ground forces into action Friday, the Japs struck
| at Henderson air field, but with devastating results for
themselves. They sent over 16 bombers escorted by 20
Zero fighters. Marine Gruman “Wildcats” wiped out
the entire 20 fighters, shot down one bomber, and
damaged three others.
British Start Offensive In Afriea May
Decide Mediterannean This Winter
CAIRO, Oct. 24 (/P) — Beating the Axis African
Corps to the punch, the rebuilt British Eighth Army
slammed into the enemy’s El Alamein lines, support
; ed by a strong Allied air force and including U. S.
planes and fighting men. It appeared to be the start
of an offensive which may decide the fate of the Med
iterranean this winter.
Fighting planes of the U. S. Desert Air Forces were
active in the final preliminaries of the long aerial pre
paration, raking the Axis forward landings grounds
yesterday and supporting Allied fighters and bombers
on similar missions. The hour of the attack came under
i the full desert moon and the main battle concentrated
in a comparatively small area but is expected to spread
rapidly as tanks and guns hurled thousands of shells
at the enemy.
U. S. Planes Sink or Badly Damage
Jap Cruiser. Destroyer. 8 Transports
Gen. MacArthur’s Headquarters in Australia, Satur
day, Oct. 23 (/P) — Delayed — Allied heavy bombers,
continuing to support the United States forces in the
Solomons, sank or badly damaged a Jap cruiser, one
; destroyer, and eight transports or cargo ships in a raid
in force on Rabaul, New Britain. MacArthur announc
ed the total tonnage raided by the big bombers with
“deadly effect,” as approximately 50,000 tons. A cruis
er, a destroyer and two large merchantmen were be
lieved sunk. One large merchantman was badly dam
aged and five other ships hit by the airmen who at
tacked from a low altitude just before dawn. They all
returned safely despite heavy anti-aircraft fire.