THE NOME NUGGET
Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday by the
NOME PUBLISHING CO.
NOME, ALASKA
Telephone Main 125 $1.50 PER MONTH
P.O. Box 618 $16.00 A YEAR
. E. P. BOUCHER . Managing Editor
CLINTON GRAY . Production Manager
Entered as second class matter October 14, 1943, at the
' post office at Nome, Alaska, under Act of March 3, 1879.
s& *
LOOKING
AHEAD
by Dr. George S. Benson
DIRECTOR - NATIONAL
education program
Searcy, Arkansas
LEAPFROGGING
WAGES AND PRICES
One of thg chief reasons for
inflation—the diminishing of a
dollar’s purchasing power—is a
continued increase of wages in
industry without fully compen
sating improvement in produc
tivity per man hour worked. And
since it is a factor involving the
welfare of every American,
young and old, we ought to un
derstand it clearly. Let’s take a
case in point: Every year since
1947 the wage rate in the auto
mobile industry has advanced.
The average now is $2.50 an
hour. The wage increase of all
auto workers averaged 56 per
cent for the 10 year period just
ended.
‘ LABOR 80%
A few years ago I had an
analysis made of the selling price
of a $1500 automobile. It was
found that direct and indirect
labor costs added up to approxi
mately $1200, or 80 per cent of
the selling price. Raw materials
in this $-1500 car of a few years
ago were actually valued at only
$22 in their raw state.
The wage hikes at the auto
plants, and at their suppliers,
have not permitted the auto in
dustry to pass along to the buy
ing public the normal consumer
benefits from increased produc
tivity. In the 10 years that
wages rose 56 per cent, the man
ufacturer’s price of automobiles
soared from $1100 to approxi
mately $1900, on the average.
And the local delivery price of
cars went up correspondingly.
The manufacturers haven’t got
ten rich at these prices. The
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average profit on each dollar of
sales in American industry is un
der 4%. That rate will barely
keep investment money coming
for the expansions and produc
tion improvements necessary to
compete in the market. The
total amount of all profit included
in the price of a car is actually
less, today than in 1948.
UNION MAN SPEAKS
Harold J. Ruttenberg, a former
labor union research director,
and now president of his own
well drilling equipment company,
has made some penetrating and
important observations cpncern
ing wage raises and inflation
in a sppech delivered to the
National Industrial Conference
Board and reprinted in the May
issue of Reader’s Digest.
“During the 1930’s,’ he said,
“when wage inequities were be
ing eliminated, working condi
tions modernized, wages raised
and hours shortened, I asked my
elders in the labor movement
a simple question: ‘What do we
do when these failings of man
agement have been corrected?’
The answer was direct, simple
and continues as union policy to
this day: ‘We shall keep right
on asking for more. Our job is
to get as much for our members
as we can squeeze out of the com
panies. It is an easy job, as,
once we get a new and better
contract, we have no further re
sponsibility. It is entirely up to
management to find the means
to pay the rising wage bill every
year.’ ”
DESTRUCTIVE POLICY
This is a philosophy which, if
backed by wrong-headed laws
continued, could ruin our great
record of progress benefiting all
Americans. Mr. Ruttenberg says:
“This program of more pay for
less work, already obsolete in the
late 1940’s is today untenable . . .
Each time wage increases not
justified by productivity are
followed by price rises, the
unions are plundering every
American who lives on a fixed
income; that is, all the millions
who do not enjoy the privilege
of having the increases in their
cost of living automatically
covered by cost-of-living wage
increases.
Memorial Wreaths At Cavota's
ACS To Celebrate
58th Anniversary
On May 26th
The Alaska Communication Sys
tem, which began its pioneering
of telephone and telegraph com
munications back in 1900, cele
brates its 58th anniversary May
26th.
Created by an act of Congress
in that year and designated^ the
Washington Alaska Military Ca
ble and Telegraph System, the
“Wamcats” as they were called,
began the monumental task of
linking together by landline and
radio, the far-flung northern
outposts of Alaska.
With the discovery of gold in
the Klondike in 1896 and Nome
in 1898, thousands of prospectors
stampeded to Alaska bringing
with them the gamblers, robbers
and other lawless elements who
prey on new frontiers. Reverb
erations of the strife and killings
that went on in the roaring camps
of Alaska were soon echoed in
Congress and Washington de
manded that the Army take im
mediate action to restore law
and order. Forts and garrisons
soon sprang up all over the
territory but lack of communi
cations made the administration
of these garrisons extremely
difficult since it took as long as
a year to send a message back
to the .states and receive an
answer.
To correct this situation, Con
gress authorized the Army to
construct military telegraph and
cable lines connecting the widely
spread garrisons with the Army’s
headquarters at Fort St. Michael.
Thus, the forerunners of the
Alaska Communication System
began the cable and open wire
lines that were to ultimately
bping the remotest villages into
immediate contact with the rest
of the world half a century later.
Nome, now the -oldest of the
Alaska Communication Systems
in operation, played a key role
in the development of communi
cations in the north. In 1901,
Nome was linked to St. Michael
by submarine cable from Fort
Safety. When ice conditions
proved submarine cable trans
missions impractical, the Signal
Corps began the development of
wireless telegraphy to span the
wilderness. The wireless circuit
between Safety and St. Michael
was the first wireless telegraph
system in the world that was
regularly operated as part of a
telegraph system handling com
mercial messages.
In the interior of Alaska, the
telegraph system ran in it’s en
tirety through uninhabitated wil
nerness and was maintained by
detachments of Signal Corps per
sonnel stationed at log cabins
every forty miles along the line.
A sled and dog team was pro
vided for winter transportation
for each detachment. During the
year 1903, the severe winter tem
peratures took their toll of the
hardy group maintaining this
link and three of the 105 Signal
Corps men serving in Alaska died
QUALITY FOOD
at
MODERATE PRICES
Nome Bakery
and Lunch
Next Door to The Nugget
Fresh Bread, Pies,
Rolls and Doughnuts
also on Sale at Nome Market
OPEN 6 A.M. TO 10 P.M.
[ Congress Passes Bill Raising Postal
Rates And Giving 380 Million Wage
WASHINGTON, UR — me
House passed 379-0 and sent to
the White House a bill to raise
the cost of a first class letter from
3 to 4 cents and on airmail
letters from 6 to 7 cents.
The rate hikes will take ef
fect Aug. 1 if President Eisen
hower signs the bill.
The measure also carries wage
increases for post office workers
aggregating 380 million dollars a
year—more than Eisenhower pro
posed.
The House sent the compromise
measure to the White House af
ter brief discussion. The Senate
passed it Wednesday 88-0.
The bill provides for an over
all increase is postal rates of an
estimated 550 million dollars
annually.
Attends Daughters Graduation
Mrs. Horace Kelsey flew to
Seattle this week to attend the
graduation of her daughter from
high school. The commence
ment exercises at Holy Rosary
Academy in West Seattle will be
held on Sunday.
Mrs. Kelsey and Mary Lou are
expected home next week.
while engaged in repair duty.
World War II brought about
the expansion which • increased
the ASC from 200 experienced
Signal Corjjs operators to a war
time strength of 2000. Expan
sion of equipment and circuits
provided the military and civilian
population with a network that
reached from Attu in the Aleu
tians to Barrow at the Northern
tip of Alaska. Postwar expan
sion which provided modern
equipment and expansion of sub
marine and long distance voice
circuits was culminated in the
hook up with White Alice facil
ities which put Alaska in direct
and instant touch with the states
and the rest of the world.
From its earliest feeble begin
nings, the men of the Signal
Corps and the Alaska Communi
cation System have been a part of
Alaska 'and its communities and
take pride in the knowledege
that their outfit has grown and
expanded hand in hand with the
territory itself.
--
STATEHOOD BILL
(Continued from Page One)
day would clegr the way for
consideration on amendments on
Tuesday. But no roll call votes
would be taken until Wednesday
because of th£ Kentucky primary
on Tuesday.
Rep. O’Brien said the tenta
tive timing suits statehood ad
vocates perfectly. He predicted
passage of the Alaska bill by pos
sibly 25 votes.
Passed The Big Hurdle
Delegate Bartlett said the state
hood bill had “passed the big
hurdle.”
Saying he expects the bill to
survive every test in the House,
Bartlett predicted passage of the
’bill by at least a 20 vote margin.
Much of yesterday's debate
was aimed at provisions of the
bill which would allow Alaska
to select 183,800,000 acres, includ
ing mineral lands, from lands not
already reserved by the federal
government. The land would be
used by Alaska as a tax base.
One of the proponents, Rep.
Otto Passman (D-La) said he fa
vors Alaska so strongly he would
be willing to give up his seat in
Congress to make room for Alas
kan representative. ’
Rep. Howard Smith (D-Va),
speaking later, referred to the
offer, similar to one made earlier
by O’Brien. The Virginian said
this would provide one seat for
Alaska and one for Hawaii but
asked:
“Who’s going to give his seat
to Puerto Rico”? f
7 . 7
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Care of Hair and Scalp
Good care of the hair and scalp is advisable for reasons other than
grooming. When the scalp- is unduly oily or dry, or the hair is thin
ning, or dandruff is present, you may be getting the signal that there
is some underlying condition which requires medical attention.
If an uncomfortable or unnatural condition of the scalp develops,
your physician should De con-^
suited. While the causes of dan
druff are not fully understood,
it is known that the condition can
develop into more serious inflam
mation of the scalp unless defi
nite hygienic and therapeutic
measures are taken.
Medical authorities advise the
following rules for good care of
the hair and scalp:
1. Since cleanliness is the chief
objective of all care of the hair
and scalp, washing at least once
, a week (more often if external
conditions or condition of the
scalp makes the hair dirty) with
a simple soap shampoo is recom
mended. It should be remembered
that no method of shampoo in
fluences the amount of oil secret
ed by the scalp, prolongs life
of existing hair, or makes hair
grow. A good shampoo should do
no more than clean the hair.
2. Combing and brushing are
desirable not only for the sake
of appearance, but also because
they enhance cleanliness of the
hair and scalp.
3. Antiseptics and astringents
applied to the scalp mainly serve
as a good excuse for stimulation
by rubbing, which can just as
well be done without chemical
agents. (If the condition of your
scalp is such that popular chem
ical “remedies” are needed, medi
cal attention should be sought.)
4. It is always a gamble to try
a new preparation on the hair.
For a person known to have any
allergic sensitivity, a new prepa
ration can be tested by applying
a few drops behind the ear and
noting whether or not the skin
shows evidence of irritation with
in a few days.
5. If you have an excess of
dandruff, the first rule is assidu
ous cleanliness. Shampoo the hair
and scalp two or three times a
week, taking pains to remove all
traces of soap. Then apply an
antibacterial ointment (which
your doctor will prescribe) to all
areas of the scalp.
© 1958. Sobering Corporation