THE NOME NUGGET
Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday by the
NOME PUBLISHING CO.
NOME, ALASKA
E. P. BOUCHER ....„.!. Managing Editor '
CLINTON GRAY . Production Manager
Telephone: Main 125 $1.50 PER MONTH
P.O. Box 618 $16 00 A YEAR
Entered as second class matter Octobe*- 14, 1943 at the
postoffice at Nome, Alaska, under Act of March 3. 1879
LIQUOR IN THE VILLAGES
(Fairbanks News-Miner)
A most unsavory situation is developing in a
number of Alaska native villages, and if no action is
taken to check this development, it is going to spread
all over the territory.
We are referring to liquor establishments which
are springing up on the outskirts of villages which
have voted NOT to permit liquor stores or bars to
operate in the region.
A specific example is Fort Yukon, where a liquor
store is now doing business one mile from town, despite
the fact that residents voted, in a local election, not to
permit such an establishment to operate in the village.
There is nothing illegal about the liquor store. It
is simply circumventing the law, and the wishes of
the majority of people in Fort Yukon, by selling liquor
outside the village, to residents of the village.
Let’s look at the situation that has developed there.
The day the liquor store opened, 14 Fort Yukon
men lost their construction jobs for drunkenness. Most
of the men were family wage earners who needed that
income.
It is estimated that at least 60 percent of the
residents of the village are on welfare. Needless to say,
a good percentage of this welfare money is being spent
on liquor instead of on food and clothing for children.
The liquor store there is a six-foot by six-foot
shack which boasts no permanent stock or fixtures.
The liquor is brought out bv car in the- morning, and
returned to town at the end of the business day. The
owner of the liquor store charges taxi fare to drive
residents from the village to the store. The shack is
maintained to get around the law, not as an actual
business establishment.
Fort Yukon is not unique. The same situation will
be found at Galena, and Tanana has been threatened
with a similar problem.
Such liquor stores are no doubt profitable, but they j
are sowing a great amount of misery and want in native j
villages, and, unfortunately, little children are the ones j
who really suffer. In many cases, money is spent fori
liquor that is needed to maintain a home.
Frankly, we are not “prudish” about liquor. But, I
selling liquor in native villages where residents are
already impoverished isn’t exactly a healthy practice,
in our opinion. Furthermore, in many cases such stores!
are being operated in defiance of the will of the I
majority of the people in the community.
This situation is spreading, slowly but surely, in j
Alaska. Action must be taken by the legislature to put |
an end to liquor stores which are serving communities I
which have voted to remain “dry.’
The legislature should pass a law which would
prohibit any liquor establishment from serving resi
dents of a village that has voted to keep liquor out.,
The average native village will vote to keep out liquor j
establishments because a majority of the residents
fully realize the problems that will arse in the area
if such a business is opened.
The practice of opening a store, or bar, just beyond
the confines of the town is nothing more than a loop
hole in Alaska law. The entire intent of the law is
defeated by this practice. Furthermore, conditions
where the law is being circumvented are becoming
worse and worse.
The legislature should take quick action, at its next
session, to bring an end to this lamentable situation.
Meanwhile, while we are waiting for the legisla
ture to correct this situation, we feel that it would be
wise for welfare authorities to check in some of these
villages, and cut off checks if it is evident that certain
people are spending this financial assistance for liquor.
U.S. and Canada
To Study Upper
Arctic Atmosphere
WASHINGTON, tft—'The upper
■atmosphere of the arctic to a
height of 180 miles will be studied
by scientists next month in a joint
I United States-Canadian effort.
| The plan, part of both coun
tries’ participation in the Interna
tional Geophysical Year, Was an
nounced Saturday by Dr. Joseph
Kaplan and Dr. F. T. Davies, re
spective chairmen of the U.S. and
Canadian national committees for
the IGY.
Rockets will be fired by a mili
tary-civilian scientific team from
a site already prepared at Fort
Churchill, Canada. They will use
Aerobee rockets with two small
er stage rockets. Initial firings
are scheduled in October and No
vember.
Among other things, the study
is expected to provide the first
scientific measurements of the
density, temperature, winds and
pressure of the cold arctic atmo
sphere.
For the first time, the aurora
borealis or northern lights will
be studied by instruments carried
by the rockets.
In preparation for the tests,
I U.S. Army engineers have laid
miles of roads thru the swampy
muskeg of the test site, provided
concrete pads for launching the
rockets, and erected buildings
and fuel bunkers.
—
Likely Eiserthower Will
I Call for Peace Often
During His Campaign
There are increasing signs that
President Eisenhower intends to 1
sound a call for peace at every
possible point in his campaign for
re-election.
James C. Hagerty, White House
neds secretary, said peace-keep
ing will be the major theme of a
speech Eisenhower is to make
over the CBS radio and television |
networks Wednesday night
He said the speech will deal
with the “most important subject
in the world today—which is the
peace of the world.”
Hagerty said Eisenhower will
discuss efforts the administration
has made in the past 3Vfe years
“not only to keep the peace but
to win the peace.”
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“Facts to Farmers'’
(Continued trow Page One)
pearance.
Stevenson accused Eisenhower
i on Saturday of “borrowing” the
Democrats’ farm program in the
1952 presidential campaign, and
of returning it unused immediate
ly after the election.
Stevenson also announced last
| night he will take off next Satur
day on a 7,000-mile airplane tour
of 1.1 states, with heavy emphasis
on farm areas.
lf.OOO-Mile Jaunt for Nixon
Eisenhower arranged to address
a sendoff breakfast tomorrow tor
Vice President Nixon, who is de
parting on a 15,000-mile jaunt
thru 32 states, and for other GOP
campaign speakers leaving that
day on campaign tours.
Stevenson’s running mate, Estes
Kefauver, headed today for dairy
conscious Wisconsin, after a Cle
veland, Ohio, appearance in
which he accused the Eisenhower
Administration of working against
“the little people” of the nation.
He said in a speech prepared
for delivery at Janesville, Wis.,
thait he and Adlai would work to
give farmers what he called “a
full and fair share of the national
income.
Farm Income Up
In Washington, the Agriculture
Department said that net farm in
come—one of the hottest election
year topics—appears likely to be
around 9 percent higher than last
year for the July-September
quarter.
Eisenhower also plans a TV ap
pearance for a campaign speech
Wednesday night, the first of a
half dozen nationwide TV and ra
dio appearances he will make
i during the campaign.