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 610 $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.
•Subscribers not receiving their paper by 5:30 p.m. cali
Main 125 for special delivery. After 5:30 call Black 102.
BI-PARTISAN POLICY
Income Tax 6Big For Its Age’
HOW CAN A middle age birthday — not yours (or
your spouse’s) — distress you? _
Could be when it’s the 46th anniversary of fed
eral income tax, this year.
For at 46, income tax has reached proportions
that make it a most painful subject.
At birth in 1913, income tax nicked Americans
only 82 cents apiece. Today the per capita tax bite
is $397.
In its infancy, income tax rates ranged from one
to sixty per cent. Today they begin at 20 and soar to
91 per cent.
Forty-six years ago, the personal exemption was
$3,000. It is only $600 today.
A single person making $5,000 in 1913 paid $20
federal tax. Today he pays $818 on the same income.
Sure, the per capita income in 1913 was only $358,
and today it is $1,940. But while per capita income
has increased less than 5^ times in 46 years, per
capita tax payments have increased nearly 485 times.
That big, 1913 dollar went a lot further then than
now — both for Mr. Citizen and Uncle Sam.
Uncle collected $80,000,000 in corporate and indi
vidual income levies in 1913 toward a federal budget
of $715,000,000.
Today’s proposed $77 billion budget for fiscal 1960
iis nearly 108 times bigger. Who will foot the bill?
Taxpayers, naturally.
The total 1913 tax take was distributed 70 per
cent for state and local governments and 291/2 per cent
for federal government. Today, with Americans
asking more of Uncle Sam, the distribution ratio is '
reversed.
And if you think the income tax anniversary is a
painful reminder, wait until you get the birthday bill
— March 15th.
Waynesville, N. C., Mountaineer tells: The Exten
sion Division of the University of North Carolina has
started “do-it-yourself” tax courses for income tax
filers. Night courses are being given for 10 weeks as a
means to teach laymen the most economical methods
for filing income tax returns.
No mention was made of finding any way to pay
the taxes.
Ban on Fish Traps
Hailed By Most
As ‘Step Forward"
WASHINGTON, UP) — Secretary
of Interior Seaton’s ban on the
general use of fish traps in Alas
ka waters this coming season drew
varying comment Monday.
The move was called both real
istic and a thwarting of the intent
of Congress.
The favorable comment, by Rep.
Ralph Rivers, was typical of that
of other members of the Alaskan
Congressional delegation.
Rep. Thomas M. Pelly (R-Wash)
saw the decision as going against
the wishes of Congress in amend
ing the statehood bill last year to
retain jurisdiction over Alaska’s
‘fish and wildlife in the federal
government.
Rep. Jack Westland (R-Wash),
who offered the statehood amend
ment, and Rep. Thor C. Tollefson
<R-Wash) agreed that one of its
purposes had been to provide a
period of orderly transition for
trap removal.
Tollefson recalled that trap
operators at a conference with
Seaton had warned that immediate
elimination of traps would result
in loss of more than a million dol
lars in the revenues for the new
state as well as employment for
about 700 resident Alaskans.
Pelly also assailed Seaton’s de
cision as resulting from a “monu
mental piece of political stupidity
. . . and the prize political blun
der of 1958.”
He said he referred to assur
ances which the Secretary gave
Alaskans last fall while campaign
ing for election of Republican can
didates in the new state.
Alaska’s Sen. Ernest Gruening
said “Although the decision to
eliminate traps is long overdue in
the eyes of most Alaskans, it is
a great step forward.”
His colleague, Sen. Bob Bartlett
said Seaton “should be congratu
lated.”
ALASKA'S FLAG
Current Version
(from the Juneau Empire)
A new version of Marie Drake’s
poem about the Alaska Flag, which
are also the lyrics of the “Alaska
Flag” song, have been revised,
for a modern parody version. We
heard these words yesterday —
Eight stars of gold ^ on a field
of blue;
Alaska voters, may it mean to
you
Three thousand a year and
forty per diem
With travel paid and luggage
free-um;
The staff can wait and Wade
can stew;
They don’t need money, but
we sure do.
The star — that’s you — and
the dipper, too;
You’ll dip a lot deeper before
we’re through.
But there’s precious gold in
stream and hill;
If there’s a lack in the valley,
you can go over the hill.
WHY WORRY?
CALL US
and RELAX!
Residence: Main 52
Office: Black 76
Legislators Jubilant Over Official
F.W.S. Banning of Alaska Fish Traps
JUNEAU, UPt — Biggest news
rocketing around this capitol city
Monday was the announcement
that fish traps have been banned
by the Bureau of Commercial
Fisheries of the Fish and Wild
life Service.
Members of the House greeted
the news with an ovation and in
the Senate A1 Owen, Ugani Bay,
called the fish trap ban “almost
as important, as statehood.”
The regulations, announced in
Washington, D. C., will permit
operation of 11 traps owned by
native tribes.
“That just about makes it una
nimous,” acting Governor Hugh
Wade said.
Previously, state officials had
taken steps to prevent the use of
fish traps, but under terms of the
statehood act the Fish and Wild
life Service retained control of
fishing regulations in Alaska for
at least a year. There was some
question as to what the agency
would do in regard to the traps.
The Governor’s office and mem
bers of the Legislature say it
seems likely the new regulations
will be submitted to a court test.
The managing director of the
Alaska salmon industry, however,
had no immediate comment.
W. C. Arnold, fishing industry
official at Seattle, reserved com
ment until he has received a copy
of the regulations.
One big question was left un
answered by the regulations. That
was — What’s going to happen at
Bristol Bay?
FWS said last December it
might be necessary to ban all
fishing in the area this year to
allow more salmon to escape. Last
week, however, there were indi
cations a total ban might not be
required.
Monday’s regulations made no
reference to the problem and the
regional fisheries office here said
the question is still under study.
The solution probably lies in
settlement of the controversy over
Japanese fishing in the North Pa
cific. American officials have said
the Japanese are making heavy
inroads on the Bristol Bay salmon
runs.
Eisenhower Puts
Defense of Country
; Above All Else’
WASHINGTON, UP) — President
Eisenhower ws quoted today as
saying he is convinced his defense
program meets the needs of the
situation despite the alarms
voiced by some Congressional
Democrats.
Republican Congressional lead
! ers reported after their regular
weekly White House session that
I Eisenhower also said he of course
t puts the defense of the country
ahead of everything else.
There have been suggestions
from Democratic critics that Eis
enhower was so bent on balancing
the budget that he was ready to
weaken defenses in order to do it.
The defense program was thor
oughly reviewed, the GOP leaders
said, during a 214-hour interview
said, during a 214-hour meeting
with the President.
The review was against the
background of mounting demands
among some Democrats the de
fense spending be increased, and
more manpower provided for the
■ armed services.
O’u/t 3/ioc/iasie/
I
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