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 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. call
Main 125 for special delivery. After 5:30 call Black 102.
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SEN. BORAH WAS WRONG
In an earlier era, it seems clear, the advocates of
the federal income tax had no conception of the extent
to which it would grow—and the tremendous portion
it would take from the earnings of the people.
In defending this tax, the late Senator Borah once
said: “The great and honored lawyer, Joseph Choate,
denounced such a tax as socialistic. He said that if you
can levy a tax of two percent, you may lay a tax of 50
percent or 100 percent.
“Who will lay the tax of 50 or 100 percent?
“Whose equity, sense of fairness, of justice, of pa
triotism, does he question?
“Why, the representatives of the American people
—not only that, but the intelligence, ahe fairness, the
justice of the people themselves, to whom their repre
sentatives are always answerable.”
Senator Borah was a famous and able man, but in
this case he could hardly have been more wrong. An
income tax of 50 percent now applies at levels which
are far from great wealth. And in the top bracket the
tax is 91 percent—only nine percent short of the total
expropriation that Joseph Choate feared.
Moreover, even in relatively modest brackets, the
tax collector hits*very hard. Taxes, direct and indirect,
account for about one-third of a $7,500 annual income.
And a man earning $85 a week works, more hours to
pay his taxes than to pay for his food and clothing
combined.
“The newspapers of these United States are wag
ing'a big battle. It is the fight to keep the people of our
land free at the same time it aids them to have a better
life. These United States in which we are privileged to
live were built oh three freedom^—Freedom of Relig
ion, Freedom of Speech, and Freedom of the Press. If
the newspapers of this land were to cease to be free,
you would find freedom of speech and freedom of wor
ship a thing of the past.” —Baldwyn (Miss.) News
“In many climes and times, men have fought, and
have died, for the basic right of self-government—the
right to vote. Especially Americans.”
—Elk Grove (Calif.) Citizen
Samurai Sword
To Be Returned
After 12 Years
NEW YORK, UD—A fine, old
sword, snatched from the hands
of its proud owner back in the i
first flush of American conquest
over Japan, is going to be re
turned.
Seized in enmity, it’s going
back in friendship.
The story is a vignette of victor
and vanquished, of military pre
cautions, of a Japanese family’s
anguish, of a long search, and of1
the personal respect that outlasts
war’s passions. It goes back to
1945.
That was when U. S. troops
went into Japan, under orders to
confiscate all weapons. Taking
part in the job, Infantry Lt.
James P. Stannard found a sam
urai sword in the home of Isao
Okuda, of Nagoya, and took it.
At the time, the family begged
him to let them keep it. They
said it had been in the family 500
years. They offered him money—
the equivalent of $1,500. But he
had to say no. Orders were orders.
Stannard, of South Dorset, Vt.,
brought the graceful, old sword
home as a souvenir, planning to
send it back when things had
changed. But he lost the address
of the owner. He never forgot;
however, the family’s pleas.
Several months ago, thru a
friend, an employe of Northwest
Airlines, he got Japanese employ
es of the airline office in Japan
to join in the search. The owner j
—Okuda—finally was located.
In the meantime, Prof. Donald
Keene, of Columbia University, a
sword expert, checked references
and found that the maker of the
sword, Kanemitsu, actually was I
a line of sword-makers going I
back 500 years.
The airline is going to fly the
sword to its owner tomorrow.
Rear Adm. Byrd
Cancels Plans to Join
Antarctic Expedition
WASHINGTON (IB—Rear Adm.
Richard E. Byrd, the veteran po
lar explorer, has canceled plans
to join an American expedition
in the antarctic this month.
A Navy spokesman said Friday
Byrd will remain here to super
vise preparation of legislation
which would set up a presidential
commission to coordinate all po
lar operations.
Capt. Charles V. Lannan, chief
of staff of the Navy’s antarctic
program, said the proposed com- i
mission would serve as a “central •
clearing house” for explorations, j
The plan was drafted by Dr. 1
James E. Mooney, a Byrd associ
ate for many years.
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