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. cal',
Mtuii 125 for special delivery. After 6:00 call Black 125.
Time to Go to Work
ALASKANSi have been exposed to a tumultuous
and stimulating political campaign and outdid
themselves in voting. This was partly due to the fact
that they appreciated being fully franchised and many
exercised their privilege of voting for President for
the first time.
Now the campaign is over and it is time to
get to work. If the legislators who have been elected
are to accomplish a worthwhile job for the better
ment of the Northwestern District, they must know
what the voters want. The basic strength of the state
does not lie in the leaders, important as they are, but
lies with the people. It is the thinking of the people
and the decisions they reach, that will determine
whether this State will grow in stature and posperity
with work and industry for all.
The Chamber of Commerce has an active Legis
lative Committee as does the Home Arts Club, but it
is the responsibility of every voter to Share in the
work.
- FOR -
• WELDING NEEDS
• ELECTRIC ARC WELDING
• OXYACETYLENE WELDING
— CALL —
WERNER BOHRER at...
Northern Metal Works
Black 115 after 5 p.m. —phones— Shop: Main 115
Illinois May
Upset U.S.
Electoral College
By JACK ADAMS
WASHINGTON, UP) — Some of
the top legal authorities here dis
agree strongly over what might
happen if no presidential electors
should be certified from Illinois
this year.
Illinois’ Republican Gov. Wil
liam G. Stratton has said the
state’s Democratic electors may
not be certified by the State
Electoral Board if it receives sub
stantial evidence of fraud in the
election. Stratton is chairman of
the Republican-controlled board.
Republican National Chairman
Thurston B. Morton is directing
a GOP investigation of vote
fraud charges in the state.
On the basis of reported totals
from Illinois’ 102 counties, Demo
crat John F. Kennedy won the
state by 8,849 votes in the Nov. 8
election.
Should Illinois, with 27 elec
toral votes, fail to make any
certification of electors, the ques
tion would be:
Does this automatically reduce
the size of the Electoral College—
normally having 537 votes—with
a resulting reduction in the num
ber of votes required for a major
ity?
You can get emphatic opinion
on both sides of the question but
government lawyers in the exec
utive branch, where Republicans
predominate, prefer not to be
quoted directly cither way.
Constitutional Question
une summed up tne situation
like this: “The Constitution and
the lawbooks are completely si
lent on this eventuality. No court
has ever passed on the question.
Hence, at this point, one man’s
opinion is as good as another’s.”
The parliamentarian of the
House, where the electoral votes
will be officially tallied at a joint
session of Congress on Jan. 6, has
declined to express any view. He
said “This is a constitutional
question.”
Just where the authority lies to
settle such a constitutional ques
tion is in doubt.
Some raise the point that an
opinion by the Attorney General
might have no binding effect on
anyone, since it would only be an
opinion.
Others go so far as to question
whether even the courts could
intervene, basing this on a statute
which says a presidential election
cannot be upset because someone
complains he was denied the right
to vote.
The Constitution provides that
the presidency shall be decided
by a majority of the “full num
ber of electors appointed.” If no
candidate wins such a majority,
the House can proceed to elect
the President.
If Illinois fails to certify its
electors, it is assumed mandamus
action to force a certification
could be brought against the gov
ernor, or that each of the major
parties would offer its Illinois
electoral slate to the House for
action.
There was a somewhat similar
situation in the post-Civil War
election of 1868 when doubt arose
about Georgia’s eligibility to par
ticipate in the electoral voting.
The congressional teller said on
that occasion the required major
ity would be lower if Georgia
were not counted in, but he said
the total showed that whether
counted in or out, U.S. Grant was
still elected.
20 YEARS SERVICE
The State Board of Education
has indicated its wish to honor
those who have served as teach
ers for 20 or more years in
Alaska. Among these are the fol
lowing teachers who are known
in this area: Pauline V. Burkher, |
Frank R. Denny, Susan P. Drenth, j
Agnes E. Schlosser, and Anne H.
Wien.
CAP Observing 19th
Anniversary This Week
Civil Air Patrol is marking its
19 anniversary this week of Dec.
1 to 7. It is a civilian corpora
tion under charter by Congress.
This marked distinction comes as
a result of CAP’S outstanding ser
vice during World War II.
The story has been told often,
how civilian pilots in their little
Cessnas, Cubs, Aeroncas and
other civilian type aircraft car
ried bombs and depth charges in
special fuselage racks as they
flew anti-submarine patrols along
the east coast when German U
boats were sinking sometimes two
and three ships a day. CAP is
officially credited with 173 sub
spottings and sinking of two.
Ninety CAP planes were lost and
50 members failed to return from
patrols.
After the war CAP turned its
energies to peace time service of
search and rescue, emergency
communications and youth aero
space education.
When members don the uni
TODAY, C.A.R, AM MANY C.A.R CAPETS WILL ^
AUXILIARY Of THE BECOME AVIATION
US. AIR FORCE INSTRUCTS SPECIALISTS IN
C-A.P. CAPETS, ASSISTS AMERICA'S FUTURE
WITH AIR SEARCH ANP AIR POWER I j
RESCUE. OTHER ,
EMERGENCIES, ETC. I -
Army, Navy, Air Force
And Marine Guards
Will Honor Kennedy
WASHINGTON, UP)— President
Eisenhower Saturday ordered
special guard units from all four
military services to line the
walks of the White House’s front
lawn when President-elect John
F. Kennedy visits him Tuesday
morning.
James C. Hagerty, White House
Press Secretary, said some de
tails of the first meeting between
the men since the election still
have to be worked out.
Hagerty said Kennedy is ex
pected to arrive at 9 a.m.
Eisenhower will meet Kennedy
at the North Portico—main en- j
trance to the White House—and
accompany him to the President’s '
office for their conference.
Guard units from the Army,
Navy, Air Force and the Marines,
will line the walks and drive
ways, as Kennedy arrives and de- ,
parts, Hagerty said.
Alaska Airlines’ 2.9 Cent
Rate to MATS Protested
By Other Airlines
WASHINGTON, Iff)—A proposal
of Alaska Airlines to carry mili
tary traffic for 2.9 cents a pas
senger mile drew sharp protests
from other airlines.
Pan American World Airways
told the Civil Aeronautics Board
that a result would be fares far
below the regular commercial
rate and Alaska’s operating costs.
Braniff Airways said the CAB
had set 2.9 cents as an absolute
minimum to prevent the airlines
from going bankrupt in bidding
for Military Air Transport Ser
vice traffic.
Trans World Airlines said the
rate was 77 per cent below Al
aska's regular rates.
Alaska has asked the CAB for
exemption from terms of its cer
tification, to permit it to fulfill
its agreement to carry MATS
traffic between Seattle and An
chorage and Fairbanks.
form of the Civil Air Patrol they
do it in dead seriousness. It is
not for show they wear the basic
Air Force uniform with distin
guishing CAP insignia. By wear
ing it they indicate that, as un
paid civilians, they are in service
as volunteer members of an Air
Force auxiliary, bound by their
own creed to serve their neigh
bors. The only compensation CAP
members receive is reimburse
ment for gas and oil in their own
aircraft when flying on Air
Force-authorized missions. They
buy their own uniforms and pay
their own travel expenses.
When you see a Civil Air Pat
rol Associate Membership Certi
ficate displayed, or if you have
one yourself; you can know it
represents a proud feeling that
comes from being of service and
a contributing part in search and
rescue activity such as is now in
progress. Even though your time
does not permit physical partici
pation the membership dues are
important assists in defraying the
many incidental expenses which
such activities incur.