THE NOME NUOOET
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DEO. 8. MAYNARD*.. Beic Owner aid Publisher.
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THE SOPHIA DECISIONS
IN THE ABSENCE OF complete information regarding the legal
basis upon which it rests, the Nugget cannot presume to offer more than
cursory comment on the remarkable reversal of judgement made by federal
Judge Netterer of Seattle in the Princess Sophia case; but at the same time
there is such a singular variation of fact and sentiment presented in the
two decisions that one can scarce forbear to offer a few remarks concern
ing them, if for no other reason than that they apparently furnish a revela
lion of judicial error which may have a strong tendency to provoke con
tempt for the administration of justice in the minds of many people.
In his first decision, according to the press reports. Judge Netterer
held that the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, owners of the Sophia,
was liable for the full amount of all damages sustained in tin* sinking of the
steamship in Lynn Canal in 1918 with a loss of 350 lives. In this case the
company sought to limit its liability to cover only a small portion of the
two and a quarter million dollars damages claimed by relatives, the court
holding, however, that it could not do so. In the second case the court,
for some reason which is at present unknown, held that the company’s
liability for loss of life was limited to the value of the ship s passenger
fares and the value of the cargo carried. Irrespective of other consider
ations the latter decision made it possible to recover only about eight
thousand dollars as against the possible two and a quarter million liability
created by the first decision.
Just why Judge Netterer reversed himself in this singular manner is
not clear. But. without wishing to Judge either of the decisions, we at the
same time submit that there appears to be a woeful lack of proper judge
ment in one or the other. If the first decision was right the second ap
pears manifestly wrong and the reverse must be the case if the second de
cision is right.
Assuming that both may be right from a legal standpoint, court
decisions which are apparently so widely opposed in character can hardly
fail to make a bad impression on the public mind, unversed in the intricac
ies of law and legal technicalities. Whether right or wrong, they are at
such variance that the lay mind will almost inevitably arrive at the con
clusion that something is wrong.
Decisions which appear so much at odds invariably tend to provoke
contempt for the courts and distrust of the judiciary. Such eventualities
are to be deplored, for they damage the very fabric of good citizenship.
RECONSTRUCTION SOHKTIKS DO CiOOII WORK.
DURING THPJ LAST YEAR the co-operative movement in the
devastated regions of France has made considerable progress nd has
resulted in wide benefit to the people of the stricken regions, according
ko commerce reports. In fact it is stated that at the present time the
greater part of the reconstruction work is executed by such societies.
Both the government and the population of the devastated locali
ties have found these methods of the greatest practical value and. further
,more, the government is encouraging their organization and develop
As an example of the growth of the movement, it may be stated that
since the beginning of lftlJt. more than 300 co-operative societies have
been organized in the Department of the Muerthe-etMoselle alone and have
achieved results of highly important character in rebuilding that region.
yP the first of the present year, the societies had made urgent repairs
or approximately twelve thousand buildings. The sums disbursed on
these repairs amounted to 12 1.430,000 francs, or 81 per cent of the total
sum paid out for this purpose by the Department. Similar result* are also
said to have been attained elsewhere by the same methods. At present
the work is carried on almost exclusively in the rural districts, where the
results have inured not only to the benefit of the farmers but also to the
urban settlements through the economic benefits resulting from the farm
ers increased productive capacity.
MAX’S ROCKET CAPACITY.
AN EASTERN JOURNAL, sees In the prediction of President
Hording and other noted people for negligee, future abandonment of the
waist coat or vest, worn by mankind since before Revolutionary days.
We surmise, however, that the waist coat is likely to stay simply
because it is a useful garment—in fact an almost indispensible one to the
majority of men. Why? Merely because of the pockets it contains. It
has been retained in use for years for this reason more than any other.
Men are as fond of pockets as women are of silk stockings. They have
five in their trousers, two side, two hip and a small watch pocket: four
and sometimes five in their waist coat, and from five to six and seven in
their coats.
What does a man do with fifteen pockets? you ask. Well, in his
coat he carries his pocket book, letters, tobacco, spectacles, handkerchief,
and toothpicks; in his waistcoat pockets are pencils, toothpicks, fountain
pen, watch, nail equipment, emergency medical tablets, chewing gum and
odds and ends; in his trousers are loose change, keys, pen knife, extra
handkerchiefs and a variety of other small things.
^ The result is that without a waistcoat and its four pockets he is
■much put out to dispose of the divers array of the essentials it usually
carries. Talk about a boy's pockets ! a man carries more things in his
clothes than the average small boy, tho perhaps not in such weird variety.
Negligee is fine at times, we admit, especially if the weather be un
duly warm, but only the man wluvcan get along without a dozen articles
that are of continual use will ever discard the waistcoat for good.
The Holiday season will shortly be with us, and it now behooves
our wide awake merchants to begin to plan their window displays and
arrange their advertising material, so that, the busy housewife - an mak?
her purchases to bettor advantage.
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Editorial Views of Alaska Newspapers
THE MCJCOK TRAFFIC
(From the Alaska Dispatch, i
With Governor Bone actively sup
porting those officials seeking: to en
force the Volstead act there is going
to be more determined action in
stamping out the illegal sale of in
toxicants in Alaska. Much now <p
pends upon the attitude of the mu
nicipal authorities in supporting fed
eral officials. If the municipal
authorities continue to allow soft
drink places in Alaskan towns to
operate on a slip-shod, back-room
policy, it will be difficult, indeed, for
deputy 1'. S. marshals and enforce
ment officers to wipe out this evil,
which has been an eyesore in most of
the towns of the First division.
During the war period the Council
of National Defense attempted to
spur the federal officials into activ
ity. The attempt was unsuccessful
because there appeared no sympa
thy on the part of officials to co
operate. Juneau, the capital city of
the territory, has for some 'ears
been wide open as far as sale of*
liquor and gambling is concerned.
At Ketchikan several shooting scraps
resulted from sale of liquor and
gambling. Business men of Juneau
and Ketchikan complained regard
ing this condition, which eventually
resulted in the arrest and discharge
of at least two officers of the law
detected with liquor in their posses
sion not reported to the proper uu
Arthur G. Shotip. new V. s at
torney in the First division, started
the ball rolling by a public declara
tion that illegal liquor traftie and
gambling must cease. Governor
Bone now steps forth with a de* lara
tion that new nfticals starting to
function will have to clean up their
divisions, and remove the eyesore to
public decency. Governor Bone and
these officials will have the support
of all right thinking citizens, not
withstanding the organ of democracy
at Juneau throws sand into the ma
chinery by claiming conditions at
Juneau are no worse than at the
national capital.
THE HOME MERCHANT
(From Ketchikan Chronicle)
The home merchant. Who is he?
He is the chap who gives you;
credit when you are financially
He is the chap who gives you back
your money or makes exchanges
when you are not satisfied with what
you have bought.
He is the chap who stands behind
his guarantee, and makes restora
tion of all losses that you may sus
tain on the goods you buy.
H** is the chap who meets you at
the door with a handshake and lets
you out with a message to the “kids”
and a real come-again goodby.
is the chap who meets and
greets you on the street every day
in the year, and takes . neighborly
interest n your family and your af
He is the chap whose clerks and
book-keepers and other employees
live in Ketchikan and spend thier
money with you and with other Ket
chikan people.
He is the chap who pays heavy
taxes to help support Ketchikan's
'schools ami build Ketchikan's streets
* and maintain Ketchikan’s fire and
police departments and lightng and
He is the chap who helps support
Ketchikan's churches and hospitals
and charity movements-, and Ketchi
kan's lodges and commercial clubs,
talks for Ketehikrn and boosts for
Ketchikan every day in the year.
He is the chap who visits win
when you are .sick, sends flowers to
your family when you die. and fol
lows your body out to the cemetery
as far as human feet may travel with
the dead.
lie is the home merehant—your
neighbor - jour fiend- your helper
Don't you think that you ought to
trade with him. and be his friend
and his helper in the time of his
Don’t you think that every dollar
that you send out of Ketchikan for
merchandise, is sent to strangers —
to men who never spend a dollar in
the town, to men who would not
trust you for a box of matches, to
men who would turn you over to the
police if you should enter their
offices?
You don't save much, frequently
nothing, when you send your money
out of Ketchikan and you take all
the risk yourself of short weight or
measure and of getting damaged or
inferior goods. Possibly if you and
everybody else in Ketchikan should
trade at home. ih»- merchant might '
afford to sell as cheaply as do the j
big stores in the big cities. And
don't you know that the growth and
prosperity of Ketchikan depends
very largely upon the success and
prosperity of the home merchants?
Out-of-town people judge our city
by the appearance of our merchants.
And our homo merchants can not
succeed unless homo folks give them
loyal support.
THK RKLATIOXSIIII* OF A NKWS
IWPKli TO ITS KEADEItK.
OYom Cordova. Times)
The relation of a newspaper to its
readers is one that at times is worth
thinking about. Is it purely a busi
ness relation in which the subscriber
pays so much per year for the paper '
and the publisher contracts to give |
in his news columns accounts of pink
teas and lemonade socials, or that j
Airs. Jones took dinner with Mrs. j
Brown.and Smith's b by has the
mumps? Or does not the average
publisher expect to give more than 1
is included in a normal business re
lation. And doesn't the reader ex
pect more? If it was a pure busi-]
ness relation, a matter of dollars and j
cents, the average publisher would !
charge more per annum for a sub
scription. Eliminating everything
but news few if any of the numerous
publishers of the country could sup
ply the paper at anything like the
usual charge per year. We t'ancs
that the average publisher likes to
think of his readers as all compris
ing one hig family having many
things in common and who feel that
when they receive the paper each
issue that they are getting more than
the few cents that it cost them.
We are inclined to think that be
tween the average paper and its
average reader there is a relation
that is beyond and above a pure
' business relation The paper should
| news. to Ik* suro. but over anil above
ibi< it must give a community ser
vice that cannot ho measured hi dol
lars. It must stand for the ln*st th.,i
is in th.. community It must hav<
age to comniciid. A pa per to i-on*
mand respect cannot be spineie
It mtist have a rode anil abide by|
th *t code. If it is a real paper its
readers will expect it if they do not
always agree with it A paper's
great asset is a list of readers who
respect it A town's greatest assei
is a paper that its readers respect
A paper must be honest, and as far
as humanly possible it should be im
partial. A paper that does not have
the confidence of its re. dors is in
capable as a community spokesman.
cannot long maintain the respect of
its readers. These are some of the
things that . paper owes to its read
ers. Sometimes, stop and think
what you. as a reader, owe to the
paper, not in dollars, but in a way
that is bigger than dollars.
KKKI'IXCt I’OUItKIl t»lil
. Hon..lames Wickersham. -i.x times
delegate to congress, of which eight
tional administration, wa- recent!
given a home coming" by friend-'
and admirers at Juneau. Thi- din
when the ballots were count *d.
Judge Wickersham -aid to hi<
friends and admirers that in did not
expect to make another campaign
for public office in Alaska, but in
tended to "keep his powder dry.'*
evidently giving his political enemies
sufficient warning that he intended
to “step on the tail" of any politi
cal schemes they might hatch, which,
in his opinion, might be considered
offensive and nut for the best inter
ests of the Territory When Judge
Wickersham issued this ultimatum
it carried with it no idle threat, as1
Wickersham will continue to he a
tower of strength, in the North,
more particularly when not a candi
date himself.
Harkening hack over a dozen year
the average. Alaskan recalls the niei.
in Alaska most active in the first
political campaign of the Territory
The first election was a complete
defeat for the political parties.
Waskey and Cale. both Laborite-.
easily won the contests for the -hurt
and long term to congress Moth
drew their salaries, and did little r
nothing for the North. The next
election found Louis P. Shackleford.
Governor Hoggatt. Colonel Perkin
John G. Held and others in conven
tion at Ketchikan to name delegates
to the national convention, a.- well
as to nominate a candidate for dele
gate to congress. Shackleford and
Hoggatt quarreled with Heid and
Perkins. resulting in a contesting
delegation to the national conven
tion. John Corson, of Nome. Was
named as the republican candidate
for-delegate to congress In the
meantime the democrat- held con
vention at Fairbanks, and after
much discussion named John Ronan.
rhf..,| „r the mine owners favorii g
j.'in open camp. on an eight-hour pi t
j form.lor delegate to congress. This
^•■t th.- stage lor the resignation of
; Wickersham from the federal bench,
ami h:s ind* pendent in. fm* dele.
' *o congress. What he did to
j f’orson and K011..11 wa- n . rime Ho
|leat them hot a with several thou —
■j Hoggatt having been appoint,d
governor, and National < ummittee
■ man Shackleford being in bsoluto
I control of the patronage in Alaska
J under the Taft administration, this
* combination next put Kd (>rr. a
; popular interior transportation in
j against Wickersham Ft had been
| promised all construction trews on
; railroad would vote for Orr. This
I numbered close to four thousand
I Western Alaska, numbering eight
Ithosand men. mostly aliens, had
j been promised. The Copper River
j .V Northwestern vote was delivered
ias per promise, but the insurance
i c ompanies refused to allow cannery
| vessels to remain in northern waters
! awaiting election day. and Wicker
sham swept the territory, easily de
feating Orr. not witstanding his
heavy vote from railroad construc
This discouraged the republican
opposition, and the next .ampaign
w.,s easily won by Wi.-kef-ham from
a democratic and s... i.ilist candidate.
With the Wilson administration
came Thomas .1 D.*in,lun-. an astute
politician with a well organized ma
chine. Donohue conceived the idea
Wickersham, and picked Charles A.
Sulzer. a popular copper miner front
the Fir.-t division, which division
had heretofore been Wickersham's
stronghold. This division shifted
from the usual majorit\ for
Wickersham to close to sun majority
for Sulzer. owing to the heavy vote
caused by the boom on Gastineau
channel, where the Gastineau mining
organization supported Sulzer al
dose that it was an easy matter for
the canvassing board to count out
Wickersham. who was eventually
Again two years afterward Sulzer
and Wickersham raced. The vote
was close and again Wickersham was
counted out. but seated by congress
1 Hi. Wickersham only served four
<iu of the two-vear term to which
At the last election Wickersham
did not file, and Dan A Sutherland
1 .!i against George Grigsby, dcnn>
.rat. winning hands down.
Thus it may be t.,ken for granted
'!i.it when Wickersham declares he
will "keep his powder dry" it means
something to those who have knifed
him in former elections. There are
many men north who do not like
Wickersham. but it is safe to sav
tin y fear him. The average politi
co n in Alaska is no better nor worse
than the politician in the States.
Judge Wickersham is a past master
in the political game They may
wet his powder hut they want to be
sum they use plenty of damp stuff.
-Alaska Dispatch.
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