The daily Nome industrial worker., 1917-07-25
THE LOCAL SITUATION.

1t has doubtless dawned upon io- cal business men that the local si- tuation is none too bright and doubtless also they have taken steps to remedy this condition.
 This paper would impress upon them again and again that condi- tions are now entirely abnormal and that there must be some steps taken if the camp is not to be the scene of an exodus this fall which will leave them high and dry.
 The certainty is that during this condition obtaining, local merchants must be prepared to waive all ordi- nary conditions of trade and profits, otherwise they will suffer much more than if they do not do any such thing.
 Furthermore the public should have assurances that this will be done or it will be good night and good bye for Nome.
 Many men winter here, some with families. the majority without. It is obviously the interest of local mer- chants to keep up if they can the winter population. Now if the idea becomes general that during the coming winter prices ave to be very high, especially in the staples which arc required, the vast majority of the ptople will go outside.
 Outside there is considerable in dustral briskness. While prices there are high and as high in all probability in proportion to the wages paid as here, here the work CTS can get little or no employment and as there has been no in crease in the wage scale paid in this camp during the summer, the wages saved will not go as far as they otherwise might either in the mere living or in prospecting.
 It may be manifest to good many, then, that the expression one hears of an intention to go outside this fall, is so very general, that 1t is likely to leave the town in a very bad was as far as the merchants are concerned and while, as intimated. doubt less they are themselves con sidering this problem, it may be pointed out that their solution ot it holds the salvation Of 'his camp as far as they. themselves are con cerned.
 Moreover they cannot make a statement O. rcassuring nature too early. It will help to restore contid- ence in the miners and prospectors and it will materially aid in the ac- tivities which in that event being possible, will be carried on through out the winter.
 The Industrial Worker wants to point out to such as think that this is wholly wrong, that the workers in this camp who remain here year after year and whose earnings are spent to maintain themselves, have in doing SO maintained the camp, that. furthermore the workers have no ties which bind to this camp at all. They sell their labor power as well in one market as another. un- like the merchant they require no house to purvey the only commodity which they have to purvey and they can take up their bed and walk, without any great loss, financial or otherwise.
 To remain here. the prospector must be assured that when he takes chances in risking his all, he will not also be compelled to dig up at unreasonable high prices for such commodities as he needs, whether coal or fuel, groceries or tha like.
 It is not expected that the bus mess men of the camp will stay in business without profit. They are not in it for their health. But they will have to recognize the fact that the present conditions are extreme ly unusual and that there must be some system of cooperation not only between buyers and sellers, but between sellers and consumers.
 The Industrial Worker has con tended for several years that Nome was ovcr-dOne as far as the ma jOrity of business were concerned.