The weekly Alaska citizen., 1918-12-09


 is a victim of smallpox, or other virulent disease.
 On the contrary this red badge is the indication that the wearer is free from such disease. It's invention is attributed to the board of health" of Nenana. Possibly three thousand such badges have been issued and dire penalties-fine and Imprisonment are threatened all who do not wear them prominently displayed on their head piece. A few brave souls under took to wear them on their coats or sleeves or other parts but the won. derfully efficient board of health" soon nipped that in the bud with the following proclamation:
 NOTICE
 In spite of all you have heard to the contrary, you must wear your quarantine ribbon on the hat or cap
 To wear it elsewhere will subject you to a fine, which will be rigidly exacted.
 LOCAL BOARD OF HEALTH. Then they Quarantined against the Nenana Mission. The very worthy young women who conduct that ex- cellent establishment were classed as Pariahs and they were prohibited to enter the sacred precincts of the wearers Of the red" A fine of $20 Was invented There was guard established between Nenana and the mission. A barbed wire fence charged with 10000 volts of electric current was even suggested to prevent the contributors of $1 each to the Nenana quarantine fund from being contamin- atad, but SC carefully planned was the movement against the mission that the alleged board of health" first secured a dollar each from about 75 dwellers of the mission district
 There has been no public account ipS for any of the dollars collected
 
 ing for public funds is not one of the strong features of Nenana public pol icy. However that is neither here nor there. Any good strong man objects to Carrying the banner" even if the banner is the red flag of the Nenana so-called health board. Not less objectionable to the peo- pie of Nenana than to the people of Fairbanks was this Nenana-Fairbanks quarantine. No one can get by it, unless it happens to be patient for more dollars to the health fund.
 Some courageous Nenanaites con- cluded to resist the quarantine law and wrote to a Fairbanks attorney of notable legal learning asking him for the law on the subject. One of these said: T want to get out of wearing this internal label, this intol. erant miscalled board of health has foisted on us. What chances have I got to escape fine and tmprison. ment If 1 refuse to be labeled and adorned like bottle of paregoric?" This is only sample of many let. ters received by our legal friend. He has had so many letters that he hasn't been able to answer them all and so he has asked The Citizen to publish his opinion on the law gov erning the Nenana quarantine. The opinion follows:
 Several of my clients have con- suited me. asking If they will incur legal penalties, under Alaskan laws, if they fail, neglect or refuse to comply with the local health board regulations requiring them to display on their hats, caps or other head gear, the red badge of courage in vented by that board. to distinguish its licensees from the stranger with. in our gates. Some of them seem to think that if the badge Is conspicu- son than on their headpieces, they have complied with all reasonable re. Quircments. In order that none may be misguided in this let me warn all citizens that under the police powers conferred upon 1t by the law this board may compel them to wear ring in their noses, if so be 1t shall provide. And the courts will uphold them.
 have been at some pains to look this matter up in the reports of sev- erai of the states and find number of good and sufficient precedents.
 In Wasburn vs. State: 36th Wash. DDS 148-182 l find case in point
 Washburn was the owner of dog. Not a malamute nor huskie, but just plain dog. Under the police powers conferred upon 1t by the state the board of aldermen of the city of Yakima required owners of all dogs to pay license and to wear a brass tag duly numbered upon a collar to be worn around the neck of all dogs.
 Now Washburn loved his dog. He had fancy harness made for the