The Nome nugget., 1927-06-11
LOCAL NEWS
HOIST BY THEIR OWN PETARD

That a certain self-constituted committee should arrogate unto it. self the unusual task of taking up subscriptions from some of our cit- izens for the purpose of obtaining the passenger list of the Victoria, We are at . loss to understand. Heretofore the Nugget invariably published the passenger list of the first incoming boats, and it was paid for by popular subscription. The list was then received press rate and the amount required was less than one third of that requir- ed to be paid for telegraph tolls than in the present instance. Fru- thermore. the public in general re- ceived the benefit of the !nforn,a- tion, since the subscription was of a public character, and not solely those who contributed to the fund.
 After the notification of the pub lie by the publisher that he on. ..c- count of the expense involved. ani- eng other reasons. could nor afford to send for the list, this committee surreptitiously circulated sub scription list to have the names of the passengers come in at ths rates at tremendously increased cost. Furthermore, the Nugg '. was refused the right to contrib ute and ether merchants and cit izens were entirely ignored Why? Was this committee actuated Dy a desire to infol m the public If tEe names of the passengers on the Victoria? Were they actuated by a desire to increase the revenues of tue local office of the Signal Corps ? The conclusion is irresistabl, that the entire matter was engenderd ~. soreheads.
 We recognize the right of any citizen or number of citizens to cir culate subscriptions to send or re- ceive telegrams, be their purpose malicious or otherwise, but we pos itively deny the right of any man in the Signal Service of the United States, or any other public official for that matter, and We will say in passing that there is one other pet ty Federal official involved to en- ter into malicious conspiracy of this character, with the manifest purpose of doing us financial and business injury.
 Unfortunately, in this case, as of ten happens, the punishment will fall wher it least belongs. Private Bailey, of the Signal Corps, has been made the scaepgoat. He must suffer for permitting himself to be led into the malicious intrigues of artful and designing persons. When circulating this subscription list and collecting money from sub scribers, he well knew its import. His manifest duty was to have noth- ing to do with it. His Reflection consists in needing the advice of those who have no more personal interest in him or his future than they have in polecat.
 The Nugget is the largest recip- tent of telegraph service in Nome. When member of the Signal Corps is actively allied with a cotere whose object is to cripple, if not de- stroy us. We cannot and will not brook the offense. However, before We placed the matter before Colonel Hartman, the Officer in Charge of the Signal Service in Alaska, we gave Private Bailey every oppor- tunity to extricate himself. After a conference with us, in which we pointed out to him the invidious position in which he had allowed himself to be led, he returned to his associates. and after the lapse of an hour or more, told us that he would take his medicine. but re- quested that none of the other boys in the station be involved. It goes without saying that there was never the remotest suspicion on our part that any other Signal Corps man had anything to do with it. no more than would have Bailey, had he not been too easily led. In any event the Signal Ser vice is now investigating the situa- tion and We shall see if this same small clique shows the same alac- rity to come to his rescue as they did to make him the tool"
 The Nugget, like every other newspaper, is business institution. It cannot exist without support. The fact that only too many news