davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-12-25
MONOPOLY BOOSTS
BUILDING COSTS

One reason for the high-cost of
construction - and the resulting
shortage of houses = is illustrated
by two new Federal Trace Com
mission Complaints
One charges that nine New Eng
land brick manufacturers Elk"
prices and suppress competition"
The other makes a similar charge
against five Ohio manufacturers of
glazed facing tile"
In each case, the association
divided the country into zones"
and fixed identical prices" in each
zone.
In other words, no matter where
a brick or tile buyer is located, he
will pay the same price, whether
he buys from one manufacturer or
another. Under such a system, of
course, the prices are fixed exorbi-
family high. That is the purpose of
the system.
This brick and tile zone" system
is much like the ''basing point
system which has long been used
by the steel, cement, and other big
building material industries.
For about Is years, the F. T. c.
has been trying to smash those
"basing point" systems, but so far
without succeSS.-Labor.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-12-25

war peak and utterly without earl
Ter precedent in our national ex-
perience."
But there's a fly, a whale of a
fly, in all this gravy.
Pointing to the severe break in
the stock market, the Nathan re-
port says: despite the record level
of current profits, the more far
sighted members of the business
community sense something I'M
sound in the situation"
The rub is that folks have to
eat and raise families-and they
can't eat super-profits on corpora
ton ledgers any more than gold
biscuits.
Everything John P. Midas of
Wall Street touches turns into gold.
While profits and prices soar,
millions of low-income families
find themselves priced out of the
market"-they just can't afford to
buy at present prices, with their
present wages.
The average weekly earnings of
production workers in manufactur-
ing, taking into account increased
living costs, have declined from
S47.5O in January 1945 to 1924 in
October, 1916.
Unless American business gives
thought to raising wages and mass
purchasing power, it too is going
to be hit in the bread-basket by
the growing lack of consuming
power.
Unless there is an immediate
increase in wages or a sharp drop
IN prices, we are flirting with col
lapse" - with depression, unem-
ployment, misery and business
bankruptcy.
The solution is easier for the
modern Midases than for their
legendary counterpart. The Nathan
report shows American business
can increase wages 25 per cent
without increasing prices, and still
maintain its pre-war profit level of
90 per cent.
Unless they want to grow the
ears of stubborn asses, or at any
rate act like the same, they will
sit down and negotiate substantial
wage increases, as demanded by
the ClO for the good of labor,
of the country and of business it.
self.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-12-25
Senator FUIbriuht

senator Fulbrlght is from Arkansas. He is the man who proposed
That Harry Truman resign IS president because Republicans won control
of congress.
Now the senator proposes congress outlaw strikes and compel
arbitration of all labor disputes.
senator Fulbrghts proposal will get a lot of advocates, but the
lmlh1ato IT all strikes would throw the country back a hundred
years o r more-economically.
without the weapon of strikes, the last resort of labor, unionism
Wouo De dead, TO unfortunately, the strike weapon is about the
only M most industrialsts understand.
1t is possible to get along without strikes, but industry as q whole
pfderS TO q o business with unions in a busnesslike wav Thew
prefer to exert their pressure economically by starvation, layoffs low
wages, ahd uhdercoVer covenants with their competition against the
working men in their employ.
Fulbrights belief that elimination of strikes will be = boon to
the nat1on is a misguided and thoughtless contention of tho onon
law of live and let lve-The Progressive Miner.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-12-25

whole subject into the courts for
years of expensive and obstructive
litigation.
That suits the National Associa-
ton of Manufacturers. In fact, the
National Woman's party is a sort
Of ladies' auxiliary to that anti
union group.
Those who believe working
women should be protected will
continue to oppose the amendment.
We don't think Miss Pollitzer's
prophecy will be realized, but the
foes of the vicious proposal must
be on the alert.-Labor.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-12-25

LITTLE

wish. The OPA was drowned in a
flood Of propaganda released by the
organized industries of America.
The surge of prices upward began
almost instantly. No legislation
Congress has enacted, or that the
National Association of Manufac-
turers will let it enact, can halt the
steady spiraling in the cost of liv-
ing.
A lot of foolish little merchants
jumped up and down with JOY
when Congress passed the phony
price control bill that killed OPA
regardless of a presidential veto.
They chanted with ecstasy that
they were free from price control.
They fought they could roll in the
money trough with the big boys.
But they found out differently,
That money trough is off limits for
all but the captains of industry
who financed the long and costly
SoI1GPoASL w NIL liz w "A.
The little groceries and meat
markets and other shops u by
rugged individuals have discovered
that they are not free from price
control, as they imagined. They
merely substituted private control
for federal control.
The big industries are raising
prices to the little merchants who,
in turn, are raising their prices to
the public. But the little merchants
take all tie heat. 1t is to them that
the indignant public makes its COM
plants.
The little merchant has been
Unanswered into the position where
he must skimp his profits to keep
his customers. He isn't as happy as
he was.
He shouldn't be. He is on the way
out. When the public is no longer
willing o able to pay the inflated
prices, it is the little merchant who
will go bankrupt.
He will be replaced by agents of
the big industries that fix prices.
The big industries will then con-
troll the retail outlets of their pro-
ducts as we'll as the wholesale.
Every time a product is moved, il
will bring them an added profit.
Already the monopolies are cut
ting the ground out from under the
foolish little corner grocer who
thought he was a big shot. They are
underSelling him and letting him
sweat it out with his angry Gus
toners.
He thought he was being 'regi-
mented" by the OPA. That was
what the big industries told him to
think. He swallowed their smooth
words ana applauded when his Con-
gress left him helpless.
Now he has economic indigestion.
He is finding out what regimenta-
ton really is, 1t is not the ''regi-
m%entation" of the OPA that pro
tected his profits while it protected
his customers prices.
1t is the ruthless RECOMMENDATION of
determination, practiced by mono
poles that will tolerate no compe-
tition. They are hungry for the pro-
fits denied them by the government
during the war. They want all the
public has saved, and all it earns.
And it looks as though they were
about to get il.
Goodbye, little merchant. We
have free ENTERPRISE noW.-The
International Teamster.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-12-25
LOOKING AHEAD
By Leon De Cuux

Remember the legend a b t
King Midas? He grew so filthy
rich that people said "everything
he touched turned to gold"
Later cOlumnists and crooners of
long, long ago took this gag and
built quite a story out of it.
Midas, they said, acquired the
power of literally turning all he
touched into gold - and at first
thought he had a swell racket.
He would wander around touch
ing every rock in sight until he
had more gold bullion than Uncle
Sam has buried in the hills of Ken
tucky-and was even more puzzled
than Uncle Sam as to what the
heck to do with it all.
But soon some disadvantages be-
gan to appear in this early legend
airy version Of Coolidge Hoover
prosperity and the 1929 stock
boom.
Midas happened to have a human
as we'll as a business side. So when
Mrs. Midas raised her rosebud lips
to his, he could not forebear en-
braclng her. Whereupon the ladv
turned into a golden stutue-which
was not very satisfactory to a
Warm-blooded family mar like Mi
das.
But worse was yet to come. for
Midas also liked to eat. When he
grabbed up a hot biscuit, he said.
Dang that cook, it's as hard as
a rock'-and a rock it was, a rock
of gold.
When he took his golden knife
and fork to cut into a thick steak.
it went all right until each iuicv
morsel touched his lips only to turn
into tooth-breaking and indigesti-
BILE gold.
How the story ended, l don't re-
member, except that somewhere
down the line Midas acquired the
ears of an ass - indicating the
Newspaper Guildsmen of those
times took a rather jaundiced view
of get-rich-quick p~rofiteers.
But since I've taken a columnist's
license in relating my own exclu-
sive version of a news-story car
ried by all the papers centuries
ago, l may as we'll supply my own
ending.
What the old boy finally said
was: To hell with all this golden
profit-What this country and ]
need is o consuming power"
The above is inspired by read
ing the statistics assembled by Rob
ert R. Nathan Associates, at the
request of the CLIO, on present
wages, prices and profits.
The report begins: prosperity
far beyond anything ever achieved
previously in peacetime seems tc
be prevalent today"
'SWonderful.
Corporate profits after taxes are
about SO per cent higher than the
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-12-25
ONLY HIS WATCH

A well-to-do Negro had been i'll
for some time and showed no signs
OF Improvement under treatment
by a doctor of his own race. So
presently he. dismissed him and
summoned awhile man.
The new doctor examined the
patient and asked:
Did the other doctor take your
temperatures"
Il dunno, suh," he declared. "All
I've missed so far is my watch"
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-12-25
UNDERSTAND?

Diner-You charged me twice
as much for this steak as you used
toi
Waiter-I have to. The price of
beef has gone up.
Diner-Yes, but the steak is half
as big as it used to be.
Waiter-Of course. That's the
scarcity of beef.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-12-25
FORESIGHT

Fifty years before the atomic
bomb. Leo Tolstoy predicted:
IF the arrangement of a society
is bad and a small number of peo-
pie have power over the majority
and Cypress it, every victory over
nature will inevitably serve only
to increase that power and that
oppression"
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-12-25
JUST CAREFUL

The mule was trying the old far
mer's patience. Repeatedly, the
long-eared animal would start
cautiously, take a few steps, and
then stop.
A passerby paused to watch the
slow process.
Looks to me-" he said, las if that
mule is balky."
The farmer shook his head.
"No, he's a fus-class mule" he
replied. but he's SO afraid I'll say,
Whoa an he won't hear me, that
he stops evry now and then to
listen"
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-12-25

Low is the greatest thing God
can give us, and it is the greatest
thing we can give God.-Jeremy
Taylor.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-12-25

Do good with what thou hast.
or it will do thee no goodwill
lam Penn.
The Daily Alaska empire., 1946-12-19
BANF|ELD WILL
 SERVE AS f947
 C. PRESIDENT
Executive Board Eleets MaCKinnon, Johnson,
 Webb to Offices

The Executive Board elected Nor man c. Banlield to serve as Presi- dent of the Chamber of Commerce for the coming year at this weeks Board meeting. Announcement was made at the regular luncheon meet ing in the Gold Room of the Bar anof Hotel today. Other officers are J. Simpson MacKinnon, Vice-Pres- ident. W. Burr Johnson, Second President, and w. Robert Wetb, Secretary, the latter re-elect- ed.
 Retiring President Charles W.. Carter was given a rising vote Of thanks for his splendid service dur ing the past year and R. E. Robertson voiced heartfelt tribute in the name of the members ".-d the community.
 Report of the m;LGCeS rom the Executive Board was read by Sec retary Webb. Carl Weidman and w. H. Wood of the United Trol- lers of Alaska, CIO appeared be- fore the Executive Committee re-
The Daily Alaska empire., 1946-12-19
HORRIBLE CRIMES RELATED AT TRIAL
 OF NAzI DOCTORS

NUREMBERG, Germany, Dec. 19. An affidavit read at the trial of g German doctors today asserted that hundreds of innocent men and women were killed in concentration camps so their bodies could be used for the Strasbourg University skel- etcn collection and similar so-called scientific projects.
 The affidavit was signed by Jo- seph Kramer, former commandant of the Belsen concentration camp, who since has been hanged by the British for his crimes @
 Kramer said he gassed and poi soned inmates of the NatZweiier concentration camp in Stutthof so their bodies could be used for lnedi- cal research.
 The doctors are charged with war crimes and crimes against human ity in conducting orIel experiments upon camp inmates.
 The American !. ibunal granted a defense request to call Is German mos; of them university professors as defense witnesses. The Tribunal is headed by Justice Wal ter Beals of the Washington otate Supreme court.
The Daily Alaska empire., 1946-12-19

by the Chamber of Commerce on the necessity of revenue increases for the steamship companies oper- ating between Seattle and Alaska stands as follows
 Tn view of the conditions exist ing today in maritime operations, the Chamber recognizes that hl- creased revenues may be necessary to the profitable operation of ves- sels in the Alaska trade. Therefore, 1t is not opposing the contention of the operators that they cannot take over the operation of their ships from the Maritime Commis- sion without an increase in revenue.
 However, the economy of the Territory, in our opinion, will be severly damaged if any increases in freight rates are passed on to the residents and industries of Alaska. Increases in freight rates on build ing materials and such industrial supplies as mining equipment would be especially harmt,i. aDc clould be avoided at all costc
 If the Federal government desires to help develop Alaska, one of the best methods, in our opinion, would be to work out plan with those engaged in the Alaska trade for Introduction of all possible eff iiency measures, with absorbtion by the government of a portion Of the present high operating costs. This last could be tapered off as oper- ating costs go back to normal.
 Federal assistance to the opera tors might well be temporary measure and good investment, since it seems entirely possible that the added development which should result from lower freight costs to Alaska would in turn de- velop sufficient additional freight business to make it possible for the operators to reduce their tonnage costs below the present level.
The Daily Alaska empire., 1946-12-19

questing action by the Chamber on a plan for conservation of salmon ln Alaska.
 The plan had been formulated at the recent convention of the Trol- ler's Union. This matter was turn ed over to a special committee which is to be appointed by Presi- dent Banfield The committee will study the plan and submit suitable recommendations to the Chamber along the lines of union proposals.
 Correspondence included letter from the Anchorage Fur Rendez- vous committee extending an in- vitation to the people of Juneau to attend the annual affair which will be held this year from Febru- ary 24 to March 9.
 Today's luncheon guests were William L. Paul, Jr, and guest speaker, Ivan Bloch of Portland, Oregon.
 Block Talks
 MT. Bloch, who is special con- sultant to the Secretary of the h. terior, was introduced by Mayor Waino Hendrickson. Bloch read letter ol greeting to the people of Alaska from Secretary Krug and then told the Chamber @ little about his assignment Ill the Ter -itory.
 He also told the Champer that Secretary Krug is keenly aware of the problems facing Alaskas future and is approaching the solution with real interest. He revealed that the Territory is one of the issues receiving the immed- fate attention of the Secretary.
 The statement of policy adopted
The Daily Alaska empire., 1946-12-19
METHODIST CHURCH
 CHRISTMAS PAGEANT. ON SUNDAY EVENING

With the theme Peace On Earth, Good Will Toward Men" the Meth odist Church is presenting pa- geant Of the Christmas Message Sunday evening at 7:30 o'clock.
 The Cradle scene will be given by the Primary Department, with tiny angels, and diminutive char acters. Mrs. Floyd Dryden will be in charge of the scene.
 Peace to the Nations" as Christ offered it will be presented by the Youth Choir and speakers, with the Scriptural message read in three languages by Mrs. Ruth Popejoy, Ernest Ehler, and Miss Sue Ken nedy. Miss Ruth Brooks will direct the choir, including the echo groups.
 Peace to the Heart" will be de- picted by a dramatization of some of the significant scenes from Charles Dickens masterpiece, "The Christmas Carol" Old Scrooge will rant and tear at Bob Cratchit, the spirit of Marley will warn Scrooge, the Spirits of Christmas Past, Pre- sent and Future will each give Scrooge a spot scene" out of his past, his present and his future Tiny Tim CFrankie 'DeLand) will show up with his crutch. The Ju- nior Choir will sing supporting numbers to the pageant, directed by Mrs. Treat and accompanied by Mrs. Edward P. Chester.
 Following the program, the young sters will be given their treats.
 The Youth Choir of the church will sing at the Sunday morning service.
The Daily Alaska empire., 1946-12-19
WEATHER FORECAST tIuneau and Vicinity)

WEATHER FORECAST
 Duncan and Vicinity Variable cloudiness with some snow flurries tonight and Friday. Cooler with low est temperature near 30 de- grees.
 PRECIPITATION (Past 24 hours ending 7:3o am. today In Juneau .73 inches; since Dec. l, 3.48 inches; since July 1, 53,43 inches. } At Airport 50 inches; since Dec l, l87 inches; since July l, 36.54 inches.
The Daily Alaska empire., 1946-12-19
TRAPpERS ASKED FOR INFORMATION
 ON MISSING MEN

No t"ace of an Is foot skiii with a Joh. son motor, nor the bodies Of Walter John or David Bailey have been found since the seine boat Flying Cloud sank last November 14 or Is off Point Gardner.
 Ronald John, brother of one of the missing men today asked that trappers or others who happen to be along the coast between Point Gardner and Cape Ommaney keep a watch for the Skiff or wreckage or bodies of the two men. There is a probability the two men might have abandoned the Flying Cloud in the stormy weather and might have capsized in the skiff or made shore safely and, owing to the se- were weather, frozen to death, Ron- aid John asks that anyone obtain ing any information notify him at once at Angoon
The Daily Alaska empire., 1946-12-19

Sell il With an Empire Tantad
The Daily Alaska empire., 1946-12-19

 4a;s J iss
  ~
The Daily Alaska empire., 1946-12-19
LEAVES FOR ARKANSAS

MT. and Mrs. J. c. Roehm and their two sons were among the southbound passengers aboard the Louise. Roehm is Associate Mining Engineer for the Territorial De- partment of Mines. The Roehm's are headed for Arkansas to spend the holidays with relatives and plan to be gone about one month.
The Daily Alaska empire., 1946-12-19
BAssETTs GO SOUTH

MT. and Mrs. Clark Bassett, for mer Juneau residents. returned to Seattle by air yesterday after wis., it in Juneau with the Vance Black wells. MT. Bassett, as representative of Pan American Airways in &c., attle, attended the General Avia- tion Congress of Alaska in Anchor age.
The Daily Alaska empire., 1946-12-19
MILTON LYMAN ELECTED
 AGENT OF JUNEAU D5FU

Juneau local of the Deep Sea Fishermens Union met Tuesday evening in the union offices at the Cold Storage. Milton Nyman was elected Agent of. the Juneau branch for the coming year Nyman suc- ceeds the late Harold Aase.
The Daily Alaska empire., 1946-12-19
MARRIAGE LICENSES

Two marriage certificates were issued yesterday by Commissioner Felix Gray Daniel A. Ward, Jr. of this city and Florence L. Dressler applied for one and the other was issued to John E. Fournie and Nor ma E. Burford, both of Juneau.
The Daily Alaska empire., 1946-12-19
MRS. SOMIiEEccS LEAVES

Mrs. Esther Sommers left Juneau yesterday on the Pan American Airways plane enroute to Wells. Minnesota, where she will meet Mir Sommers and spend Christmas with their son.
The Daily Alaska empire., 1946-12-19
MRS. PHILLIPS SOUTH

Mrs. A. B. Phillips boarded the Pan American Airways plane here yesterday to fly to Seattle where her father has been serio.siy ill.
The Daily Alaska empire., 1946-12-19
HOLIDAY IN SEATTLE

Jimmy Smith, son of w. Leonard Smith, is leaving for Seattle to spend the Christmas holiday with his mother and relatives in that city.
The Daily Alaska empire., 1946-12-19
. . . . . WEATHER REPORT
(U. s. WEATHER BUREAU)

FU. s. WEATHER BUHEHUI (Past "A hours ending 7:30 am. todayl In Juneau-Maximum, 43; minimum, 38.
 At Airport-Maximum, 43; minimum, 36.
The Wrangell sentinel., 1946-04-19

neeeasar9 So consider Dust what aa- ditional burdens must be assumed ly Alaska with the coming of statehood
 Financing A State
 At the present time owing to our territorial status, the Federal Government finances a consider able part of our governmental and adminisTattgt establishment which must be financed by Alaska when it becomes a state Federal sun ported agencies which the state )f Alaska must take over are primar- fly the judiciary, the police system (now virtually limited to U s. Marshals and their deputies1, the care of the insane, and the con seTvation and protection (but not the technical or research features,) of fish and of fur and game. There may be a few others but the mon ey involved with respect to such others would be insignificant. ID furnish the equivalent of the sery- ices thus being supplied us by the Federal Government at the present time would reasonably require al expenditure by the newly created state of approximately $2 00O,090 per year The additional $2,0O0,- coo a year revenue which I have might not give us quite such elaborate establishments as some of the Federal governmental agencies which We would take over but I am convinced that the job could be done just as well, if not better, than it is being done at the present time. It is almost axioma- tic that local government is more than long range gov ernment, and we can reagonatly expect that to be the rule in As
The Wrangell sentinel., 1946-04-19

want to know the status of the AL aska Railroad when Alaska be- comes a state. There is no reason to believe that there will be any change in the status of the Rail- road unless the new state wishes to take over the Railroad and o5- crate it as a state venture. At the present time the railroad is more than self-supporting. and there are good grounds to expect that with even a moderate increase in popu- lation of central and northern AL aska the railroad will in the fu- ture always be able to pay it's own way. No assurance can be given. of course that Congress would permit the conveyance of the rail- road to the state of Alaska, but I believe that Congress- would do so il the state requests it.
 Threshold of Development
 One compelling reason why I think Alaska should seek statehood now is founded on my conviction that Alaska is on the threshold of g great and far reaching develop ment. The impact of the war has been such as to project Alaska for ward economically a distance that would scarcely have been acheivad in 25 years of uninterrupted peace time development The largest part of a highway permitting entry in- to Alaska from the States has all ready been built. The war has brought to Alaska the construc- tion of a very considerable number of airports in virtually all parts of the Territory, airports which in many cases will be just as usable and useful under peace-time con aql 6q pelomoId u9sq lou sBq e4 -sBIV uI 5uIpUnq pBoI IBooI eIIqM 'IeM 10 emn uI eIB 6eQl sB suonIp
 Continued on page five)