Merry Christmas \
To You All! I
Wien Alask- |
Airlines, Inc. I
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Office Phone Main 4(J Residence Phone Main 119 jm
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S1G WIEN
HANK MILLER DOROTHY BENDER FRANK WHALEY
HERB HAGER
“®uij iHm*c ffiar Ninths!
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Alaska Statehood
Explained by Lyng
(Continued from Page Three)
even to home-spun clothing.
Alaska does not ofler everything
to her pioneers that various states
did to theirs—but she does offer
them great abundance of less var
iety However, self-sufficiency on
the part of her people cannot be
achieved until Alaskans are per
mitted to trade successfully on
the whole product of the country
•—if and when the whole Alaskan
production is available for that
purpose. This will never occur
under our present Federal de
pendency—but is inevitable un
der statehood.
Alaska has remained under the
status of a territory longer than
any other territory in the na
tion’s history, and while doing so
has produced for the benefit of
the nation many times what she
has received from it. Yet there
are some who oppose statehood
on the grounds that Alaska is too
immature—too poor to stand the
increased cost of self-govern
ment. How then, do they account
for the fact that Alaska produces
more wealth each year than 16
of our states? Federal income tax
collections in Alaska, reached a
peak of $10,400,000 in 1927. In
1933 they reached the lowest
point of $1,600,000, yet the Terri
tory led at least 16 states in
collections each time.
In 1939 total income tax col
lections in Alaska were $7,300,000.
The following were the totals for
16 states during the same year:
Arizona .—.$2,500,000
Arkansas .. 4,000,000
Idaho .-. 2,000,000
Mississippi __—.3,100,000
Montana . 3,100,000
Nebraska .. 7,000,000
Nevada _ 3,000,000
New Hampshire .—. 4,200.000 ,
epegcHPWpgcccg
New Mexico . 1.600.000
North Dakota . 1,000,000
Oregon . 6,400,000
South Carolina . 5.400.000
South Dakota .._. 1,000,00
Utah . 3.400.000
Vermont . 2,100,000
Wyoming . 1,400,000
Under our Territorial status
Santa Real Person
Santa Claus was a vary real
person.
The name. “Santa Claus," de
rived from that of St. Nicholas,
who was bishop of Myra in Asia
Minor in tho fourth century.
Today, Saint Nicholas Is tho
patron saint of sailors, mer
chants and children in Groaeo.
Incidentally, tho name Kriss
Kringle is somotimas erroneously
used to dasignato Santa Claus.
Kriss Kringle Is a corruption of
tho Gorman word Christhiadel,
meaning tho "Christ Child."
. - ... m- m, I
the Federal Government finan
ces a considerable part of our gov
ernmental establishment, which
will devolve upon Alaska as a
state. The Federal agencies to be
taken over are primarily the jud
iciary, U. S. Marshal’s offices, the
care of the insane, and the con
servation and protection of fish,
fur and game. Delegate Dimond,
who has made a thorough and
comprehensive study of what is
involved in the transition from
territorial status to statehood, es
timates that taking over these
federal functions would cost the
State of Alaska approximately
$2,000,000 per year.
The State of Alaska would be
come eligible to participate in
the appropriations now made by
Congress for all the states under
the provision of the Federal
Highway Act, thus more than re
placing the loss of the present
Federal appropriations for roads
and trails.
Alaska has for many years sup
ported its own school system, and
since 1937 has supplied the funds
required of all states and terri
tories, for the maintenance of
Social Security and Public Wel
fare departments. Alaska also
maintains a relatively inexpensive
territorial government, and
statehood would not engender any
considerable financial increase
here.
The annual revenue of the
Territory is approximately $2,
000,000, derived from an anti
quated tax system that should
be overhauled and modernized
whether we secure statehood or
not.
Mr. Dimond states that Alaska
as a state can maintain itself
for approximately $4,000,000 per
year. Under a proper tax system,
fairly and equitably distributed,
this sum can be raised without
imposing an undue tax burden.
It is now more apparent than
ever that the 1939 Legislature
made a regrettable error when
it failed to pass a suitable income
tax law, for if that had been ac
complished we would have the
financial means now to undertake
state government. It should be
remembered in this connection
that any money paid in local tax
ation to a state government, is
deductible from income in cal
culating Federal income tax re
turns. So while it is true that lo
' cal taxes will be somewhat in-1
creased, it is also true, that gen
erally speaking, Federal taxes
will be diminished.
Those, who for reasons best
known to themselves, spread the
propaganda which sets forth the
inability of Alaska and its peo
ple to finance and operate a state
government, do not tell you that
Alaska and its citizens own but
less than two per cent of Alaska
with its vast store house of nat
ural resources—neither do they
inform you that over 98 per cent
of this great Territory is owned
, lock, stock and barrel by the
Federal Government
| When Alaska becomes a state
a large portion of the public do
main, consisting of mineral and
| agricultural lands, large areas of
I forested land, all of the tidewater
'areas of the enormous Alaska
\ coast line, fish, fur and game,
! will belong to Alaska and its
people. Then and then only, will
| it be possible to develop, through
! the American system of free en- j
terprise, the vast treasure house
j of the nation, once called ‘‘Sew-1
| ard’s folly,” and until lately, re
garded and treated as a remote
insular appendage to the body
politic, much in the manner with ,
which the average person regards
his vermiform appendix, if he
(ever thinks of it at all.
Alaska has shed its cloak of
insular remoteness and stands to
| day on the threshhold of great
| and far-reaching development. j
i The impact of war and its con- j
'committants, has projected Alaska
forward economically a distance
1 that would scarcely have been ;
achieved in 35 years of ordinary j
peacetime development.
The political advantages of |
statehood are great, and as such, j
should be viewed with most seri
ous consideration by every Alas
kan. Today, Alaska is represent
ed in the National Congress by
a Delegate to Congr.es?; This
delegate has no vote in Congress,
which places a decided brake on
the potential power and author
ity which normally attaches to
the average congressman from a
state.
We are fortunate, indeed, in
having as our Delegate, the Hon.
A. J. Dimond, who by his out- j
standing ability, integrity of pur
pose, and plain hard work, has
won the respect and affection of
his fellow congressmen to the
point where they do not regard
him as merely a delegate, but as
one of themselves. He has,
through his sterling character
and high personal attributes,
transcended the narrow’ limita
tions of his official position, and
through sheer personality and in
tense effort secured for his Ter
ritory much beneficial legislation,
and inclusion in many appropria
tions for the states, in which ap
peared the usual phrase, “except
Alaska.”
However, with statehood, Alas
ka is no longer a beggar at the
national table, but a recognized
member of the household, eligi- i
ble to share in all of the bene-.
fits and all of the responsibilities
of the nation. We will have two
voting members in the United
States Senate, and at least one
in the House of Representatives
—this latter representation will
increase as the population grows,
and we shall be in the dignified
and powerful position of an
equal among equals. To attain
this position alone should be
more than ample compensation
for the additional tax burden we
must assume to carry on state
government.
And now’ wre come to the most
I
HOSTESS — Former London
Correspondent Kathleen Harri
man has headed for Moscow to
serve as hostess for her father^
W. Averell Harrlman, newly
appointed ambassador to Russia.
intrinsically important benefit to
be derived from statehood—the
exercise of all the rights of citi
zenship—for until Alaska becomes
a st&te, just so long will its resi
dents be denied the full right of
suffrage. It seems rather para
doxical that the people of this
vast, rugged freedom-inspiring
Territory, whose chief character
istics are forthrightness, friendli
ness, hospitality and mutual help
fulness, should permit inertia
and apathy to interfere with the
attainment of the goal of every
free-born American—the exercise
of the full rights of citizenship.
Yet this seems to be the case,
asd is one of the reasons for this
article. II is incumbent upon
the people of the Territory to
emerge from their lethargic
somnolence, study and discuss
the question of statehood, make
up their minds, and then act with
incisiveness, firmness of purpose,
and unanimity—both as individ
(Continued on Page Nineteen)
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I MAY WE WISH YOU AND Q
YOURS ... A VERY &
MERRY CHRISTMAS |
—AND— M
A HAPPY NEW YEAR! 1
GLENN CARRINGTON f
COMPANY 1
NOME ALASKA I