Legislative
v Highlights.
Mildred R. Hermann
A familiar crv heard at every!
session of the legislature, within
the memory of this writer, has
been gathering volume the past
few days and bids fair to swell
iato a vast eacaphony of sound,
; aa we tiavel down t hia last
stretch of the legislative session.
That cry is “We can't afford it”.
For the “Economy Bovs” are
riding again and, like the Four
Horsemen of the Apocalypse,
they are bringing destruction
with them as they clatter domn
the track, backed by a cheering
section made up of swarms of
■ registered and unregistered lob
byists.
Actually Alaska can afford all
the things tbe Territory needs—
better educational facilities for
Alaska’s children, future citizens
ef the estate of Alaska, a good
sound public health program
which includes a break for her
helpless, c'ippled children thou
sands of viet ui8 of tuberculosis
. is» pountry where the death
rate fr. nr this dread disease is
it tbe highest pe/ capita in the nu
tton, the control and cure of
* venereal disease whose incidence
is coming up by leaps and
bounds, endangering the health
and happiness cf all her people;
prop-r and adequate held to the
aged and destitute, depeudent
children, mothers struggling un
der the necessity of making a
living and caring for small child
ren ; a road and air-field construc
tion program that would bridge
the vast distances between her
>n|iBo]ated communities and build
that territorial solidarity that
will make her a great state.
That program has already
been presented in the form of
three bills. They are: (1) a small
snet income tax bill (2) a general
property tax bill and (3) a uni
_(one trade license bill.
- Let us consider them briefly.
(1) The net income tax bill. This
lax proposes a Territorial levy of
10 per cent or one tenth of the
amouDt of the income tax paid
to the Federal Government, bas
ed upon the Federa' income tax
returns A $45 credit is allowed
persons who have been residents
of tbe T.rritory for a year or
more That means that it you
are a resident of the Territory
and pay a Federal income tax of
14450 oi le-s, you would pay no
iocoine tax 10 the Territoiy But
if the income tax you pay the
••Federal Government is more
ithan $450 you would pay one
flteDth of that amount to the
Territory, less the $45 ciedit you
would have. The lower salaiy
bracket man or woman and the
residents of the Territory are
thus pro ecled against inceased
taxes
This tax would be collected
primarily from higher bracket
'income people who can afford to
pay it from non residents who
work at our seasonal industries
tnd the transient workers who
»me and go, on our vast army
wd navy construction projects.
Tbe net income tax would
wing in an estimated revenue of1
approximately two and oue half
million per biennium.
2 The Gene-at Property Tax.
This is another tax measure that
strikes at the people and busin
esses of the Territory not at pre
sent payiuj; a property tax. It
levies a ten rmM tax on all the
properly in the Territory. But
here’s the inportant point. It is
refundable to inco porated towns
and utility districts whose resi
dents are already paymg a prop
erty tax. It does not mean that
you peop’e who live in incorpor
ated towns would pay more
taxes than you are now paying.
You would n t. But owners of
property outside incorporated
towns and utility districts, who
have heretofore paid no property
tax, would pay a ten mill tax
under this law.
It is estimated that the taxa
ble property lying outside incor
porated towns in Alaska runs at
least to $100,000,000 in value.
Little of this property is owned
by small property holders. At
least 90 per cent of it is owned
by big corporotion?.
3. A Uniform License Fee Bill
ie seeks to equalize the trade
license fees now in effect, by
bringing all businesses under the
provisions of the bill, in propor
tion to the voiume of the busin
ess done This bill also will roach
many completely uotaxed cate
gor es of business— chief of
| which is Alaska’s biggest busin
] ess—the construction business
which is expected to reach a to
tal of $200,000,000 in the next
two years.
That is the tax program that
the Territory needs that the
people want as an assurance that
they may meet their obligations
that they may have the facilities
that other territories and states
have.
Will they get it?
Well, that depends on how
completely our big lobbies man
age to dominate the members of
the legislature; that depends on
whether or not the elected rep
resentatives of the people turn a
deaf ear to the welfare of the
people within the Territory.
They did in 1941, 1943 and 1945,
But, do we take it, again?
You can bet it’s not by accident that
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your motor cleaner, gives it longer
life. This oil’s especially compounded
to end carbon trouble, prevent cor
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oils leave bare and exposed to wear,
to fight oxidation, and to eliminate
air-bubbles that would impair circu
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rust-proofs as it lubricate*!
Says
MERRILL
COON
Local Agent
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New shipment of -
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etc.
BOY’S CORDS - SLACKS & BLUE JEANS
Upstairs Shop
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CURTAINS and curtaining
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1947 MODEL (1 ONLY)
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Plumbing Goods in Stock
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All size PIPE FITTINGS & PIPE
also SOIL PIPE & FITTINGS
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LAST
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Founded in 1796
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