has not had since the passage of
the White Fisheries Act of 1921
In support of this position, ho
cited the opinion of the Circuit
Court of Appeals when the Free
man case was before it during
the past winter.
No Answer Possible
Mr. Faulkner contended that
the Circuit’s Courts decision in
this action is in effect a holding
that the statute under attack is
void and, in the argument before
the District Court, it was con
tended that no answer could bo
filed which would constitute a
defense to the plaintiff’s com
plaint.
He referred to the language of
the Appellate Court's decision as
follows: “Does the Territorial
Act of 1929 deny to citizens of
the United States, rights guar
the United States? He holds
that decision of the courts binds
Alaska to the guarantee. He al
so pointed to the following para
graph of the same decision: “We
are of the opinion therefore,
that there is a plain and irre -
concileable conflict between the
act of Congress and the act of
the Territorial Legislature, and
in such cases the latter must
yield.—Empire.
X
CANADIAN HALIBUT BONUS
-x
. . . From Prince Rupert News. .
A communication received by
Mayor C. H. Amre from Hon. Ed
gar N. Rhodes, federal minister
of fisheries, in connection with
the proposal that the govern -
ment might bonus Canadian
halibut to the extent of two
cents per pound, declares that
this would have no useful effect
on shipments, as under the
United States tariff, a bonus of
this kind would be automatie
ically absorbed by being added
to the regular duty rate.
In connection with the with
holding of clearances to hali
but vessels for ten days after en
tering, the minister states that
this could not legally be done.
Such an expedient could only
matter for arrangements be
tween interests concerned.
OREGON TRAP DECISION
The legality of traps in Alas
kas has been challenged not a
few times. The claim is set
forth that the trap is a special
privilege contrary to the law of
1924 which specifically provides
that fishing shall be general.
In Oregon last May, the gill -
netters asked the courts for an
injunction against the Barbey
Fish Company to prevent them
from operating fish traps and a
fish dock in the Columbia River
from Sand Spit Island. Recent
ly the courts held that the Bar
bey Fish Company could not
interrupt the “free drift” of the
gill netters so the obstructions
must be removed. The company
has appealed the decision to the
higher courts.
This case has a very important
bearing on the trap issue in the
Territory where the law of 1924
specifically provides that where
any gear operates, any other
gear might be operated. But un
der the regulations no seine or
other type of gear may be oper
ated withing 100 yards, any di
rection, from a trap.
X
“Conviction is the conscience
of mind.—Mrs. Humphrey Ward.
People who put two and two
-x
together generally finish up
with being at sixes and sevens.
—Patricia Wentworth.
No man is greater than the
thoughts that occupy his mind.
-x
Gasoline Taxes
-X
Senator Hess, at the last legis
lature introduced a proposed tax
on gasoline and a merchandise
tax. While in the nature of a
feeler, it is being recognized as
good politics in view of the pre
sent condition of the Territorial
treasury.
It is generally conceded that
this tax will be again presented
two years hence and it will no*
be so easily downed.
For the information of our
readers, and others we pass on
the following facts:
Retail gasoline sales are taxe.l
in every state in the Union. A
few states take 6 cents of the
retail price of every gallon sold,-;
while others take only 2 cents.
The first tax was levied by Ore
gon in 1919 when 1 cent a gallon
was levied. Two other states
immediately followed the lead of
Oregon that year. Two other
states followed in 1920 and the
list continued to grow until even
the state of New York followed
in 1929.
Florida, Georgia and South
Carolina have a 6 cent tax; Ken
tucky, New Mexico, Montana,
North Carolina, Arkansas, Louis
iana, Mississippi, Tennessee and
Virginia take 5 cents; Oregon,
Nevada, Texas, Alabama, Col
orado, Idaho, South Dakota,
Nebraska, Idaho, South Dakota
New Hampshire Oklahoma
Ohio, West Virginia. Vermont,
Wyoming and Maine take a toll
cf 4C cents.
California, North Dakota, New
Jersey, and Washington call for
3 cents; Delaware, Utah, Kansas
Michigan, Iowa, Illinos and Min
nesota require 3y2 cents.
Connecticut, New York, Rhode
Island, Missouri, Wisconsin, Mass
achusetts and the District of
Columbia require only two cents
per gallon of their tax payers.
While the total of 1930 state
gasoline tax collections is not
yet available, the Rio Grande Oil
Review states that 1929 collec
tions were around $431,000,000
which was 25 per cent of the to
tal tax receipts of the states
Individual payments by some of
the large oil companies in 1930
bulk large. Standard Oil of In