LIFTING THE LID
AT JUNEAU I
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ness tax.
He says the increased salmon •
I pack tax is also likely but the tax- ;
? ation committee probably would i
make that section separa'e from
the raw fish tax bill in which it
was included by the House.
Senate president Engebreth and
Sena'tor Peratrovich, who presided i
at the special session, also predict
passage of the business license!
i and cigarette tax bills.
The House approved liquor tax
increase bill apparently is doom
- ed
Another taxation development I
of the week end is on indication
the income tax enacted by the spe
cial session may be re-enacted to
safeguard against probable legal
challenge of its validity, though
Democratic leaders insist the chal
lenge could not be maintained
successfully.
Reliable legislative sources say
the measure probably will be re
enacted as a safeguard against
prolonged litigation.
Sources say amendments are
likely to be included clarifying the
status of such persons as seamen
who filed a court suit in Seattle
against the withholding tax.
The House passed a bill creating
a national guard Saturday after
bitter debate in which some mem
bers contended Russia would
make propaganda use of any re
fusal to set up a Territorial mili
tory organization.
The vo'e was 14-10.
Democratic Rep. C. A. Pollard
said Pravda, official Russian news
paper, “probably would make
headlines” out of any refusal by
Alaska to set up a guard organiza
tion because of the Territory’s
proximity to Siberia.
“They would probably, say that
Alaska, which once belonged to
them, wants to come back,” Pol
land said.
Rep. Essie Dale said:
“Uncle Joe would have a mighty
broad smile on his face if we vote
this down.”
The action followed a charge by
Rep. Marcus Jensen, First Division
Democrat', that Gov. Ernest
Gruening had been “engaged in
undue lobbying for the bill,”
which calls for a guard unit of ap
proximately 1,000 men.
Jensen said he didn’t believe the
governor had a “right to spend
two days lobbying for the bill.”
House speaker Stanley Mc
Cutcheon, Third Division Demo-'
crat, said he thought the gover
nor’s interest in the bill has
“brought home the importance of ‘
the measure.”
“If dhe governor doesn’t have!
the right to express an opinion
any place or any time to legisla-1
tors, then I’m badly mis.aken,”1
McCutcheon said. “It’s not only
his right, but his duty to discuss:
issues with us.”
The bill also provides for a
guard unit with broad activity,
both in the interior and Bering
Sea areas of Alaska.
Lt.-Col. Joseph Alexander told
the House Friday, however, the
initial plan called for establishing
Eskimo units along the Bering Sea
frontiers as “military eye< and
ears.”
Rep. Percy E. Ipalook, full
blooded Eskimo missionary from
Sering Sea areas, said the natives
\vc e "anxious to get the organiza
tion started for watching for any
irregulari ies from betynd the iron
' curtain.”
“Siberia is only 47 miles from
my home and I could say more of
what I’ve seen and heard,” he
said.
Voting against the guard bill
were representatives G. E. Alm
quist, Abel Anderson, Frank An- '
german, Doris M. tiarnes, Jaek (
Conright, Glen D. Franklin, Jen- j
sen, George Miscovich, James No
land and Aimer Rydeen.
Governor Greuning said he
would sign the general prope'rty
tax bill as soon as it reached his
desk.
Saturday, February 19, 1949
(By James Hutcheson)
JUNEAU, (/P) — With Alaska’s
first general property tax assured,
the House of Representatives
moved today to take up a bill to
create an Alaska national guard.
The property tax was assured of
passage—and a smiling governor
Ernest Gruening said he would
sign it as soon as it reached his
desk— when the House concurred
in Senate amendments yesterday.
The tax imposed a levy of 10 mills,
but since cities already have a
property tax, administration lead
ers say the new levy will apply
only in areas outside cities.
Estimated to be worth $2,000,000
annually to the Territorial treas
ury, the measure includes an in
dustry tax exepmtion incentive
clause, a $200 personal property
exemption and a valuation on un
improved mining claims of $500.
First House action on the na
tional guard bill came yesterday
with Lt. Col. Joseph Alexander
describing initial plans to estab
lish Eskimo units of Alaska Scouts
throughout the far western areas
to serve as military eyes and ears
in isolated areas. The bill calls for
a force of approximately 1.000
men.
Rep. Frank Angerman, 4th Di
vision Democrat, tried to kill the
bill by indefinite postponement
Thursday, and yesterday kept up
a running fire of amendments,
most of which were defeated.
Angerman said he had more to
offer, but did not indicate what
they were.
In other legislative develop
ments late yesterday, the Senate
killed by a vote of 11 to 5 a mea
sure which would double the mo
tor fuels tax.
Votes for the incerase came pri
marily from one Division — the
Third — with Senators Walter
Huntley, Victor C. Rivers, Gun
nard M. Engebreth and Steve Mc
Cutcheon voting “yes” along with
Sen. Frank Barr of Fairbanks,
who introduced the bill.
The same Third D ivision four
lined up in support of a $500 tax
on sailboats used in Bristol Bay
fishing, along with Democrats
Howard Lyng, R. M. MacKenzie
and Frank Peratrovich, but the
measure was defeated 8 to 7.
These were the first major tax
bills voted down in either House
during this session. Others have
been buried or postponed, but not
voted down.
In sponsoring the motor fuels
tax, Barr argued the increase was
for a badly needed road and air- !
port building program. Opposing
was Senator Andrew Nerland ^
of Fairbanks who said he was
hnppy about the property tax en
ac’mcnt after years of waiting. He
added, however, that "this is not
thrt time to curtail new taxes. But
ehere will be an upheaval among
the people if we pile on any
more.”
Senator John G. Butrovich, Jr.,
said "If we put this added tax on
we may not need any farm roads.
There may not be any farmers
left.”
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I
The first canal in England was
built in 1134 by Henry I to con
nect the Witham and Trent rivers.,
U. S. Will Aid Pact
Signers In Case
Of Attack
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the strong assurance they desire.
The state department hopes to;
present the treaty to Congress in
about a month. It would be re-in
forced by a multi-billion dollar
military aid proposal for partici- j
pating western European coun
tries.
Secretary of state Acheson, Ca
nadian and European negotiators
will enter the final stage of treaty
negotiations this week. They plan j
a conference at the state depart-;
ment tomorrow or Wednesday.
The week-end brought these i
other developments:
1. Senator Fulbright (D.-Ark.)
I
declared the Atlantic pact must j
carry a moral commitment that j
the United States will act in event J
of an aggression against any of the
treaty countries. He reasoned that
no such thing as a legal commit
ment is possible.
2. Senator Taft <R.-Ohio) said in
a speech at Kenton, O., that he
was “inclined to favor” some such
ti'eaty os the Atlantic Pact.
3. The Washington Post said in
a copywrighted article that a poll
; it took showed the Senate would
1 vote overwhelmingly to fight
should Russia attack any one of
, the North Atlantic treaty coun
tries. Of the 51 Senators replying
to a question on the subject, the
, Post said 50 said they would vote
i to repel armed aggression, 37
others declined to answer at this
time and eight could not be
reached.
G-E Will Resist
Wage Boosts
NEW YORK, (A*)—'The General
Electric company has announced
it will resist granting fourth
round wage increases to 200.000
employees.
A spokesman for the company,
the nation’s largest electrical man
ufacturer, also voiced opposition
yesterday to reported CIO union
demands for shorter hours with
out reduction in pay, with liberal
ized pension and welfare pro
grams.
The statement came a day after
the United Electrical, Radio and
Machine Workers, of America
tCIO), reportedly said it plans to
seek wage increases and other
benefits in forthcoming negotia
tions with G-E. I
G-E attempted last year to es
tablish a no-increase pattern in
the industry. Later, however, G-E
granted an eleven-cents-an-hour
boost af er other major industries
gave increases.
GENERAL MOTORS GUILTY OF
UNFAIR LABOR PRACTICE
WASHINGTON, The Na
tional labor relations board today
found General Motors corporation
guilty of an unfair labor practice
for trying to put into effect a
group insurance plan 'without con
sulting the Cip UAW.
The board, ruled unanimously
that General Motors violated the
Taft-Hartley act by not -bargain
ing with the union before attempt
ing to apply the plan to its 225,000
employees Feb. 1, 1948.
NLRB general counsel Robert
N. Denham had obtained a court
injunction to block General Mo- 1
tors’ proposed action last year.
The corporation did not oppose
the injunction and negotiated a
new contract with the CIO-UAW j
on May 29, 1949.
Fourteen Die In
Plane Collision
COVENTRY, England, (A*)—14
persons, including three Ameri
cans, perished Saturday when an
RAF training plane and a British
airliner collided and crashed in
flames near here.
British European Airways said
the Americans were among six
passengers who died with four
crew members of one of their Da
kota twin-engined planes, enr >ute
from London to Renfrew, Scot
land. The air ministry said four
RAF men were killed in the train
er. an Anson bomber.
BEA listed the American dead
as Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Michaels and
Henry C. Aitken.
Aitken was listed as being from
Rhode Island and was described
as an emloyee of the Chase Na
tional bank in London. His alien
registration card gave his age as
26.
Business papers and a passport
found in the scattered wreckage
gave Michaels’ home address as
Highland Park, 111.
NOME ESKIMOS FIND
ARIZONA TOO COLD
An UP) news release in Bisby,
Arizona tells of the arrival of two
Nome Eskimos to work with the
master craftsman goldsmith, Louis
Montes de Oca, and their com
plaint that the nights were too
cold and that they wished they
had brought their parkas with
them.
They are Frank Okpelok and
: Francis Eben, war veterans who
| were chosen by the ANS for stud
! ies in this field under the G. I.
Bill of Rights.
They will learn the art of work
ing silver and gold to apply with
local ivory for fine jewelry.
For Good Printing Call Main 125
Kodiak Bests Nome
For Class B Title
<Contined from Page One)
team which wouldn’t give up Sun
day held the Class B Fur Rendez
vous basketball championship, de
feating the much bigger Nome
quintet 31-29.
Kodiak held a 26-13 third quar
ter lead but lost it in the final
stanza. Then came back to win the
gane.
Iver Maultin with 11 points led
the winners. Charles Jerling 3, L,
Anderson and Dick Skinner six
each for the winners. Joe Felder
and Harold Bell each accounted
for eight for the losers. The game
was another thriller which kept
the crowd on its feet most of the
way.
The Nome High school basket
ball team returned to Nome today
with Wien Airlines.
JUNEAU, i/P)—Play opens to
day in the annual “Gold Medal"
basketball tournament for the
Southeastern Alaska crown.
These ten teams will battle for
the right to meet Anchorage next
month in the All-Alaska cham
pionship finals:
I Metlakatla Vets, Kake Black:
Cats, Wrangell Townies, Peters
burg Merchants. Douglas Night
Owns, Haines Chilkooties, Colum
bia Lumbermen, Sitka Grads,
Juneau High School and Mount
Edgecumbe Grade.
Anchorage won the Class A di
vision of the “Fur Rendezvous"
tournament by beating Seward,
39-34. Kodiak won the Class B ti
tle bv whipping Nome, 31-29, in a
thrilling finish. The tiny visitors
dropped their first encounter to
Nome earlier in the doube elimin
ation tourney, but came back to
whip their taller foes twice on
consecutive days.
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