Published once a week In Palmer, Alaska, for the Mat
anuska Valley Farmers' Co-operating Association, for
the purpose of -ivlnc news of the Associations work,
problems and accomplishments.
FEDERAL Em'PlEMES RAD TAXES
An editorial In the Anchorare Times, seems s^ importint. tr us that
we would like to print, as much of It as we can, in order that our read
ers can learn a^out a condition that exists In Alaska and affects
everyone so greatly. The Editorial starts out by noting the different
divisions of population In the Territory. Uamely; Cheechako and sour
dough, Democrats and Republicans, and so on, and now Federal Employees
and Non-Federal Employees, without mentioning other divisions of the
population. The last division Is made so noticable by the failure of
the Federal Employees to pay their Territorial Income Tax. All this
adds up to the soundness of the reasoning that Alaska has three sides,
that Is-Inside, outside and Mornlndslde.
All this comes from the fact that many Federal Employees refuse to
pay their Territorial Income Tax and have other benefits listed as
followsi .
1. Differential of 25f In their pay over the same job in the States.
2. Special Commissary privileges for many of them.
5. Up ora dine; their Civil Service ratlno, so they can earn more mon
ey In Alaska, by carrying a higher title.
I4.. Free transportation to and from Alaska upon accepting and com
pleting their employment contracts.
5. Annual vacation of 26 days.
6. Annual sick leave of lc da^s.
7. Special medical attention furnished by the emplo^in^ agency.
8. Five day work week.
9. Free transportation on vacation trips. •
10. Liviny quarters supplied ty the government on a low rental basis.
11. Board furnished. in mess halls or camps at special low rates.
12. Free transportation to and from work on military reservations.
Then, to top 5t off, there is special legislation pendinr in Con-ress
that would exempt Federal Employees from payment of income tax on the
257^ differential.
While enjoyin'-, these many and varied privileges, the Federal Employees
send their children to public schools, use the public playgrounds, en
joy the same fire and police protection and all other services enjoyed
by other citizens of the Territory. The editorial froes on to say, it
is not the purpose of the discussion to belittle or degrade the Feder
al Employees, but that there appears to be no reason why Federal Em
-ployees should be entitled to tax exemption in,the Territory. It has
been said that le<*al council for the different agencies have stated
that Federal Employees are not liable to pay the tax although no court
decision has been rendered to support this contention*
The Times feels that the Territorial Officials have been lax in en
forcinr the lav/ and that there should be action to enforce the law or
take it off the statute books of the Territory.
7/e doubt if very many people want a sales tax. ^ut, if the present
law cannot be enforced, it will probablv happen. Even this would not
solve the problem, because we dou^t if any sales tax could be levied
on the commissaries from which most of these people purchase their
food and supplies. Any way that-one turns, it appears that unless the
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