THE FRONTIERSMAN
Entered as second class matter on Oct. 21, 1947, at the post office at
Palmer, Alaska, under the Act of March 3, 1879
A. J. DeJulio----Publisher-Manager
Editor -Virginia Gallant
Subscription Rates 50c a month, $5 a year In Valley Area
Mailed to all points in Alaska and the United States
$6 per year
^National Adv. Representative — Weekly Newspaper Representative
404 Fifth Ave. — New York 18, N.Y.
A publication of the U. S. Chamber of Commerce
«gives this definition of a taxpayer: "A person who
iisn't required to pass a Civil Service exam to work for
the government." *
It's more than a good pun. Look at it this way:
A person with two dependents who earns $80 a week
must work almost five weeks to meet his tax bill. If
he has no dependents, he has to work slightly over
weight weeks. Most of us are aware of course, that the
tax rates mount speedily as incomes rise, so, the
amount of time a man has to work for the govern
ment rises also.
One can readily see that in this manner, we are
all government workers—and more than most of us
realize! This situation became very clear to us when
we tried to ease Uncle Sam's bite into our profit the
past year.
Tax news isn't all bad news! If people of Palmer
have the idea they are being taxed to death, they
might consider the following figures taken from a
tax assessment sheet from Humbolt County in North
ern California. The lowest mill levy listed in the county
Is nearly 51 mills for the city of Ferndale, not much
larger than Palmer. The highest was in Fortuna where
it stands at close to 95 mills, with assessment values
set at considerably over the 50% rate schedule. If
local city tax protesting residents still wish to argue
the point by stating the California cities have some
thing to show for their tax money, we ask them to
consider the fact that city improvements come after
taxes have been collected—not before.
The assessment sheet referred to may be seen
hanging in the office of local Tax Assessor, William
Wakeland.
Taxes again! In our previous issue some of you
might have read the Letter to the Editor signed by
Ben Hitchcock of Caribou Creek.
* /Mr. Hitchcock sounds a bit apprehensive about
r our increasing school appropriations, and that a tax
increase is not justified at a time when Alaskans are
' already overtaxed.
Hitchcock's statement that the Territorial School
Board and local school districts are asking for more
money, mainly on grounds of emergency due to
increased school enrollments does not give a true
[ picture of the situation as far as we are concerned.
t dSaxubtlessly, a portion of the additional money
requested by the educators is to be used as outlined
by Hitchcock.
However, from what we have read and learned
«ibout the situation, primary purpose of the request
for additional money is to bring teachers' salaries in
Alaska to the*level of stateside standards.
Facts and figures released by the Territorial
School Board reveal our teachers' salaries are too
meager to entice educators from the states.
/It seems to us if the 62% of the territorial appro
priation is not sufficent, then more money should be
♦appropriated to'maintain our teaching staffs com
parable to those stateside. We are all for it!
Mr. Hitchcock's solution to our "school dilemma",
does not please us either. Our reason is there are
rtoo many people living in rural, unorganized school
districts. These people do not pay school district, nor
city property taxes. Yet their children take advantage
of the better educational facilities offered by schools
"within district and city boundaries, where people are
more highly taxed.
It's true, the rural students do pay a small tuition
fee, but it is small compared to the amount paid by
residents within organized districts by tax assess
ments.
Under Hitchcock's plan, city dwellers would carry
fhe tax load. We don't like it!
The Territorial School Board needs more money
for better education. Write your congressman today!
We can't afford cheap education.
The Mormon Church (LDS Church) owns a pro
lific and extensively varied list of enterprises, ranches,
rcoal mine, sugar company, ultra modern department
store, an insurance company and a bank, to men
tion just a few.
They differ however, from most business opera
tions which are carried on by essentially non-profit
enterprizes that declare immunity from federal taxes.
[From experience received during our several years
residence in Utah, and the many factual stories we
;bave read at various times, the Mormon church insists
on paying full Federal taxes on all profits from their
business operations. Legally they could in some in
stances claim tax exemption, but they don't. Alaska
could use many .of these spirited people with such
principles.
To the friends of the Library
associations:
A group of Library Officials,
Librarians, and A. V. Hagen
Greater Palmer C-D Director,
went to Anchorage last Monday
and selected books for Palmer
1000 books), and 500 for Wasilla,
and 500 for Glenallen. They are
excellent books, in first class con
ditions, and priced at only 8 cents
per book. They were made avail
able thru civil Defense. Bob
Klem made two trips to Anchor
age to transport the books. Mrs.
Martin Olson arranged for the
hauling of the Books for Wasilla.
The Library Association is a
non-profit institution operated on
memberships and fines of over
due books. We are coming to you
now asking financial backing in
paying for these books. We un
derstand that Glenallen has made j
arrangements to take care of
theirs, It is hoped that your do;
nations will be sufficient to take
care of the costs for this trading
| area, (Palmer and Wasilla). How
ever the Matanuska Valley Direc
tor of Civil Defense is responsible
for all the area. There are num- j
erous ways that the Library
Board could use extra funds,
should there be any, it will be ■
used for much needed equipment.
Mrs. Martin Olson will receive
donations for the Wasilla area
and any member of the Palmer
Board will receive for Palmer.
Send your donations for $1.00 to
$10.00 to either Libraries, or the
members listed below.
Palmer Library Board
Haleen Engel, President
T. A. Moyer, Vice-President
Dorothy Laughlin, Secretary
Dorothy Briggs, Treasurer
Izola Sims, Trustee
Edna Wehking, Trustee
Dona Niemann, Trustee
Sincerely
T. A. (Moyer, V.P. Library Board
Sincerely
A. V. Hagen, Area C-D Director
SS BENEFITS LOST
IF APPLICATIONS
ARE FILED LATE
Some persons who are eligible
for social fecurity insurance
benefits may lose payments for
one or more months in 1056 if
they do not apply for their bene
fits before the end of January
1957, Mr. James G. Browne, dis
trict manager of the Juneau so
cial security office, said today.
Retired workers, their depen
dents, or survivors whose earn
ings were $2,060 or less in 1956
can get benefits for some months
in the year. However, benefits
can not be paid retroactively for
more than 12 months before the
month in which an application is
made.
Anyone who was eligible fo:
benefits in 1956 should make an
application before the end of Jan
uary 1957 if in any month of 1956
he neither earned wages of $80
or more nor rendered substantial
services in self-employment. He
can be paid benefits for those
months regardless of his total
earnings in the year.
A person may have earnings up
to $1,200 a year and get social
security payments for every
month in the year, Mr. Browne
declared. If he earns over $1200
in a year, benefits are withheld
one month for every $80 or frac
tion of $80 in excess of $1200.
However, payments are not with
held for any month in which the
beneficiary neither earns wages
of more than $80 nor renders sub
stantial services in self-employ
ment.
After you reach 72, benefits are
payable to you no matter how
much you earn from then on. But
earnings for the entire taxable
year in which you reach 72 must
be counted in determining wheth
er payments can be made for
months in that year before your
72nd birthday.
For the reasons explained
above persons eligible for social
security benefits in 1956, but who
have not yet made an applica
tion, are urged by Mr. Browne to
get in touch with the Juneau so
cial security office without delay.
The Department of the Army
has released $127,500 for construe -
ton of a National Guard armory
at Kodiak, it was announced to
day by United States Army, Al
aska.
The sum is 75% of the estimat
ed cost of the armory. The terri
tory must provide the final 25%.
The armory is planned to handle
an Army National Guard unit at
Kodiak of 133 men.
Blue and t gold Dinner
For Cub Scouts
The Blue and Gold dinner-pro
gram for all area cub scouts, their
parents and geusts will be held
at the high school cafeteria, Sun
day, February 10 at 12:30 p.m.
according to cub scout master
Jack Maze. Advancement and
other achievement awards will be
presented to the cubs during the
program.
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