The Alaska daily empire., 1923-04-05
HEAVY INCREASE IN CANNERY TAX
 BEING PROPOSED
Pack Taxes on Reds l5 to 5 Cents Per Case
 Others in Proportion.
MINING INCOME RATES ARE ALSO GIVEN BOOST
Ways and Means Committee Announce Tentative Tax
 Schedule l923-24.

Increase in cannery pack taxes on ing from over IA per cent on small packs to more than 97o per cent on large ones, on medium reds as much as 590 per cent on the highest packs, on mining incomes between S15,000 and $150000 100 per cent, and on incomes in excess of the latter amount 150 per cent, feature the ten tative tax schedules formulated by the House Ways and Means Commit tee, announced today by Chairman Ross.
 While the several rates announced have not been definitely fixed, and there are some of the minor rates on which the committee is not unani. mousIy agreed, it is understood that the main schedule of the tentative measure will be incorporated In the final bill
 Graduated Pack Taxes
 The most striking innovation in the bill lis the graduated pack tax fea- lure on salmon canneries. On the higher grades of fish. the base tax is more than 100ee higher than the tax imposed by the 1921 Legislature and progressively increases. On medium reds, the levy of 1921 is used as the base tax for the next b.ennium, increasing progressively to almost six times that figure for the larger packs. On chums the 1921 rate is accepted as that to prevail for the next two years.
 The base pack for both the high grade reds and the mediums is set at 10000 cases, and the scale calling for increases on packs 10000 to 15,000 cases, next to 25,000, then to 10000, 60.000 and the maximum rates on packs in excess of that amount The rates for reds, kings and sockeyes are 15 cents, 20, 25, 40, 60 and 75 cents respectively on the packs mentioned; on medium reds. 3k, ,, 8, II. 12 and 20 cents, ac- cording to quantity. On chums the flat rate of cents Is proposed. The levy in 1921 on the first grades was ' cents. on tho second 3H cents for packs in any quantity
 Is Part Conservation Measure
 "The committee in arriving at the present salmon pack taxes and in adopting the graduated scale system of taxation was in part guided by other considerations than merely rais- ing revenue for conducting the Ter rltorial government during the next said MT. Ross, in com menting on this feature. Tt is largely designed to protect the sal mon supply It is, in fact. con- sorvation measure and in the judg- ment of many members cf the Legis- lature tho only means wo have by which we can put into effect protec- tive fisheries legislation.'
 The abnormal rates on the larger packs, he said, will make the packing of abnormal outputs less attractive from standpoint of profit than are the smaller packs with their respec- lively smaller pack taxes. The al most inevitable result. he added, will be to diminish the packs of individ- ual canneries and probably increase smaller canneres or close down soma of the larger plants.
 Novel Trap Tax
 While no advance was made in the tentative bill of licenses for traps. this remaining at $200 as established in 1921. a new system of taxing this gear will be inaugurated, it was stated. It had been intended origin ally to boost this tax to $25O. In stead of this a minimum tax of $20O will be assessed with progressively