The Alaska daily empire., 1923-04-20
SENATE STARTS
 CONSIDERATION
 FUR FARM BILL
Stringent Provisions Tn Bill for Protecting Fox Farm
 ing Industry.

Protection for the blue fox farming industry is the aim of Senate Bill No 50 Committee Substitute, which is composite of four measures in troduced in the upper Housa early in the session by members from both ahe First and Third Divisions. Its principal features are the establish ment of system of registered brands, or marking, and provision requiring tagging by Commissioners of all unmarked skins.
 The aim of the measure is pro tecting the island ranchers scattered up and down the hundreds of miles Of Alaska coast line from Ketchikan to the Aleutian chain of islands from depredatfons of poachers. The meas ure was drafted by the Senate Com mittee on Fisheries, Game and Agri- culture, Senator Chamberlin, chair man, after numerous hearings at which representatives of fox farm CTS organizations. independent farm CTS, and others interested testified.
 Registered Brands
 The first step in achieving pro tection is in the requirements for brands and marks and their regis tration in the office of Territorial Secretary, every person engaging in the blue fox farming business being required to be the owner of legally registered brand or mark of identifi- cation to be assigned him on applica- ton and payment of S10 fee, by the Territorial Secretary within 90 days after the law becomes effec- tive. The right to use this identi- fication mark shall belong exclusive iy to the registrant and may be as signed in writing acknowledged te fore any officer qualified to take acknowledgements of deeds, such as alignment to be recorded with tht Secretary.
 It, is intended that all animals shal fbe marked and 1t is required tha skins must be so marked before they are removed from the ranch. Buying selling, possession and transportatioi of any unmarked or untagged blue for skin is prohibited. It is requiree also that all unmanufactured skins legally held in Alaska, shall be be fore October 1. next, taken before U. S. Commissioner and tagged b. him on a showing where such skin were raised, or from whom and a what time the owner obtained then and other facts to prove legal pos session.
 Checking Poaching
 After that time it is provided tha ''any .unmanufactured blue fox ski hereafter legally acquired in th' Territory other than skins raised or farms having a registered brand ant branded with such brand, shall 4s be. on the first occasion wher such skins are brought to a place where the U. s. Commissioner resides or. has his office, presented to such U. s. Commissioner with an affidavit showing the facts proving legal pos session, and shall be tagged prop erly by the Commissioner
 ' 'Unless this requirement is followed ont, owners of unbranded skins arc likely to be disposse sessed, it beinf provided that every blue fox skin no so marked. and subsequent to th' date named, not in possession Of tht owner of a duly registered brand on the latter's own fox farm, "shal be presumed to have been unlawfulll obtained, unless the contrary can bf shown conclusively. and shall bt forfeited to the Territory of Alaska, or otherwise disposed of.
 Counterfeiting of brands and marks, and use by any registrant of brand other than that duly assigned him by the Secretary is forbidden and viola ton of this provision is made fel- ony, with fine of $6,O00 and i'm. prisonment for 10 years. or both sucl fine and Imprisonment the maximum punishment upon conviction.
 Alteration of mark and brand, eith CT by adding to or effacing when il is done for the purpose of concealin2 the identity of the owner of the ami nral or it's pelt. or otherwise deceiv ing or desfrauding is made a felony punishable by similar sentence. TC make possible the enforcement o these sections, anyone adopting ol making use of a mark of identifica tion for foxes shall be deemed to have notice if the various if the various marks registered
 Possession of branding instru mont, of the type and kind furnished registrants by the Secretary, capable of being used to counterfeit or imi tate registered brands is prohibited anyone not a blue fox farmer ant possession of such an instrument i' deemed prime facie evidence of in tent to violate the law.
 Protects Property Rights
 The bill contains provisions safe guarding the ranches from intrusions making landings unlawful where made without permission of the own