The Alaska daily empire., 1926-10-07
LOCAL ISSUES
ARE OUTLINED
BY CANDIDATE
Shattuck Discusses Issues Of
Campaign and Needs in
Local Government.

line, removal of certain nuisance
tax levies like the tax on fur farm
ing, the passage of as few new laws
as possible, adequate provision for
continuing the present system of
Territorial allowances to aged pio-
neers and needy mothers. manten-
ance of the Pioneers Home as an
institution for white pioneers, and a
real iteracy test, are the main is
sues on which the Independent Legis
lative Ticket will go before the
voters of the First Division in the
November election. These form part
of a platform which the candidates
are expected to make public shortly.
All of the planks which the plat
form will contain have been dis
cussed fully by Allen Shattuck can
didate for Senator, and n. o. Hardy,
one of the candidates for the House.
Their views have been put before
the other candidates for the House,
l.. ii. Kubley, Ketchikan, A. f. Gurr,
Wrangell and Ed. Locken. Peters
burg. AS soon as they have been
heard from. it is proposed to make
public a platform briefly covering
the issues, Mr.. Shattuck said today
Reduce Taxes Easily
at is apparent" said Mr.. Shattuck,
that taxes can be reduced substan-
TALLY without impairing the efficien-
cy of governmental administration.
BY the time the 1927 Legislature
meets, the Territorial treasury will
be in the healthiest condition in our
history. There will be goodly sur
plus of funds on hand, accumulated
under the existing rates of taxation
Evidently. these rates are higher
than was necessary since every pro-
vision made by the last Legislature
has been carried out and none of
the functions of government have
been neglected. The next legislature,
therefore, should eliminate the small
nuisance taxes and reduce all taxes
so that our revenues may be more
nearly balanced with the expendi-
lures which have been found neces-
sary for administration.
High taxes, as everyone realizes,
are a deterrent to business and tend
to keep capital away from our doors
Our own needs for capital are great.
Our tax rates should be adjusted
evenly on all industries and busi-
nesses and as low as possible, pro-
viding only the revenues that are
needed to permit efficient govern
mental administration
Views Shared by Associates
Mr.. Shattuck's views on this sub
ject are shared by his associates on
the Divisional Independent Ticket.
All the Independent candidates agree
that the Territory. by maintaining q
policy of reasonable taxation, equit-
ably levied and kept as low as is
possible, can do more to invite and
induce capital to come in for invest
ment in the development of its raw
resources than can be done by any
method by any agency. private or
governmental. Capital that we need
Tor the development of our timber
resources to be utilized in pulp and
paper manufacture will be timid in
making such a venture If it can be
pointed out that we are inclined to
levy unjustly heavy taxes against
any other industry in which outside
funds are already heavily invested"
he asserted.
Oppose Wholesale LEGISLATION
The Independents are opposed to
the wholesale enactment of laws and
nei1eve that the fewer laws passed
by the Legislature the better Alas.
kans Will be pleased. Generally,
they hold that there is little demand
for new legislation. Specifically. so
tar' they have endorsed but one new
proposed law-They would have the
Legislature enact a community prop.
erty law. recognizing the right of
women to share in their husbands
estates. This measure was endorsed
by the American Legion and Auxil-
larry in their convention in Wrangell
last Spring.
Endorse Literacy Test
Another measure. fostered by the
ex-service men and women.-the Lit.
eracy Tests approved by the In.
dependents. On the ground that the
law passed by the 1925 Legislature
is unsatisfactory to the majority of
white literate voters and unfair to
the Territory, they are a unit in a
determination to rewrite that law in
1927 II Congress should fail to take
(Continued ON Pare Thrnal