The Daily Alaska empire., 1941-03-31
ReasGn for Statement

ReasGn for Statement
 "Sinae the Fifteenth Leglslaturs has adjourned a number oi pllE uaesCd in the last few days or hours are before me for consideration Were inc Leeislature still in session l would. according to established procedure. communicate to it my req sens for vetoing any bill that l dc not approve. Since the Legislature has adjourned. however, there IS nc legal requirement. upon me to make public my reasons for veto. How ever I consider it proper to inform the public as to my actions on pub lie matters and my reasons there fer where the subject-matter ap- hears to me of sufficient general ln- terest
 q have vetoed Senate Bill No. l6 An Act to create a Special LegS' lative Tax Committee, determine lt membership, define it's duties ant powers. make an appropriation ano declare an emergency. rn
 Senate Bill No. 16 sets up spe' cial taxation committee consisting of four members of the House anc four members of the Senate. It pro poses that this committee shall eX- anime the Alaska tax structure ane tax problems and report its findings to any special session of the legis' lature which may be called in the calendar year 194l and 1942 for the purpose of enacting tax or other leg islation
 The bill appropriates $5,00O and provides that the taxation commit tee may employ technical and ex- pert advisors and clerical help, pro- vide quarters and facilities for the conduct of it's affairs. of the affairs oi any subcommittee, advisors ol help, and may provide or arrange foi transportation of any members, ad- visors or help necessary or desirable in carrying out the work of the con- mittee. It also provides that the Committee shall determine the compensation for it's own members
 Nc Special Session
 Senate Bill No. 16 therefore as- sumes that special session will be called and it's objective is directed at such special session. I have nc intent at this time to call special session or knowledge that a special session will necessarily be needed The Fifteenth Territorial legislature on converting was confronted with q report of the Treasurer indicating a deficit of some $600000 over antic- ipated revenues for the normal re- quirements of existing departments It was clearly the duty of the Legis- lature to provide the revenues ne cessary for these needs. The Legis- lature did no such thing Instead il authorized appropriations for addi- tional projects so that the author ized expenditures for the coming bi- ennium will exceed anticipated reve- nues by approximately Sl,350,000 The only revenue measure of any importance which the Legislature aw fit to adopt was an increase oi l0G percent in the strip stamp taH Cn intoxicating liquors which may bring in increased revenues of S250,- LOO Thus the Territory confronts 6 probable deficit of well over a mil lion dollars.
 Taxation Studies
 Moreover, competent and thor ou2hgoing studies of Alask k ta3 structure with specific proposals foi raising revenue have been made The 1887 Legislature created the Alaska Planning Council and former Cover nor Troy authorized a thorough sur vey of Alaska's tax structure and needs. At almost no cost to the Ter ritoIy the services of MT. James c. Kettle, Senior Planning technician of the Ma Ii n a l Resources Planning Board were secured He issued a re- port in November, 1888, a thorough. impartial study, GA printed pages in thSAi' "do dppioFtN Dy lile AidSkd Planning Council. Meanwhile, the United States Secretary Of the Treas ury had loaned to the Territory at no expense to it the services of one Of the outstanding tax authorities in the country, MT. Frederick c Lusk, who devoted a considerable portion Of one year to a study oi Alaskas tax problems and made specific recommendations for their improvement and for the raising oi needed revenue. That report, schol- arly and exhaustive, 174 mimeo- graph pages in length, has beer available to the Legislature since the beginning of this session and tc anyone else who may desire it. IT. addition to that, at no expense to the Territory, the Governor, for the sClC purpose of assisting the Legislature meet it's problem, secured one of the nations outstanding experts in draft. ing tax legislation, in the person oi Professor Alfred Harsch of the Uni. yersity Of Washington Law School