The Daily Alaska empire., 1941-01-07
COMMUNICATION

PIRE. JUNEAU, Jan. IT. read with interest in your paper of December 28, the article printed under the heading, Economy in Territorial Government Advocated by Miners A slciaticn. The names gf ths cf- icers and these composing the beard gs directors Ire the names Of men who have been outs tand IF for years md the f.ct that they have organ .ed and en fit to issue warning public.y. asking that economy in
 he cpevati,n of the Territorial Government be the plan, rather han increased spending, should be .scicusly ccasidered by the people
 the Territory. and especially the leg slatogs upon whom the respol- bilty rests at this coming session.
 The article clearly points out that the Territory depends upon two in- dus,ries fer it's economic existenoe. gold mining and fishing. As was
 aeea Tn tre aft!c G ti.e pi.ce ci god is fixed regardless of how the cost of production varies, and 1t naturally follows that with National taxes soaring upward the cost of do- ing business would be On the in- crease. Hence it would be good busi- ntss cn the part of the Territory to do all possible in the practice of ec- oncmy to protect in every way such an important source of commercial income and taxes, which are so vital to the existence of our Territorial. Gl ieynment and institutions as they are organized new. Gold production pays 90 per cent of the Territorys revenue.
 The fishing industry, briefly man- toned in the article, deserves the same serious consideration and pro- tection as does the gold. The fish Ing industry pays approximately 30 per cent of the Territorial taxes, so 1t can be readily seen that 1t is of paramount interest to the Territory to place nc additional burdens upon the industry that might cause some cf the canneries, or all for that mat ter. to shut down if the taxes were felt by the packers to be prohibitive. say prohibitive because one large packer, Skinner and Eddy, have al ready withdrawn from the field by selling at big sacrifice all of their holdings to Harris Go. There can be only one answer to the sale unablt to make fair return on the money ipvrs ed.
 N mattet by whom a proposal be made to increase taxes 1t should be htrne ip mlId that the support of the pcpulace. and the business con cerns of Alaska dcp,nds upon the gold and fishing industries for their ex.steEct and these two industries 'uinlsh 60 per cent of our Territorial reA enues, 50 issy again let eeoromy te the wat"h word.
 The c yerrnIent experiment at Na.anuska is costing the Territory 31J coo q year to provide schc)ling ard bus tfanSp and the ad- ditiapal schools that will he required
 :, care for the children of the Gov efnnicnt employees at the Gcvein- mcnt Air bases at FairbankG. An- chorage, Eitka ard Annette Island. will run another $200,0c0 I mention these things as they a.e necessary addit cnal eYpenditu es seldcn giyel th ught hy the average per on.
 would suggest that the pane 2 Of A)aek7 start Q eseomnaior of en'iqht- enment and publicity of the Miners Association resolution, So that tie voters of the respective divisions be al cused to impress upcn their repre- septatives and Serators the nee.s- sity Of having the Territcry operat- cd upon balanced budget, whcse revenue bill should be left substan- tially as 1t is now
 The National defense emergency program can have one aftermath hard times. Lets keep Alaska sol- vent by program of pay as ycu go.
 AN ALASKAN
 P. s. I have owned small busi- ness here and paid taxes fer ever 27 years.