The Daily Alaska empire., 1943-01-27

The complete message of Gov. Ernest Gruening, delivered this afternoon to the Alaska Territorial Legislature at a joint session of the House and Senate, is as fol- lows
 we meet under unprecedented conditions. Alaska is the Western Hemisphere's only fighting front, the only part of America which is in direct contact with the enemy. Challenging as is it's present situ- ation, our Territory will play an even more important and decisive part in the days to come. Alaska, too, has a rendezvous with des- tiny.
 Winning the war is Americas s prime task It overshadows all other assignments. And while the responsibility for the actual con- duct of the war belongs primarily to certain agencies of the Federal Government, duty and responsibil- ity likewise attach to every part and b-division of government Federal, State or Territorial, and local--to cooperate in the war ef- fort and to contribute their maxi mum to victory In this, the first total war of modern times, every one is involved. Every item of our national resources, human and ma terial, must be enlisted.
 All-Out Type of War
 The conduct of this all-out type of war has two aspects: on the one hand, we must overcome the enemy on land. on sea and in the air-this our armed forces are now engaged in doing, and here in AL aska, too, they are willingly assist ed by the civilian population which has volunteered for varied duties with the Territorial Guard, the Civilian Defense organizations and other auxiliary services. On the other hand, we must meet the assault of totalitarianism and dic- tatorship by demonstrating through actions, that we can and will make democracy work. This last is pre- cisely the task of those assembled here. You are meeting in the Am erican way, the elected represen- tatives of a free people, bound only by laws enacted by consent of the governed, subject only to rules of your own making. and for the next sixty days you have be- fore you the task of maintaining as best you know how, our demo- cratic institutions within Alaska.
 Tt is time for laying aside petty differences, personal and po- litical animosities; for the submer- gence of selfish interests; for clear headed and full-hearted devotion, for patriotism of deeds rather than of words, for action It is a time for greatness
 May Face Deficit
 "The Territory may face sub stantial deficit before the end of the coming biennium. The Terri torial Treasurer's estimate of pro- bable receipts is $2,892 300 which is diminution from his fairly accu- rate estimate of two years ago by S954 300 and reduction from the actual receipts of this past bien- nium of $1,824,28734. The reasons for this foreshadowed decrease in revenue are familiar to all of us: the mining of gold, a commodity not essential to the prosecution of the war, has been suspended for the duration except in the few in- stances where its extraction is ac- companied by the recovery of stra- tegic minerals; and salmon pack ing, our largest industry, is like wise curtailed owing to transpor- tation difficulties, labor and equip ment shortages incidental to the war. These two industries have been the chief sources of Territorial revenue
 Since the responsibility for meeting this situation belongs to the Legislature, I would like to suggest that it make it's own care full appraisal of probable or pos sible revenues. In going over the estimates presented to the Legis- lature by the Board of the Budget, the Territorial Treasurer and l were both aware that in a num- Der of instances the estimate of revenues from a given source could not be much more than approxi- mate. For instance, we know that even with the unanimous desire of everyone concerned with the sal- mon industry-management, labor, governmental secure the largest possible pack because of the na- tional need for increased food pro- duction, it is nevertheless impos- sible to foretell what effect t h c military situation may have on transportation facilities, on the re-