The Wrangell sentinel., 1943-04-02
lTBlR0UGlH TH1B SENTINEL PEIRISGOPB
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Alaska's Legislature staggered to. a aalt last Thursday night. the sen- a,e at I0:56 and the House at lIsI2. while 50,O0u taxpayers. had they known, would have stood up ana eheered. lOne Of the reasons most of the taxpayers didn't know can best be explained by this exam pie. Empire. Juneau Associated Press representative, filed the clos ing dispatches at IU:25 D. n. last Thursday, about the time the law makers were about to say sine die. At D. h. Friday night, nearly 24I hours later, the dispatches reached The Sentinel Fia the Alaska Com munications System. But, it's war brother, so don't blame the Army. nose boys have d bigger job to uo.5 Reason taxpayers would have ,naered and probably are by new isl the fact that the lawmakers, may tueir souls rest in peace, didn't do much 10 the average taxpayers pocket book, Hat as it is in the com mon cause of freedom. Mindful Of 1t, the Legislaturs hung the bur den on the fish pack and called it a day. True, they Droadened the school tax base by raising the age. limit on taxpayers to 55 and in oIuded income making women and raised the income Of teachers 25 Der cent, most of the latter burden which will fall on municipalities. Aside from these measures, there was little legislation aimed at the average Alaskan's poeketbook.
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 The whiskey bill, to raise the ex- isce on that liquor loo per cent, was passed by both houses only to. die iu Tree conference committee in the final hours. Liquor remains the same.
 Despite the legislative fear that the Governor was going to elimin- ate the Department of Labor b5 Vetoing the appropriation for that department included in the general appropriation bill, after having fail- ed to sign a special appropriation Tor the department, the Chief Ez- ecutiYe put his stamp of approval OH the entire bill which calls for an appropriation for the biennium of $I,335,S61, a reduction from S4,- 4a6,932 appropriated for the last F up $33,S00 for the Department of Labor, leaving the Commissioner salary at s3,600, despite the effort tJ boost it to S5,00O as other Ter lltorial department heads get. In yUtOing the special appropriation for the department which would have given the Commissioner S5,- Quo, the Governor said Walter S.arpe had eampaigned for a $3,- 6U0 job and that's what he should get. In fact, the Chief Executive went a little stronger, adding that in view of the work the department would be caller upon % do, a cut of U CT 60 per cent would be more in keeping. The latter crack might have been inspired by personal ani- mostly.
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 Aside from teachers increase, which is a pro rata proposition, the experts are still figuring out, there was little increase along the line in general appropriations. The Treas urer's office was given an addition al $500 for carrying out the pro- visions of the new school tax act; Commissioner of Mines was giaen an extra s4,S0O for additional selp and was given s1O.000 for main taining the assey off1esc in Kstch- ikan and Nome. Road budget was trimmed down to $25O,000 as com pared with S600,00O two years ago, one of the biggest cuts. Eagle boun- ty was dropped entirely, aside from enough to pay oft on the bountiesI already owing. Pioneers Home was