The Wrangell sentinel., 1944-01-07

 1t seems highly probable that a formula could be readily worked out which would give Alaska as a state much more money for roads than it ever had as a territory, and yet not impose an undue burden upon the state treasury.
 Alaska now supports it's schools and takes care of the usual con 1 tributions required of all states and l territories without distinction under the various soial security laws. and l Alaska also maintains an efficient. l if relatively inexpensive, territorial government within the limits of its authority as a territory and it would seem that the advent of state hood would not necessarily increase our financial responsibility in those respects.
 Taxes
 The yearly revenue of the terri torial government at this time is roughly about $2,00O,OOO. This rev. enue is derived from a system of taxation-if it can be called a sys- tem-that is primitive beyond any comparison to be found elsewhere in the nation. No one can justly say that by any ordinary standards our tax burden is now a heavy one. Since Alaska is a frontier country it is highly desirable that taxes be kept just as low as is consistent with the public welfare. So much productive labor must be done in any frontier country to bring the wilderness in subiection that spec : ial attention should be given to the problem of keeping taxes to a min imum. But that desiderabum must have been in the minds of all the copies of all tn e territories when they considered statehood, and yet they deliberately. and I believed rightly, embraced in each instance the proposal to be- come a state. Alaska, in my iudg- ment, not only without oppression but easily and readily, and in com plete harmony with the maxim of low taxes for frontier countries can secure enough additional local revenue to undertake the burdens of statehood. As indicated above, the additional revenue required to main- tain state government, as I calcu- late it, would be around $2,OOO,OO0. suggest that Alaska as a state at this time can maintain itself for a. bout $4,000,000 a year. This would make necessary the raising annually aF C
 paid into the treasury of the terri tOrial government. Under a scien- tific tax system, a tax income of $4,00O,000 yearly, fairly and eQuit- ably distributed can be secured without difficulty and without im- posing any painful tax burden. It HOW seems regrettable that the Ter ritorial Legislature in 1889 failed to pass a suitable income tax law, for with such law in existance we would beyond doubt have the finan- cial means right now to undertake state government.
 "Taxes For Civilization" After all, it is to be remembered, as the late Justice Holmes so well said, Taxes are the price we pay for civilization" Surely the logical development and extension in Alas ka of our system of free govern ment may justly be called a part of that intangible thing for which we use the word civilization"
 As throwing some light upon our ability to maintain a state govern maOt it nav ha worth UhfIo fo ;u quire as to the amount spent yearly in Alaska for alcoholic liquor, both in pre-war days and at the present time. I suggest that anyone who is really interested secure the reveal ing information on this subject. While it is true that a substantial part of the revenue of the Territory is derived from tthe distribution and sale of alcoholic liquor, surely 1t is not unreasonable to suggestt that the citizens of Alaska are willing to pay a much greater price for that part of their civilization which is necessarily embraced in that pro- posed extension of free government which is called a State than is paid for some material thing such as al- coholic liquor which at it's best can be classed as a luxury.
 As bearing upon the ability of Alaska to sustain a reasonable tax assessment, attention may properly be given to the commerce between Alaska and the States. Indisputable public records show. that the aver age total yearly commerce between Alaska and the States, both inbound