The Daily Alaska empire., 1945-03-14
ARN0LD0N FISH TRAPS
 0N(EACA|N
Senate Holds Hearing on "Confiseafory" Trap
 Tax Bill


 canned salmon industry, delivered one of his bitter broadsides at House Bill No. 35 this forenoon when he appeared before the Territorial Sen- ate in his long accustomed role holding the bridge against legisla- ton intended to eliminate fish traps in Southeast Alaska waters.
 Some people, mainly those who only recently come among us, are so determined to cripple the salmon in- dustry that they are willing to run any chance-even to the extent of endangering the Territory's finances in order to accomplish their ends, MT. Arnold declared in his opening attack on the bill to regulate the use of fish traps under the cover of revenue legislation.
 He labelled the license fees lm- posed on traps, "confiscatory" and described the bill as an effort to circumvent acts of Congress and Fish and Wildlife Service regula- tions, by circuitous methods. It IS the intent of the authors of the bill. he said, to reduce or abolish the use of fish traps-and, he con- tinued, we are brought around again to the same old fight"-to seriously cripple those concerns that produce 60 per cent of Alaska's salmon pack and pay a proportionate share of the Territory's revenue.
 Industry Reasonable
 The canned salmon industry, MT. Arnold argued, does not like to pay taxes any better than anyone else, but recognizes that support of the Territory's government is to it's own benefit-and to that end, is willing, as long as it has the ability to pay, to assume even more than it's share of the tax burden-but, it objects to being put out of business at the same time.
 When Senator Don Carlos Brow nell asked: If taxes imposed by the bill were really "confiscatory' would not the industry still have recourse to the courts? MT. Arnold objected :; Surely we're not yet down to that!' Are we to come here after all these years and be confronted by Legis- lature that intends to drive us into the courts to protect our rights:
 Confiscatory Tax
 Questioned by Senator Frank Cor don as to which of the license taxes imposed by the bill would be con- fiscatory in nature, MT. Arnold re- piled that the top packet of sl,6OO per trap would surely be so and that the $900 bracket would be in many cases, depending on a good many conditions with relation to prices and production costs.
 Mir. Arnold was forced into the position of first witness to appear before the Senate, resolved into a Committee of the Whole for hearing on the bill. With Andrew Nerland appointed to hold the chair for the hearing, MT Arnold requested that he be afforded the usual opportunity accorded the defense of appearing after proponents of the bill had had their say. The bills packers, how ever, seemed wary of MT. Arnold's oft-demonstrated ability to puncture their best arguments. A motion by Senator Gordon that Rep. Warren A. Taylor, Third Division supporter of the bill, be heard following MT. Arnold, brought a ruling from the chair that all witnesses could have as many opportunities to testify be- fore the committee as they wished.
 Under those circumstances MT. Arnold came forward and opened his statement with the remark that he thought it unusual for opponents of the measure to have to prove them selves innocent.
 Hits Authors
 The salmon industrys representa- tive then took the proposed measure apart, section by section. First, he stated he was forced to assume that the authors of the bill, which was introduced by the House Fisheries Committee, must have come from the Third Division, since the meas ure made no effort to increase li- censes or otherwise regulate other than pile-driven or floating traps which are mainly used in Southeast