The Daily Alaska empire., 1945-03-15

IllGdoQlC, IlC odtu.
 Immediately after Gov. Gruenlnl quit the floor, the Committee o the Whole arose. Back in regula session, the Senate heard commit tee reports and voted acceptance o two memorials passed by the House It then adjourned until 10 o'clocl this morning without giving further consideration to the fish trap ta, bill
 The two House measures accepted for consideration by the Senate were. House Joint Memorial No 4 relating to filing on mining claims where assessment work has been il default, and House Joint Memorial No. g, opposing measure now be- fore Congress for unrestricted immi- grafton into Alaska of people oi Finnish descent who have served honorably in the armed forces.
 Arguments Today
 After spending all day yesterday listening to outsiders express theil views on House Bill No 35, Alaska s Senators took their turns on the floor of the upper chamber this forenoon.
 Quick action suspended the rules tc advance the measure from second into third reading, by unanimous consent. Senator Gordon complain ed that the action was, indeed, so speedy that he was shut out from proposing contemplated amend ment to the excess fish" levy. His motion to have the bill re-connn1itted for amendment was defeated.
 Senator Walker opened the round robin of discussion that preceded if nal vote on the bill. He stigmatized as dangerous new influences lately creeping into Alaska, declaring they are advocated by a group that sub scribe to school of thought which he does not like. That school, he said, is against all who have made money yet capital has been our greatest producer and, if properly regulated, will continue still to pro duce wealth.
 Senator Whaley followed with the comment that: This bill would set termites to work on the one post holding up the Territorys financial structure" Senator Shattuck urg- ed, If we keep our heads level, we can get by this next biennium with out going into the red without placing an undue burden on the sal- mon industry"
 Special Privilege"
 Senator Joe Green was the first solon to take the floor in support of the bill. He attacked the special privilege" now controlling the own ership of traps, declaring there is no property right on trap sites. The in dustry should be made to pay for it's special privileges" he declared Un- der the proposed bill the Territory would be merely exercising newly uncovered taxing rights. He estimat- ed that with traps continuing to be held as they are now, the increas- ed levies would return to the Terli- tory nearly a million dollars during the next biennium.
 Senator H. H. McCutcheon rose to wax poetic with reference to his Is years in the Legislature of Alaska then, turned to launch an implica- ticn that some members of the op- position to the bill had been bought eff. Senator Brownell reasoned that no evidence had been offered to support the contention that the measure would put canneries out of business. He delved into the history of all sections of the world when first op- ened to development. declaring that monopolies are ever built up during the early days of new countries, but that the time always comes when they must be gradually broken up in the public interest. He pointed to the Hudson Bay Company for illus tration. Such monopolies have a purpose to accomplish in the begin- ming, he continued, but by and by people come to believe that they do not advance the equitable distri- button of natural resources-then they insist on change. That time has now come with regard to the sal mon industry trap monoply, he avowed. Traps are doled out by a bureau - there is no competitive bidding for the sites nor general opportunity to secure them.
 Corporations Powerful
 The big corporations are well able to defend themselves, it is to the Legislature to defend the rights of the people, he concluded.
 Senator Collins said he agrees with Governor Gruening that a good sol ution to the ever-present trap prob- 1 lem might be for the Territory tC take them over but that all he could 1 see in the present bill was another attempt by the have nots" to take away from the hayes He voiced strong objection to the wide regula- tory powers the bill would give the Commission it would set up-declar- ing that putting the issuing of tray l licenses wholly within the discre. tion of the Commission could wei open a great chance for politics ane l praft''