The Daily Alaska empire., 1946-03-07


 Government has been widely ap plauded and acclaimed.
 The difficulty, however, is tha many of our educational institu tions are already filled up to cap acity Tn many cases, they canno take care of the students who fee themselves legftimately entitled either by residence or otherwise, tt go to such institutions. The ap. licant from another State or Terri. tory is definitely excluded, Int returning Alaskan GI., looking fol fulfillment of his educational op. portunities, will be able to finc them, if at all, only in Alaska. Un- fortunately, he cannot get then here in Alaska, either. The limited facilities of our excellent University of Alaska near Fairbanks will bt crowded to capacity when the Fal term begins. What, then, is to be- come of our returning veterans who wish to take advantage of this edu- cational opportunity?
 The last regular session of the Legislature made provision for 2 survey of a southern branch oi the University of Alaska and that survey has been made, in pre- liminary way, despite the limited time available.
 The Southern branch of the Uni versity of Alaska is needed to take care of Alaskas higher educationa needs. For, although the University at College has served the needs oi northern Alaska admirably, it is too distant to serve the First Division with equal adequacy. Next, is the fact that many studies which are important to Alaska, such as the fisheries and forestry and other vo- cations related to the sea, cannot be successfully taught in the inter- for, but can be on the coast. Act ually, what is needed is provision at the earliest possible moment. for a Southern Branch of the Univer- sity and for such additional facil- ities as may be required for the Northern Branch.
 understand that the Board of Regents of the University, three ot whom are members of this Leeis- lature, have been called in meet ing for next Monady here ir Ju- neau, thus, happily, speeding the opportunity for constructive action
 Apprentice Training For
 Veterans
 Another item dealing with educa- tion for the returning veteran is the provision for apprentice train ing.
 Under the G. I. Bill of Rights the Federal government pays sub sistence to veterans while they are taking apprentice training. But the Act makes no provision for develop ing training programs nor super vision of the training of appren- tices. In the States and other Territories, this is taken care ot by their Departments of Education I deem it desirable, therefore, and recommend that after consultation with the Commissioner of Educa- tion, an appropriation be made for the purpose of employing at least two supervisors of apprentice train ing to work under the direction of the Commissioner of Education, to- gether with adequate funds for travel and the employment of nec- essary clerical and other assistance It is only in this way that we would be able to give our returning vet eranS a fair chance to secure well rounded apprentice training pro- grams.
 The great body of acts and stat utes steadily issuing from the cap itols of the States and other Terri tories indicate the interest and solic- itude which the legislative author ities of those areas have given the care and assistance of returning veterans. Alaskas page on this sub ject is blank. But the moment has come to write on that blank page, a stimulating and constructive chapter of our legislative history The op- portunity is here to do our part the part of the civilians who stayed at home-for those who went out made every possible sacrifice, gave up valuable years of their youth and now return to start life anew They did not fail us when the cal came Shall we fail them now?
 Financing The Program
 Now as to the revenue for taking care of such obligations. The de cision of how much money is to be needed rests with the Legislature. 4 sufficient variety of methods o1 raising revenue have been proposed in recent years, many of then sound and desirable, that thert should be no difficulty in choosing from them, although there remains always the problem of enactinl complex legislation in limited per. iod of time. Only one form of ta, seems to me definitely objectionabl' for reasons which I have stated il Imy previous messages-namely Z sales tax. A sales tax would fall almost wholly, upon the residen | 1a o,I acnocio1I,y th1.o .,.t,j