The Daily Alaska empire., 1946-03-11

important he going to allow himself to be used tc defeat his own bill?
 A good deal of time has gone into the preparation of the Walker Bill now under consideration by thC Senate. It is oo late to write another bill The author included in the bill the only practical means available for raising a fund for the veterans in the shortest possible time It is not sales tax It is truth fuy'a gross excise tax The Alaskan consumer would not shoulder all of the burden would the veteran The canned salmon industry, alone, in normal year would contribute quarter million dollars to the fund The fur industry and the mining industry and the numbering industry would also contribute.
 The consumer would pay also-but not alone-and we believe he not only wants to pay his share for the the veterans, but is obligated to do
 Any person. business or industry objecting to pay half-cent out of dollar, penny out of dollar for this fund hasn't any idea of what it means to give three four five years of your life in the front lines and in the service of your country.
 The consumer would have forms to fill out The merchant would have the simplest tax form yet devised There would be no tax tokens to deal with such as in the State of Washington in some one has told you that.
 This is the first tax that would also be paid partly by the transient and the tourist enjoying the benefits Alaska offers these people.
 II incorporated would the first legislation making the
 mail order houses outside pay tax all merchandise shipped into Alaska. And there is Supreme Court decision to back that statement up according to Judge Anthony J. Dmond
 The latest attempt to scutte the bill we overheard the other night from of our expert legislators He's trying bring the fishing industry into the fight by saying that halbut fishermen will land their catches outside of Alaska to avoid the tax. The price of halibut 13 cents pound. The tax would be about 65 cents per thousand pounds. What an outrage TOT the habut fisherman to suffer for the veteran! We believe they won't mind hauling up for G. l. Joe.
 This same legislator, incidentally introduced a gasoline tax which passed last session which is nothing but a sales tax of one cent on gallon which is actually a 10 per cent tax-not one-half of one per cent And we haven't heard the fishermen com blaming
 What the alternatives?
 | Bond the Territory All right, what does the veteran do in the meantime? In order to bond the Territory Congress must first give permission by amending the Organic Act That permission could be requested at this session And if Congress moves with more speed than is customary then by the time the next legislature meets next year could think about doing something for the veteran And isn't this sort of putting the payment off? The money must be raised sometime through taxation. Why not do it now While prosperity uOluS sway "'nP"yeA Q ability to pay may not be good five ten or twenty years from
 9 Pass an income tax. That again, is too late for this session It has been too late for the last three regular sessions And the cost of administration would eat up the funds collected and the money wouldn't come in ulril the end of the year when the taxpayer is in position to know how much his income is It would also far more paper work on the part of the merchant.
 g. Property tax It wouldn't raise enough to pay for the appraisal of the property and that also would take long long time, too long for the veteran who needs help
 4 Write another bill, under which the Territory would pay the extra per cent of the loans secured under the Federal G. I. Bill of Rights so the Alaska veteran could take advantage of that act Again-it is too late for another bill Also it would mean that the Territory subsdizng its banks Also the amount of loans provided under the Federal bill is inadequate for Alaska. Also actually per cent would still be paid on the loans and the Federal government limits the interest to per cent.
 It seems to us the answer is clear. We want to see the veteran get something out of this session. We despise the attempts that have been made to sdetrack the legislation and to promote dssentlon in the veterans organization.
 The veterans of Anchorage and Ketchikan have endorsed the Walker Bill it stands through their organizations. If the veterans of Juneau and Fair banks take positive action-ttat should settle the matter.
 otio,,h oa.Ic