The Daily Alaska empire., 1947-02-18
$75,ooo FOR PLANE HUNTS
 VOTED DOWN
Measure fo Require s. 800 Bond for Policemen
 Is Passed by House

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 The economy forces went to work in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon to put down a bill which would have appropriat- ed S75,000 to finance searches for lost airplanes. The bill was killed 13 to 10 with one absent
 Introduced by Rep. McCutcheon of Anchorage, the measure would have set up the fund to be admin istered by the Alaska Aeronautics and Communications and it went down to defeat only after consid- erable floor debate when it appear ed for third reading.
 Rep. McCutcheon read a letter supporting the bill from the Arc tic Prop Busters Club of Anchor age, told of narrowing experiences of lost aviators and spoke of the "smug attitude of the members who spoke of economy.
 Rep. Nolan pointed out that there is a statute on the books to provide for searches for lost persons and that only small por- tion of the appropriation for that purpose was expended during the past biennium.
 Rep. Egan said that there are sev- eral Armed Forces rescue units in Alaska, while Rep. Laws pointed out that the Territory spent a mil lion dollars more than it took in last year and that is is time to get down to business"
 Two Bills Passed
 Two bills were passed by the House during the afternoon session 10th to amend present laws. H. B. 58, by Rep. Ost, amends the law authorizing ministers or priests to perform marriage ceremonies by de- lining the terms minister" and priest" and was passed by a 22-1 vote.
 H. B. 62, by Rep. McCutcheon, would amend the law by requiring that police officers in Alaska, ex- cept U. S. Marshals and their deputies, be under bond of S2500 each. This bill was pushed into a third reading by suspension of the rules and passed by 1924 vote.
 Efforts to have the maximum monthly benefits to be paid under the old age assistance program set at $60, as at present, or raised to only S65, instead of the SIS pro- vided in H. B. ', were defeated by close margins when the bill was in second reading.
 Rep. Edward Anderson made an impassioned plea for additional funds to help the poor pioneers who helped to open this country The dollar has lost much of it's purchasing power, he said, and was reminded by Speaker Gill that there alsf aren't as many dollars in the Territorial Treasury as there once were.
 Amend Labor Bill
 H. B. 24, to amend the law re- garding the powers of the Commis- sioner of Labor and detailing pro- cedure for collection of wage claims, was somewhat amended in second reading.
 Two portions of the bill which would have given the Commissioner the authority to hold hearings to satisfy himself as to the justice Of any claim and to compel the pro- auctions of papers, books, accounts, records and payrolls as such hear ings, were removed from the bill. Labor Commissioner Henry Benson appered before the House to ex- plain some of the features of the bill which, he said, would make wage collections easier.
 A new bill, H. B. 66, by Reps. Hoopes and Meath, was introduced and would amend the laws of Alaska by setting the legal rate of interest at six instead of eight percent.
 Rep. Robert Hoopes, whose birth day was yesterday, was presented during the afternoon session with a sizeable megaphone Rep. Maurice Johnson made the presentation speech.
 Former Representative Fred Han ford of Wrangell was greeted by former colleagues and new members and was extended the privilege of the floor during his stay in Juneau.