The Daily Alaska empire., 1947-02-24
LEGISLATIVE TANGLE0VER
 SENATE BILL
Question of Legal Posses. sion of Administrator
 General Bill on Friday

the Senate over Committee Suhstl- ute for Senate Bill l-the bill to create the office of Administrator General-oceupied the attention oi the House during a considerable part of it's forenoon session today.
 The question al issue was: Who had the bill on Friday afternoon, when the Senate took second vote on the measure following a move for reconsideration by Senator Enge- Lreth.
 The bill originally passed the Senate Friday forenoon and was transmitted to the House during the afternoon and was referred by Speaker Gill to the Committee on Judiciary and Federal Relations Rep. Maurice Johnson, chairman Of that committee, opened the discus sion of the matter on the House floor this morning by inquiring about the bill. Although it had been referred 10 his committee, he said. he had not yet seen it.
 Speaker Oscar Gill called Rep Hoopes to take the chair while he explained the situation.
 After the House adjourned on Friday. the Speaker said the Sen ate decided to reconsider it's vote on the bill and requested the House to return it. No action could be taken by the House and the Clerk of the House refused to relinqulsh the bill until the Speaker was called by phone and gave his per mission to return it to the Senate.
 Gill apologies
 Tt was one of the dumbest things I ever did, and I apologize to the House for my action" the Speaker said. He went on to point out that the Senate was en- tirely out of order and had obtain ed the bill illegally.
 The Senate tried to make mon keys out of the House, but after this I am going to try to use my head" Gill finished.
 Rep. Maurice Johnson supported Speaker Gill and said that he would vote against a motion to &C., cede to the Senate's request for the return of the bill.
 Rep. McCutcheon's charge that this whole thing smacks of crook ed work" brought sharp response from Johnson.
 Since Speaker Gill and l are the only ones who have spoken on this matter, I assume that MT. McCutcheon is speaking of us. If he is trying to insult me, he is wasting his time If he is gentle man, he wouldn't try; if he isn't a gentleman, he couldn't insult me
 Vote No, Then Yes
 The House voted first not to &C., cede to the Senate request for the return of the bill; then to request that the Senate return the bill to the House in the same condition as it was passed Friday morning, and finally, after Senate President Andrew Nerland appeared to ex- plain the situation, it voted to re- turn the bill to the Senate.
 The whole matter was "one ir regularity after another" Senator Nerland said, but explained that a rev procedure has been adopted to prevent reoccurrenoe of the fiasco.
 The House this morning passed by a vote of Is to 4, with ? absent, II J. B l6, requesting the con- Struction of a railroad from Prince George, B. c. to Anchorage and another railroad from Fairbanks to Nome, thus giving large section of the Territory direct rail con- nection with the States.
 Fishermen's Licenses
 H B 59, by Rep Vukovich, which would amend the present Territorial law on fishermen's licenses by plac- ing all hook and line fishermen il4Qtl lllt f1Nl, llloNSdQ Oi Oiliy SlOil- CTS, as at present, was considered in second reading. A new provis- ion contained in the present bill would make it unlawful for any persons, association or corporation "to purchase fish offshore or on- shore caught or carried by any boat, barge or other equipment from any fisherman or fisherman's agent un- less and until all fishermen, in whatever capacity, constituting the personnel of such boat or other facility have procured and hold ap- proprite fishermen's licenses"
 An amendment was offered this morning to increase the license tax on on-resident hook and line fish, ermen to Sl00, but the bill was referred back to committee for re- vision before action was taken on the amendment.
 Might Drive Sales Away
 Since the bill under consideration would make licenses applicable to all hook and line fishermen in- cluding halibut fishermen, some observers see in it a threat to the Alaska halibut and blackcod trade. Both Washington and Brit ish Columbia halibut vessels would apparently have to secure licenses before selling their catches in Alas ka, it was pointed out, and under