The Daily Alaska empire., 1947-03-26

(ConGnued J7om Pdge one during this session of Congress, i the Alaska act should pass.
 Senator Cochran swung in behind the bill after he was assured that it would replace, not pile on top of the present Federal and Terri { torial license structures.
 Other Senators had been pivot ing upon the fact that the pro- posed Alaska law would not take Ieffect until Congress had acted 4 to repeal the Federal statute. and Bartlett's optimistic reply, as read by Senator Rivers, brought them in line. As Senator John Butro- vich, Jr., put it: He had looked ion the measure as only a prayer bill"
 Broadens Base
 Rivers summed up his closing re- marks with the statement that, al- ] though s. B. 32 woud bring in the least additional revenue-an estimated $300,O00 per year--of the three bills he. and Walker had in- troduced,- it is an important mea- sure because it broadens the base business tax and makes it apply equally to all occupations, taking in big-time Army contractors and others now not reached by the Territory's taxes. It would tap those who have added to the Territory's burdens. but have con- tributed nothing in revenues.
 Though the license tax bill was recalled from the House for amendment, it's advocates last night were considering stand against having the measure run the Senate gauntlet second time. Strategy might dictate that amend ment of the measure should be left. to the House Especially is that so because Senator Cochran took execution to a view of mining industry lobbyist Al Anderson that the miners should not feel put out if required to pay both the one half percent gross of s. B. 82 and the graduated net tax of S. B. 32.
 Is "Thc Tax"
 Cochran held that the mining industry should be entirely eXclud- ed from the provisions of s. B. 82, since the net mining levy was passed with the understanding that it would be the tax" on that industry.
 One other major tax measure occupying the attention of the Senate Tuesday afternoon was the Finance Committees substitute for Senator Gunnard Engebreth's s. B. II, levying taxes on proeessed fish in addition to those now on the statutes.
 The Substitute bill adopted by the Senate knocked out all added axes Engebreth had proposed on frozen, mild cured and salted fish, and in addition Topped canned salmon levies down from 48 cents to 24 cents per case, on red and pink salmon respectively, to 12 cents and 8 cents. As soon as the substitute bill came up on second reading, Senator Cochran moved to amend the added can- ned salmon levies down another notch, to 10 cents and 4 cents per case.
 Emergency Levy
 Cochran outlined the origin of the added case tax as g wartime emergency levy to replace terri torial revenues lost by the sus- pension of gold mining. It took up the slack then, he said, and has been held over as long as war time market conditions persisted Now, however, he continued, canned salmon is entering back into a competitive market in which war time prices will not be received jvery much longer and it is not good business to jeopardize the in- dustry that is the Territory's prin- cipal revenue source and economic mainstay.
 ! Cochran called for w. c. Arnold Managing Director of the Alaska Salmon Industry, Inc, and the spokesman for the industry in gen. eral Arnold backed up Cochran's statements and further indicated that the postwar competitive sit uation for Alaska salmon may not be as good as the pre-war, as many other canned food products have received great stimulus from tho war and will be in the new mar ket in large volume.
 Time Has Come
 Arnold said he frankly thinks l the time has come when some other occupation should be called upon to bear larger degree O. the Territorys tax burden, espec ially if the functions of the terri torial government are going t continue to expand.
 There is no indication, he said that canned salmon production costs are not going up in 1947, ye there is every indication that th'