The Daily Alaska empire., 1947-03-04
SENATE WIPES OFF CALENDAR IN LONG MEET
fConrinuec rom Page OneJ


 though consenting that the Sen ate procede with other business until the absentees appeared. When they did, the tablng was complet- cd by 10 to majority.
 One other bill bit the dust dur ing the evening the l947 rewrite cf the new familiar "Prospectors Aid Act''-H B. 10. Wearing a do not pass" from Finance, that mea- sure was speedily subjected to the indignity of indefinite postpone ment The vote was to 5.
 Receiving similar short treat nent was S. B. 20, a request bill introduced by Walker proposing creation of a Territorial Library Board and the establishment of an Uniform Library System-blessed with an appropriation of sl00000. Sponsor Walker, refusing to let his measure be cast aside without at least a try, pleaded that it at least be read and finally lapsed into an T did, you didn't" argument with Senator Don Carlos Brownell, the mover of indefinite postpone ment. The bill was tossed out by a P to tally.
 Compilation Bill Passed
 Topping the measures passed was af the Laws measure. s. B. 31 It was passed along, with its S50,000 ap- propriation intact, but not before an amendment was written in over author Cochran's objections to boost the cost of the proposed three-volume set to S3750 from $50. Senator Gunnard Engebreth had previously failed by 'one vote of begging the price at $45
 Also passed-and for the second time by the Senate-was H. B. 2l, which has followed the stormiest course of any measure this session. Its first passage was rescinded to erase an amendment made in er- TOT; following which the bill was picked apart, scrambled and final ly kicked hack to committee for an overhaul. It came out again, re- typed in practically it's original form and last evening the dis mantling process was started again.
 Eyemnfiap Sfrieke,,
 The bill would require that bids be called for on all contracts, for either materials or services to be purchased by a territorial agent, wherever the total amount hits $250. Senator Coffey battled right down the line against a provision eXempting professional services and last night, for the second time had that provision stricken. Coffeys success was followed by Rivers at tempting to heave the bill "out the window but pleas that it still had some merit left carried it through to repeat passage
 With the exception of S. B 43, and a trickle of memorials. most other measures acted upon by the Senate during the afternoon and evening had to do with digging trash out of current laws so that they may present spic and span faces to the re-codifiers.
 Chester Reimbursed
 $. B. 43, is reimbursement bill introduced by Walker. It would pay back S428.7l to Ut. Comdr Edward P Chester, Naval Aide to the Gov ernor, for out of pocket expenses during the time he spent in Seattle and Portland for the purpose of clearing food vessels to Alaska while regular shipping was strike bound last fall and early winter.
 Comdr Chester was subjected to some quizzing before his bill was okayed. Senator Coffey wanted to know why it was necessary for the Legislature to act before the of ficer could be paid back from the Governors Emergency Fund; also Senator Joe Green wanted to know why the Alaska Development Board had not seen fit to pay his way, since it had been liberal with it's money for other agencies.
 Pay Bill Returned
 Taken up briefly by the Sena- tors yesterday afternoon, S. B. 6l, was turned back to committee for more study after couple of tries at amending it bring the Supervis- Communications Commission up to pay par with ajor department heads. The bill proposes to set a uniform top pay bracket of S7,500 per year for territorial administra- tors. The Commissioner of Veter- ans Affairs, left off the original list at that figure, was written in over objections. He is now drawing S8 coo In establishing a uniform salary scale, the bill would cut the pay of the Development Board Manager and the Commissioner of Health also, except that there is an escape clause letting boards go
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