The Daily Alaska empire., 1947-02-06
SENATE CLASSES FORTIFIED WINE
 AS HARD LIQUOR
Large Supplemental Ap- propriafion for Schools
 Is Approved


 Fortified wines, declared by Sen ator N. R. Walker to be, in his opinion, worse than other liquor you can drink were handed a jolt by the Alaska Senate this morning.
 Under consideration was Senator Tolhert Scott's measure-S. B. 15- designed to give general boost to liquor levies. Walker moved to amend the measure so that any beverage containing more than 2l percent of alcohol by volume would be classed as hard liquor. The ] territorial tax on hard liquor is proposed to be hiked from S2 to S3 per gallon.
 i At present, beverages containing g percent or less of alcohol are classed as wines and are taxed 15 cents per gallon; though S. B. IS would raise that levy to 25 cents. The other tax boost contained in the bill is on malt beverages; from five cents to 10 cents per gallon.
 Amendment Adopted
 The Walker amendment aimed at fortified wines found general fav- or and was adopted by B to 2 vote, but at the request of Senator Edward D. Coffey, the bill was con- . [ itN n 1 tain the revenue increase that might be expected to derive from it.
 Also considered in amendment stage by the Senate this morning was Walkers s. B. 13, which would , amend the Veterans Act to termin- ate the Veterans Tax on March 3l :, 1939, instead Of at such time as the Veterans Fund reaches three and quarter million dollars as now provided.
 Walker explained that his pur pose is to keep the tax in effect until the Legislature is next again in session At the present rate of receipts. the tax would otherwise automatically terminate about Octo- ber 1948, he said he had been ad- vised
 Exemption Retained ; Another amendment to the pres ent law, proposed by Senator Don Carlos Brownell, was defeated It would have stricken the exemption from tax of exports sold in foreign countries. Brownell said he under stood that three-fourths of the can red salmon pack goes to foreign countries.
 Walker, however, cited an opin- ion by the Attorney General that deletion of the clause would render ] the act unconstitutional. He also advised that though major DOT ton of tke salmon pack may be destined for foreign countries. al mtst the entire pack is sold first to domestic brokers and is sub ject to the tax
 Walkers motion to advance the : bill for passage was objected to by Sentor Coffey
 The Senate did pass one measure in yesterday afternoons session: s. iB. 8, appropriating slightly in ex- cess of s282,o00 for support of the schools during the remainder of the current biennium. No Immediate Need Passage followed an extended quizzing of Commissioner of Edu- cation James c. Ryan during yes- terday's afternoon session. When, after lunch, the measure was ad- vanced for passage without amend ment, only Senator o. D. Coch- ran voted against enaction. He ad- vised that there is no immediate necessity that the act be passed and that it should be held for conference with the Board of Edu- cation when that body meets later this month.
 It was the general sentiment, however, that nothing the Board could say would alter the need for this supplemental appropriation which already is obligated.
 Five more measures came out of committee yesterday afternoon and this morning: SIR. l, S.B. IA, and s. B. 18, which are one today's cal endar in that order, and s. B. l6 and s. B. g.
 SUR. and S.B. IA received a do pass" from Finance while that committee reported s. B. IS with out recommendation" Chairman Joe Green not concurring. SB. l6 was reported by Judiciary without recommendation" today and was sent to Finance. Amendment of S. B. g to delete the appropriation was recommended by Judiciary and that amendment was adopted by the Senate.
 Clarifies Old Statute
 s. B. g, dealing with annual leave and sick leave of territorial em- ployees was explained by Judiciary