The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1948-11-23

lex, Labor member of the commits
sion and active in CLIO labor affairs
in Ketchikan and throughout AL
aska. not only upheld the opinion
of the UCC board but added that
he felt Experience Rating is here
to stay" Moore went on to say
that he did not feel that Mr.. zor-
lex and many others had locked
into the matter as thoroughly as
might be necessary for complete
understanding of the rather tech
nical ramifications of experience
rating.
Moore said that the ATT of l. had
already spent several thousand dol
lars in legal fees and expenses to
file the original suit which he said
was based on what seemed to me
and many of our organization as
rather flimsy evidence when there
was much stronger evidence avail
able"
wv NV wa -f-'-NO
Il am not making any accusa-
tions," Moore continued. But I do
feel that my organization went into
this matter rather prematurely up
on advice which may have been in
spired by political feeling active at
the time. tThe suit was filed in the
summer of 1947 and a decision
handed down in the summer OF
l948. Judge Anthony Dimond based
his decision upon violation of the
Organic Act and found the amend
ment invalid. Several big business
firms with interests in Alaska fought
the case, and have appealed it to
the Appellate Court in San Fran
cisco.) l was not Executive Secre-
tary of the Aft of L at the time the
| suit was filed but I, with others
who had studied the matter rather
thoroughly and had gone to disinter-
ested sources for advice, argued
against such a suit being filed, UNI
til more preparation was made.
have in my files evidence that the
UCC first prepared an amendment
based on the New York plan before
that plan was amended in the state
legislature of l948. The amendment
which the UCC finally did introduce
and which passed by the Territorial
Legislature in 1947 this is the
amendment icing questioned and
found invalid by Dimond) appears
to have been written in such a way
that the sum of annual percentage
decline in relation to the credit
class lin the second plan or revised
amendment) gives higher proper
ton of credit to a special group
possibly big business"
TWO PLANS OUTLINED
1.-THE two plans, as outlined in
booklets prepared by the UCC for
International purposes during the
1947 session of the Territorial Legis-
lature, were sent to Nelson Cruik-
shank, Director, Social Insurance
Activities of the AF of L in Wash
iington, D. c.. many months ago, =
Moore stated. I'm regard to this
obvious change between booklet one
and booklet two there are other
changes but 1 do not want to write
a book on this subject at this time)
| Mr.. Cruikshank states in report
written for my office:
ct is quite clear from the above
table that much higher proportion
of employers qualify for the pre-
ferred credit class under Plan 2
| booklet a."
Moore winds up his statement
with the following: II am aware
that many rumors circulated during
introduction, passage and later ques-
tioning of passage of this amend
ment. am aware that one OF those
1umors stated that money changed
hands in order to insure the change
which seems to benefit preferred
class. / also am aware that the bill
was rumored to have been intro
duced, after the Governor OF Alaska
recommended such an amendment
/! in his message to the joint session
of the 1947 Legislature, to serve to
j inspire introduction of tax bills. All
this is of little importance. What is
of Importance at this time is that
peither my organization in Alaska
nor the AF of L nationally favors
experience rating certainly
not in Alaska at this time
SHELVE THE CASE
The statement released by Mr.
Moore added that he would be glad
to discuss the matter with any and
all interested parties and hoped
that the entire subject would be
[ temporarily shelved until the COM
ing session of the Territorial Legis-
lature
The suit was originally filed in
the name of FELTON, Griffin, An
chorage Baptist minister and Presi-
dent of the ATT of l. when the ac-
ton was taken. The UCC was the
defendant and several intervenors
are listed on the bill OF complaint
| Members of the Executive Board