The Daily Alaska empire., 1948-12-20

ms IS your OIllCldI IlUJlllCd- ion thereof. The Session is being alled specifically to enable the legislature to consider and pass .uch revenue measures as will be .equired to correct the distressed condition of the treasury, pay the laims now in arrears for school, welfare, health and other author zed purposes and defray the cost of Territorial government.
 Reason For Call
 The Governors reasons for call- ng a special session and not waiting or action at the regular session re as follows:
 First, the present situation un- Ter which three-quarters of mil ion dollars worth of legitimate laims against the Territorial Treasury go unpaid because of lack Jf revenues is certain to become worse if action on revenue measures s allowed to be deferred, as ex-. lerience indicates it always has jeen, until the very end of the reg liar session in March;
 Second, the individuals, business oncerns, municipalities and school listricts having claims against the ferritory will in many instances ace extreme hardships if payment not forthcoming quickly as is testified by numerous telegrams md letters received by this office md all Territorial agencies;
 Third, the public spirited in- iividuals and companies which ad- anced loans without interest to he University of Alaska to per- nit it's operation deserve to be re- paid as promptly as possible,
 Income Tax Tinted
 Fourth, because of the immed- ate need for revenue, start jhould be made as early as possi- )le on the withholding from salaries and wages of a Territorial Income Tax if that method of taxation, which has been proposed, should oe adopted by the legislature;
 Fifth, the taxpayers of Alaska should be informed as early as lossible in the year of the new tax payments which will be expected rom them and not be made to wait until a quarter of the year has passed before receiving this in- formation which has so direct a bearing on business plans;
 Revenues vs. Appropriations
 Sixth, the legislature. itself, should know what the tax revenues of the Territory are likely to be n the coming biennium before considering appropriation requests 1t the regular session;
 Seventh, more productive study probably can be given to the ,evenue requirements of the Terri .ory in session devoted exclusive ly to that purpose than in the reg ular session where so many i'm portant matters will compete for the attention of the Legislature.
 Because mileage will be paid by the Federal government incident to the regular session, the expense to the Territory of Special Ses- sion will be greatly reduced.
 So that nc time need be lost in getting down to serious consid- eration of the pressing problem which confronts us, the Attorney General of Alaska will furnish for your consideration immediately up- on converting drafts of several pro- posed tax measures he has prepar- ed in his capacity as Legislative Council in response to requests from members of the Legislature. :"
 Proclamation
 The proclamation issued in con- junction with the call stated au- thority was vested in the Govern or of Alaska by Section of the Organic Act of Alaska, as amended by the Act of April IS, l940, Chap ter 1o5, Section l, 54 stat. III, 4S USCA Sec. "A.