The Daily Alaska empire., 1949-02-08
L0BBY BILL ! IEAppRovED
 BY SENATOR'S
By BOB DeARMOND

trcduced in the House by Rep. Alfred A. Owen, Jr., and passed unanimously by the House. was also approved by the Senate this morning, although it ran into some l stiff opposition there. The Sen- ate vote was l0-6.
 The Bill raises the license fees 1or lobbyists and sets higher fee
 for non resident tian for resident lobbyists.
 The present license fee for lobby l ists is $5, regardless of residence. H. E. 5, passed by the Senate this morning, sets basic fee of $10 for resident lobbyists and Sl00 for nonresident lobbyists. Residents will pay an additional fee of $5 Flor each nonresident contributor who is to be represented by the resident counsel or agent. Nonresident lobbyists will pay an additional fee of $25 for each l nonresident contributor represent ed and $5 for each Alaskan con- tributor represented.
 I Senators Rivers and Peratrovich spoke in favor of the Bill; Sena- tors Collins, Jones and Barr against it.
 No Bribes Offered l nf n the present law" Senator Collins stated. This Bill might do some good if it defined just what a
 lobbyist is. Many heads of de- partments and other officials are
 very active in supporting or oppos- {! ing legislation and consider them i just as much lobbyists as the rep resentatives of labor or industry. T have never had any trouble 7. with lobbyists and have never been offered a bribe," Senator Collins continued. My transom has always been open but nothing has ever been tossed through 1t. Senator Collins said that it has always been the policy of the 1 Legislature to call for advice from representatives of special groups when legislation pertaining to them was. under consideration. T see no reason for putting an | additional burden on those who bring us expert testimony" the Senator added.
 One Side Of Story The old law has not worked well and highly paid lobbyists. drawing as much as $20,000 a year, have frequently appeared before us with one side of the story only,' Senator Rivers charged. T have never heard them sug- ! gest any course that would be for the benefit of the people of AL aska," he asserted. They represent and are interested only in the out I siders who funnel wealth out of the Territory
 My definition of lobbyist dif- fers from that of Senator Rivers, Senator Barr said. T do not feel that lobbyist is necessarily the evil genius of outside interests. They may represent taxpayers or small interests and the high li- , cense fee would exclude all except the highly paid lobbyists to whom Senator Rivers particularly ob- jects."
 Law Is Outm0ded The old law is outmoded, like 1 nearly everything else these days, and new one is needed" Sena- tor Peratrovich asserted. Lobbyists nave had great deal of effect on the course of legislation here,' the Senator said.
 Senator Jones, who introduced the present lobby law in the first session of the Legislature, in 1913 quoted from court decision in a fisheries case to show that the
 higher fee for non-residents is discriminatory and illegal. The Bill passed this morning, in- cidentally, deprives the Territory Library Fund of funds collected for lobbyists licenses. Under the present law such fees go to the Library Fund.
 Voting against HE. 5 were Sen- ators Barr, Butrovich, Collins, Dawes, Jones and Munz.
 Enthusiasm Lacking
 The report of the Finance Con-
 mittee on the General Property Tas
 Bill, read in the Senate this morn-
 ing, showed marked lack of en-
 thusiasm for the measure on the part of three of the members. 1 Senator Rivers gave the Bill a
 do pass tag but Senators Butro-
 vich, Jones and PeratroYich report ed without recommendation. The Bill was expected to come before the Senate this afternoon 4 in second reading.
 tContinued on Page Two)