The Daily Alaska empire., 1949-02-17
.easureCoes To Governor
 For Approval
Surprise Witnesses Testify They Prefer Sail Boats
 for Fishing
BOB DeARMOND

BOB DeARMOND
 The Territorial Senate passed its first revenue measure of the Regu- lar Session-the fish trap licensing tax bill-late yesterday afternoon by 9-7 vote, the narrowest margin by which a measure can pass the Senate. The bill had teen passed by the House and now goes to the Gov- ernor.
 The vote on the measure came at i, the end of afternoon long debate on traps, the cannery business and revenues in general and particular. All four Fourth Division Senators and three of the four Second Divis- ion Senators voted against the bill. Senator Edward Anderson of the Second Division, who had expressed himself during the morning session as opposed to the bill, changed his mind when voting time came around.
 Voting for passage of the bill were Senators Anderson. Dawes, Garnick, Huntley, Mackenzie, McCutcheon. Peratrovich, Rivers and Engebreth. Voting against the bill were Sena- tors Barr. Butrovich, Collins, Jones, Lyng, Munz and Nerland. FEATURES OF BILL The new bill levies license taxes at the following rates: Hand driven or stake traps located on tide lands. $500. (Formerly s75). Pile driven or floating traps, $l200 each. tFormerly t3O0). i In addition to the above. any person. firm or corporation operat- ing more than three traps will pay Ian additional $500 per trap for the fourth to the tenth trap, and ad- ditional $l200 per trap for the 1ith to the 20th trap. an additional $500 per trap for the 2lst to the 50th trap, and an additional $2O0O per trap for all traps over 50. The former rates for these classifications were $i50. $500. $40o and $500.
 The tax on fish caught in each trap, under the new bill. is as fol- lows:
 The first 15,0O0 fish tax free.
 From l5,00O to 50.000 fish. 5 cents per fish.
 From 50,000 to 100000 fish, 10 cents per fish.
 From 100000 to 15o.ooo fish, IS cents per fish.
 From l5O.000 to 100000 fish, 20 cents per fish.
 All fish over 100000. 25 cents per fish.
 ACCOMPANIMENT FAILS
 A motion by Senator Barr, early in the afternoon session, to put the bill back into second reading and send it to the Finance and Taxat:on Committees for amendment was voted down 8-8
 Rep Marcus F. Jensen of Doug- las, merchant. president of the Douglas Canning Company and au- thor of the trap licensing bill. was called over from the House to an- swer questions and give information concerning his Gill.
 Stating that he thought the pro- posed tax is fair. Jensen cited costs of trap construction ana operation as being low and the profits high. He said trap could pay for itself in one afternoon and that Senator Rivers estimate that trap-caught fish cost about half as much as seine-caught fish was extremely conservative
 Asked by Senator Lyng whether he thought the price of seine-caught fish will remain approximately the same if traps are eliminated. Rep. Jensen said he does not believe it will make any difference. There is no relationship. he felt. between the cost of trap fish and the prices of seine fish.
 CLAIMS TAX EXCESSIVE
 Senator Lyng said that in view of other tax measures that have. been passed or are about to be passed, he thought the trap tax excessive. He asked Rep. Jensen how much consideration was given the bill in the House.
 Rep. Jensen brought a laugh with his reply: The feeling in the House is to pass the bills as quickly as possible and let the Senate .ras- sell them out"
 Senator Butrovich tried to pin Rep. Jensen down to an estimate of the amount of revenues the trap tax would bring but was unable to O. tain a figure. Rep Jensen pointed out