The Daily Alaska empire., 1949-02-15
SENATE VOTES EXEMPTION IN
 INCREASE BILL
Highway Patrol Expendi- lures Limited 10 10 Per
 Cent of Road Fund
By BOB DeARMoND

Alaska boat owners, whose pleas before the Senate for lower prop srty tax rates on their vessels were rather coolly received yesterday rere granted some relief from the burdens of taxation this morning.
 The Senate, by 9-7 vote, gave boats a 50 per cent exemption from the proposed new motor fuels tax of four cents a gallon. This would leave the tax at the present two cents per gallon on motor fuel for marine use.
 Senator Frank Barr of Fairbanks, who offered the amendment to his own SB. II, said that he was not doing it because of the sorry con- dition of the fishing and boating as drawn by the boat men, or because he favored exelcp- ton of certain classes from gererf. taxation measures.
 The motor fuels tax Is rot gen. eral revenue levy, the Senator pointed out, but is designed to pro- duce revenues to benefit the par ticular vehicles which pay the tax.
 Facilities Not Needed
 While fifty million dollars would not build all the roads we need. and we are still short of necessary airports. boats do not require many facilities, and I believe the two cents tax will take care of their requirements" Senator Barr said.
 Senator Butrovich and others ob- jccted to Senator Harr's line of req soning and felt that boat fuel should be taxed the same as other kinds, whether or not the facilities are needed.
 The amendment was adopted 9-7 with Senators Anderson, Barr, Gar rick, Hunp4ey, Lyng, Mackenzie. McCutcheon, Peratrovich and Riv- CTS voting for adoption.
 Patrol Is Limited
 Senator Munz, after failing to limit expenses of the Territorial Highway Patrol to five per cent of road fund revenues, secured pas- sage of an amendment to limit expenditures by the Patrol to 10 per cent of road fund revenues.
 The amendment, when offered. caused considerable scurrying around and thumbing of the Alaska Code to see where the Highway Patrol gets its funds.
 Senator Barr protested the Munz was unnecessary be- cause the Bill, as written. excludes the Patrol from the use of any motor fuel revenues. Expenses of that organization, he said, could be paid from vehicle license receipts and other Highway Department funds.
 Senator E. B. Collins protested this idea of sniping at the High way Patrol" It is an efficient or- saves many lives. recov- CTS stolen property and should be maintained. the Senator felt.
 Limitation Protested
 Since the Marshal's office has become merely a bunch of process servers, we need the Patrol more tran ever," Senator Collins charg- ed. They are Johnny -on- the-spot when there is any emergency along the highway
 Senator Barr said that he agrees with Senator Collins but that what he Territory needs is State Fo- lice. T cee no need for further expansion of the Highway Patrol" he said.
 What Senator Barr wants is to build lot. of airports with the Senator Collins asserted.
 T want to build airports, roads. and State Police," Barr replied.
 Senator Munz charged that the Highway Patrol during the past bi- enn1um has taken about 20 per cent of fuel tax revenues. His to limit the Patrol to 10 per cent was adopted by a 9-7 vote.
 Traps and Sailb0ats
 Second of the three measures considered in second reading by the Senate this forenoon. was H.B. 4, which would quadruple basic li- cense taxes for salmon traps and impose an additional levy on the catch. No amendments were offer ed and the Bill went on to take it's regular place on the calendar.
 The sailboat tax Bill occupied the Senate for nearly an hour during which Rep. C. Chester Carlson. au-
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