The Daily Alaska empire., 1949-01-27
EXEMPTIONS 0NpR0pERTY
 ARE DEBATED

 exemptions to be allowed in the General Property Tax Bill, the House of Representatives made lit- tie progress on the Bill this morn ing.
 The amount of exemptions to be allowed and whether exemptions should apply to both personal and real property or only to personal property were the points at issue.
 An amendment favored by Dr. James c. Ryan, Territorial Con- missioner of Education, which would turn all property tax rev. enues collected in municipalities over to the School Board or the District School Board, if the muni- cipality is part of a School Dis trict, was withdrawn after good deal of discussion.
 Waino Hendrickson, Mayor of Juneau, was extended the privi- : lege of the floor during the dis cussion on this amendment. "If this amendment is adopted it will be necessary to raise the municipal taxes in nearly every city in the Territory" the Mayor said. He pointed out that the school al lotment at Juneau last year was mills, at Fairbanks it was mills and at Ketchikan 5.6 mills. i, If the entire 10 mills collected under this Bill is turned over to the schools, Mayor. Hendrickson said, cities will have to increase rates in order to meet othe~ muni- cipal expenses.
 Amendment Offered
 Yesterday afternoon the House voted 16-8 to amend the exemp- tion provision of the bill to create an exemption of S2500 on per- sonal and or real property After the vote, Reps. McCutcheon and Taylor gave notice of intention to reconsider their vote.
 This morning Speaker McCutch- con turned the chair over to Rep Andrew Hope and took the floor A conference with Attorney Gen. eral Ralph Rivers. McCutcheon said, disclosed that this would act ually mean total exemption of $5,O0O might be taken.
 The Attorney General, he said estimated that half of expected revenues of $5,OOOO00 during the next biennium might be lost if the $5.O00 exemption is allowed.
 Rep. McCutcheon offered an amendment to set an exemption of $500 on each real and personal property.
 i Beats Would Leave ! Rep. Marcus Jensen of Douglas , asserted that many boats will ] change their port of registration if the exemption on personal /, property is reduced.
 {, An exemption of s10,000 to cover i fishing vessels was requested by Rep. c. Chester Carlson of Cor : dova. "The fisherman" Carlson said, Ifs the forgotten man and already pays fishing and gear li- 1 censes and other taxes 1 "The main thing now IS to get a property tax law on tfe books, '' Rep. Owen stated. He fe,t that 1t 1 will be impossible to pass mea- sure that is entirely equitable but said two years from now, perhaps as a State, we can come back here and amend the law to adjust for any inequalities.
 !, Rep. Clarence Keating former mayor of Seward, protested the exemption of real property on the grounds that this would destroy the entire structure of municipalities.
 Need Revenues | Rep. McCutcheon made a plea for low exemptions in order to in- crease revenues. T don't feel jus tified in asking for the seven or eight schoolhouses my division needs if we are going to cut down : the revenues under this bill," he said. He asserted that fisher man with a $10,0O0 vessel can well afford to pay S100 in property taxes.
 Rep. Frank Angerman suggested ] $2.000 exemption; Rep. Frank G. Johnson thought that it ought to be $5,O00.
 T have eight reasons at home for wanting plenty of school rev. enues," said Rep. Ipalook, whose /, eighth child was born recently, but I don't want to injure my neighbors and favor a substan- 1 tial reduction on property so that ! they will not be forced to lose their homes
 The sentire bill is wrong and the legislators are only creating a ] barrel of trouble Rep Marcus Jensen asserted
 Nine New Measures
 Meanwhile. nine new measures,