The Wrangell sentinel., 1950-03-24
THROUGH THE SENTINEL PERISCOPE

 the Territory of Alaska was able to pay all it's bills this week. thanks primarily to the income tax which poured in to beat the March l } headline.
 The Board of Administration meeting the fore part of the week. learned to it's satisfaction that there was something over a million dollars in the general fund; that the Auditor and Treasurer were able 10 write warrants against some ss00,000 in vouchers which were stacked in the Auditors office, and there was something around a half million left.
 After receiving the glad tidings. the Board saw it's way clear to re- lease $261,564 from the "big freeze" order of June 20, 1949, when five and a half million was stuck in the refrigerator for future reference. Actually, it was the brightest day in Territorial finan- eial history since 1947 when the legislature of that year went home leaving an unbalanced budget of around three and a half million dollars short, and the business of keeping the territory out of the red up to the board.
 Immediately after the AT ses- sion, the board had to put a freeze order on special appropriations. It was icy going through that bien- nium. Came the 1949 legislature and with it enactment of a reve- nue-producing tax program. The fi- nancial skies for a short time frightened. Then the income tax law, the trap license tax, the in creased fishermen's license taxes and the property tax landed in court.
 Again the board frightened the territOry's financial belt as tax revenue under those measures dried up pending court decision. The in come tax law was upheld in two courts; that portion of the act 0uadrupling the license tax on traps was upheld, although the tax on fish caught in traps was thrown out as confiscatory. This week the fishermen's increased license taxes was upheld in district court by Judge George Folta. The property tax was still in court, scheduled to come up before Judge Pratt in Fairbanks the first week in May.
 In the s2G1,5s4 released from the freeze order was sS5,450 for the University of Alaska, s25,114 for the Alaska Housing Authority, $5,O0O for the National Guard, s5O.000 for the aid of hospitals and clinics, S750 for the Board of Den .al Examiners, $2O.O0O for the Public Employees Retirement Fund. $75,0O0 for the Department of Fisheries and s25O for the Board of COsmetology
 Tax money was continuing to come in. It would be some little time before the income tax take could be processed and totaled While it wasn't full financial day. light, the Board of Administration could say ''came the dawn"
 In upholding the increased fish ermen's license taxes = residents from $1 to s5 and non-residents from s25 to s50-Judge Folta held the law was not discriminatory. Action had been brought by the Alaska Fishermen's Union charging the law was discriminatory as against non-residents. The court pointed out there was less ratio of difference between the s and $50 than between the $1 and S25 Of the act passed in 1893 which was held valid when the purchas ing power of a dollar was more than double what it is now"
 He cited the thousands of Out side fishermen who come to Alas ka every year for from 20 days to two months at which time they enjoy the protection of local gov ernment while making earnings within the Territory. He declared classification of fishermen into res ideats and non-residents bears a fair and reasonable relation to the
 tCoBtinued on page fourl