The Daily Alaska empire., 1951-02-26


 Barr responded:
 There is no less painful method. " As one of the smoking members of the Senate, w L. (Dan Lhamon R-Fairbanks) added, T don op- ject to it. It's form of luxury tax. Most smokers don't mind
 Nolan, a drugstore operator at Wrangell, challenged that point. lie cited the tax collections he has to make in his business. and adde<: T have heard plenty of objections" He also suggested there was a prospect of a new 3-cent-a-paok Federal tax.
 Senator Garnick, who is in the grocery business, warned that the price would have to be advanced by retailers because the wholesale prices had gone LID twice since 1949, with merchants absorbing it.
 She said the additional 2 cents a pack would bring the total cost to the retailer to s198 a carton-which is a bare cents short of 20 cents a pack.
 Other Bills Passed
 The Senate also passed two other bills this morning.
 One would reimburse the Veter- ans Affairs Department for $9,469 spent for audits The other, passed l4 to l, is for a deficiency appropria- tion of s233,O0 for the present bien- nium.
 Most of it, S198,000 is for hair seal bounties. Nolan pointed out some startling changes" by divisions in payment of the bounties since they were approved by the 1949 legisla- ture for the Boring Sea region. Engstrom asked Treasurer Henry Roden if the extension of the boun- ty region to the non-salmon produc- ing far north when it was intended as salmon protective measure, was responsible for the big increase. Tt is solely responsible" Roden replied.
 Nolan said S120,0OO of the bounty payment deficiency is for that re- zion. where most of the hunting is done by Eskimos.
 A bill was introduced in the House today to eliminate the Bering Sea area from the bounty payments on hair seals It would make the north side of Bristol Bay the northern limit. It also would drop the boun- ty to S4 from the present S6.
 The s198,000 bill is above the Sl00,000 appropriation made by the 1949 legislature for tfs seal boun- ties.
 Saturday Afternoon
 The Senate completed legislative approval Saturday afternoon on House bills for removal of the gov- ernor from the Alaska Development Board and the Board of Health.
 They were the first of 10 House bills for removal of the governor from numerous boards, as he recom- mended in his message, to run the full legislative course. They now head for the governors desk.
 The Senate passed one other minor bill and a memorial and spent an hour in the long Saturday session in a heated hearing over the con- troversial A0-hour week section O. the House-approved wage-hour bill The hearing on the measure was to continue this afternoon, witt labor and industry witnesses ex. pected to appear
 The Senate also completed legis. lative approval of memorial b! Rep. Jack Scavenius D-Anchor. age) for a Seldoyia- -Kasitna Bay road and a ferry from the bay tC Homer for a link with the Alaskf highway system.
 The Saturday afternoon witness against Rep c. c. Carlson's wage hour bill was Al Anderson, secre- tary of the Alaska Miners 1Associa- tion.
 The controversial section is the provision for overtime after eight hours in any day or 40 hours ir any week.
 Anderson declared "the implica- tions of the bill are far-reaching It affects every phase Of economic life in the Territory"
 Sen. Steve McCutcheon chal- lenged Anderson's testimony about anything but the bills effect or the mining industry, but Sen. How ard Lyng insisted that the witness be allowed to discuss the full ef- fleets of the proposed law.
 Tt would do certain amount 0. damage to the mining industry Anderson declared, but mainly i would revolutionize the labor situa- tion in the Territory"
 He said most of the mining in dustry already pays time and hal after 40 hours, so that it would no not be affected as much as othe businesses.
 He said it would apply to all man ner of businesses and institutions il the Territory including many tha