The Wrangell sentinel., 1953-02-13
On Way to Oblivion

The ilI-famed reorganization law of the 1901 legislature which, if enforced. would have eliminated the Auditors office and set up an overall "czar" to handle the Terri tory's finances, started down the road to oblivion in Juneau thls week as the Senate voted l5 to to repeal the act Aside from being in direct violation of the Organic Aef major objection to the legis- lation was that it would have giF- on the Governor. an appointed fed eral official, indirect control oyer the financial setup as the law au- thorized him to appoint the Comp troller General, or .czar'. This IS the act that the Governor signed into law two years ago even after the Attorney General had given him a written opinion that the act was unconstitutional
 The House is expected to give It similar treatment.
 Another Repeater
 Another lepeal measure was In the works at the current legislative session = to throw out the one per cent property tax act passed in 1949 and which has been kicked around in the courts ever since. Indications were that it probably would get the axe with the result that taxpayers likely would get some refunds.
 Orderly Manner
 After thee weeks of legislative effort. it appears that the l5-year- old Gruening-anti Gruening teud is No. issue of the 1853 legisla- ture Interior Secretary Douglas Mckay said recently the present Governor would remain in office until at least April so that trans fer of the office could be made Tn an orderly manner" In other words he told a Republican-dom- mated legislature that it would have to get along with a Democrat ic Governor whether they liked It or not Upshot has been largely dis cord and doubtless will continue to be during this session.
 The Governor reappo ,nted ms Democratic friend Essie Dale Of Fairbanks to the Board of Regents of the University. House Speaker George Miscovich, also of Falr- hanks, rose in wrath and wired Es- sic she should resign. She refused Confirmation of Elmer Rasmuson of Anchorage to the same board came before the lawmakers. It was deferred. There was report that some. of the Legislators thought Rasmuson would support the Gov ernor for President of the Univer- sitv. and there seemed to be con- siderable feeling Il that issue. Many similar incidents have arisen to fan the feud. Secretary Mckay "orderlv manner" was turning out to have an odd interpretat'o1.
 Commendable Idea
 B.lI int oduced in the legislature by Senator James Nolan of Wran- gel and John Butroyich of Fair banks to set up a 1O-million-dollar reserve fund for the Territory rath- CT than spend all the Territorial money as it is collected is likely to meet with general approval. Re- port is that the Territorial treas ury will have a surplus of around four million at end of the bien- nium April 1. The two Senators propose that two million a year be set aside until a total of 10 million is in reserve to meet possible en- ergencies. It's a commendable plan. Equally commendable is Rep. Fred Eastaugh's proposal to cut the Territorial income tax in half. If it's building up the sort of surplus now reported. why not give the taxpayers a break? Perhaps they would like to try building up lit- tie reserve, too.
 l.w.