The Daily Alaska Empire

OLDTIMER GRIPES:
DAVIS QUESTIONS
SPECIAL SESSION
Tendency Toward Socialization, High Taxes Is Criticised by Former Legislator

While in Juneau with his sons James, Jr., and Rolly to spend Christmas with his son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. David Ramsay, Capt. James V. Davis says that he is weighing prospects of 1949 legislation—tax legislation and Alaska's trend toward socialism—with a view to possible liquidation of his interests in Alaska.

Capt. Davis, owner of Davis Transportation Co., principal stockholder of Marine Airways and former legislator says that aside from the affect future legislation would have on Alaska business, his chief interest in the Territory's law-makers is that as a former member, defeated in his last campaign, he is now one of the "elite, a member of the club of defeated candidates for the legislature."

"Take note of some of our members; Doc Walker, most recent to join our group. Others include Curtis Shattuck, Allen Shattuck, Frank Whaley, Alaska Linck, Robert Hoopes, Harvey Smith. They are Democrats. Some good Republicans have been defeated too. Steve Vukovich, Simpson MacKinnon, Ed Lokken, Dewey Anderson, Wm. L. Paul, Frank Shelton, Joe Coble and others. Look them over. I think I'd rather be among the eliminated than not."

As for the next legislature, the special session, Jim Davis quotes H. H. McCutcheon, member from the Third Division who, when he was in the House in 1939, was "forever looking for the 'nigger in the woodpile.' There is one in this woodpile, I would be willing to bet. You can't tell me that Gov. Gruening thought the Territory couldn't wait two weeks more for the convention of the regular session of the Legislature in order to save the Territory from financial ruin. My guess is that with Congress convening the first week of January, he will be asking the special session for an endorsement to the Senate for his reappointment as governor.

"As for the Territory, or the nation embarking at this time on further socialization plans, it seems to me we should wait to see how it works out in England. Our nation has already put up millions in money, goods and gadgets to finance an experiment in socialization in Britain. Let's sit back and take it easy, see if it works before we go into the business of socializing our own country. If we have made a bad investment in Britain, let's again dig up toward that country's recovery. It will be cheaper than experimenting on our own. If Britain succeeds in making a go of socialization, then we'll have a background of knowledge on which to work.

What does that have to do with Alaska?

"Just wait until more attempts are made to put the Territory into the steamship business, the liquor business, the contracting business, the banking business, etc."