Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1914-05-22

Seven Sisters" or the results 40
these measures become laws.
This league is organized to pive
you full, complete and reliable in.
formation Headquarters for Whit.
man county are in the Post Office
building at Colfax, Washington
When such a learned gentleman
as Mr.. VIM. Goodyear undertakes >,
adVlse you regarding these measures
and mtsrepresents either through TO-
horance or Intentionally facts regard
ing these measures, in one of the
great leading farm papers of tbe
state, we feel that it must NOT no a.
lowed to pass without any effort no.
ing made to give you the facts. from
our point of view
Mr.. Goodyear further says. pick
up initiative measure No. II. tbe
llsh law Listen, we will tell Won
something about that bill Gf Tho
Pullman Herald gives us the space)
write us and we will send Won q
copy of the bill. 1t is one of those
seven Sisters" Mr. Goodyear also
says: Listen: this one measure. if
enacted into law. will, on conserva-
tive estimate, add over a million dol
lars every year to the revenue of the
state. Now listen: the facts are
that if this measure is enacted info
law it will absolutely kill the fish
ing industry of the state of Wash
lngton, so that absolutely no revenue
VIII be derived from this industry
Initiative measure No. II. in
creases the present scale of license
fees in the fisheries of the state and
imposes a special royalty on every
salmon taken from the waters of the
state by whatever means This bin
does not purport to in any way regn-
late the fishing industry; it is purely
a revenue measure or excise tax law.
The fishing industry in addition TO
lhe taxes PAID as personal taxes for
the support of the state government.
rays into the state treasury, under
the present license system. a suffici-
ent amount of money to reimburse
the state for the expense of main
tanning fish hatcheries. The fish
| commissioner report for the year
ending March 81, 1914, shows that
during that period the commission
ers' receipts were $94,553.7G. and its
disbursements $7S,4O6.3S, leaving
an excess in that fund of $16,147.3S
after paying the total expenditures
for maintenance and operation of
hatcheries and fisheries bureau.
This therefore conclusively shows
that the present law supplies suffi-
Gent revenue to carry on the de
partment of fisheries.
Why should this industry be sin,
| eled out to pay an enOrmou sum in
excess of the amount necessary to re-
fund to the state all sums expended
y it in caring for the fishing in
dustry? 1t would be vicious class
legislation, pure and simple.
The Washington fisherman must
sell his products in the markets of
| the world, in competition with Cali
fornia, Oregon, British Columbia
Alaska, Russia, and Japan. An over
| head charge on the men engaged in
the fishing business in this state, not
borne by their competitors, would
| operate to exclude them from the
markets of the world with their pro-
| duct
| Listen, you farmers, let us pass a
| law putting a tax of 20 cents a
bushel on all wheat raised in the
state. This tax in addition to the
| other taxes you pay. How long
could you compete with the markets
Of the world. This is exactly what
you are trying to do when you at
tempt to put initiative measure No.
III upon the statute books of the
state of Washington.
If this bill becomes a law, thou
sands of men engaged in the catch
| ing of salmon on Pugent Sound will
be forced out of business. The Co
lumbia river fishermen have only to
move from the Washington to the
| Oregon side of the river to escape the
| tax entirely. So far as Puget Sound
| is concerned, the hundreds of thou
sands of dollars annually paid out
| fer labor and material in the state
Fcf Washington will cease and the
bulk of it will be transferred to and
be expended in British Columbia.
| This measure should have been en-
titled "An act in aid of British Co
lumbia, Russia, Japan, Alaska, Ore
| gon and California"
| If The Pullman Herald will giVe
us the space in their valuable paper,
we will take pleasure in giving you
| the other side of each of the initia-
| 4;+o r,aoo1rac num hers a to / g in