The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1922-10-12
E D / T @ R / A L
PATIENCE PLEASE!

PAllENCE fLEASE!
When a fellow buys a new auto
mobile he does so with the under
standing that he must go slow for
awhile. He is cautioned not to
step on the gas and expect maxi
mum fulfillment of the makers
promises until the working parts
of the machinery have gotten linn,
bered and loosened up.
Certainly it is not asking too
much that the people exercise as
much patience and judgement in
their use of the new bridge across
the Columbia as they do in break
ing in q new automobile.
The new bridge has been in op-
GRAFTON less than a week but al
ready clamor has been raised re-
| garding high tolls. Tourists and
statesmen who travel by auto, who
have never seen the bridge, are
bringing with them tales, gather
ed from nowhere, that the new
bridge is holdup. Word to that
effect has evidently been passed
up and down the routes of travel
from some mysterious source. In
other words the travelling public
is "roarin' and rarin'" to step on
the gas without giving the new
bridge chance to really get into
commission.
AS a matter of fact the bridge
is not yet completed. 1t is still
the property Of the contractors. 1t
is only in temporary service with
temporary tolls. There is no
cause at this time for anybody to
get excited about excessive
charges.
We are all agreed of course that
it would be fine thing if passage
over the bridge were free. This
however is an impossiblity until
such time as it is taken over by
the state and becomes the property
of all the people. In the mean
time we should be reasonable. First
Of all we may as well write it
down as fact that the bridge
must earn its own way. 1t can't
be operated at loss and continue
in business. There are no patron
saints back of it to pay annual
or even monthly deficits. As an
institution it starts business with
out surplus or working capital.
Strange as it may seem, some Of
those who are doing most talking
about high tolls are stockholders
in the bridge corporation. 1t
would be well to ask all such if
they are willing to pay an assess
ment on their stock if tolls are
lowered and the bridge fails to
pay its own way.
To lower tolls is a very simple
matter. But to raise them is
rather difficult task. Certainly
then, it is the part of good judge
ment and business to start with a
schedule from which to come down
rather, than with one from which
q forced raise will be necessary.
The trustees Of the bridge cor
poration are successful business
men and for the most part they
are large stockholders in the own
ing company. The Courier-Re-
porter is willing to trust the mat
ter of tolls to their judgement.
In working out permanent
schedule the Official board will be
under fire from two different ang-
les. For the most part the Ken
newick and Pasco stockholders
are going to want cheap transpor-
tation between the two towns. The
stockholders who live at distance
are going to insist that the bridge
pay returns on their investments.
These two demands are by nc
means irreconcilable. The task
before the board of trustees is to
find the exact point of reconcilia-
tion. That point is half way be-
tween a charge that is so high
that it discourages travel and one
so low that the business is unpro-
fitable. The size of the toll de-
pends very largely upon the
volume of business and as the
volume come up the tolls. should
go down.
For the present let's keep our
mouths shut and give the bridge
and the board of trustees chance