The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1923-12-27
J|TNEYS AND TRUCKS
MUST BEREGULATED
DAMAGE TO HIGHWAYS
No Adequate Return in Taxes
or Licenses--Competition
With Railroads

~
n Idaho has come to be perhaps
the most pressing question in
connection with the construction and
maintenance of good roads throughout
the state. Contributing practically
nothing in the, way of taxes for the
construction of roads and paying an
inadequate license, heavy passenger
cars and trucks use the highways for
profit, damage them more than all
other traffic combined. while the tax
payers pay the bill. They not only
compete and take business from the
railroads, which contribute heavily in
taxes for construction of roads, but
they actually force the railroads in
numerous cases out 4Of business and
thereby reduce the taxable resources
without compensating return. They
are not subject to the jurisdiction of
the state utilities commission as are
the railroad companies, and are alto
gether without appreciable regulation
in the interest and for the protection
ton of the public. There is a wide
spread and ever increasing sentiment
favoring a law regulating jitney and
truck service and requiring them to
contribute in some measurable form
TO the expense of maintaining the
highways they use, and also to regu-
late traffic by trucks and jitneys bear
ing licenses of other states. AS indi-
eating the attitude of state officials
on this subject, the following letter
from w. J. Hall is significant. Mr.
Hall is commissioner of public works
and in that capacity has direct SUI
pervision of highway construction and
maintenance. Mr. Hall says:
commends Miner Editorial.
Il have read with much interest
your editorial 1.-THE Public Highways
and Motor car traffic" in your issue
of December 10.
Your comparison between the con-
ditions under which railroads operate
and the conditions under which the
motor vehicle passenger and freight
traffic operates is very good, indeed.
"a bill was introduced at the last
the regulation of motor traffic on
highways and providing for the pay
ment of a revenue to the State by
vehicles operating freight and pas
senger transportation lines for profit.
In addition to the motor vehicle
license tax required to be paid by
private owners we also need provi-
sions to regulate traffic by trucks and
busses carrying foreign licenses, and
also special additional tax on freight
and passenger traffic carried on by
transportation lines. l believe it would
be difficult, if not. impossible, to re-
Quire the payment of a special tax by
trucks or buses making say one trip
into this State under the license OF
another state but we should certainly
have revenue from them if they I'M
dertake any regular traffic, or even
to operate within this State at odd
but frequent intervals.
"As stated in your editorial, motor
vehicle freight and passenger traffic
should certainly pay compensating re-
turns for the damage done to the
roads by reason of such traffic, es-
pecially in view of the fact that this
traffic is having a tendency to de-
stroy taxable values in the shape OF
branch railroads, as instanced by the
abandonment of the Spokane Cheney
line of the Washington Water Power
Company, and the curtailment OF
service on many lines in Idaho.
Il do not think that any laws should
be enacted which would be drastic
enough to make it impossible to oper-
ate freight and passenger transporta-
ton lines on the highways, but addi-
tional revenues and reasonable regu-
lations for the protection of the pas
sengers and owners of freight should
be provided for.
Il believe motor vehicle freight and
passenger transportation on the high
ways is here to stay; that it is one
Of the modern evolutions which It
would be foolish to oppose I think
however, that the placing of this
traffic on the same plan as railroads
or steam boat traffic is essential"