White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1925-02-06

manent highway fund tax be repealed
and the, money taken from the auto
mobile and gas tax receipts and still
carry out the plan to increase expendi.
lures on the state highway system
But that is a matter for closer study
than has been given thus far.
There is such mass Of Automobile,
revenue and new highway legislation
cropping up that some laws may be
expected. However, projects for the
establishment of additions to the pres
ent highway system-that is appro-
priations for new roads-will have de-
cidedly hard shedding. The old-timers
on the roads and bridges committees
of the two houses insist there will be
no new roads and usually the old-tim-
ers know what is going on.
One voluminous automobile code
appeared. This is a comprehensive
affair that has had favorable consider
alton by number Of automobile, good
roads and other associations and has
great deal Of merit in it. Incidental
ly it proposes the flat fee basis for
automobile licenses and prescribes a
3-cent gas tax. Then there are several
drafts of bills that would impose ad-
ditional burdens upon the for-hire
cars, stages and auto trucks that use
The highways. Some of these bills
come from good roads workers; 9th
ers are quite frankly supported by
enemies Of the stages.
There are a couple Of angles to this
business Of adding to the taxes of
stage and auto truck lines that escape
general attention. In the first place
less than one-tenth Of per cent of
the automobile trucks licensed in this
state are engaged on regular freight
runs authorized by the department Of
public works. And there probably are
rot more than 500 stages, 400 Of which
ire in regular use, in this state. So it
is unlikely that any legislation aimed
1t these carriers would result in bring
ing any material increase to the state
evenues.3aJ Just now the passenger
stages are paying about $100 apiece
per annum for various licenses.
Then there is the problem of the
United States Supreme Courts deci-
sion in the Duke case (Michigan),
which was handed down a couple of
weeks ago, the copies Of the decision
being received in Olympia this week.
In this case Duke had three contracts
with heavy shippers to transport mer-
chandise that kept AZ trucks busy.
The Michigan public service commits
sion attempted to make a common
carrier out Of Dukes company, but
the United States Supreme Court re-
fused to permit it.
This case is especially interesting
in view of the fact that some Of the
proposed bills submitted to the legis-
lature would make all for-hire cars
common carriers and place them IN
der the Jurisdiction Of the department
OF public works. 1t is just possible
that the decision renders such legisla-
ton impossible that is a matter
the lawyers are studying closely.
The proposal to repeal the perman-
ent highway fund tax levy Of " mills
and take enough money from the auto
mobile license and gas tax to REIN
burse the counties for the loss of the
tax levy is being seriously debated
by good roads enthusiasts. Money
diverted to. make good the permanent
highway fund would, Of course, cur
tail state bodybuilding programs by
whatever amount Of money was taken.
In 1924 the permanent highway tax
levy against the various counties of
the state was intended to raise ST.
6S9,551. The following table shows
how this tax was assessed and gives
a pretty good idea Of the ratio in
which the state fund would be d.
vided If the proposed law were
passed:
King County, $4OS,535; Spokane, $177,-
OFT; Pierce, $135,40S; Whitman. $S4,-;
945; Yakima, s72,690; Snohomish,
$4,000; Walla Walla, $59,961; Grays
Harbor, $57,457; Whatcom, $44,352;
Lincoln, $4,000; Lewis, $43 $685.