The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1931-06-18
.RAILROADERS
J ASK STRICTER
BUS RULINGS
Claims Bus Lines Do Not
Paw Proper Share of
Tax Burden
LETTER APPEALS TO
CITY AND C. OF C.
u.tter Referred to Committee tt
Make Report; Investigate
Other Towns Action

The latest round in the scrap
hetween the railroads and the bus
comnanies was timed at t0day's
chamber of Commerce luncheon
vhen a letter from E. G. Gates,
secretary of the Railway Employ
ees Protective association was
read. The matter was referred to
the transportation committee of
thu club for recommendations as
to what action the club should
AXE in the matter.
The letter is as follows:
80 The Mayor, City Council and
Chamber of Commerce of Ken
newick, Kennewick, Wash.
Gentlemen:
II understand that you gentle
men have made overtures in the
way of special inducements to
the bus lines operating upon the
public highways of Washington
to use your public streets for load
ing passengers instead of forcing
them to maintain a station.
aProbably you are not aware Of
the fact that you are helping q
subsidized form of transportation
to compete with the largest tax
payers of the state and county,
namely the railroads who will pay
IN Benton County taxes for the
year 1880 the sum of s277, 887.02
while the bus and truck lines TO-
gether will pay only s519.86.
I'm addition to these taxes the
railroads keep up their own right
of-way, employing many men for
that purpose, while the bus and
truck lines use the public high
way. The railroads also maintain
their own stations while at Ken
newick we understand the bus
6nes do not.
IF the bus lines would come to
Kennewick and maintain q sta
ton and force where the loading
and unloading would not be on the
public streets then you would BE-
justified in asking them to come.
Just what did they do at Pasco
when the city ordinance was pass
ed forcing them to maintain sta
ton? Why they even threatened
to take Pasco off their time tables.
We're they willing to spend a few
dollars in Pasco to maintain q
station? No.
What does the payroll of the
ous lines mean to the merchants
OF Kennewick? Would they rather
have it than the payroll of the
railroad employees which is a.
round 100000 annually in Ken
newick? Just suppose these rail
road employees should decide 1c
cross the bridge into Pasco with
their pay-check each month.
We assume you realize that
the maintenance of the highways
IN this state is around two million
aolars per year, and that the big
trucks and buses are the ones
Who are largely responsible for
the damage done to them. Do you
realize that the total rural high
way expenditures in this state for
1929 was $21,7O9, 216.O0 and that
tne total taxes paid by all bus and
uuck lines for the same year was
only $26S,0O0? Does this prove as
tney claim. that they pay for the
use of the highways?
DO You realize that the rail-
roads in this state pay annually
over ten million dollars in taxes,
and another ten million for the up
Keep of their own right-of-way?
just what did the motor lines
10 when Snoqualmie Pass was
closed? Did they get out and try
% clear the road? They did not.
iney waited until the road was
cleared with the taxpayers money.
Inc Taxpayers have built the
Anyways, the last session of the
legislature gave them a three dol
I license fee the same as you
ana pay for our own automobile,
ano now they want Kennewick to
give them a half block of side
walk for a station.
Let US hope the mayor, city
souncll and chamber of commerce
- hennewick will give serious
..aslderation to the railroad situa-
.'0n and in so doing pass an ordin-
face that the bus lines maintain