The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1933-04-20
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PEOPLES FORUM
RECOMMENDATIONS OF
RAILWAY employees.

tOI hey WSSL dSSlFeS the DeSL S0Tf-
| ices for the citizens of Key West
and Monroe county that can be
mad in the way of schools, roads.
transportation and other things.
One reason for this desire is the
fact that every member of the
Railway Employees League Of Key
West is a citizen of Key West OF
Monroe county.
Therefore, being citizens of
Monroe county we are also inter
! ested in the cost and in knowing
in what way the cost is to be tax
en- care of.
Any business for profit must
necessarily be on self-supporting
basis. If not, the source from
which it is subsidized will become
exhausted and, although someone
may have his profit, someone else
will be the loser.
If a project or institution is OF
sufficient value to a majority OF
fthe citizens and is of nature that
it cannot be operated on self
sustaining basis, then the citizens
4 Fl 5a -. . ~.
have no objection to being rea-
sonably taxed for its support.
i Schools and highways are ex-
Iamples. Citizens and corporations
willingly pay reasonable amount
toward these.
However, we, as citizens of this
county, and as employees of trans
portation companies operating in.
to this county, cannot see the fair
ness in taxing one particular trans
portation line to the extent OF
about 500 Of the tax monies re-
ceived by this county, maintaining
highways and bridges with a good
| amount Of the money thus receiv-
ed and allowing trucks and buses
practically free and unrestricted
to operate in competition with the
county's best source of tax rev.
enue.
The railroads are buyers of al
most every product manufactured
| in this country. In good times
these purchases totaled nearly d
billion and a half dollars. With
the present recession in business,
and the almost unrestricted motor
traffic competition, they have fall
len to less than half billion.
There is no individual, no indus
try in America which has not been
affected by this drop. You can do
your share to restore that purchas-
ing power by using rail (and af.
lfiliated) transportation, which les
sens nerve strain, affords comfort
and relaxation and assures SEIZED
uled arrivals with full responsible
ty FOR merchandise and passengers
transported.
This good tax payer we have,
who should receive the fayors, Il
any are to be handed out, is re-
quired to pay a license for doing
business in this city; required to
maintain a depot and warehouse
for merchandise transported; re-
quired to post tariffs covering diff
ferent classes of merchandise, and
is required to construct. maintain
and pay taxes on storage place
for transportation equipment.
Therefore, believing that fair
competition is the life Of bust
ness, If and when placed on Q
parity with railroads, motor traf-
fic not only pays a sufficient
amount of taxes to maintain the
proportionate amount Of the high
ways they destroy, but also pays
additional taxes for the support Of
schools and the county in general
as does the railroad at present, al
such a time will the Railway En-
ployees' League Of Key West look
upon the motor transportation
lines as fair competition.
However, We do not believe thal
the merchant and the citizen
would be favorable to motor
transportation under these eondi.
tions although perfectly fair q
MI transportation because hi:
rates would necessarily be IN
creased.
Then, who do you think il
paying the difference under ths
present scheme Of operation!
I'll tell you. Dir. Merchant. Even
though you are not shipping b.
truck, you are helping through
taxes to pay for what your com.
petitor Is shipping by truck Thi:
cannot last indefinitely. Why wait
until yonr highways are entirely
gone to wake mp to the TRUTH
You people who live here, d
business here and own property
here, think this matter over and
believe you win easily see wherein
your advantage lies.
Railway Employees League 81
Key West.
]. r. BUSSEY. President
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