The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1953-08-28
IS MONTANA LABOR REALLY AGAINST EQUITABLE
TAXATION OF COMMERCIAL VEHICLES?

TAXATION OF COMMERCIAL VEHICLES?
Resolutions approved by the delegates to last weeks
ton of Montana State Federation OF Labor We're for the most
part very commendabe indicated that Montana Labor
great degree is interested in the welbeng of the general
public
Resolutions censurng the Public Service Commission for
granting Company 80 to AT per cent in
natural rates. opposing federal sales tax back
ing federal development of He Canyon and supporting St
Seaway for example, certainly in the public
interests However, there important resolution passed
by the convention that takes the cake for placing federation
support behind the selfish interests of labor union and
industry matter how much the public welfare may thereby
suffer.
the resolution brought in by the Joint Council of
Transfers of the state opposing equitable taxation of trucks
for maintenance of the states highways.
Not only this resolution inimica to the general Webe
ing the motoring public but certain differences contained
therein pertaining to egSaon proposed at
the last legislative session untrue.
The Transfers resolution stated 1--WE deem this unjust
detrimental the industry in the Montana
which employs several hundred members of the Teamsers
Union;
The resolution also asserts that railway interests in various
pushing such legislation and then nfers that the
railroads behind the proposed weightdsance truck
tax Glib 25O) in Montana.
the the point first inference
that the rail lobby had hand putting House Bill $50 before
the 1858 legislature extremely loose handling of the
since there isn't a scintilla of truth in it.
Now the first assertion that the unjust
That's talk nothing Much sitter truck taxing laws
operation in Washington and Oregon than Montana
yetrung concerns make adequate profits on their invest
ments in those states.
that in Washington truck taxes from 25 to cent
higher than Montana with the heaviest difference
being on the heavy commercial trucks.
In Oregon according Bureau Public Roads, an
greater difference loads trucks state
compared with Montana In 1851 Oregon
1856 trucks pickups the heaviest commercial We
hicespad annual weight distance SGT
the highway fund
Montana 1852 trucking vehicles of all sizes
paid of $3.50 per vehicle Vehicle
Weight law.
both Washington Oregon only trucking firms
NOT going out of business but each
the amount of revenue needed to maintain their highway
That the Montana Teamsters should bring selfish
interest resolution not surprising Dave Beck president of
that international union has long been against equitable taxa
ton of commercial truckers AS recently 1852 Beck put
the entire weight of his union the side of the
peal Oregons weightdistance of that state
turned deaf ear by 22to1 margin to the
other referendum voted to increase the existing schedule
by an average of approximately SO per cent.
The point that regretabe that the convention
business delegates didn't take sufficient time ram
flcaons of the Transfers their haste thereby
put the federation record against equitable taxing
and-aganst webuilt and welmantained highway system
in Montana