Show A 44 Misplaced ed Burden BurdenS UNDER the thc present system of holding the tr traction company responsible for the maintenance of street I paving ing adjacent to its tracks the street car riders who use the thc streets least pay most for their upkeep Under regulation of utilities such as ns we have in the present day we cannot deceive ourselves into believing ing that we have ha rid the public of a burden in passing this responsibility responsibility up to the utility When there is a utility deficit the public publio must be indirectly taxed to meet it In III the item of street repairs as now required this taC tax is inequitable since those using vehicles and the business and property interests arc are aree e exempt empt from Irom special tax which comes in the tho form fonn of increased fares It was brought out ont in the traction hearing bearing before the public ut utilities commission that if it were not for the paving paring burden the company would not find it necessary to request permission rm to raise rUso its fares As a result it is seen that the tho burden of constructing and maintaining paving adjacent to lo the street car tracks falls directly upon the riding ear public The Thc benefits of street paving are nrc general They arc are beneficial to the downtown business interests as well as ns to vehicle owners who never ne' ride on street cars The tax should be as general Street car patrons should not ho bo required to pay extra tru assessments for conveniences which benefit everybody The laws should bo be so changed that this burden would be equi equitably distributed an and not placed entirely upon pon those who can an least afford it The Thc Utah Light Traction company carries approximately approximately ap ap- approximately ap- ap proximately passengers a year For street repairs it if pays from t to a year In addition to this it is required to meet new paving extensions cx- cx tensions which this year will cost approximately Fi Figured on the basis of or for maintenance and for new paving pa the tho annual expense from this thi source is as compared with an additional revenue of derived from 1 cent additional for every fare collected When the item of or depreciation is is considered it is easy casy to sec see how liow street car ear fares could be kept at their present rate if the paving burden were distributed over the whole of the taxpaying public The company's investment in street paving paying l. l lo to date is according to evidence submitted to the utilities ties tics commission The average average- life of paving Pl is twenty years which means depreciation must be considered |