Show FINANCING PIN MOTOR TRUCK COMPlO TEa 0 in the last annual report of them the department of public works of the state of washington the first 37 page sare devoted to steam railways electric railways electric light an and d i j utility companies the balance of the book pages Is devoted to motor vehicle regulation some auto transportation companies re ported to the department our highways high days are built for public convenience these roads however are rapidly being turned into right of way tor for private corporations for private gain no attempt is made to furnish service by motor truck or bus until the taxpayers have first constructed a bard hard surface right of way motor bus and truck competition cuts two ways it reduces the earing power and consequently the kalua tion for tax assessment purposes of railroads and electric lines it then prematurely destroys the hard surface roads built at public expense a large portion of the money tor for build ing which came from the ments of the railroads and electric lines which bus competition tends tol to destroy it if bus and truck transportation I 1 more economical and efficient of than railroad transportation there iq is no question but what it will eventually 1 displace steam and electric lines but at present there Is not the evidence that it could in any way compete with our rail carriers it it was required to pay its own way in stead of dipping into the treasury for hundreds of millions of dollars for buying improving and maintaining its road bed on which it pays no construction cost main cenance or tax charges it Is the taxpayers who are mak ing motor bus and truck oper operation atlon I 1 possible and it Is the taxpayers who r are the heaviest losers as the res of increased expenditures bequir to maintain public roads tor for gain it would take motor tr of 20 ton capacity each and drivers to move the load of freight train of 60 50 cars of 50 capacity each operated by a brei 6 men how long would our pres pros ro roads ads last under such use |