The Great Road War: How Prosser Tried to Starve Kennewick’s Infrastructure

The Benton County Taxpayers’ Union became the subject of heated discussion at the regular Commercial Club luncheon yesterday noon at the Hotel Kennewick. The debate followed a report from the club’s taxation committee, which had met Friday evening with a committee from Prosser representing the Taxpayers’ Union.

Chairman G. A. Stewart outlined the objects of the Union as presented by the Prosser men: to secure greater economy and efficiency in county affairs and to elect "sound business men" to county offices. Organized initially in Prosser, the group aims to expand county-wide by forming kindred organizations in different sections.

The core conflict arose when it was revealed that one phase of the Union’s program is to ask county commissioners to make no further levies for road improvement in the county for the next two years. This proposal elicited strong opposition from Chairman F. M. Crosby of the good roads committee, who protested that "practically all of the permanent road building had been in the other end of the county"—referring to the Kennewick area.

"Such a proposition can but suggest to us that the taxpayers in and around Prosser have all the roads they want and now they wish the appropriations to cease," Crosby declared. "I don’t believe the people of Kennewick will ever line up for any such program."

In response, Mayor Geo. F. Richardson moved that a committee be appointed to ascertain exactly what funds had been expended for road building and where. Dr. F. M. Crosby, E. W. Trenbath, and M. W. Mattecheck were named to compile this statement and report at a special meeting before May 1.

The Prosser representatives who met the local committee included E. L. Saulsberry, Judge G. W. Hamilton, and B. E. McGregor. The Commercial Club intends to take up the tax matter more fully at the upcoming meeting to determine the extent of their cooperation with the Taxpayers’ Union.