The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-04-27
MONTANA STATE MOTOR VEHICLE LAW
ENTIRELY REMOVES LOCAL AUTHORITY

Of the several bills passed by the
last session Of the Montana state leg
islature the act known as the Mon
tana State Motor Vehicle Law" now
listed as chapter 70 of the session
laws, is one of the most important to
automobilists. There are a number of
regulations concerning automobiles in
the new general highway measure, but
this vehicle law calls upon each auto
mobile owner to register his machine,
paw an annual fee and to do numerous
other things or be liable to heavy
fine. 1t was first believed that each
county in the state would have local
jurisdiction in the matter of register
ing vehicles, collecting fees, etc, but
this is not the case. County Treas
urer Mccarthy made inquiry about
this matter a few days 6 and yes
terday received an answer from Sec
rotary of State A. M. Anderson, who
says that the state, through his office,
will take entire charge of the enforce
ment of this act providing for the reg
istration, identification and regulation
of motor vehicles. The act was APP
proved on March II M became a law
80 days thereafter. Under it's pro-
visions it is up to the motorists of
Montana to take heed of each regula-
ton prescribed and to act in accord
ance Herewith on or before May II,
which will be 80 days after the law
went into effect.
Some of the provisions of the act
are interesting and all of them hould
become familiar to the automobilists
of Montana. After the opening
clauses, in which the terms used
throughout the act are defined, the
duty of owners to apply for registra-
ton is taken up as follows:
Must Apply for Registration.
Section 2. Subdivision J.. Every
owner of and every person hereafter
acquiring a motor vehicle or vehicles
which shall be operated or driven
upon the public roads or highways of
this state, shall for each motor We
hicle owned or acquired, except as
herein otherwise expressly provided,
cause to be filed by mail or otherwise,
upon the payment of a registration
fee of two dollars $4,000, in the office
of the secretary of state, a verified
application for registration, contain
ing:
'First.-A brief description of the
vehicle to be registered. including the
name of the manufacturer, the manu-
~facturer's number of the motor We
hicle, if lumber there be, the charac-
ter of the motor power, and the
amount of such motor power stated in
figures of horse power.
"Second.-The name and address of
the owner of such motor vehicle, and
the name of the county of the state
in which he resides.
Subdivision 2. Upon the filing in
the office of the secretary of state an
application, as hereinbefore provided.
the secretary of state or his duly au-
tlorized agent shall assign to such
motor vehicle as described in sue APP
plication a distinctive number, and
shall issue to the oWner of such motor
vehicle, as it is described in the APP
plication filed, a certificate of regis
t%ration, which certificate shall be in
the form of a care which may be car
ried in the pocket and which %certifi-
cate shall contain the distinctive num-
b.r so assigned to such motor vehicle,
the name and address of the owner, a
brief description of such motor sa-
hicle, stating the name of the mi
facturer, the manufacturers lumber
If number there be, the character of
the motor power, and the amount Of