The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-04-29

cars run under dealers licenses will
have plates with light orange color
background, and black lettering.
Trucks paying the minimum license Of
SlS will be series IT" and those with
The trailers will fittingiy bear the last
letter Of the alphabet, series a." The
dealers cars as now will be series
%"
Numbers Will Be Hyphenated.
The new license numbers will be
.hyphenated, with dash between the
thousands and the last three digits, to
make them easier to be read
The new plates are costing the state
1895 cents a set of two, compared
with 1911 cents for the old type.
All this has been settled, but there
are plenty Of vexing questions yet for
Secretary Holm. The new automobile
license act is not signed by the gov
ernor yet. 1t will be signed Monday.
and then will be in effect. Attorney
General c. L. Hilton is being asked
TO rule right away on two doubtful
points:
/ What shall be done for the man
twhs buys a car and wants a license
before the new plates can be deIiv-
erred?
Up to now applicants have been
given 1920 licenses. This was specifi-
cally allowed in the act of 1919.
But with the signing of the new
law, the old one is void, and no
licenses can be issued under it. APP
.plicants must either be allowed to
borrow" an old license number for
a few weeks while waiting or to run
without any at all.
What does the new law do to the
tomobiIes7
The informal opinion around the
capitol Is that this act was repealed.
but the point is not settled It will
be passed upon soon by the attor-
Mr.. Holm also faces the problem of
organizing an office force to handle
100000 license applications and issue
that number of licenses in the short
est possible time.
Not less than 100 employees will be
necessary, Mr.. Holm figures, and the
number may reach 1875. Most of them
will be at the state capitol, but there
viii be branch offices in the three
charge. AS soon as the current Ii
censes have been issued this force viii
be cut down to small permanent STAFF
to handle new applications as they
come in.
Rate Book Being Prepared.
Desk room Tor this army of clerks
must be furnished. For that purpose.
the motor vehicle license department
Will overflow from the present quar-
tiers in the capitol basement to the
bull pen," as the circular space nm
der the big dome is called In state
house slang, and even into the base.
ment, where one room is to be fitted
up as Q temporary Office.
Application blanks now are being
printed, and as soon as they can he
distributed the Office will be open for
applications. But the new law il more
complicated than the old one about H.
cense applications. It requires much
detailed information, not all of it at
every car owners tongue tip. So Mr..
Holm Is getting q rate book for dis
tribution, showing the facts regarding
every make and type OF car.
weight OF car 10 important, for
one thing. While the tax is : fat
z per cent on list price, weIoht has
q bearing on the minimum tax. Iiuht
cars have q sig minimum, but cars
weighing over 1000 pounds must pay
at least $15 tax, no matter how old
they are.
All the road laws passed by the re.
cent legislature are being compiled in
one pamphlet, which will include the
automobile license law. It will be
ready soon for distribution.
Certificates Of title to automobiles
will come In handy for car owners
who have them, when IL comes to
making license applications this year.
Each one having q certificate In to