The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1922-04-15

Kindly old St.. Louis county is not
at all stingy in supplying the people IS
servants, good bad and indifferent,
with automobiles, trucks and, tractors.
From January l, 1921, to December
81, 1921, the taxpayers of St. Louis
county expended $685., 64s.4s for the
purchase, maintenance and operation
of wheeled vehicles propelled by gaso-
line power. -... ~.
That sum of 1856, 64s.4s includes ST.
963.38 expended for new ears last year,
but it does not include the value of
old cars traded in when new cars were
purchased. Neither does it include new
tractors purchased during the year.
For some years the liberal county
commissioners have had the habit Of
buying new automobiles as a lover
| does American Beauty roses-half a
dozen in a bunch. " s~'
It was not until this year was well
on its, way that the county commits
sioners adopted the practice of buying
trucks in squads of ten, the first pur-
chase of that kind embracing a squad
Of ten Twin City trucks, each costing
$4,37O, direct from. the factory.
An inventory of wheeled vehicles,
propelled by gasoline and belonging to
the county, showed Is tractors, 81
trucks and SO passenger cars. The
county superintendent of schools had
two Cole cars, one Hupmobile and one
REQ truck. >@.
The commissioners districts claimed
all of the tractors, 81 of the trucks and
16 passenger cars. The remainder was
divided between the county road en-
cheering department, the county
health officer, the probation officer,
the county garage and the sheriff.
Joseph had a little coat of many col
ors, but liberal old st. Louis county has
cars Of MANY kinds. There are IL diff
ferent makes of trucks, embracing
three Writes, six Nashes,' two Clydes-
dales, five Macks, one Ford, two Re-
publics, one Grant, IA G. M. C's, one
international, eight Acmes, one REQ,
one Dodge, together with six trucks
unnamed in the inventory and ten
loaned to the county by the state.
The sturdy tractors are divided
among Holt, Monarch, Best, Holt-Stew-
art and Aultman-Taylor.
The passenger cars embrace one
Haynes, 25 Fords, four Coles, two Will
lys- Knights, one Liberty, two Bucks,
five Dodges, one Chevrolet, one REQ
and one Peerless.
Such thing as Standardization of
trucks, cars and tractors seems to be
sealed book to the count commissioners.
!, During the past. year, the county
treasury was tapped for 500 ,S69.55 for
gasoline. Oil added $11,072.43 to the
account. Repairs set the county back
$S5, 397.47 and the tire bill mounted to
the staggering sum of $50, 322.37. Sup
plies and accessories added $5,707.70.
Then there was a bill of $3,749.47 for
storage, including SIS month for five
months to the county superintendent Of
s:hoc,s.
In addition to the foregoing expend-
itures, $5,442.35 was paid out for hired
ears. Other items of expense were dis
tributed among insurance, tractors and
miscellaneous.
During the year 1921, the rather sub
stantial sum of $34, 066.64 was paid out
for repairs, maintenance and purchase
of tractors.
The total expense charged against the
seven commissioners districts was
$271, 1885, considerably over quar-
ter of million of dollars. Credits to
the aggregate of Sc, 164.96 should, how
ever, be deducted from that handsome
sum. @
Dividing up that huge sum, you find
that tractor repairs and new tractors
cost $34,041.50, new automobiles cost
$64, 1858 and the estimated cost of
gas used by the sturdy tractors was
$16,875, the total being 1922 ,47S.s4,
leaving $l49, 456.2s, which was spent on