The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1922-07-14

County To Receiue Holt
Caterpillar Tractor
FROM STATE HIGHWAY COMMIs-
SION-OLD ARMY TRACTOR
FROM U. S. GOVERNMENT.

| FROM U. S. GOVERNMENT.
1t is reported that Sheridan count,
is about to receive Holt caterpilla
tractor from the State Highway Corn
mission at an expense to the count,
Of another $500.
This tractor is one of the many O
the United States Army Tractors tha
the United States Government had q
hand and turned over to the State
Highway Commissions of the severa
states after the close of the war fo1
use in highway construction.
1t seems that about the first Of The
year, Sheridan county at the advice
OF County Surveyor Link, made ap.
pllcation to the State Highway Com.
mission for one of these engines, but
it appears that there was none of the
states quota available at that time
and the Highway Commission advised
the county that it's application would
| be filed and just as soon as engines
were available, one would be furnish
ed, the county to pay the transporta-
ton charges to Plentywood which was
about $500.
At the last meeting of the Board
of County Commissioners, telegram
was read from the Highway Commits
sion to the effect that an engine was
now available and that per the coun-
tvs application filed as set forth
above, the tractor would be shipped.
unless advised Immediately to the
contrary.
Comnr. Ibsen opposed the idea of
accepting the engine at this time in
view of the fact that the county now
had more engines than it had money
to run and he did not feel the county
was justified in paying out another
$500 on an engine that would only
set around and rust up for year or
more, but Commr. Matkins stood with
County Surveyor Link and was for al
lowing the shipment of the Caterpil-
lar. Commr. Tyler was absent, being
on tour of the Yellowstone Ma
tlonal Park, so the matter was dead
locked and the State Highway Com
mission was not instructed not to
ship, and was probably urged by
County Surveyor Link to ship imme-
dlately before a full board could
meet. However, it is likely that
Commr. Tyler would have joined Link
in ordering the shipment Of the trac-
tor. 1t is now reported that the
tractor is on its way and will be here
in the course Of a few days, when the
county will be called upon to dig up
the price of another farm to paw the
freight on the same.
There is considerable discussion 60
ing on now, since the facts of the
Highway Commission Caterpillar has
become generally known, just why, if
the State Highway Commission stood
ready to turn over to the county a big
United States Army Caterpillar trac-
5or just as soon as one was available
and Mr. Link must have known that
me would soon be available, Just why
link :, put in so much time last spring
lining and entertaining County Com
nlsisoners Tyler and Ibsen trying to
persuade those getlemen to spend
5000 of the taxpayers money to buv
new tractor of that build direct
rom the factory, and which purchase
vas only prevented by the fact that
1ommr. Ibsen refused to agree to it.
or it is reported that Matkins wanted
o buy for Link all of the time and
hat Link had Tyler entertained over
Q his point of view, but that Tyler
lid not dare to go if Ibsen was OBJ
tinate land Ibsen held off and as a
esult, a new Avery was purchased.
he old Avery being traded in and
he county paying a boot Of about
300 or $4,000, which appeared to
,ommr. Ibsen to be the wise and
economical thing to do as the old
very tractor could not be traded in
n the Caterpillar engine and would
ave been SO much dead loss to the
ublic, besides the extra money which
he Caterpillar would have cost, be-
ldes Comnr. Ibsen thought that the
very would do all the work which
ne county had money to do, so the
very was purchased but under the
Management Of Mr. Link, who pos
lbly does not know much about trac-
'rs anyway the Avery has behaved
a very remarkable manner. h
In view of the above facts, just why
r. Link wanted to buy the Cater
llIar, no one has been able tn learn