The Bismarck tribune., 1925-02-27
MOTOR BUSES
CONSIDERED IN
SENATE BODY
Representatives Declare They
Are Being Taxed Too
Hard by Solons
VARIOUS MEASURES
Stringent Regulations on
Motor BusScs Are PrOvid-
ed in the Bills

The fate Of motor busses and mo-
tor trucks in North Dakota t,day
rests with the state affairs commit
tee Of the senate, d. II. Hamilton
of McHenry county chairman, who
has announced a meeting for Sat-
urday morning when Fl. B. 3 fixing
motor vehicle license rates and II.
b. 155 putting all commercial motor
transportation under the railroad
commission, will be taken up for
consideration.
Amendments are certain, the sem
ator said.
More than dozen bills were in
troduced in one or the other house
of the legislative assembly aimed at
regulation Or taxation of commercial
motor vehicles-both passenger and
freight carrying. The most drastic
found introduction in the senate and
gross earnings Of motor busses. This
eventually was reduced to percent
of the gross income after which the
bill was definitely killed.
H. B. No. 3, one Of the two still
eXtant, sets up Il completely new
system of automobile license fees,
raising all about ten percent. This
measure further assesses tax of
$40 per seat capacity for all passen-
ger carrying busses and automobiles,
and for tax of $40 per ton rated
freight carrying capacity. Thus a
three ton freight truck would pay
$50 in addition to the regular auto
mobile license fee which is based on
initial purchase price, horse power
and weight of the vehicle, while a
30 passenger motor bus would pay
$500 in addition to the license.
House Bill 3
H. B. No. . divides all receipts Of
the motor vehicle license depart
ment so that the first $l50,0O0 above
cost of operation Of the bureau shall
go to the state highway department,
the next $l30,0O0 to the highway de-
partment's bridge fund and the bal
anec of money collected shall be di-
vided equally between the state high
way commission and counties whence
the proportionate share Of the IL
ccnse fees originated. There arc no
strings attached to the money re-
turned to the county--it may be used
not only for new roads or road
maintenance but for any other pur-
pose the cou.ty commissioner deem,
fit.
II. B. 155. also passed by the house
rc-enacts the present statute, which
passed in 1923, putting motor trans
pc rtation busses under the control OF
the state railroad commission when
busses operate on established lines
between fixed termini. The measure
as re-drawn, however, gives the rail
road commission authority to levy a
$1,000 tax on all commercial vchi-
cies.
When this measure was up in the
house, Rep. Starke, Ind, Stark, and
others attempted to have the extra
fee provision stricken out on tho
ground that the motor busses under
the vehicle registration act were al
ready chit for all they could stand
However, the house members got in
to a jangle along political lines ant
the measure was passed by Lineup
that was largely factional with tn.
league group fighting for passag,
unamended.
Senator Hamilton indicated his in
tention to bring about number o
amendments in both bills. Mean
while motor bus companies, while
conceding that they may be eligible
to higher tax than pleasure cars
nevertheless declare the business i
in its infarcy-roads are not wha
they should be, lines have been es
tablished between some cities merel,
along experimental lines and hav
been dismal failures, while othe
lines have paid profit. Lobbyist
for the transportation group are ex
pected~ to appear before the senat
state affairs committee Saturday ant
plead not only for elimination of tn
special tax allowed under H. B. Is
for. collection by the railroad com
mission, but for reduction in tn
surcharge fee against passenger car
rying tbusses as contained in H. e.
Another Effort
Further talk was heard of attempt
ed action on the part of the senat
to attach as a rider to II. B. 3, tn
provisions contained in H. B. II kill
ed early in the week which woul
establish through enactment of
one cent gasoline tax, special fun