The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1925-11-13
STATE BOARD
PLANS TO CUT
TRAVEL COST
Will Buy FOrds and Thus Bolster
Up Much Outed Erickson
Economy Dope


HELENA, Month"; a valiant eff
fO't to cut down state transportation
expenses, to make good on campaign
promises and to bolster the Erickson
economy program which has watched
expenses mount rather than decrease,
the state board of examiners is dis
cussing the ~advisability Of standard
izing ON automobile equipment and
the purchase of a fleet Of FOrds or
Dodges.
The dime-a-mile transportation al
lowance dished out to state employees
as their limit Of expense money has
suffered a series Of terrific jOlts.
State officials have found it i'm
possible to operate automobiles for
10 cents a mile over mountain roads,
through snow and mud. Hence they
take the trains, complete a job and
lay over all day waiting for the next
train. If the job requires two hours,
the plan allows them 10 hours rest
and the two hours work constitutes a
days duty.
Modify Dime Rule
The examiners, therefore, have
found it necessary to modify the
dime-a-mile rule. They have issued
permission to state boiler inspectors,
mine inspectors, weights and meas
ures inspectors and others to engage
transportation as cheaply as possible
and turn in the amount in expense
claims.
Careful comparison, however, Of
expense bills turned in by state en-
ployes operating state ears and those
submitted by owners Of private cars,
Tuesday, 'but we have not yet
for each mile.
The latest instance developed in the
department Of agriculture. A light
a driven by an inspector was op-
Grated for an average Of eight cents
a mile for several thousand miles. A
car Of the same make, owned by the
state employee and used in the same
work, collected the dime-a-mile.
Hence, the board Of examiners be-
lieves that the purchase of an entire
new equipment, s~tandardizing on
Fcrds, DOdges or other light cars, will
mean a saving Of thousands Of dol
lars annually in operation as well as
in repairs and parts.
Warden Has Cadillac
The Cadillac used by the warden
Of the state penitentiary at Deer
Lodge would be replaced by a Ford
under the system while the Hudson
Essex, Studebaker cars in use at the
Warm Springs hospital, the Twir
Bridges orphans home and the BOul
der school for the deaf and blind
would give way to the puddle jump.
ers."
"The matter has been discussed BY
the board" said Governor Erickson
strud is the second which the Cont
decided on a definite course Of action
Road conditions during the white
forbid taking immediate action an
the matter will doubtless be delaye0
until spring. If the plan will saw
money it is entirely feasible"
Heavy Cars Used
State-owned cars are now bein
driven by officials in the livestock de
partment, the fish and game depart
ment, the department Of a~gricultur,
at the boys industrial school at Mile
City, the girls vocational school i
the Helena valley, the tuberculosi
hospital at Galen, the state educs
tiOnal Institutions and in other d.
partments.
The highway department has
fleet CT road building trucks whic
yer purchased from the federal go
eminent as part of war departmel
equipment left over when the armi
tice was signed. Scores Of these b
Liberty trucks are tied up In storae
because of operations being blockC
through lack of state appropriation
The state likewise owns trucks o.
Grated at each Of the state instit
tons, the colleges and the universit
It is within the plan that many
these heavy trucks be replaced
lighter equipment-Montana RecOr
Herald.