Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1927-03-18
GAINS IN
LICENSE INCOME
COUNTY GETS $50 s1 OF MOTOR
TAN MONEY FOR SPRING
ROAD WORK
Motor Bus License is Opposed; High
way Commission to Let Contracts
on 10 Projects; Robert N. Hawkins
Appointed Secretary of State

tBy Our Helena Correspondent
Due largely to the fact that the au-
thorities of Great Falls and Cascade
county took steps requiring the securing
or 1927 automobile licenses and license
plates early In the season. the county's
road fund Is TO be enriched within a few
days to the extent OF x5e, I3I. 80 In the
first distribution of motor vehicle license
fees for the present year. A warrant for
this amount IL to be sent to Cascade
county under the distribution of March 1.
1927. made up of license fees collected
from that county, less "A certain proper
tlon of the collections for the payment
of administrative expenses.
Cascade county, in this distribution.
leads all other counties of the state by a
very wide margin, with the single excep-
ton of Silver Bow county. which takes
nrst place with a payment of S5i, 95So5. 1t
ls very evident, from the wide margin by
Which these two counties lead all others OF
me state, that the benefit TO be derived by
those counties In the receipt OF a large por-
ton of their license fees in time to be of
avail In spring road work, is due to the ac-
~tivities of their peace officers in enforcing
the license law. Through the apparent In
activity OF officials of other counties the
amounts being apportioned to them fall
very far short of their proper percentages.
Receipts from motor vehicle licenses dur
Ing January and February of the present
year have been exceptionally heavy, being
approximately 50 per cent greater than
during the corresponding months of 1926.
According TO figures compiled by S. c..
Small, deputy registrar of motor vehicles,
who is In charge of the Deer Lodge office,
under Registrar Austin b. Middleton, the
receipts for January and February, 1927,
were S5t5, 1O2, as compared with S3iS,S5I
for the corresponding period in 1926.
The total number of passenger cars reg
istered up to February IS. for the wear
1927, was 1890, not including approxi-
mately 1000 licenses for. which the plates
were sold over the counter. During the
same period truck plates were issued to the
the number of $50.
During the corresponding period, up to
February %. 1926. the department had is
sued plates for but 25,3S0 passenger cars
and 4.625 for auto trucks.
The application of Norman S. Poole Of
Townsend for a permit to operate a motor
bus line between Helena and Three Forks
Is opposed by the Helena Commercial club.
Hearing on the application was held be-
fore the Montana railroad commission at
Helena on March Is. The directors took
the position that the Northern Pacific rail-
road Is serving all transportation needs
a bus line Is not now needed.
That the state highway commission will
be In a position to award contracts upon
eight or 10 projects during the month of
April under the new highway financing
laws seems evident, in view of a discussion
Of the situation at a meeting Of the high
way commission held recently.
Progress made by the engineering crews
upon surveys led Chief Engineer Holmes
to express the belief that such a number
of projects might be carried to contract In
the event that they can be examined and
approved before the close of the present