The Bozeman courier., 1927-12-02
(By Our Helena Correspondent

(BY Our Helena COrreSpOndent)
County treasurers must nave lists Of
owners of motor vehicles Oh which
taxes have become delinquent and
which are not lien on real estate filed
with the register of the motor vehicle
department, Deer Lodge, before the sec
Ond Monday in December, James H.
Stewart, chairman of the state board
OF equalization has announced. The
register under the session laws of 1927
is prohibited from issuing licenses on
vehicles on which taxes have not been
paid and which are not a lien upon
real estate.
Letters have been mailed TO each coun-
ty treasurer by the state board to this
effect Incorporating the suggestion that
such notices be published in the local
papers.
The state board of equalization has
also notified county treasurers regarding
collection Of personal property taxes not
lien upon sufficient real estate. Since
the measure went into effect in 1928,
several counties have collected 100 per
cent OF their taxes and the average for
the state has been 90 per cent, which in
the opinion Of Mr.. Stewart, is an ex-
cellent record.
Montana's railroad commission has de-
MED the application of P. M. Didriksen
TO operate motor vehicles as a common
carrier in irregular service for compen-
! Satton in the transportation Of freight
between Lincoln and Helena.
Dtdriksen is the owner of the Lincoln
Mercantile at Lincoln. He is required to
make frequent trips to Helena to re-
| plentSh his store supplies and some time
ago customers Of his store requested that
ne transport commodities for them
which would not have been possible
without permit from the state board
The application was protested by
II rrrI.lC IL
tlncate to operate between the same
points.
With the coming Of snow and colo
weather construction work on Montana
highways has ceased and unless favor
able weather permits no work will bt
done until next spring, according tt
Ralph ID. Raider, state highway engineer
Engineers, rod and chain men and other
connected with the state department wht
nave been supervising the 1927 construc
ton work, are starting survey work OF
the 1923 program as fast as relieved from
. present work.
In answer to the order of the Montan
, PUBLIC Service commission to show caus
; why rates for natural gas should not b
reduced in the city Of Shelby the Grea
Northern Utilities company filed dat.
showing the gross operating cost and ex
penditure, cOntending that in order t
: earn a. fair return, rates must be in
, creased.
During the first nine months of 1872
: the gas utility earned a gross operatin
revenue Of $41 ,797.1S and it's expense
: : and taxes during the same perio
! amounted to $28, ,443. .O3, exclusive Of fed
: eral income tax amounting to So, 100, an
, $3,274.85 as allowance, for depreciation
. The total available for a return, the com
. pany contends is $7,889.9O.
Montana wheat farmers will not b
compelled to pay an increased rate O
S shipments to eastern points. The Inter
v state Commerce commission ordered til
n rates from Kansas City and other point
In the middle west states to Ohio, Ind
It ana and east to be so equalized to CO.
It respond with the rates from Minneapol
n to those states. Later the railroads run
e ming east Of Chicago submitted a high
l. tariff for the approval of the feder
)r body, which If adopted would Offset tt
10 decrease ordered by the commission ca
n l1er in the season. The proposed ra
q. would have increased the shipme,
ID charge from Chicago to Buffalo al
? Pittsburgh three cents on wheat al
RS flour, and from Chicago to Cincinns
st three cents on wheat and one-half ce
~ on flour.