Montana labor news., 1935-08-08
VICTORY FOR
MONTANA CITIZENS

wish to take advantage OF the
columns OF your esteemed publication
to contradict some OF the allegations
contained in a contributed article,
printed on the front page Of the Mon
tana Labor News, OF the issues OF
August first entitled Independent Mo
tor Company Applies for License.
Contrary to the assertion in that article
wherein it stated that the Independent
Motor Carriers is independent in name
only, the reverse is true. Let US look
at some facts.
The officers of the Independent Mo
tor Carriers are all Montana men. The
corporation was created for the prime
purpose Of employing Montana men
and keeping Montana money in Mon
tana. Prior to the granting OF the
permit to this Company by the Mon
tana Railway Commission, the high
ways of the State of Montana were
practically monopolized by foreign cor
porations, especially the Great North
ern Railway and the Northern Pacific
Railway. These concerns operated
motor freight and passenger vehicles
over the highways. Franchises under
which these companies operated were
granted to them by the old commits
sion, and these permits permitted these
companies to operate the entire length
and breadth Of the State OF Montana
AT the hearing before the present
Railway Commission, fifty five witness
es were heard in favor Of granting the
certificates OF public convenience and
necessity for C-contract carriers to the
Independent Carrier. The testimony
of n Of these witnesses should allay
all doubt as to whether the Indepen-
dent Motor Carriers is an Independent
concern or not and whether it is a
liberal concern or not, in the termino-
logy of the progressive clements Of the
state. The extracts from the testimony
OF this witness is as follows The high
ways belong to the public and the pub
lie should use them as it sees fit pro-
viding those who use the highways
are properly insured to protect others
from damage and injury and reason
able rules and regulations for traffic
control are maintained to protect all
users.
Every truck on the highway means
that someone has bought something
and wants it moved somewhere else.
Every bus means that someone is an
xious to get to another place to bet
ter his status in one way or another.
The more use that is made of the high
ways the greater is the return to the
people in the state of Montana for in
vestments OF many millions of dollars.
It will take a great gallonage of gas
oline at &c per gallon to pay that
back and of those who are paying it
back, the truck and bus operators in
Montana are paying the lions share.
This witness also quoted from the
dissenting opinion OF Justice Angst
man in the matter of Fulmer VS.. Board
OF Railroad Commissioners % P (2d)
Page 857. The quotation follows:
THE act does not in set terms COM
mand that Foreign Corporations, sub
sidiary OF a railroad company or other
wise, shall have preferences ove Mon
tana smaller citizens in the right to
use the highways or to obtain a GER
~tificate from the board Of railroad COM
missioners.
Justice Angstman in this dissenting
opinion was referring to the act, Chap
ter 1874, Laws Of 1881. Chapter 1874
attempts to restrict the Railroad Com
mission from granting franchises to
independent motor operators where il
is in conflict with transportation al
ready provided by the railroad COM
panies. Judge Angstman felt and con-
tended that the act was %unconstitu-
tional. In this contention he clearly
portrays his interest in the people Of
Montana. 1t has been argued that Z
was largely through his Interpretation
Of this act that the Railroad Commits
sioners have been able to grant fran
chises to small motor operating COM
panies. Both the Independent truck
ing companies and the people Of the
State Of Montana W former Justice
Angstman a debt Of gratitude for thi!
service, that he has rendered them, by
his dissenting opinion in both Fulmei
VS.. Board Of Railroad Commissioner!
and Barney VS.. Board OF Railroad Com
missioners. He came to the rescue o
the small independent operating com
panies and prevented a complete mono
~polization of the highways Of the State
Of Montana by the corporations.
The attitude Of the Railway Com.
) missioners was plainly indicated in thu
fact that this is the lst time in the his.
tory of the commission that so many
, certificates have been granted at ont
/, time. IA out of seventeen permits ap-
/ piled for, were granted. 1t is estimat-
ed that the new concern will eventually
employ More than one hundred Mon.
! tana men. The operations of this com.
pany will transfer much Of the business
from the big railroad companies anc
the big corporations to the Independent
t operators. Ii was the sense OF tn,
y witnesses appearing for the Indepen
! dent Motor Carriers and the testimony
ait the hearing that the highways o
the State Of Montana belong to Mon
tana people, and that they should re
ceive the benefit from those operating
on the highways.
Taxes in the state Of Montana ar
paid by Montana people and the in
dependent bus operator pays NOR
S than his just share Of those taxes,
have been reliably informed that tn
T.l..-4 MAta. Howr,ave t.u,