The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1918-10-18
REPAIR BRIDGES
IS BOARD ORDER
MATERIAL FOR NEW sTRUC-
TUREs is ALMOST IMPOS-
sIBLE TO OBTAIN
NEWS OF THE CAPITAL CITY
interior Department Is Investigating
Amount of Logged off Land in
State That Could Be Re-
claimed for Soldiers


Helena.-Old and patched bridges
are just as fashionable these wal
times as are old and patched clothes
but there is this difference-that new
clothes can be purchased in the mar
ket, whereas the materials for bridges
are among the scarcest products In
the country and are treasured accord
ingly.
The United States highways coun
Gil, which has supreme authority fol
the remainder of the war over ali
street, highway and bridge work
through it's control over materials
advises the Montana state highway
commission that it contemplates three
classes of bridge projects which ap-
pear worthy of favorable considera-
tion during the war period; first, q
bridge urgently required as military
necessity and recommended by a rep
resentative of the war department to
the United States highways cOuE ell !;
second, the replacement of an unsafe
bridge which cannot be made safe
through suitable repairs, traffic regu-
lations or detOur; third, the replace
ment of bridge which has been de-
Stroyed and which is essential as a
direct or indirect war need.
The United States highway council
says the street and highway bridge
policy of all. states should be based
upon the following principles
Use every endeavor to keep existing
structures in service by such means
as effective supervision, suitable re-
pairs, control of traffic, prohibition
of use of bridges by street car, road
rollers, traction engines and other
heavy vehicles. Relief of a weak
bridge by a detour utilizing safe
structure, and the Improvement of
such a detour by using materials
which can be obtained without serious
delay may be preferable to the recon-
Struction of steel bridge.
The highways council points out
that because of urgent government
demands for cement and the fact that
cement requires fuel for it's produc-
tion, public officials are not justified
i'm assuming if they change plans for
proposed structures from steel to
concrete it will be possible to build
new bridges without difficulty.
If public officials find it is impossi-
ble to maintain existing structures
and cannot substitute temporary
ones for those that are unsafe, they
should apply to the United States high
ways council through the Montana
state highway commission for approval
of their projects. An application should
be made out for each bridge on forms
obtainable from the state highway
commission.
Influenza Continues to Spread.
With several more communities re-
porting outbreaks of Spanish influ-
enza, in the absence of quorum. of |
the state board of health, Secretary
w. #. Cogswell, acting under the au-
thority given him and in accordance
with the recommendation of Surgeon
General Blue of the public health SER
vice, has issued an emergency order
requiring the closing of all schools, all
public places of amusement, including
theaters, and prohibiting the holding
of public meetings in all communities
where there have been outbreaks of
the disease. rhe surgeon general has
also asked that Spanish influenza be
made reportable disease.
The following telegram relating to
the emergency medical and nursing.
relief work furnished, through the U.
5. public health service TO commune
les unable to cope with the present
situation, even with state aid. has been
received by Secretary Cogswell:
'The U. S. public health service will
with aid of volunteer medical
service corps, all outside medical aid
'equired in combating the present in ;
luenza epidemic. The Red Cross, upon
specific request from this service, will
mobilize nursing personnel and furnish .
necessary emergency hospital supplies /
which cannot be obtained elsewhere. {
inform all city and county health Off
ers of your state that all appeals for
i'd must be made to the state health
department. which will make request
f the surgeon general of the public
ealth service whenever local needs !
equire. When necessary, public health t
ervice will establish district officers t
o cooperate with state officials and +
distribute medical and nursing person o
ell. SURGEON GENERAL BLUE, b
~. S. Public Health Service" b
X \ 4
How Soldiers May Vote.
County central committees of all $
arties and county clerks should take Q
teps at once to see that registered Z
oters who will leave Montana be-
ween now and election day on draft
nlls are put in position to cast !
heir ballots, according to Secretary II
State G. T. Stewart Such men Y
ould also vote under the provisions n
the general absent voter law, but G
nder this law, fees amounting to 80
snts are collected on each ballot cast v
lille there are no charges In connec-
on with the military voting Law. Z