Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-12-12
Special to The Tribune

Special to The Tribune
Butte, Dec. 11.-Plans which were
inaugurated at meeting in Helena
several weeks ago by the state execu-
tive roads committee, for legislation
which will permit of the carrying on
of the states highway building pro-
gram were brought nearer maturity
Monday at well attended meeting OF
the committee and county commissions
ers, state officers and good roads en-
thusiasts from all parts Of the state.
Drafts of two measures which will
be presented at the coming legislative
assembly for the providing of finances
for the carrying on of road work have
been prepared and will be worked over
Tuesday. These will have to do with
increased license taxes on motor We
hcles and an increased gasoline tax.
Experts Give Addresses
Two of the distinguished road build
ers of the country, W. B. Dennis of
Oregon and f. A. Cannon Of Wiscon-
sin, addressed two Of the meetings
Monday which were attended by about
IS men of Butte and other parts of
the state. The visitors were enter
tanned by the Butte Chamber of Com
merce at dinner at the Thornton ho-
tel at $50 p. IN.
The executive committee will meet
Tuesday morning with Messrs. Dennis
and Cannon to discuss the two tax
measures which will be whipped into
shape for presentation before the com
mittee later in the month. An effort
will be made 10 have Governor Dixon
incorporate them in his message to
the legislature.
wall
sented at the opening business session
Monday afternoon with delegation
consisting of Congressman Elect Scott
Leavitt, County Commissioner 3. G.
Johnston, O. s. Warden, L. E. Jones,
c. III. Mckinney, J. C. Dow and w.
Moser while Joe Milestone of Cut
Bank. L. W. Croft of Troy and John
F. Able of Lewistown were among the
northern Montana representatives.
President Sid J.. Coffee Of Missoua
opened the session with a brief history
of the movement which had resulted IN
the organization of the executive roads
committee He impressed the meet
ing with his belief that Montana must
have roads reaching into every part
of the state and to do this 1t must
have money and there is no other way
to get it than by increasing the motor
fSuitI6 uC0ust dlh 6dooiLbS sO%eSN'
people will not stand for any other
form of taxation, he said.
Eddy Announces Program
John n Eddy, chief engineer of the
state highway commission, addressed
the meeting at some length IN an ad.
dress in which he told of the work OF
the highway commission and OF the
DEVELOPMENT Of the road program IN
"a II npptInY
that while the road programs OF the
several states had experienced radical
changes from the time of their lnitla-
ton Montana held an enviable position
in that it does not have to 90 back
and start over. it has merely to go
forward. He told that since Montana
has become state it had expended
about S51 .000,0 on roads and that
about S750,00O had been expended IN
the past four years, but as compared |
with other states, Montana has spent |
nothing.
OF the Sc, 100000 voted by the coun-
ties in 1919 road work all has been eX-
pended with the exception of half q
million, he said and he expressed the
opinion no more money will be avail
able from such sources in the future.
He held tliaH to continue the work as
would necessitate an increase OF about
80 1-3 per cent in county levles.
Three-Way Split
He advocated a plan of financing
road construction by which the state
should pay 81 per cent, the counties
20 per cent and the federal govern
ment 53 per cent. Under plan OF
increased motor vehicles licenses taxes
and an increased gasoline tax the state
should furnish 100000 and the coun-
ties 100000, and the government
81, 100000. which would permit the
construction of about 300 miles of
gravel surfaced roads per year and at
the end of five years this, with what
permanent roads already have been
built, would give the state about 2,400
miles of gravel roads, or about 31a
per cent of total road mileage Of the
state.
Mr.. Eddy advocated road system
which would consist of 400 miles of
trunk highway, 3,4OO miles of principal
county highway and 1000 miles of
important road. leaving 2,400 miles of
roads, of which he thought
q good share should be added. He /
the fear that when the Unit
ed States secretary of agriculture dis
covers Montana has no money witch
which to match federal aid funds he
will hold that Montana is not eligible
sor federal aid and will rule that no
work can be done by the government ON
Indian reservation roads within the ,
siate. /
II. A. Cannon, executive secretary of !
he Wisconsin good roads association,
addressed the meeting upon the sub t
ect of "Wisconsin's Way" He said {
he dominant note in Wisconsin's road !
program was agriculture, that in addi- {
ion So its general agricultural produc-
ion the state produces 10000 nl0 | \