The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent., 1922-10-13
STATE NAY lose
]. 5. ROAD FUNDS

| ]. 5. ROAD FUNDS.
Hon. w. q. Dennis Of { Carlton. ore,
author Ct most Of the good roads leeis-
lation enacted by Oregon. will address
statewide good roads meeting in
Missoula October II under the aus.
pices Of the Missoula chamber Of cou,-
merce. The need fer state funds with
which to match federal funds for road
building purposes in Montana at this
| time 10 crucial. 1t is believed IL the
facts regarding the danger Of Mon
tana losing . big portion OF its allot-
| ment ct federal funds are brought
| foreibly to the attention Of the busi-
! ness men OF the state, some plan win
be developed to remedy the situation.
Dennis will represent the Portland
| chamber Of commerce and will explain
hcw Oregon has worked out her splen-
did highway system.
Can Montana afford to lose these
! federal road funds!
If Montana cannot match federal
| funds for roads. she stands to lcse
| approximately $1,OO0,OOO on July /,
1929.
These federal aid funds will then be
| reapportfoned to other states, and will
be forever lost to Montana.
The original federal aid act provid-
ed for maximum of so per cent fed
eral cooperation. Under the new law
| this cooperation is increased in pro-
portion to the percentage of public
land in the state to the total area Of
the state. In Monana the maximum
10 n
cent Of the cost Of the project, a limit
Of federal participation being fixed at
53.04 per cent OF $4,000 per mile.
There has been paid to Montana for
projects completed or under coastruc-
tfon. more than $4.397,000. Federal aid
activities have been carried on in ~
of Montana's 81 counties. including the
construction Of Is bridges. 100 miles
earth road. 567 miles gravel road. 6.5
miles bituminous macadam read and
IS miles of concrete road.
In the Treasure state, 400 miles Of
her 67.1OO miles Of road are entitled to
federal aid--2.O0O miles Of Interstate
highway and 2.7O0 miles of inter-
county highways The federal highway
act also provides that the government
may pay the entire cost Of improving
roads through Indian reservations
which are either interstate or inter-
county in character. The system is
designated by the state highway COM
mission and approved by the secretary
CT agriculture. A comprehensive net
work OF highways has bqen evolved
asrl1ich. With one exception. Connects all
a1Ou. ty seats in Montana. -
In Montana at present the locaf
fundd for these projects are raised by
the counties either by direct tax or by
bonds, and the state highway commits
sion represents them in all dealings
with the secretary Of agriculture. This
method Of providing state funds to
match federal funds. however. cannot
longer be utilized.
Al federal allotmcnts tc states are
contingent upon their use prio" 20 the
end of the second fiscal year TO-. which
the appropriation is rlad". in the
event that a state fails to use any
p"lt,cn of it's allotment. it Is ther re-
aplt RI ioned to the Other states on the
same basis as the original apnropcia-
ton was made.
OF the allotment to Montana which
lapses and will be subject to reap
portionment on July /. 1923. there is
an unexpended balance of approxt-
| mately s1,OO0.OOO.
Other states are successfully hand
ling this problem of federal aid, and
| their develc pment Is keeping pace
with the expansion of their highway
| systems.
Can Montana. the third largest state
| in the union. crying for people and
development. afford to abandon to
other states federal funds fer which
| she has greater need, probably. than
| they:
1t Is believed that if the facts re-
gardins the danger Of this state los.
| ing big portion of it's allotment Of
fedreal funds are brought forcibly to
the attention of the business men OF
| the state. some plan will be developed
which will provide Montana with suf-
! f1cient funds to carry on it's road build
| ing program in an orderly manner and
eliminate the possibility of federal ap-
preparations, made for and partly paid
by the state of Montana. being allotted
| to other states.
| Mr.. and Mrs. A. Montgomery Of Pi-
niele were in Broadus Saturday.
| Forty-two students are now enroll ed
in the district high school.
| A new furnace was installed in the
district high school last week. guar
anteed to give satisfaction.
| The latter part Of last week advice
was received that the new school bell
had been shipped to this destination
from the dealer at Spokane. Wash.
George Iinville. supervisor of Road
District No. 4S. has a crew Of eight
men employed on the 100 yard fill to
the east approach of the Little Powder
river bridge near Osborn Pemberton's
ranch. The grading has been comrlet.
ed and the surface is new being grav.
eled.
| A number OF local people attended
the dance at Powdervi1le 0aturNav