Idaho County free press., 1923-08-30
ROAD THROUGH HILLS
OF PALOUSE COUNTRY

OF PAL0USE COUNTRY
"From the head of the Lewiston
grade, through Moscow, to Viola, the
road traverses the characteristic roll
ling country of the Palouse region.
From Viola through Potlatch, Har-
yard and Princeton, to st. Maries, is
through farm and forest and logged
off land, which is rapidly being
brought into a state of high cultiva-
tion. Northerly from st. Maries the
highway follows the st. Joe river to
Mission point, the highway embank-
ment forming a dixie which protects
more than 1000 acres from the over
flow waters of the river From Mis-
sion Point to Harrison the road will
be built over Harrison flats and into
Harrison, or follow the foot of the
hill along the st. Joe river flats and
Coeur d'Alene lake into Harrison, at
which point it crosses the Coeur d'A-
lene river and follows the east shore
of COeur d'Alene lake and the north
shore of Wolf Lodge bay to a junction
with the Yellowstone trail, at the head
of Wolf lodge The south shore of
Wolf Lodge bay is then followed into
Coeur d'Alene, where the road turns
north and extends through Standpoint
and Bonners Ferry to the Canadian
line at Port Hill.
1T would have been impossible to
have financed the construction of those
portions OF the highway already COM
pleted without federal aid. Some crit
icism of the federal aid standards and
the cost of roads constructed on fed
eral standards have been made from
time to time In answer to these crit
icisms, it might be stated that with
out federal aid only narrow and
much inferior road could have been
built and the cost thereof would have
been considerably in excess of so per-
cent of the cost of the present con-
constructed road Therefore the fed
eral aid was of distinct advantage, be-
cause it enabled the construction of
more mileage than could- otherwise
have been built, and this mileage is
much superior, both in gradient struc-
lures and finish.
'It is unfortunate that additional
state funds could not have been made
available to cooperate with the fed
eral government in the construction
of the uncompleted twenty-three
miles However, the plans for the
improvement of the uncompleted por-
ton, which were formulated in the
spring of 1923 and which will be put
into effect this fall, will undoubtedly
result in placing this section of the
highway in such a condition as to
make it throughout its entire length
not only reasonably passable, but safe
and comfortable to travel. This state
ment, however is not intended to con-
yey to the public the idea that further
construction work on this uncom-
pleted section shall be unnecessary. 1t
shall be borne in mind that funds
for the completion of the highway on
proper standards should be provided
as soon as the financial condition OF
the country permits.
"The argument might be advanced
that the unconstructed portion could
have been improved in the manner
contemplated at an earlier date, but
it is obvious that it would have been
inexpedient to do this while there
remained any possibility of financing
permanent construction. because Of
the waste of money which would have
been involved. Work will be begun
on the proposed improvements as
soon as the work now under way is
somewhat further advanced. One OF
the reasons why it was undesirable
to start this work at an earlier date
was because at no time has it been
possible to obtain sufficient labor on
the work now under way, and the
opening up of new work would have
accentuated the. labor shortage"