The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1924-01-24
Thursday, January "a, 1924
NORTH IDAHO MINING MEN AND
LoLo PASS ROAD.

There was conference in SPOKANE
last week attended by representative
of the federal bureau Of public roads
the forestry service and the Idaho
bureau of highways for the purpose
of reaching an agreement regarding
apportionment Of funds for road con-
suucuon in northern Idaho. There
We're also present delegations from
various Idaho counties to urge appro-
priations for road projects in which
they were particularly Interested.
Among these was delegation from
Lewiston and other towns along the
Clearwater to urge u liberal allotment
for the construction OF the Lolo pass
road. SO far as this paper can learn
there was no one at the conference
from Kellogg, Wallace or Mullan. nor
from any other place in Shoshone
county, which is crossed from east to
west by the Occur dAlene- yellow
stone trail, indicating concmsNely
That the people of this county We're
not directly concerned in the appor-
tionment OF road funds. Having no.
interests to urge on their own behalf
it is hardly conceivable that the peo-
pie of this county and particularly
the mining men. would line up with
Spokane to defeat an important road
project in their own state. Yet that
is exactly what a Spokane paper
would have its readers believe they
did. The Chronicle Of last Friday, in
its first page story on the road con
ference, featured this paragraph under
the subhead Mining Men Solid
Northern Idaho mining men
anu others IN that section OF the
Gem state are lined up almost
solidly with certain interests IN
Spokane and towns along the
northern route, OF Yellowstone
trail, from Missoula to this city,
in opposing the Lolo pass route.
Their argument is that the Lolo
pass road would be too expensive
to improve and would be open
only for a limited season. In ad-
dition, they hold that improve
ment Of Lolo pass would turn
much tourist business away from
Spokane and throw it to Lewis
ton. Walla Walla and the coast
cities"
The Miner will state without quail
incation that there is not one fact to
support that statement, and that it is
in line with the usual policy of Spo-
kane to use this section of Idaho to
further its own selfish designs The
people of shoshone county. who pro-
fit to a considerable extent through
tourist travel over the Yellowstone
trail. are loyal to the state OF Idaho
and gladly give their support to any
that promises to develop
the state and bring prosperity to its
people That the construction OF the
Lolo pass road would divert much
travel from the Occur d'Alene- Yellow
stone trail is unquestionably true, but
he people of this section OF Idaho are
100 broad minded to permit that con-
sideration to influence their attitude
oward that great proposed highway
II Idaho. In fact, they want to see
he Lolo pass road completed, because 81
t viii make accessible a large section %
# Idaho that is rich in natural re-
sources, with wonderful scenic at
ractions. and would be tremendous il
'eneht to a vast area extending from "a
he ST. Joe to the Salmon river. And l'
t it should prove to be an important y
actor in building up a great CONNER n
ial center in Idaho at the junction Of
ne Clearwater and Snake rivers, one =
hat would cut deeply into the trade e.
hat now flows from Idaho to Spo- =
ane. the people up here would view ii
with serene satisfaction. p
.OOcENEtr rprEn EMRO0tEc fC