Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1931-02-26
CONSOLIDATING FOR A
Uewistown Democrat News)

(LeW1SCOWn UcmOCIdT NEWS
Despite the fact that the federal government is
willing to contribute Sc cents to Montana's "A cents
of every dollar spent in the construction of our major
highway system, the people of our state are finding it
difficult to the point of impOssibility to meet its share
of the cost. Despite the operation of one Of the highest
gasoline takes in existence in any state, we have not
been able to keep pace with the central governments
p~roration of funds and have lost considerable money
which had been set aside for US as a result of this IN
ability. In order to take advantage of the opportunity
to use federal funds, the legislature now in session, as
one of it's first acts, passed a bill which provides Tor
the issuance of 5000 900 in debenture warrants, which
if it passes the test of our supreme court, will enable
us to receive about seven and one-half million dollars
from Washington during the next four years. But even
though we are able to survey and construct to the ex-
tent of grading and hard-surfacing the entire system
as at present outlined, we shall yet be far from pos
sessing the sort Of highways which our modern motor
traffic demands. Roads surfaced with gravel are q vast
Improvement over dirt roads, but it has already been
demonstrated that this character Of construction does
not begin to meet our present-day requirements. Gem
ent is about the only bodybuilding substance which will
long stand up under terrific wear of the almost end
less procession of motor vehicles travelling at high
speed, and, sooner or later, the motorists Of the coun-
try will not be content with any other sort Of high
WAYS. Obviously, Montana is not now and can not hope
to be in position to enter upon that sort of construction
for many years to come. 1t is therefore equally obvious
that if the people of the county, great numbers OF
whom will desire to motor through Montana upon plea
sure or business bent, are to be entirely satisfied, tho
federA government will be under the necessity of as
summing a much larger share of the burden Of construc-
ton. There are at least six other western states, Idaho,
Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, and Nevada, where
similar conditions obtain Extensive areas together with
small populations and limited sources of revenue I'M
pose insuperable barriers against the construction OF
roads which costs from thirty to fifty thousand dollars
per mile. Rather than that we undertake such an impos-
sible task and so impose too grevious burdens upon our
taxpayers, we might begin now, through = great region
al organization comprising these six states working In
conjunction with their representatives in congress, to
impress upon the country the necessity Of far moro
liberal appropriations for permanent highway construc-
ton. Such a demand may be easily fortified by the fact
that the central government has now and doubtless will
always retain in these commonwealth great estates of
forest and mineral lands. We believe that such an or
ganization as we have suggested should be formed 1T
once and a start thus made upon = project which must
some day be contaminated if great trunk highways
across these states are ever to be build in accordance
with the needs and desires of the millions who travel
annualy from one side Of our country to the other.