Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1932-08-18
Libby-1roy
Men Hold
Joint Meet
Discuss Highway Problem
and Map Out Program
To Be Followed.
ANXIOUS FOR
RELIEF MONEY

That there Is now available $l5U,UO0
for construction of the Kootenai Falls
project of the Libby-Troy-St Line
highway and that an additional $780,
600 will be available July l, 1888; and
that there is no lack of intent of CO.
operation ON the part of the Great
Northern railway" m working to solve
the right way problem existing be-
tween the railway company and the
bureau of public roads, were two high
lights of joint meeting of the Libby
and Troy commercial clubs held in
Libby Monday night at the Turner
Tavern
The first of these two bits Of infor-
nation was reported to the meeting
by men who met with highway Off
Gals in Helena last week. The state
meut relative to the attitude of the
Great Northern railway was submitted
by E. M. Boyes, Great Northern sta
ton agent at Libby, who, in his re-
marks, stated he had been requested
to place before the meeting the atti-
tude of the railway company.
Large Troy Delegation Present.
The Troy club was invited to meet
with the Libby organization at din
ner Monday night and delegation of
from Is to 20 men was present from
the neighboring city. After the serv-
ing Of dinner A. A. Wood, president
Of the Libby club, asked E. w. Oylear
Of Libby to report on what had tram
spired at Helena last week when Mr..
Oylear, Mr.. Wood and r. R. Veldman
Of the Libby club and Ed. Weidner,
Ralph Akin and H. W. Ford OF Troy
had conferred with highway officials
at Helena. Present At that meeting were
the members Of the state highway COM
mission and representatives of the
bureau Of public roads and the forest
service.
MIR. Oylear reported at length con-
versations had with these officials.
stating that in addition to the $780,
coo already appropriated for the koo-
tenai Falls project that $4,000 addi-
tional had been awarded the local
highway from relief funds. He further
stated that officials had informed them
an additional 100000 would be avail
able for this highway after July | next
year.
Right of Way Dispute.
This was very good news, stated Mr.
Oylear, but there was one thing not so
pleasant. 1t appears that disagreement
has arisen between highway officials
and the Great Northern Railway COM
pany regarding construction plans to
be followed around certain point
where a high rocky mountain juts
into the right and around
which or through which the highway
will have to pass. The highway Of
ficials stated the railway was asking
that type of construction be followed
that would cost about $4,000, which
was more than the highway officials
would consent to spend there.
1t was further brought out by Mr..
Oylear that B. P. r. engineers had
stated it would be possible to drive
tunnel through the point necessitating
about 800 feet OF work, which would
cost approximately $4,000. This cost
was prohibitive. When asked about
building the new highway on the loca-
ton of the present high line, the en-
gineers replied that cost and engineer
ing problems made that impossible.
Many Join in Discussion
Mr. Weidner and Mr. Akin of Troy
both substantiated what MIR. Oylear
had reported and then running dis
cussion followed for some time. Just
what the two clubs could do was dis
cussed back and forth without much
progress being made. In this discus
sion it was also brought out that Chair
man Worden of the state highway de-
partment had stated they would wait
from 80 to 60 days for settlement Of
the right-of-way problem and If not
settled in that time, the money might
be used elsewhere When that disclos-
mre was made, the Libby-Troy dele
cations got the promise of the highway
officials that if the right dis
pute could not be settled within a
reasonable time, that the $4,000 would
be expended in new construction be-
ginning at the east end Of the COM
pleted highway near the Idaho line and
extending eastward toward Troy. Par
ticipating in this discussion. in addition
CONTINUED on page 81