The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1933-08-31
Talk Over
ROadPrOblemS
With Warden
Libby and Troy Men Confer
with Chairman of Highway
Commission.
SEVERAL MATTERS
ARE DISCUSSED


That the state highway commissio
and the bureau of public roads al
ready to proceed with construction {
the Kootenai Falls project of the Libby
Troy-State Line highway but that the
have been unable to obtain decisio
from Washington approving or reject
ing the present proposed location, wa
the news brought out at coaferenc
held Tuesday afternoon in Libby be
twsen O. s. Warden, chairman of tn
state highway commission, and Libb
and Troy msn-
Another important bit Of information
that came out DUNG the meeting wa
contained in = statement by Mr.. War
dan that he knew of no intention Il
move u. S. highway No. from it
present location to routing farthe
south.
Mr.. Warden was brought to LIB,
by George Lanstrum of Kalispell ane
with them was E. B. Donahue, highway
maintenance engineer, of Helena Troy
had been invited to sit in at the con-
ference and a delegation was present
from that place consisting of County
Commissioner Kensler, D. F. Fewkes
Glen Thorn, H. w. Ford, AL Williams
and Ralph Aiken.
Gives Detailed History.
The Libby Commercial club had ar
ranged for a noon luncheon in honor
of the visitors but they did not ar
rive until late and it was decided to
hold an informal conference in the
Hotel Libby AT that time Mr.. War
den went into a detailed history of
the negotiations regarding acceptance or
rejection of the present proposed To-
cation of the Kootenai Falls project.
He said that the state highway COM
mission and the bureau Of public roads
had gone so far as to let contract for
this work but that it had been held
up by action at Washing
The project II ciassed rs a forest
highway and Is to be built under ma
tional forest direction. Final approval
OF location rests, therefore, with the
department of agriculture in Washing
ton. Mr. Warden stated that while in
Washington in June he had lengthy
%0AAIA%tlNCo WIll Olli[l6lS 1CidtlVG 10
this matter and they promised him that
decision would be made in June. The
decision was not given out, however.
Mr.. Warden was again in Washington
and for the second time he had a long
conference with Washington officials
urging that their decision be fastened.
He was told that approval or rejection
of the matter would be given not later
than August is. 1t now turns out that
1t has not yet been handed down. MIR.
Warden says he knows nothing more
that can be done, that numerous let
tiers and kilograms have been sent to
Washington and everything done to
hasten the matter that it is possible to
do.
Asks for Local Agreement.
Considerable time was given to in
formal questions and answers in which
MIR. Warden said he wished local men
would agree on where they desired the
present $4,000 to be spent provided
work on the Kootenai Falls project is
still held up. Both Libby and Troy or
CARNATIONS had repeatedly gone on rec
ord In favor of completion of the Lib
by-Troy- State Line highway and It'll
was the concensus that if approval of
the Kootenai Falls project cannot be
obtained soon the money had better be
spent on the Yaak hill That will be
the recommendation
Some Opposition.
There was some opposition to this
program. There were those who argued
strongly that there should be no hurry
in moving the money from the Koo-
tenai Falls to some other project They
said in effect, We have been strain
ing every effort for 20 years to get
this high and dangerous section re-
moved from the highway and now when
we have the money we turn around
and give it away for some other work.
Better hold on to it for at least an
other 30 or 60 days"
Others replied to this argument that
there will be no hurry about transfer
ring the money. But if it is finally and
definitely learned that there cannot be |
agreement on the highway location at
Kootenai Falls, then and only then
shall the money be transferred.
Money Will Not BE Lost.
Some have felt there might be danger
that the $160000 might be lost if not
used comparatively soon Mr. Warden
was asked that question and he replied
that there was no danger 9of losing the
money, but that this sum would have
to be spent before any additional APP
preparation for the Libby Troy-State
Line highway could be obtained.
MIR. Warden also said that while Mr..
Lapstrum and he were driving to Libby
they figured out the uncompleted mile
age between Kalispell and Libby. He
said they agreed there was about %
miles of uncompleted forest highway
and 81 miles of uncompleted state high
way. He strongly urged Libby men to
bend every effort to getting further
appropriation from the forest service
for improvement of the "a miles He
further said that the policy Of the high
way commission had been to complete
highways into and out Of Kalispell. |