The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1933-07-27
Money
Is Available
FOrLOCalR Road
Ready to Start on Libby
Troy Project, States High
way Commission.
HAVE SET ASIDE
SUM OF $16O, 900

LIBBY HeH returning from meet
ing with the Montana state highway
commission in Helena last Friday bring
back report characterized by both
optimism and pessimism.
That may be a strange statement to
make but it is explained in this way.
The optimism arises from a STATE
ment made by 0. S. Warden, chairman
of the commission, that there Is avail
able the sum Of $4,000 for immediate
construction Of the Libby Troy project
provided the secretary Of agriculture
in Washington gives app<nyal to the
present location q the proposed I'M
provement, that IS on the south side
Of the river. If the secretary refuses to
approve this location and stands out
either for a north side or high lins
location, it will mean further delay.
4Aut Warden sta&sdr the ocspzuission il
prepared to authorize immediate con-
struction provided the present location
Is approved.
The pessimistic argyle comes from the
fact that there was very decided in
tention by the highway commission not
to include hte Libby-State Line part
of the highway in any appropriations
made-at present-from the huge sums
Of money coming to the state from
federal sources.
Up to the present time, projects
totaling about $1,200,000 have been
passed up to Washington for approval
This section is not included In that
program. But that does not necessarily
mean this district will receive no money
from future programs However, some
members Of the Libby delegation
gathered the impression that it is
doubtful if any money will be forth
coming.
This impression was gained from
various statements implying that the
policy of the commission Is to inn
prove highways contiguous to popu-
In elect that 1t Is just too bad for
you fellows that you live up there in
far corner OF the state where the
population is small and the travel light.
You will Just have to wait for your
highway work until that around the
larger centers is more nearly COM
pleted." The commission laid consid-
cradle stress on the small amount of
travel through these parts The Libby
men countered with the argument that
Of course the travel would be light as
long as the highways remain unim-
proved.
Local men fear long wait If it is
dependent on completion of highways
elsewhere, when one considers the pro-
gram that is being taken up. Libby men
also protested to the abandonment OF
or new construction on highways much
better than anything we have here
The commission denied at first that
that was being done, but their atten-
ton was called to new construction Of
a modern highway at Drummond They
said it was cheaper to build a new
highway there than to maintain the
old one. Other instances might be
cited, such as approximately is miles
of new highway between Whitepine and
Troutcreek within 100 feet of an old
highway much better than anything
we have in this district; also construc-
ton and proposed oiling. of a new high
way between Whitefish and Kalispell
that is at the farthest. point only a few
rods distant from the old wide, grav-
elled highway.
The Libby Commercial club is writ
ing Secretary Wallace in Washington
calling his attention to the statement
of the Montana state highway commits
sion that it is ready to begin work
on the Libhy-Troy project immediate
ly on his approval of the project and
urging that he hurry his decision. The
club had wired Wallace twice previous
ly to the same effect
The original sum allotted to the Lib
by-Troy project was $150,000 but War