The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1935-09-05
Montana May Receive
Funds For Mine Roads

BUTTE, Sept 3.-Montana may re-
ceive substantial part of the S.
000 900 which has been requested from
the federal government by Congress-
man Compton l. White of Idaho for con-
struction and improvement Of mining
roads throughout the west, according to
an announcement by President Francis
A. Thomson of Montana School of
Mines, chairman Of the mineral re-
sources committee of Montana planning
commission.
Proposals for 20 road projects cost
ing 1884, $50 to be constructed under the
Works PROCESS administration have
been drawn up by F. c. Gilbert, en-
gineer-in charge Of the compilation
of the inventory of the mineral re-
sources of Montana, which is being
made at Montana, School of Mines
with FERA funds The plans, provid-
ing for 444 miles of new construction
and 1888 miles Of widening and i'm
provement of present roads, are to be
submitted to the federalf government
for approval. Montana Ills the first
mining raadn fa state sen to have program all
Concerning the question whether the
S50O0,000 will be granted, President
Roosevelt in letter to Congressman
White says, 1T appears quite probable
that the ALLEGATION will be approved"
according to word received by Dr.
Thomson from the Idaho representative
Correspondence with Senators Wheeler
and Murray and Congressman Ayers
and Monaghan indicate that the Mon
tana representatives are supporting the
effort to get Montana's share of this
ALLEGATION.
Need for building better "mine-to-
market roads in the states many
mining districts has been urged for
several years by mining men. The
present plans are a result Of move
ment started two years ago by the
Montana Mining association at Butte.
The effort reached national attention
when the Gold Mining association of
America adopted mine to market
road program in their national meet
ing at San Francisco last year.
"The distinct feature of the projects
is the linking of mining districts
throughout the state to the. state high
ways, making such districts accessible
from several different directions Mr.
Gilbert says. Most of the roads are
in the national forests and hence the
program supplements and expands the
regular forest roads program. How
ever each project is designed primarily
for the aid of the mining areas. These
roads will be factor in giving perma-
nent employment to many miners"
"The chief advantage Of the proposed
roads is that they will permit mines to
open which cannot ship ore under
present conditions Mines which are
now operating will be able to ship ore
at less cost for hauling. In some dis
tricts where ore which costs from SIS to
$40 ton for hauling, the cost will be
reduced from SIPS to $3.50 a ton. 1t
is possible that districts in which ore
valued at SIS ton cannot be mined
will be so improved that ore of half that
value will become profitable.
Most of the 20 projects are for the
aid of gold and silver areas. One of
the exceptions is a project into the dis
trict east of Glacier national park where
there are large deposits of titanium ores
in the sandstone marking the ancient
shore lines Of the Paleozoic sea. Titan
ium is the one mineral that has
increased production in the United
States during the years of the depres-
sion. 1t is valuable for its uses in
paints and in steel alloys.
Included in the information compiled
by the mineral inventory are lists of
known mines, operating mines. past
production, lengths and costs of pro-
posed roads, in each of the 20 projects.