Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1935-09-14
Montana May Get Federal Money for Mining Roads

Montana may receive q a4DSeAn@AAA
part Of the $5y000.0 0e which has been
requested from the federal govern
sraenf by CONGRESSMAN CoMD8on 4.
White AZ idaho for construction ard
improvements Of mfning KOads
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 Plan
ming commission.
Proposals for 20 road projects cost
ing 1894 $50 to be constructed under the
Works Progress administration have
been drawn up by F. @. Gilbert, en-
gineer-in- charge Of the compilation OF
the Inventory Of the Mineral Resources
Of Montana, which is being made at
Montana School Of Mines with FEtSA
funds. The plans, providing for 444
miles Of new construction and 9S6 miles
OF widening and Improvement OF pres
eut roads. are to be submitted to the
federal government for approval Mon
tana Is the first mining state to have
program all ready for approval
Concerning the question whether the
$5,OO0,O0O will be granted, President
Roosevelt in a letter to Congressman
White says, ut appears quite probable
that the ALLEGATION viii be approved,
according to word received by Dr..
Thomson from the Idaho representa-
tive. Correspondence with Senators
Wheeler and Murray and Congressman
Ayres and Monaghan indicate that the
Montana representatives are support
ing the effort to get Montanas share
OF this ALLEGATION.
Need for building better "mine-to-
market" roads In the states many min
ing districts has been urged for several
years by mining men. The present
nlans are q result OLA movement start
ed two years ago by the Montana Min
ing Association at Butte. The effort
reached national attention when the
Gold Mining Association OF America
adopted a ne-to-market" road pro-
gram in their national meeting 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 a factor in giving per-
rnanent employment to many miners
1.-THE chief advantage Of the propos-
ed 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 50
to $40 a ton for hauling. the cost viii
be reduced from SIPS to $3.50 ton.
It is possible that districts in which
ore valued at $25 ton cannot be min
ed 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 district
east of Glacier national park where
there are large deposits Of titanium
ores in the sandstone marking the an
cient shore lines Of the Paleozoic sea.
Titanium is the one mineral that has
increased production in the United /
States during the years Of the depres-
sion. It is valuable for its uses in
paints and in steel alloys.
Included in the information compil-
ed 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.