Montana labor news., 1936-12-24
MONTANA W. p. A.
Official Press Information

dNiiiSNtd uiidCl q diNCi olilCo Plu,-
932,344 program.
"At this time last year, actual
work under the program was just
getting started" Mr.. Parker said.
Although the first project opened
was the Reservoir Canyon Road in
Beaverhead County, on October 7,
1885, there was no program of any
size underway until the first of No
vember, when projects employing
713 workers taken from the States
dole list had started at Great Falls,
Missoula, Havre and Billings. A year
later, Montana had 20,945 WPA
workers employed on 499 projects
sponsored by various public agen-
cies. $10,932, 344 had been allocated
by the Federal Government and an
estimated million and one-half dol
lars o contributed by sponsors in
prosecuting 300 projects"
These projects have covered more
than SO fields of worthwhile activity
with 100 different subdivisions,
varying from the heaviest type of
construction work down to the oper-
alton of II nursery schools. They
have utilized every type of skill
available on relief rolls in the State,
from unskilled labor to highly spe-
cialized professional persons. Much
work was prompted by the emer-
gency of a severe winter and a dis
astrous drouth. 1t would be difficult
to find any activity of a public ma
ture where the WPA has not under
taken some active part"
mot considering the WPA's prime
purpose and greatest Justification
the saving of human values in some
10000 individuals and their families
through provision of employment
| believe physical results in our
cities and counties are well worth
the money expended" Administra-
tor Parker said.
Highlights of the physical accom-
plishments in Montana, selected
from several pages of detailed facts
and figures included:
Roads-Built, improved, repaired
and paved 3,345 miles of highway,
which included 2,674 miles of farm
to-market roads built or improved,
CAT miles resurfaced and "a miles
paved. The WPA also built or re-
paired 140 bridges, 1896 culverts,
survey rs miles of new highways,
improved $4,000 square feet of back
sloping along highways, built 81
miles of guardrails and guard walls,
completed 81 miles of roadside land
scaping and performed other miscel-
laneous and emergency tasks.
Parks and Fairgrounds - Con-
structed or improved 81 public play
grounds, golf courses and athletic
fields and 80 parks, fair and rodeo
grounds, covering 1,195 acres. Built
8 swimming pools with 1886 square
feet of water surface.
Public Buildings - 100 public
buildings of all types containing
421,836 square feet of floor space,
were built, renovated or repaired.
Of these, "a were public schools
housing 2,208 students. Eleven
stages were also built in public
schools.
Water Conservation - Completed
81 stock water and irrigation dams
with a combined crest length of TO-
969 feet and a total storage capacity
of III, 000, 900 cubic feet of water.
Constructed 35 irrigation bitches
with a total length of 174,917 feet,
serving 8,213 acres of land, and built
eve drainage systems containing
l4,961 feet Of drain pipe.
Aviation-Improved 10 important
landing fields covering 1888 acres
and built or improved hangers or
administration buildings at the Hell
ena, Billings, Miles City, Lewistown,
Harlem, Scobey and Harlowton air
ports. Built or surfaced IL airport
runways for a total length of "a, 100
feet and air-marked so Montana
cities.
Public Utilities-Built and repaired
15.4 miles of storm or sanitary sew
ers, and 31.9 miles of water mains.
Drilled IL municipal water supply
wells and built city water reservoirs
with a combined storage capacity of
100000 gallons. Placed 15,840 feet
of river levee and rip-rapping, paved
1918 feet of gutter, removed 7,240
feet of street car rails, operated saw
mills through which 3,097,570 board
feet of lumber was produced, laid
1876 miles of concrete and cinder
sidewalks, built 681,126 linear feet
of fence, handicapped and beautified
1884 acres of lawns, parks, boule-
wards, school and other public
grounds, and performed many other
miscellaneous jobs requested by mu-
inequalities.
In addition to these major work
classifications, the report lists a wide
variety of other activities during the
first year, of which these were out
standing: