Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1937-10-07
Value Received

sheridan county is most fortunate, not only in
having had practically all of its unemployed put to
work on WPA. but in the class of projects that have
been undertaken.
over in North Dakota, where people have been
less fortunate. the state WPA administrator has con-
sistently refused to certify farmers for work on prof.
ects. giving as his reason. "boondoggling." insisting
thar farmers had better be kept on the dole" than
to be put 10 work on roads that start nowhere
and end nowhere"
Maybe that's good reasoning in North Dakota.
bur it wouldn't hold water in sheridan county. Be
cause of an efficient board of county commissioners.
who are charged with the responsibility of mapping
and building these roads. sheridan county is going
to have a total mileaee in new road obstruction at the
end Of This year that will far exceed any achievement
of its kind for an equal period since the organization
OF the county.
And these roads all start somewhere and end
somewhere They will not only be of the most SER
viceable and practical type of construction. but will
have beth obtained NJ the least cost to the taxpayers
of any similar undertaking in past years.
Another project on which there has never been
the slightest suggestion of "boondogsling' is the new
courthouse. where another hundred men are en-
ployed, and happily so. Most fortunate in having had
assigned to this project a man who knows his bus
iness and is a master of handling men, from every
source of information available, taxpayers of Sheri-
49, - Nh1f Atiitot VI
value in this new and much needed structure when
II is finally completed next year. Here again has been
necessary the closest attention by our board of coun-
ty of details in purchases
OF material and equipment that the public fails to see
and always with only one though uppermost in
their mind-to secure the most for every dollar ex-
pended.
Then there is the Carroll dam-the county's first
BIZ undertaking in water conservation-a project
that will impound hundreds of acres of water and
provide irrigation for a considerable area.
So sheridan county is without question, really
getting things much worth whit through WPA. But
most of all, instead of our farmers sitting at home
doins nothing. being made to feel they are mere OBJ
jects of charity by having a dole handed out to them.
they are given opportunity of actually earning their
sustenance. Little wonder that farmers of western
North Dakota expressed the desire to have their
counties annexed to Montanai
The Herald can see only one lust criticism of
the county WPA program as it is being conducted to-
day. 1t seems impractical to use to transport men
some 20 miles to work on a project, especially when
so many men are available and additional suitable
projects could be laid out and approved. 1t seems
unreasonable 10 us. for instance, to require men
from the Wolf Greek district or from Dooley or Co.
mertown to drive to the Carroll dam to work.
IS II possible that some suitable projects which
would meet the approval of WPA engineers could
not be undertaken in these separate outlying com
muniiies? We have for instance, Wolf Creek, where
we understand there are good locations for smaller
dams which would really prove useful.
Here is something. we suggest, that might well
engage the Immediate attention of civic organizations
and all those who have cooperated so wonderfully
through past months in getting such splendid re-
suns IN a work program for the farmers of our coun-