The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1937-08-26
Mckinnon Writes
About PIons for No. z

ID. A. McKinnon, chief engineer of
the State Highway Commission, to
Walter Neils of Libby, chairman of
the highway committee of the Libby
Commercial club. The letter will
clear up several matters that are of
vital interest to this part of the state.
Helena. Mont, August 7, 1887.
Mr.. Walter Neils,
Libby Commercial Club,
Libby, Montana.
Dear Mr.. Neils:
This letter is in answer to sew
eral letters written by you to this
office and to different members of
the Highway Commission. We feel
that a few points should be cleared
up and that the people in your COM
munity be made acquainted with
these facts.
note in your letter of August Bird
to Mr. Lloyd A. Hague, chairman
of the Commission, you state that
you people feel that you have been
shamefully neglected by the present
Commissions predecessors.
| am attaching a tabulation which
shows the amount of work done on
the Kalispell-Libby- Troy road dur
ing the past two years. Please note
that the amount of work done dur
ling these two years totals 81, 49,
$500. In other words, during the
past two years, eleven different
contracts have been awarded on this
section of highway. We realize that
you people have waited a long time
for the completion of your partlcu-
lar route. We simply wish to show
that not only is it the policy of the
present Commission to complete u.
S. Highway No. 2 as rapidly as
possible, but that it was the policy
of the past Commission to do the
same thing.
You are we'll aware of the fact
that the Highway Commission is
bound by law to allot highway
money to the different financial dis
tricts in accordance with the per-
centages set up by law. These per-
centages, of course, are not based
on mileage allotments, but on money
allotments. Therefore, the fact that
the construction on the Kalispel1-
Libby Troy road is high cost con-
struction has made your mileage ac-
complishments seem rather small.
It is apparent that my letter Of
July 10th to you has not been cor
rectly understood. In re-reading
the copy of the letter, feel that
possibly did not make myself en-
! tirely clear. In this letter | stated
This project is programmed for
, construction and we will endeavor
to get the crawling done this sea
son, which will mean that the oil
ing cannot be completed before
next summer From newspaper
accounts, you people are evidently
under the impression that we in
tended to let graveling contracts
this year and then wait to let the oil
ing contracts the following year
This is not the case. The point
/ did not make entirely clear wa.
|. this That the gravel and oilini
would be let in the same contrac
: and that if the gravel and oil con
!. tracts were let today it would b.
impossible to get the crawling done
: and the oiling started before winter
|. would shut the job down. That wa.
: what was meant when said, which
Il will mean that the oiling canno
/. be completed before next summer.
: Please note at the bottom of tn,
: attached tabulation | have listed tn,
|. fiscal year 1888 program. You vii
= note that there are five projects
= totaling thirty-one miles, program
!. med in the amount of S215 100000, t
be graveled and oiled. Fiscal yea
1888 money is not available unit
' July |, 1887. After the money
II made available, it is necessary tina
|. the Commission program the fund.
- This program must be approved b
l. the Missoula office, the Portlan
|. office, the San Francisco office an
t. the Washington, D. c., office of tn
: Bureau of Public Roads. This, (
x course, all takes time, and the 1913
70 program was only just approve
3. last week. After the program is az
. proved, it is necessary that survey
=; be completed, designs made an
- plans drawn This, of course, take
: much additional time.
y When years program is az
~ proved, it is impossible that all /
IL the projects in that program be |,
: at once We must let the projec
"a in the order that we can compile
- the engineering, designs, plans, ct
&c We, of course, push the projects
h. rapidly as possible as we are niue
ly if not more, interested in gettir
b. these projects started as the con
in munity in which the project is
n be constructed
L. / hope this letter will clear /
Is. any points in doubt.
= | have accepted an invitation
is meet with the Lions Club OF Lii
ad by on August 23rd. Unless som
thing unforeseen prevents, j will
- in Libby on that date. At this tir
would be pleased to meet WI
- you and any committee or gatheril
-, you may wish to have, and will
- pleased to go into the entire stu
III III ton with you.
.se Very truly yours,
* MONTANA HIGHWAY DEPAR
II. MENT.
By ID. A, McKinnon.