The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1938-05-26
Road Matters
Lead In Club
Discussion
Listen to Report from Helena
Meeting = Engineer Talks
ON Highway Construction.
VOTERS TO PASS ON
IMPORTANT MEASURE

VOTERS TO PASS ON
IMPORTANT MEASURE
At its last dinner and meeting
preceding the summer vacation, the
Libby Commercial club listened to
two interesting reports on highway
matters and transacted several items
of important business The meet
ing was last Thursday night, in the
parlors of the Presbyterian church.
The highway reports were given
by l.. S. WEIGH of the highway COM
mittee. Frank Small, resident en-
gineer of the state highway depart
ment, talked most instructively on
highway construction.
The business transacted was the
starting of movement to cooper
ate with the west Montana planning
board; to begin plans for the an
nual farmers night early this
is planned by the Libby recreational
committee.
Huge Sums Still Needed
President Klehm called on Mr..
WEIGH of the highway committee,
who was to report for R. r. Weld
man, who was absent from the city.
Mr. WEIGH quoted figures to show
that 620 miles of the states per
cent system are still unfinished
with an estimated construction cost
of 1914 million dollars, and also APP
proximately 1700 miles of highway
that will be in need of reconstruc-
ton within three years, at further
cost of II million dollars. In view
of these figures it can be seen that
Montana is still in need of large
sums for highway work. He ap-
proved the plan to transfer money
from the liquor fund to highway
construction. Mr.. WEIGH then read
report prepared by Mr.. Veldman
telling of the meeting of highway
men at Helena. This report is pub
lished in full below.
Small On Highway Construction
MIR. Small gave much interesting
information in regard to the tech
nical side of highway construction.
He said the Lobnitz job south of
Libby would be high class high
way when completed. There will
be foot of 312 inch subbase gravel
and 6 inches of crushed gravel on
the top. The old job west of the
city would not be SO good, said MIR
Small, as it was constructed under a
lower standard of specifications
Further west the highway would
again be first class in every par
ticular
Mr.. Small said he had asked Ray
Kuhns, division engineer at Kalis
pelI, to put seal coat of oil on the
finished work here this fall and
hoped to have it done. This sea
coat improves the highway and is 9
potent factor in protecting it against
deterioration
Mr.. Small went somewhat into
what highway engineers are learn
ing as to different types of construc-
ton. He said oiling was in very
experimental stage and that oilec
highways stood up only for very
few years.
New Machine for Road Oiling
Asked as to when he thought oil
ing would be started here, MI
Small said probably not befor
July. He further said that the Wag
ner company had recently pur
chased a Barber Green mixer ma
chine, the latest thing in gravel AM
oil mixing equipment. This is to b
moved onto the local job in July
This machine picks up the grave
material from a windrow, mixes
with oil within the machine an
then drops it onto the highway. Thi
machine should be able to .finis
] the oiling here within a month, sal
Small.
Men from western Montana cite
have organized Western Montan
Planning board They have aske
Libby to cooperate. Marshall Nun
ray explained it was important thu
Libby should do SO because FEEDER;
aid projects would probably b
strongly influenced by this board
recommendations The chair was al
thorized to appoint committee {
one to act with members from othe
civic organizations of the city on
city planning board 1t was SUI
gested this committee could act wit
the Western Montana Plannir
Board
The chair was authorized to al
point delegate to take up with
Spokane broadcasting station a f
ture program featuring Libby.
Planning for Farmers Night
Elmer Switzer and Carlton Joug
in were continued as a committee
plan for the farmers night and a
= ricultural exhibits. They will tai
this work up at once. Farmers a
requested to plan to save exkib
for this fall.
r. NJ. Whitefield, for the fish al
game committee, said good work h
been done in fish and game matte
He suggested that all local orga
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