The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1943-05-20

preme court has handed down a
decision in~validating the proposed
highway debenture issue. 1t is prob
able, however, that steps will be
taken to revive and redraft the
law.
If the war continues for two or
three years, Montana highways will
be pretty much back in the mud"
it was declared by Gov. Sam c. Ford
in a plea for support of highway de-
bentureS at the election June 8 in
making the principal address at the
annual Chamber of Commerce din
ner in the civic center Tuesday
night.
There will be no new construction
during the war, he said. and present
income from the gasoline tax is just
about enough to keep Montana'S
huge road system in repair. These
roads were not built for the tire
mendous units of heavy freight that
are travelling over them today" he
added.
E. D. Benson, Chamber president,
presided at the dinner and Cover
nor Ford was introduced by C. H.
Roberts, Glasgow attorney. More
than 200 attended, including many
from the highline area between
Havre and Williston, N. p.
Urges Protection of Roads
Governor Ford urged Montanans
to protect our highway investment
of $88, 000, 1000" He said we want
to build more main roads, more
farm-to-market roads and more
north-south roads in Montana" He
estimated that this will cost about
$40, 0O0, 900.
That is the purpose of the high
way ~debenture election on June 8,
to vote 5000, 900 to match federal
funds" he added.
To those who ask, Why vote
now?" the governor said the reply
should be, we want to be prepared
to start at once when the var is
over. We should not have to wait to
call an expensive special legislative
session. We must be ready to take
care of our boys in service"
He stressed that money for the
highway debentures will not be
raised by property tax. They will be
financed from gasoline evenue at
the cost of a few additional dollars
every year for the average motorist.
Polk Tells of Project
Progress in reclamation activities
the past year in North Dakota was
by Harry E. Polk, Willis
ton publisher and North Dakota di-
rector of the National Reclamation
association.
He painted his listeners a picture
of the proposed huge Missouri
Souris project that will stretch from
near Fort Peck dam to central
North Dakota and will irrigate l.
800 1000 acres of land in the two
The northern division of LII, 900
acres would be irrigated principally
a series of canals, dams and
pumping projects, with the original
intake of a huge ditch near the
of the Milk river in Mon
ana. The Missouri river division of
z, 1000 acres would provide for low
lift pump projects or a number of
points of land in the river valley
between Glasgow and Williston. The
Glasgow division of $4,000 acres
would be irrigated directly by water
pumped from the Fort Peck reSer-
'oir to a ditch covering benchlandS
lorth and west of Fort Peck.
Cost of the entire project, which
would be built over an 18-year per-
cd, would be $3.50, 900 900, according
o bureau of reclamation surveys.
Reservoir Half Full
Col. Howard H. Roberts. Fort Peck
engineer, reported that the
luge Fort Peck reservoir of 19,500.-
90, 900 acre feet is now half full and
robably will be two-thirds full be-
ore the storage season is closed.
The dam has been supplying
'ater for five years for the benefit
f navigation downstream, in both
ne Missouri and Mississippi. Dur
lg March and April high water, it
lnctioned to reduce the flood stage
t Bismarck, N. D., by more than
feet and at Omaha, Neb., by more
2 feet.
we hope to be generating power
ION at Fort Peck" Colonel Roberts
announced. He. also Sketched the
ork of the corps of engineers and
Id of the immense program of wal
instruction carried on under the
IperviSion of the Fort Peck office.
his work now cover North Dakota
(HOOtiO1rad IN last n1ppO