Hungry Horse news. [volume] (Columbia Falls, Mont.) 1948-current, 1948-12-10
Set County |ncome-23 Million

es in Flathead county this year
will approximate $23,OOO,OOO.
Farm income in the county is
estimated by Walt MauritsOn,
county agent, as S9,5OO,OOO.
Income from logging and lum-
bering is set at 100000.
Best indication of the vacation
err revenue in the Flathead con-
tinues at 100000.
New factor is Hungry Horse pro-
ject payrolls which for 1948 will
exceed 100000 Gust wages).
Peak employment this year held
at $500 as compared to last years
489. Other income factors include
purchase of supplies by contrac-
tors, especially lumber.
In any basic income surrey, aUe
tend to lose track of the number
of persons, benefited By each doll
ar first brought into circulation
| By labor and resources. Actually
the "san,e buck" can help lot
of people.
Additional income factor (not
in the $23,OOO,OOO totaD is the
wealth that has come to the Flat
head with new families moving
in. Purchase of household furnish
ings alone at GSM town and Hun
cry Horse government village this
year has been reliably estimated
at $75,OOO
Other funds were brought into
the Flathead by families who es-
tabiished residences or built new
business structures. No reliable
survey has been made. There are
40 new businesses and 300 new res
licences established this past year
between Columbia Falls, Column
bia Heights, Hungry Horse, Mar
tin City and Coram. School en-
rollment in the district increased
from 754 to 1,O58 in a year.
Population of the Flathead
County seat KalispelD is about
10000. The 1910 census, 24,271;
war years saw decrease as fam
lilies went to war industry centers
on the coast.
Assessed valuation of the coun-
ty went up from S3S,49O,713 last
year to $43, 1885, 40 this year
There are 1000 farms in the
Flathead, many of them being To-
, cations of several acres provid-
ing partial livings. Preliminary es-
innate of farm income for 1913
includes: wheat (31,0OO acresr
S2,080,000; barley (about $4,000
acres) $1,OOo,OOO; oats $4,000
acres) $124,ooO; peas $4,000 acres}
100000; potatoes 1000 acres)
$324,000: Christmas trees S412,-
500; gardens and small fruits
(cherries) including 100000 in
Strawberries, S275,OOO.
Barley acreage increased in the
county by at least SO per cent
Hay continued at 29,50O acres
with yield value of S525,625.
There are about 400 square miles
in the Flathead valley itself with
lis, 900 acres cultivated. Estimate
of fallow ground this summer is
10000 acres.
Income from livestock included
dairying increased to S1.235, 900:
beef production, $3.50, 900; sheep
just $4,000; hogs, $4,000 and
poultry S352,5OO.
Animal census is about $500
dairy cows and 5000 beef with
1000 hogs. Farm prices generally
are down as compared to last year
-S4S saw better than average
yields. The above figures are the
best available estimates.
Logging and numbering is be-
lieved to employ about 1000 men
in the county. About one-third of
the timber is cut from forest ser
vice land, the rest from private
and state acres. In 1947, the Flat
head cut, all sources, exceeded
160,000,OO0 board feet. 1948 cut
is down somewhat, but the Flat
head still provided enough lurn-
Der to build $4,000 houses. The
year ends with lumber prices de-
pressed Is to 20 per cent.
Visitors into the Flathead are
believed to have been more than
100000 this summer. Glacier ma
tional parks travel figure was
281, 562, the second best year.
Not figured in the income to
the Flathead of S23,OOO,OOO are
other items such as wages paid
by the Great Northern. Whitefish
is division point.
This is the best available Mfor-
nation. Where good authoritu
PROBES as making any siseable
mistake in this story, ilOe detinit-
ely 1oill publish corrections or
their Vie10point. MR.