The Glacier reporter. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1953-current, 1953-11-13

ed with roads for the rural In.
dian population.
MIR. Robertson further pointed
out that in the past consider
able misrepresentation existed re-
garding the tax structure of the
county, particularly the reserva-
ton. Many people have assumed
because the reservation was In
dian, that there was little or no
tax money derived by the county
from it when as a matter of fact
the reservation, embracing as it
does most of the county area,
pays its fair share of taxes to
Gacier county. Superintendent
Robertson pointed out the follow
ing facts in support of this view:
The reservation has three hum
dred thousand acres of fee land.
The Union Oil Co. one of the
countys largest taxpayers, has its
Reagen field within the bound
Diary of the reservation; the Great
Northern Railway has by far its
greatest trackage on the reserva-
ton. Blackfoot, Babb, Browning
, and East Glacier all pay taxes.
In view of the taxes collected in
this part of the county it is only
fair that some road construction
be undertaken here by the coun-
ty.
Mr.. Hi Woodward, commission
er from the Babb district, said
that he was willing to give the
Browning district all the help he
could and had in the past worked
hard for the development of this
road. Mr.. Johnston, from the cast
ern district said that while he
was committed in his own area
because of the increase of farm
ing there which of course means
more roads, he would do what he
could to help our Browning COM
missioner, Mr.. Hanneman.
The Canadian group we're led
by Mr.. Card, who spanked the
meeting by saying that they did
not care what kind of road we
built for now, just so you could
get car over it. He was prepar-
ed to guarantee that the result
ing traffic would bring about i'm
provements in the road and even
tually its incorporation into the
state of federal highway system
as surfaced road. Mr.. Cards
group produced a map which
showed that the Immigrant Gap
route was vital link in the most
direct way from Edmonton and
Calgary to Helena, Butte and
Great Falls.
Mr.. Hanncman then said that
he would like to go out to the
proposed three mile construction
site and see what would be need
ed to put road of good quality
through to the line. He asked that
Mr. Woodward and Mr.. Johnston
60 with him as well as Mr.. Tier
ney and Mr. Boyd, the road en-
gincering staff of the Blackfeet
Agency. He further proposed to
60 out the following morning and
if the project looked at all feas-
ib.e to start work at once. Mr..
Hanneman's practical suggestion
was agreed upon and the long
laborious struggle for Immigrant
Gap at last was on the way to
success.
The Cardston group felt that
the effort had been well worth
while and asked that commit
tee be appointed from the citl-
zens of Browning to keep in
touch with them as to progress.
This committee will consist of
Mr.. Joe Lewis, Mr.. Marvin Spar
rel and Mr.. Fred Johnson.
Commissioner Hanneman was
contacted after his survey of the
proposed road site and expressed
the opinion that work would start
as soon as rights of way could
be secured which will be immcdi-
ately.
MANY will feel that the final
success in getting work done on
this long standing project brings
the matter to a close, however
this is only the start of the Of
Tort to get our road to Cards,ol
through the all-weather lmml-
grant Gap built up to a standard
that will justify the efforts that
have in the past gone into 1t.
Browning, because Of its strategic
location. enjoys very heavy tray
eS during the summer months.
However, the time has come when
we should look to the expansion
of our travel potential into the
fall and winter months. The con-
struCtion of new and better roads
into the area will bring this de-
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