Hungry Horse news., 1954-09-24
The D'Ewart Approach

For the sake of the Republicans we hope their
present campaign to hold and gain seats in Congress
isn't waged in the DEwart fashion.
The eastern Montana congressman who would
unseat Senator James E. Murray in the Flat
head last weekend for the particular purpose of a
hearing bridge difficulties at Polebridge
Somebody should have briefed Mr. D'EWart, or
he should have been reading western Montana
newspapers. 1t has been publicized for months in
this newspaper and others that the National Park
Service was prepared to pay half the costs of a
new bridge at Polebridge. Also publicized the
situation where Flathead county commissioners ov-
er year ago bought three surplus bridges from
the Hungry Horse Project for $5,250 Next step was
the commissioners contracting the state highway de-
partment bridge section and finding that the cost
of erecting these three bridges into with suit
able piers would be about $4,000. There was also
talk of timber bridge more fitting to the name,
tPolebridge" that would cost considerably less
Flathead county commissioners of course could
not spend over $4,000 without bond issue. Fur
thermore the people of Flathead county weren't
about to vote bond issue for bridge at Pole
bridge In the meantime with adequate warnings
the old bridge-on the county end-became un-
safe even for foot traffic.
Then comes the major public appearance of Mr..
D'Ewart in Kalispell under the apparent sponsor
ship of the Kalispeu Chamber of Commerce. The
issue was to be local one as 1t should be with the
election six weeks away.
There wouldn't be much interest in D'Ewart
talk about irrigation in Rosebud county.
Mr. D'Ewarts solution of this particular Flat
head problem was expressed as 1ne uAIlcu1Iy ID
not the size of the appropriation, but the difficulty
TO stay within the law The law does not permit
the park service to go outside the boundary on that
particular road"
Apparently Mr. D'Ewart was not seeking a
solution Presently under construction at cost OF
s414798 is rebuilding 1888 miles of the road be-
tween Babb and Many Glacier. Half of this par
ticular improvement is outside the boundaries of
Glacier National Park, and incidentally in Mr..
D'Ewart's district
Mr. DEwart didn't tell the Flathead that he
would see if there wasn't way to initiate bill
that would provide exception in the case OF
Polebridge so that Glacier would have one access
bridge along its 50-mile west boundary
The same day as the Polebridge hearing fiasco
in Kalispell Congressman Walt Horan of Washing
ton was headlined as endorsing Glacier View DAM
This is not new stand for the washington Repuo-
lcan He was much interested in the construction
of Hungry Horse, visiting the project a number of
times during construction. Congressman Horan IS
also one of the Republicans who helped sponsor the
federal governments building of large dams, pro-
gram now become virtually dormant.
We did not notice that Congressman D'Ewart
candidate for the senate, made any pronouncements
on Glacier View Dam. Our thought IS that ne op-
poses such project.
After Mr. DEwart's "sorry can't help you'
appearance in KalspeI, we read a Republican pa
per comment about Congressman D'Ewart being "a
friend of western Montana" This conclusion wasn't
backed up by any information as to what he had
done for western Montana.
We don't consider James E. Murray as any
great prize as a senator. At the same time he has
considerable seniority in the senate which counts
He also qualities as friend of western Montana
Specifically he was on the spot and helpful during
the time Hungry Horse Dam appropriations were
in jeopardy More recently he was helpful again IN
getting the aluminium plant and its necessary power