The Glacier reporter. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1953-current, 1958-02-13

A MINUTE
WITH Ml

We feel that the meeting be.
tween the Cut Bank Chamber of
Commerce. the Browning group
and the Tribal representatives
was a step In the right direction
for a better understanding and
better cooperation for all con.
cerned. and that it will eventu-
ally bring about a better under.
standing of the problems con.
fronting all parts Of the county.
Heretofore. It would seem that
If a project was originated in one
end of the county. the other end
Immediately became suspicious
and formed opposing ranks. Con.
sequently. a great deal Of friction
was forthcoming which caused
delays in the programs. and no
one really accomplished the end.
These circumstances were Ger.
tainly a liability to the county
as a whole. and served to pass
on the opinion to others that
Glacier county was more like
an unorsanized battle ground for
petty grievances than q progress
sive and parallel community
where the residents sought to
pull together for mutual advan.
tage.
Most of the bitterness probably
stemmed from the county road
setup and the distribution of the
secondary road funds. 4 look
at the expenditures for road con.
struction in the eastern end Of
the county would give the i'm.
preston that the majority of
the funds were expended there:
and they were.
While It is true that the heav.
Ter portionment of the population
is in the eastern half Of the coun.
~. the tax structure has been
such that the original ratio of
road funds for the western end
was diverted at times which still
leaves the ranchers In this area
with roads little better than they
were Is years ago. when accord.
ing to a clipping from the county
seat paper taken from the Com.
missioner's proceeding. the com.
pletion of the Meriweather road
was promised within the next
year. 1t was never completed.
This is only one of the several
stalling actions that served to
bring about friction and misun.
derstanding to a point where the
county became divided. The east.
ern end also had their objections.
We sincerely hope that there
will be many more such meetings
of nature and atmosphere such
a. existed At the last meeting.
and we might add. without the
attendance of attorneys who
seem to do little more than ex.
pand their vocal muscles in the
process Of hurting insults and
challenges At each other lending
. court trial atmosphere to a
simple friendly community meet
ing.
We never felt that volumes OF
statutes and recorded trial cases
were needed to settle community
problems once the people. them
selves. undertook to understand
their neighbor on an equal foo;
ing. About all that Is necessar!
Is . little trust. confidence. VI
derstanding, and the willingness
to give a. much Is we take.
It would appear that Senator
Murray Is taking . page from
Browning's political ambitions
with the announcement that he
Is contemplating the introduction
Of . bill In Congress to move
the nations capitol from Wash
ington. DC. to Montana.
He Is disgusted with the re-
placing Of parks with paved
streets and parking centers. and
claims that . few whiffs of the
Rocky Mountain air would bring
the politicians and cobwebbed
minded departmental heads back
to the realization Of the princi
pals on which our government,
was founded. II they don't have
enough room in Washington for
. tree. then lets bring them on,
here where room and good clean
invigorating air Is what we have
the most Of. That. or . similar
idea, Is what the Senator says
would cure . lot Of cases of PA
tonic Fever" and bring the law
makers back to an even pitch.
Well. possibly II Cut Bank loses
the. county seat, their Chamber
Of Commerce could swing the
deal to GET the national capitol
}. They would have been cred
tied with swinging . lot Of deals
80 why not this one?
Il looks % II summer Is over