The people's voice., 1958-04-18

Ernest Salvas, Mine-Miu board
member, told the committee his mem
bership were opposed to any increase
in gasoline taxes until such time as
the legislature placed more equit-
able share of highway costs on those
who use the highways for profit
making purposes.
Committee member Randall Swan
berg, who is legal counsel for Rice
Truck Lines, reminded Salvas and the
others present that the trucking indus
try was unalterably opposed to the
much discussed weight pro-
posal.
INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS
Widescale protests by farmers over
the proposed routing of the interstate
highway system also came before the
meeting.
Kenfield, who had been a partici-
pant in the mass organizational meet
ing of farmers and ranchers in Bill
lings last Saturday, told the commit
tee there's a "lot of strong feeling
toward the Governor and his highway
commission" over the loss of fertile
valley lands due to the commissions
routing of Interstate Highway 10 in
the Yellowstone Valley. This loss
of land, he said, will have an adverse
effect for all time on the economy
of that area. (See story elsewhere in
this issue.)
Sen. Ben Stein (D-Park), repre-
senting an area where feeling is run
ming particularly high over the inter-
states routing, reported on the eff
forts his constituents had put forth
in a vain attempt to get the commits
sion to move the routing to higher
ground. Stein also raised the ques-
tion about what will happen to the
highway east of Livingston
should proposed dam across the
Yellowstone downstream from that
city be given the go-ahead by the
Congress. He could see little value in
a highway which may eventually be
at the bottom of lake,.
Committee consensus was that the
highway commission should Ego slow"
IN where it locates the interstate sys-
,em, and thereby withdraws up to 800 |
'eet of agricultural land from pro-
luction, for right-of-way.
Location, committee members felt,
hould be carried out to "cause a
minimum of dislocation'.
To the question whether the high
way commission had the power to
hange the location of the system, the
was, "they do"-that the
commission had recommended the
riginal location, and that the Bureau
f Public Roads then had concurred.
PROGRAM
Highway personnel present said
hat the construction program for the
iscal year ahead contemplates ex-
enditure of $28 million on the Inter-
tate system, of which $2.7 would be
tate funds and the balance, federal.
Urinary, secondary and urban con-
truction would cost another $14 mil
on, of which the federal government
yould pay 1854 per cent.
These figures do not include emerg-
ncy federal funds which will be
orthcoming the year ahead because
f President Eisenhower signing the
ew $1.8 billion highway bill Wednes-
ay. Since that act is now law, Mon
ma will get $10.8 million more fed
raj funds, and will have to put up
IL million matching money.
One resolution passed by the COM
ittee, by request of Ernest Salvas,
-ges the Highway Commission to,
herever possible, let contracts on
retches of road in areas of the state
hich are hard hit by unemployment.
Demo committee members present
ere Chairman Nels Bach, Sidney;
ce Chairman McKinnon, Helena;
e Crosswhite, Kalispell; Ole Gun
rson, Power; Rep. Michels, Re- b
rye; Sen. Mike Ruane, Anaconda, W
d Randall Swanberg, Great Falls. ci
nong interested groups represented fl