The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1963-08-09
BY FRANK SMALL

caCIOn Cne 1lrSC nlgnC out on the
Highway Commission bus trip through
western Montana. AS the thick smoke
rose from the steaks charcoaling at
Lake Blaine, the secretary of the
Kalispell Chamber of Commerce took
us ON rides in his motorboat and a
local banker entertained us and kept
our glasses filled with an unstinting
ratio of spirits. No measuring device
was used, just tip the bottle.
After gorging ourselves we stopped
at Commissioner Stan Halvorson's
house to inspect his quarters. He
passed inspection and we all went
to motel for the night.
Breakfast with the Kalispell Cham
Der was ceremonious with three ex-
Commissioners getting certificates
which enable them to buy cup of
coffee anywhere as long as they have
a dime.
On we rolled, stopping for hand
outs of coffee and grub wherever we
were welcome.
Bringing with us the power and
glory of Helena and half the states
budget we were quite delighted with
ourselves and would stop to give
our blessing to almost anything. The
standard answer was we don't have
any money but maybe we can build
your road someday.
1t was easy to see that the main
problem of Northwestern Montana is
not necessarily roads, but what to do
with the lodgepole pine. The only
hope lies with the new forest research
center in Bozeman. l can imagine the
need for giant machine something
like a bulldozer-sized BARRIERS clip
pers to shear off the tweed tree" to
allow the sun to nourish the soil for
grass to support livestock and wild
life plus new growths of trees either
of more valuable species or more
lodgepole if the giant machine could
also be some sort of moving factory
making bales of fiber to serve the
industries which will arise when the
rivers start turning gravity into low
cost electrical energy.
At Libby the future is keyed to |
Libby Dam to harness the mighty |
Kootenai which carries more water |
than any other river in the state.
The new high school is being built |
to handle the influx of construction
workers and their families. One side
of Main Street will be moved to
handle the increased traffic. Little
or no more highway funds will be
used to maintain the present road
(U. S. q which will be inundated
by several hundred feet of water.
That lunch was married only by my
saying that l had to act as the COM
mittee's conscience.
On the Bull Lake Road the bus was
stopped and we had a ribbon cutting
ceremony. A Missoula motorist drove
by and wondered what that bunch of
nuts was doing strung across the
highway with a yellow ribbon in
their hands.
Undaunted, we went ON to Noxon !
Rapids Dam and l posed with Com !
mission Chairman Roy Sorrels in
front of the propaganda sign at the L
dam to symbolic theological differ s
ences or something. He pointed at the $
wording showing thousands of stock
holders and 1 pointed at the myth 4
mo tax dollars. X
We dismounted the bus at Thomp- t
son Falls and ate dirt via Prospect |
Creek into Idaho. The IdahOans had
/ picnic for us but we were late and I
some had to go without steak but
plenty of beer was left so no one
.eally suffered. Some even went the e
,ther mile into Murray and looked h
It the Court House Bar wooden chain v
.arved from one piece OF rood-It +
las 16O links or is 16O feet long. v
The reports were blurred the j
bartender couldn't make change.
Although the routes into Idaho S
AVE been surveyed by air the Com a
mission okayed survey to be made
o that they may choose between the c
Murray and the Burke route. lie
Sanders county is in the hole as far v
$ secondary funds are concerned v
,ecause they are going to be spent on S