The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1899-07-29
THAT HOOD RIVER CASE.

Times.MOuntafneer regarding the case
of the Hood River laundering Co. vs.
Wasco county, leaves the matter in
very confused manner, and II not cor
rected would leave misconception
on tina minds of It's readers. In fact
the Glacier, seems to not understand
the statuts of the case, or the matter
In controversy between the county
and the numbering company. 1t says:
IAN article in The Dalles Times
Mouutaineer Of July 18th, in which
the county court is criticised for the
expense incurred in the suit of Wasco
County VS.. The Hood River Lumber
ing Co., makes number of statements
that are very misleading TO the people
of Wasco county who are not acquaint-
ed with the facts in the matter. The
county court instituted condemnation
proceedings to make Hood river pub
lie highway not for the benefit OF any
private individual or for any corpora
tion, but for the interest OF the people
of Hood River and the county in gen.
eral, in order that any person or set OF
persons might improve the river for
the floating of logs and lumber, and
that mills and factories might be estab
lished here. The parties who had con.
troll of the river under lease made no
attempt to improve the stream, and
their lease prevented others from doing
so. It certainly ought to be the duty
of the county court to grant citizens
an open river, free for the use of any
one."
The facts are that nobody has
lease Of Hood river now nor was there
any lease in force at the time the
county court sought, by order, to con-
denim certain property belonging to
the Hood RiYer LAUNDERING c.. A
lease was granted that company on
January I6. 1895, however, one pro-
vision of the lease was that bond
should be executed by the company for
the performance of certain require
ments to make the lease binding. No
bond was ever filed with the county
court by the company. therefore the
lease was void, and when the condem
nation order was issued by the county
court, the river was free for the use OF
any and all persons. What the county !.
court sought to do was to condemn
certain lands belonging co the Hood
River Lumbering Company adjacent
to the stream. that were said to be
necessary for making highway OF the
river.
The Hood River laundering Com
pany never had valid lease to Hood
river. from the fact that it had never
fled q. bond or cumplied with any part
of it's contract with the county. there
fore the river IL now and has ever been |
open to the use of all. That it be |
made a public highway could not bene.
ft any great number OF taxpayers in
Wasco county. In fact, the Lost Lake |,
LAUNDERING Company, which has built |
q large mill at the mouth of the river.
Is about the only party that could be
benefited by the river being opened
for the, floating of timber. If that
compsny desired the river declared q
public highway, it was its privilege to
apply to the county court for lease
thereof, under the provisiors of the
act OF February 25, 1889. and to then
proceed to condemn. private property
by due process of law, for its use and |
benefit In making the river public
highway.
This company being the one to re.
cieye the benefits of the use of the |
river is the party that should have
born the expense of the condemnatory
proceedings. It is not the province
OF the taxpayers generally or at least
should not be, to improve rivers or
build roads for the use of few indi-
viduals or for single corporation.
Things that cannot be of utility to the |
general public should not be paid for |
out of public funds. Hood river, as a |
public highway for the floating of tim
Der, cannot be used except by few
individuals, perhaps one company,
therefore it should not be improved at
public expense, nor should the ex-
pense Of attempting to condemn pri-
vate property along its banks, for this
purpose, have been borne by the tax
payers of the county.