The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1910-01-20
HOOD RIVER TO
INVITE NORMAL
WILL SEEK OREGON'S ONE SCHOOL
Many People Recognize In HsOd River
Exceptional Advantages
As a Location.

That Hood River will soon ask the
state OF Oregon to place its one nor
NAL school here, was point which
was practically decided last Thursday
night at a meeting of the CONNER
oisl Club when that body approved
the report OF its normal school COM
mitttee, which recommended that
action. The committee, composed of
County Superintendent Ernest q.
Smith, j. ii. Osborne and ID. j.
Freiher, was continued and instruct.
cd to have bill prepared, calling for
one normal school for the state of
Oregon to be located at Hood River,
which can be put before the voters
OF the state by an initiative petition.
mass meeting will then soon be cal.
led ut which time ID is hoped to
learn tue sentiment OF the whole
Hood River valley on the normal
school proposition and II the idea il
approved the petition will be put be-
fore the state.
The committee which has been in
| vestigating the matter OF normal
school for several months reported
| the fact that there was at present no
normal school being operated in Ore
gon although the state had buildings
where schools had been conducted at
Drain, Ashland, Monmouth and Wes.
ton. These schools have not been
successful and bave been little better
than high shoots carried on by the
state at big expense, benetitting the
immediate locality in which they
we're located The last legislature
refused to make an appropriation for
their continuance and the result was
to close their doors. la most OF the
states ore good normal school is sup
ported by the state and 1t 10 the be
lief of many persons that Oregon
needs one good, centrally located
school rather than several poor
excuses such as 1t has had In the
past.
Hood River has exceptional trans.
portation facilities and is the best
loaction for one normal school. Ii 10
easy of access from Portland and the
country up the Willamette and into
southern Oregon. 1t is ON the line
which runs into the country east OF
the Cascades. When the new roads,
now building into central Oregon,
are completed, Hood River will be
right In the toe OF q horse shoe shap-
ed transportation system of the
state. Natural advantages In the way
of scenery, climate and drainage are
uDexcelled in the state. Another
great advantage of Hood River is the
tine water supply which Will be
aft by the new municipal water
system being installed this year.
The committee reported that they
had consulted with many Of the lead
ing citizens of the state including
the editors Of leading Portland papers
with regard to the normal school,
seeking knowledge .and advice, and
all of them had expressed themsel yes
favorable to the lidea OF one first
class normal school for Oregon and
agreed that thele was no better looa-
tion for 1t than Hood River. While
1t is the idea of the committee to in
vite the state to locate its normal
here because of the exceptional ad-
vantages and not to offer material
bonuses and that sort of thing, 1t was
instructed to consult with DIR. /. L..
Eliot, wao owns tract of land
Just beyond Indian Creek, which Ii
regarded as highly suitable location
tor campus.
II. Ii. Shepard suggested to the
Commercial Club the idea of taking
up with the officials OF the o. X. y
NJ, the matter of getting the best
possible depot for Hood River. lie
was appointed by President Char les
Hall chairma OF a committee to Put
before the railroad people the advtn.
tsges OF fine depot as this station
furnishes more freight aud passe niger
traffic than any other on the line.