The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1914-06-25
THE BOND ELECTION

More than a half of the registered
voters of the county have expressed ;
desire that the Columbia river bone
issue of SIS, 900 come to vote. The
county court has acted on the petition
presented to them and on July Is the
citizens of the county will cast their
ballots on the proposition. While OPP
position still prevails and the vote for
the bond issue is by no means unani-
nous, we may judge by the expression
Of opinion in different sections of the
county that the Columbia highway, in
view of the guarantee of S. Benson,
has grown greatly in favor.
The voting of the bonds is being
looked upon as business proposition.
Those who will vote for the SIS. 900 is
sue, with full conception of the costs
Of such an issue and the interest money
that will be required to float the bonds
for the 20 year period, are doing so be-
cause they feel that Hood River county
will get in return far more than is ex-
pended. The cost per annum for each
thousand dollars of assessed valuation
will be around dollar.
But since the matter is now one to
be decided on by the people, we would |
advise all those who have not thor
oughly made up their minds, who may
be in doubt as to the river road and its
benefits. as to its costs and as to the
meaning of the Benson guarantee,
which appears in another column of
this weeks Glacier, to make a study of
the proposition for themselves. Do not
be misled by rumors or rumblings. 1t
has come to us that reports have been
circulated in the valley that an effort
is being made by the O.-W. r. q N.
Co. 10 secure the road through the
county that it may saddle the expense
of maintaining their tracks at the foot
of Shell Rock mountain on the county
Such rum0rs are preposterous. II
voter is doubter he should take the {
figures that are available to every citi- 5
zen and put them to the test for him )
self. :
Some of the valley residents are in. O
terposing an objection on the ground a
that the highway will pass up the Co
lumbia on the west and go thence up
the Columbia canyon to The Dalles on b
the east, MOTORISTS will go fitting by, Q
they say, without ever stopping for the
view Of the valley. Even if such were :
the case, we do not think many would !
pass the Hood River valley by. But in
fact, the Wasco county folk and the
State Highway Commission have rec
commended that the road continue from [
this city out through the valley and
over the range dividing the county
from the Mosier hills.
AS we have formerly said, if Hood
River county were to be called on to
maintain the Columbia River highway,
and if the expenditure of the SIS, 600
were a mere starter, in that event {
the small community could not afford {
the burden of building the highway,
even though its benefits would be it, I
Vulnerable. But with the guarantee of {
MIR. Benson TO refund the money ex-
pended last year on the survey ana to
appropriate any further funds over and
above the SIS, 600 for opening the road /
between the Multnomah county line
and Viento, in fact opening the road to
wagon and automobile traffic, we have ,
an opportunity that we cannot we'll
afford to pass up without serious con
sideration.