The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1915-10-28
lone ROAD MEET.
ING BIG SUCCESS
Proposal for Special Election to Vote
5-Mill Tax Carries by Vote
of 33 to Fl.

On friday AFTERNOON last an en-
thusiastic meeting was held in the
hall at lone, over which Joseph T.
knappenberg presided, and which
was addressed by numerous citizens
The meeting had been called in the
interest of the proposed improve
ments to the road leading down Will
low creek from Heppner, through
Lexington and lone and on to the
Gillian county line. 1t is proposed
that, in order to carry on the work
funds be provided by the three road
districts affected through the levying
of five-mill tax. 1t was stated by
the presiding officer that all the mon
ey thus raised would be applied to
this particular road and in the dis
cussion that followed it was shown
that the 2 " mills of county road tax
could all be applied to the roads in
the districts leading down to the
creek road.
The principal speaker Of the oc-
casion was Phillip S. Bates, of Port
land, sent as the special representa-
tive of the Portland Chamber of Com
merce, who addressed the meeting in
general way on the benefits of good
highways. His address was logical
and well received, being full of facts
well stated.
Following the address of Mr..
Bates, the meeting was declared open
for general discussion, and different
parties took advantage of the oppor-
tunity to air their ideas of what
should be done.
1t is estimated that the work of i'm
proyement will cost $4,000. The
tiye-mill tax on the districts will pay
this and should put the road in good
permanent shape. The understanding
we gathered from the statements
made at this meeting is that the road
is to be graded but no attempt made
to put on hard surfacing, rather de-
pending on strawing and working in
of weeds in the road bed most of the
way to make it substantial.
1t developed at this hearing that
there will be some opposition offered
to voting the extra millage at this
time because of the tight financial
condition of many of the farmers.
n 10 Il
the sentiment predominated in favor
OF calling the election and letting the
people have their say at that time as
to whether they will assume this ad
ditional burden of taxation during
the coming yaer.
Following Mr.. Bates, S. f. Notson
made a short address in support OF
the proposition. He was followed by
w. +. Leach and A. Reaney of Lex
ington, both of whom expressed
themselves as in favor of the pro-
posed Improvements and anxious to
have the work proceed at once. Mr..
O'Sullivan, of Morgan. was not op-
posed to the road Improvement, but
does not favor the route selected on
the west end of the road, as it leaves
himself and his neighbors too far
from the improved highway, and they
are interested in getting their crops
to the station. j. T. Knappenberg,
Vawter Crawford and A. e. Johnson
also spoke favoring the improvement,
and each of these gentlemen would
be glad to see the work proceed at
once. This was also the sentiment
of J. l.. wilkins, VINO was prepared
with a good bunch of figures to back
up his argument.
Glenn Burroughs, of Rhea creek,
spoke at some length in answer to the
speakers that had favored the work.
He took a stand against the proposed
improvements at this time, and did
not favor spending this amount of
money on the proposed road, as the
farmers stood in need of much work
on the roads leading to the railroad,
and many of them did not have to
haul up and down Willow creek at
all. Mr.. Burroughs seemed to eX-
press the sentiment of quite num-
ber present, and did not feel that
many of the farmers were in position
to assume this burden at this time.
While Mr.. Burroughs presented some
good argument along this line, he
was frank to admit that the roads Of
the county were bad, and he was
lacking in this, that he offered no
better solution for the difficulty than
the one proposed.
Mr.. Wilcox, of Lexington, fol-
lowed Mr.. Burroughs in support of
tie movement, stating that he was
not particular where the work of
good roads began, so it was started.
Naturally he favored the improve
ment on the creek road as he lived
on that road, but the idea with him
is to get started on this permanent
road work some place and some time,
and he felt that now was the proper
time and he would support the prop
osition.
E. L. Padberg, as county commits
sioner, was anxious to have the peo-
,Io ovorooo thamcalvpc on this road