The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1915-03-25
MITCHELL POINT
CONTRACT LET
STATE HIGHWAY COM. ACTS MONDAY
Senator Day Makes Vain Effort to Block
Work and ArOHSeS Anger Of
Local Citizens

The contract for the Mitchell Point
work of the Columbia highway was let
Monday by the State Highway Com
mission to the Standifer- Clarkson Co.,
of Portland. The bids and bidders on
the work were as follows: Standifer-
ClarksOn Co.. $40, 343. 90: Giebisch 4
Joplin, S54, 427.S4; Porter & Conley,
Ire, and Ed Wren, S47, 1853 so; A..
Guthrie & Co., Inc. S45, ,04S; the Elliott
Contracting Co., S47, rs SO: Jeffrey &
Button, S57, 252 so; Robert Lee Ringer,
S4S, SS4. so; Copenhagen Bros, Sl2, 722 ;
Taylor q Robbins, S57, S56; the Cowlitz
Bridge Co., sac, ,90S; Ryan & Beer,
S45, 1927. 5O-all of Portland; Carlson
Chindahl Co., S45, 5,077.l0, and Grant,
Smith & Co., $50, $40 so. both Of Spo-
kane; Clarence Hoard. of Victoria,
S54, ,0S3; and the Transfer 4 Livery Co.,
of Hood River, SAG, 473.
When the Highway Commission was
in session last Wednesday Senator |. N.
Day, of Multnomah county, who had
been here inspecting the work, ad-
dressed the commission suggesting that
the Mitchell Point work be abandoned
for the present time and that the money
be expended on improving other por-
tions of the work. Mr.. Day declared
that the Mitchell Point road had been
in existence for so years ard could be
still used.
! In Friday mornings Oregonian, +.
| +. Coovert, of Portland, attorney and
representative of S. Benson. replied to
Mr.. Day, and asserted that the state
was in honor bound to complete the
Mitchell Point work.
Mr.. Coovert said:
The people of Hood River county
were promised definitely that the state
would spend $4,000 or such part of it
as would be required on the road at
Mitchell Point, continued Judge Coo
vert, 'and il was with that pledge in
mind that they voted to bond them
selves for $751; to connect up with
the Columbia highway at the Multno-
nah county line.
1.-The State Highway Commission, a
few days before the Hood River county
vote was taken, adopted a resolution
agreeing to appropriate the money for
this work within the year 1915. The
commission at that time consisted of
4
retary of State 0lcott. MIR. Kay and
Mr.. 0lcott still are members of the
commission. At any rate the commits
sion should be bound by its former res
olution. cant see how it can repudi-
ate that resolution without casting re-
Election upon the good faith of the
state.
"Mr. Benson was present at the time
the resolution was adopted. The Com
mission specified that the money was
to be appropriated for the work at
Mitchell Point provided the legislature
of 1915 did not abolish the Commission
or impair the quarter-mill tax levy.
On the strength of this promise the
Hood River people decided to bond
themselves for SIS, 600 by a vote of 4
to !.
During the closing days of the leg
islature, when became confident that
no change would be made in the exist
ing laws affecting either the Highway
Commission or the levy, attended a
meeting of the Commission at Salem,
and promised, on behalf of Mr.. Benson,
to advance the money necessary to
meet the payroIls until the state funds
we're available, if the Commission
would order the Mitchell Point work to
proceed at once. Treasurer Kay and
Secretary Olcott at that time consti-
tuted the Commission. 1t was in ac-
cordance with that promise from Mr..
Benson that they ordered the engineers
to make the surveys Of the work and
advertised for bids.
| tTha apuipaare' i'm 70 xuara hot
the work would cost approximately
$50, 900 but it is a condition in favor of
the project that the bids which were
opened on Wednesday show that the
work can he done for about $40, 600, not
including engineering costs.
ut is absolutely necessary to build
that Mitchell Point road if the Colum.
bia highway is to be of any practical
value. Senator Day is wrong when he
says the grade is only II per cent. The
grade is precisely % per cent, and he
ought to know it.
"SenatOr Day is right when he says
the present road over Mitchell Point
has been in existence for so years, but
it has not been used for 45 years. Ii
consists of nothing more than a trail.
1t is steep and dangerous and hangs
out over the railroad at an elevation
of about 700 feet. I'd hate to send my
family over it.
The plans for improving this road
provide for maximum grade of less
than 5 per cent. 1t will connect Up
the Columbia highway in Multnomah
county, upon which we have spent sew
eral hundred thousand dollars and in
which the pc ople of Multnomah county
take so No uch interest and pride.
"1he Hood River people already
have built road connecting with our
highway at the Multnomah county line
and extending TO Cascade Locks. From
Cascade Locks to Wyeth there is a
good road. From Wyeth to VientO a
new road is being built with funds ac-
cruing from the $500 bond issue.
From VientO to Hood River there is a
good road with the exception Of the
barrier at Mitchell Point.
"If the state takes Senator Day s
advice and fails to appropriate the
money for the Mitchell Point road, as
it has promised to do, the Columbia
| highway will end right there. All the
money spent by Multnomah county and
by Hood River county will serve to
produce a scenic highway, but will not
be worth AGENT so far as practical ben
efits to the farmer and the tourist are
concerned.
"Those are the facts in the case and
| hope the Commission will consider
them.
1t was plainly evident here last week
that any action on the part of the
State Highway Commission to transfer
the $50, 900 promised the county last
summer would cause the keenest re.
sentiment. All local citizens were
aroused, and w. L. Clark and Leslie
Butler spent last Friday in Salem in
session with members of the Commits.
sion.
K. E. Scott, secretary of the CeR
mercial club, sent the following tele
gram to Governor WithycOmbe Thurs
day night: Hood River county viii