The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1915-04-09
STIRRED UP A TARTER

In an open letter sent to and pub
liEhed by every paper in the county, in
which he made q weak and untenable
effort to explain his attitude in the
distribution of state road money, Rep
resentative A. J. Nickle charges Sena-
tor Arthur Mcclure, of Douglas coun-
ty, with responsibility for heading off
his laudable CD effort to have the ex-
tension of road No. 10 from Tonasket
north to the British Columbia line,
made a primary highway. Senator
Mcclure who represents Douglas,
Okanogan and Ferry couties, is a DEM
ocrat, democrat who is true to his
party, and, furthermore, that anomaly
a democrat who is on the square in
politics. He saw copy of the Nickle
letter in the Okanogan Independent,
and while he addresses his reply to that
paper, copies of the letter have been
sent to other papers in the county.
The difference in the two communica-
tions is that subtitle difference that is
always apparent between the man who
knows and the man who does not
know what he is writing about. Sem
/ ator Mcclure is familiar with every
phase of the state road legislation
during the recent session, and he rath-
Ell makes a monkey of Mr.. Nickle in
this controversial explanation OF what
was done and what was left undone
in the matter of road appropriation.
But here is Senator McGuire's reply:
Will you permit a statement in Or
der to relieve me from the incorrect
Conclusions deducible from the article
cf Representative Nickle recently pub
lished by you?
Road No. 10 was located by law from
Alma, "by the most practicable route
tc the north line of Okanogan county"
(Sec. 5901 Rem. & Ball. 1t was never
located by way of Chesaw, either by
law or by permanent location of the
highway commissioner and l am at
oss to understand how it has been
made to SO appear on road maps. Mr..
Nickle does not discuss the merit of
his change. The facts concerning the
fccent change are these:
Judge Neal requested me to take up
wo matters; first. change No. 10 to
primary highway; second, locate No.
70 on the river road to Oroville. At
hat time l thought Mr.. Nickle lad
een consulted. Judge Neal presented
he data which shows beyond question
that the river road has but little grade
Ind is many times less costly of con-
btruction and maintenance than the
HChesaw route. He and others also
presented the matter to other men,
bers of the road and bridge committee
Of the senate. The committee discuss
5S!ed the matter and on my motion
Nthanged the location. Very shortly
s'after this, l ascertsined from Mr..
Nickle that he had not been consulted
Eand l procured an opportunity for him
b ~ w AVol0y uAu az IhC IAIuC OUIdiACu
for him reconsideration of the ques-
4 ton. Mr.. Nickle then poposed the
change, and gave his views in full to
z the committee. 1t was not until near
4 the end Of the session that further ac-
tion was taken. During the interven-
h ing time several citizens of Okanogan
county were interrogated by the var
ious members of the committee, al
though only few took the matter up
with me. When the Omnibus Road
Bill was being framed this change
again came up, and the sentiment of
the committee unanimously favored it.,
/ and l, again, moved the change and
1t was incorporated in the Omnibus
Bill, which drew up amendment to
Fl. B. 1887 This bill went back to the
house for concurrence. Mr.. Nickle
appeared before the conference COM
mittee and again urged that the road
be not changed. l then suggested that
the road be left as it was, with in
structions to the highway commission
or to at once choose between the two
routes. The conference committee
would not entertain the suggestion for
the reason that they deemed the Oro-
Vile road so plainly the most practic-
able from state road standpoint,
however desirable the Chesaw route
might be from a merely local stand
point.
Mr.. Nickle may not have been con-
suited by the Okanogan delegation,
and his opposition tn the desire of the
delegation Is sufficient excuse there
fore. He was in torch with the situa-
tion at all times, excepting just day
or two at the inception of the change
as have outlined. He knew from me
the conditions surrounding the change
and with whom l WAS dealing, and ii
he had desired to consult with those
gentlemen he could have done so any
day, as they were daily about the
lobby.
Mr.. Nickle says that he suggested