The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1915-08-05
MORROW COUNTY OFFICIAL PAPER
Thursday, August 5. 1915.
MONEY Is BEING WASTED.

ny tiblZCAS VI lltppLCis anu SS-
pecially our business men, have been
greatly interested for a number of
years in getting a road opened up be-,
tween this place and Ritter, in Grant
county. They have understood for
the past quarter of a century that a
good highway leading into this town
from that section of Grant county
would be the means of bringing a
profitable trade here. as we'll as Civ
ing those people a better outlet to
market. Regularly, at intervals, the
question has been taken up and work
done in the direction of bringing
about the desired result, but not until
about two years ago was anything of
definite nature undertaken. At that
time it was agreed between the For
est Service, through Hugh Rankin.
who was the supervisor of this Dis
trict, and the Heppner Commercial
Club, that some real work would be
done. The Ritter people were ready
to go at their end of the work, the
Forest Service would spend some
money to put road through the re-
serve, and the citizens of Heppner CO.
operating with the County Court
would raise funds and do the work
on this end of the line outside the re-
serve.
With this understanding in view,
the Forest Service started their part
of the work and expended 5000.
There has also been spent by the
County Court of this county, sum
aggregating about $500, on this end
of the road. The 5000 heretofore
spent on that part of the road run
ming through the reserve was suf-
ficient only to mark out their part
of the thoroughfare, and in order to
complete this portion of the road it
will be necessary to make an addi-
tional expenditure of perhaps twice
the amount already used.
Our people had been led to expect
that the money would be forthcom-
ing, but there being lot of delay in
the matter, T. J. Mahoney, of the
First National Bank took up the
proposition with the Forest Service
headquarters at Pendleton to ascer-
tain why nothing more was being
done, and in reply to his inquiry,
Supervisor Cryder states that there
will be no allowance for completion
of the Heppner-Ritter road this year.
He states that this money comes from
the 10 per cent fund, and this project
has not been heretofore listed on the
Oregon road construction program,
and before it is so listed the Forest
Service Highway Engineer must
make a complete examination and
survey, and also assure himself that
the work outside of the Forest boun-
Diary will be of a permanent location
and suitable grade This, in effect,
is the answer received, and means
that nothing can be expected from
that source for at least another year,
and perhaps by the time all the red
tape has been measured through the
Forest Bureau, the work that has
been accomplished will be obliterated
and have to be done over again, and
the money heretofore expended be-
come a matter of waste.
To say the least, this is very dis
appointing to the people of both the
Heppner and Ritter sections.
At one time there seemed to be
progressive policy that was vigorous
ly prosecuted by the Forest Service,
but this is apparently abandoned un-
der the present management of the
Bureau. Even the work that was
done under the direction of Super
visors Chidsey and Rankin in making
roads and trails through the Forest.
is neglected and these trails are now
growing up in brush and becoming
useless; a further waste of money.
It seems to us that this sort of a
policy is wrong and there should be
a vigorous protest sent up to the pow
ers that control these affairs, asking
that some real benefits may accrue to
the people out of the money they are
taxed to keep up this piece of burau-
nprary