The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1915-04-15
STOCKMEN OPPOSE
REMOVAL OF OFFICE
Citizens of Heppner, Sheep and Cattle
Men of County and Tributary
Territory Unanimous in
Opinion.

A meeting called on Friday evening
at the instance of the Heppner Com
mercial Club and held at l. 0. O. F.
hall for the purpose of presenting to
Mr.. Florey, of the forest headquart-
ers at Portland, who was present,
some of the reasons why the head
quarters of the Umatilla Forest
should remain at Heppner, was at
tended by many of our citizens and
the cattle and sheep owners of this
county, as well as from some out
side points. The only reason more of
the outside people who are direct
users of allotments in the forest were
not there was that they could not
be reached by the telephone. A meet
ing had been held earlier in the day
at the Office of c. E. Woodson, to take
preliminary steps and decide on what
line of action would be persued at the
evening meeting. j. l.. Wilkins as
sumed the responsibility of getting in
touch with all the cattle and sheep
men it was possible for him to reach
by phone from Heppner. He spent
two hours in this work, and the re-
suit was that great many in reach
of Heppner were present at the even
ing gathering.
Mr.. Florey was here for the special
purpose of getting an expression from
the users of the forest concerning
their desires in the proposition that is
now up for the removal of headquar-
ters from Hepner. He arrived from
Portland on Thursday evening, and
there was not very good chance to
get as many people here as could
have been done had there been lit
tie more time.
At the evening meeting President
Notson of the Commercial Club pre-
sided and Mr.. Florey was called upon
to state to the people what his depart
ment desired touching the case at the
present time. He was free to say
that the people of Pendleton had put
it up to the department to move the
| office to that city, and had presented
their reasons therefor, but the policy
of the department was to ~accommo-
date the greatest number of the users
of the forest and we gather from
what the gentleman said that it was
going to be up to them. No definite
action has as yet been tken, and if it
is found that the majority of the
patrons of the department favor re-
tanning the Office at Heppner, it will
be the decision of the powers that be
that it remain here.
Following the short talk of Mr..
Florey expressions were called for
from those present, and the following
speakers expressed themselves very
forcibly as being against the proposed
removal of the headquarters to PEN
dleton c. E. Woodson, c. A. Minor,
Jesse d, French, Geo. j. Currin, j. B.
Huddleston, Michael Kenny, John
Kilkenny, John Simas, W. W. How
ard, Jos. NJ. Hayes, W. E. Straight,
John Brosnan, Jack Hynd, j. C. Kirk,
T. J. Mahoney, j. l.. Wilkins, w. w.
Smead, H, H. Hoffman, Clyde Brock,
NJ. L. Case and C. C. Patterson.
While it will be noted that some of
these gentlemen are not users of the
forest, yet they are all interested, and
the large majority are men who are
now dealing with the forestry office.
Mr. Mahoney had in hand some
figures that are interesting, taken
from the records Of the Office here
From these it is learned that there
are but six men in Umatilla county
whose postoffice is at Pendleton, who
are users of allotments in the Una
tilla Forest, and two of these really
belong at Pilot Rock. Those using
the forest and getting their mail at
Heppner number 81, while those who
are directly tributary to this point
and have range in the Umatilla re-
serve number 81. This goes far to
prove that Heppner is the proper
point for the office. Mr.. French also
made good point in the telephone
service which the forest service has
{ established to all parts of the reserve
from the Heppner office, while other
speakers made it clear that Heppner
was chosen as the proper place for
the office by the forest department in
the first place because of its central
location
Many expressed the sentiment that
, if the office is to be moved at all it
: should go to Portland instead of Pen
dleton, for it would be more accessi-
: BILE to the greater majority of the
users if in than city than it would be
, at Pendleton. Could be more easily
reached at a less cost of time and
: money.
5 Practically every speaker could see
no good reason for making the
change and all argument seems to
? be against it. Mr.. Florey was much
) pleased with the unanimous express
! ion, and with the spirit of fairness
, that seems to prevail among our peo-
; pie and the kindly feeling manifest
toward the forest service He was
frank in stating that there was no
S great rush in this matter and that our
! people would be given ample time in
which to be heard and to get the ex-
f preston of the users of the forest as
: to their desires.
1 The pushing of petitions now out
y among the stockmen will be contin-
t ued and these brought in as rapidly
e as possible. it being mutually under
t stod that by this method satisfac-
r tory expression of those most vitally
g interested can be more readily and