The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1916-02-03

,nat time ana when we're accepted
locally as being authoritative, were,
FIRST: That the State would con.
slder $75,0OO.O0 a falr and equitable
proportion for Hood River County to
pay toward the construction cost OF
the Highway, and that no further ex-
penditure of public funds would be
asked or expected from us for that
purpose.
Second: That IN order to ope1 the
road to travel and allow Hood River
County to Immediately realize on its
investment, and to enable us to en-
| Joy such advantages as might accrue
to us, It was further agreed and un.
derstood that the state would appro-
pirate s50,000.00 to construct a road
around Mitchells Point which would
remove the last great obstacle to
traffic.
Third: 1t was agreed and under
stood that the state would accept the
road and maintain 1t as a state road
in order to relieve Hood River Coun-
ty from the inequitable burden of
maintaining a highway which might
carry a heavy intra state and inter
state travel as against a very light
local travel.
The best evidence We have tha,
these agreements were made and en-
tered into in good faith by both state
and county is the fact that both part
les to the agreement have advanced
and expended the amounts of money
agreed upon, and no breach of faith
has occurred upon which any one
could iredicate such future action on
the remaining and uncompleted
agreements.
In full view of all the evidence we
do not believe that the State High
way Commission has ever repudiated
the agreement that the state would
take over and maintain the Columbia
Highway, or that they ever had the
slightest intention of doing so as
seems to be intimated in the resolu.
tions how before us and under con-
sideration.
Recent happenings might make
this appear so to persons who art
not familiar with all the details of
the construction of the Columbia
Highway and the efforts of public
spirited citizens of the State to pro.
vide state highway system.
To such persons We would recon-
mend that they go little further
back, and a little deeper into this
subject before reaching the conclr
sion that any Of the state officials
have renigged in any of their obliga-
tions to us.
| We recall that certain politicians
and contractors made a spirited fight
against the State Highway Commits
sion during the last session Of the
Legislature, and notwithstanding the
fact that Hood River County had at
that time the promise and good will
of the State Highway Commission to
take over and maintain the Columbia
Highway as a state road, local lob
byists appeared at the capital and
did everything possible to handicap
the Commission and the public spir-
tied citizens who we're cooperating
with the commission in laudable at
tempt to provide a public road that
would connect the eastern and west.
ern parts OF the state.
The efforts of the lobby created
division in the Legislature which re-
suited in the defeat of pending legis-
lation upon which the Highway Com
mission depended, and which would
enable them to carry out their polio
les and fulfill their promises in vari-
Gus parts of the state. Our own
county delegation in the Legislature
voted solidly against our interests
which they had publicly promised to
support.
The failure of the legislature to
provide for and continue the plans of
the preceding session left the COM
mission without funds and powerless
to keep up and maintain the High
way as a state road as contemplated.
The letter recently received here
from the Highway Engineer saying
that the state cannot maintain the
road is merely formal statement of
the condition mentioned In the pre-
ceding paragraph, and is made in Or
der that the local authorities may
take such steps as may seem to
them necessary TO provide for the
coming seasons travel, and does not
mean In our estimation. that the
state intends to repudiate any Of the