The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1916-08-03
ROAD PLANS
REACH CLIMAX
Big sum READY FOR ROAD WORK
Raylin Tells Of Events at Monday Meeting
Of State Highway Commission
Meeting.

Meeting.
Plans, characterized by C. N. Ravlin.
who with Leslie Butler represented
Hood River at the conference, as being
the eclipse of any former good roads
movement in the state of Oregon,
whereby the Oregon State Highway
Commission. the United States Forest
ry Department and the United States
War Department, will undertake the
construction of roads on an immense
scale, we're revealed at a meeting OF
the Highway Commission in Salem
Monday. Ard as result of action
taken at the Salem meeting, construc-
tion work on the completion of the Co.
lumbia river highway unit between
this city and the Multnomah county
line and on the section of the Loop
highwax between the Homer A. Rog-
ers' Mount Hood Lodge and the old
Barlow road, involving the probable
expenditure of 1881. 900, may be under
way by the first of September.
Elation over gratifying events has
never before been so keenly felt in
Hood River as has been evidenced by
representative business men in their
expressions on learning news from the
State Highway Commission.
At an impromptu meeting held last
Thursday evening at the Commercial
Club, when good roads enthusiasts con-
ferred with Amos S. Benson and j. B.
Yeon, of Portland. as to possible plans
for securing an appropriation from the
State Highway Commission for the
elimination of the Ruthton hill grade
just west of town, it was decided to
send Mr.. Ravlin and Mr.. Butler to Sa-
lem Monday to ask that an appropria-
tion, set aside for expenditure on the
east extension of the Columbia river
highway, between here and Mosier, be
diverted to the road work in this coun-
ty. The state aid appropriation, orig
inaly amounting to $45, 900, but which
had been decreased to an approximate
$4,000 by the diyerting of funds for
surveys in other sections of the state,
was made with the provision that Was.
CO county, in order to obtain the bene-
fits, would vote bonds for road i'm
provement. The local men. in asking
for the money, we're prepared to pre-
sent the argument that the citizens of
the neighboring county had postponed
their vote on the proposed bond issue
until the general election in November,
and that after that date it would be
too late to accomplish much with the
fund at hand this year.
I'VE had gone to Salem," says Mr..
Ravlin. with some hope of getting at
least a portion of that $40, 900. The
results of the real accomplishment of
the meeting are 80 big that | scarcely
know where to begin to tell you of all
that happened.
The events transpiring Monday came
as climax of efforts on the part of
the Portland Chamber of Commerce
and representatives of the United
States Forestry Department during the
past year. Last autumn the proposed
Loop highway, to be made possible by
the opening of the road up the East
Fork of Hood river and extending to
the old Barlow road, thus connecting
the Columbia river highway with the
route leading out from Portland to the
south side of Mount Hood, received its
first material stimulus when a party of
Chamber of Commerce Representatives,
Forestry officials and local good roads
men, made tour of investigation on
muleback and hosreback. Since that
time, as was evidenced Monday, the
Chamber of Commerce and the Forest
ry Department have been carrying on
a silent but ceaseless campaign. look
ing to the ultimate construction Of the
roads.
"We of Hood River want to extend
unstinted thanks to Portland men for
their aid Monday" says Mr.. Rsvlin.
without their backing we would
never have gained the least headway.
Amos S. Benson. by arranging for the
Portland delegation, carried the plans
through to success. When the names
of S. Benson Amos S. Benson and John
B. Yesn, all of whom were present. were
mentioned, and it was stated that they
we're favorable to the plans as outlined
and put into effect. Thomas B. Kay, mem
ber of the Highway Commission. said
4 consider that you three men have
done more for highways in Oregon
than all the rest of US in the state
combined, and your approval is enough
to win my favor for the plan.
Other men present at the conference
we're: E. E. Covert. Geo. Joseph
h legal adviser of the Chamber of Com.
mkrce; Jacob Kanzler, chairman Of
the Civic Committee of the Chamber
of Commerce T. H. Sherrard, state
forest supervisor, and B. j. Finch
senior road engineer in department Of
roads for forestry service.
"The members of the Forestry Ser
vice in the past years time have com
. pleted surveys, made investigation
; and prepared arguments in anticipation
|, of Mondays meeting. In fact, al
necessary steps had been taken, and
; brief of their plans we're already el
noute to Washington.
II 1.-THE plans of the proposed Lool
.. road. of which the Columbia rive
hjghway will form the north boundary
; it is said, will take precedence over al
. others for improvement of forestr!
|. roads. The map, as sent to Washing
ton. is marked Project No. !. Tn,
Loop highway is divided into the fol
lowing units: Portland to Multnomal
county line, 40 miles; Multnomah coun
ty line to Hood River, % miles: Hoo
River to Mount Hood Lodge, 25 miles
I Mount Hood Lodge to intersection o
Barlow road, 26 miles; thence to Gov
eminent Camp. 10 miles: Government
I Camp to MuItnomah county line, 2
! miles aud thence to Portland, 20 miles
/ The total distance will reach l72 miles
"For construction of roads outsid
of forest reserves. Oregon's share fror
a federal fund recently apportioned, tn
E. sum Of SIS, 900 is available, provide
/. the state appropriates an equal amount
At a meeting Monday, the State Higf