Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-10-15
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AN APOLOGY
Me undt Toe

1e OQ0C Joe
To the Editor-Long heads see far
ahead. The struggle is still on relative
to location and construction of the
west side highway through Polk coun-
ty. Agitation, action and effort con-
tinues between localities for location
of the highway from McMinnville via
Ballston, Perrydale or Rickreall route.
Late in September / read in the Tele-
gram that because of this inharmony
the Ballston route would rest this year
and the highway commission would
rush building of the highway from
Portland to Salem on the east side. then
cross the river and build on through
Independence to Corvallis.
Then independence is on the map.
Extension of the highway by either of
the three routes mentioned is to 90 TO
Monmouth and to independence as
shown on the map appearing in the
Oregonian of date Sep. goth inst.
Now we are to get the highway from
West Salem via Independence to Cor
wallis and this discloses the sagacity,
wisdom and tact in tearing out the
new steel bridge at independence and
replacing the same with a concrete
up to date bridge and with change and
therefore lengthening the fill connect
ing with the bridge and also the paw
ing of 3 miles to the north of this
bridge and fill across Mr.. Hirschbergs
farm, at a cost of some $4,000 to
Polk county and indirectly out of the
inter-county bridge fund of SILL 900
levied and collected from the taxpayers
in 1916-all of which / actively op-
posed but without success.
Now with the west side highway
constructed promptly from the west
end of Salem bridge through Independ-
ence to Corvallis | just awaken to the
situation. During the present year our
county court has had no funds to
build or repair roads and some of the
important ones for long distances have
been left without a dollars expendi-
ture witness, Bethel via Zena to Lin
coin. And yet | note that between
Commissioner Beckett's farm and Sa-
lem hundreds Of dollars were expended
in roofing and tearing up perhaps the
best road in Polk county and the first
good road in Polk county by and
through the generosity, public spirit
and ~magnanimity of Mr.. r. s.. Wal
lace, and at his private expense. Mr..
Wallace was the pioneer and stimu-
liant in the matter of permanent road
construction in Polk county.
Again, in the extreme N. E. corner
of Polk county from the county line
south to the Salem-Hopewell road,
hundreds Of dollars have been expend-
ed in surveying, widening, removing
fences and for powder and dynamite
to remove stumps, trees and obstruc-
lions and for thorough grading and
shaping this road etc. Now from
Wheatland to Dayton the road is with
out hills, is graded and maeadamized,
and is practically a straight line on
to Dayton and through but our man
resides directly along this improved
stretch it connects with the splendid
and straight road on to Salem. Now
work is actively on to complete the
highway from Portland to Newberg
and will be extended on to Dayton. /
awoke to the fact that this is the
west side tourist highway across the
state being, too, without hills or grades
and practically straight and some Is
miles shorter across the state than
either Of the other proposed routes.
Now having constructed the highway
from West Salem to Corvallis | begin
to see the light, and | awaken to the
situation. With the highway construct
ed south from Newberg to Dayton
preparation is made by our county
court to extend and connect it, Port
land-West Salem, with the Salem-C Cor
wallis highway making a practically
straight and level road and some 10
to 49, miles shorter drive across the
state than by either of the c%ontending
proposed routes. Now this new light
brings the highway along side my
farm, and also along and over Joe's
pavement. We get the highway and |
should apologize to Joe; l couldn't see
it. Ballston will doubtless get a branch
highway later on via Dallas to. indie
pendence and parties from there ana
south, who are bound for the coast
may drive via Dallas. Otherwise Dal-
las will not be on the map in the tour
list travel.
JAMES X. SEARS,
Citizen and Taxpayer