The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1917-01-18
PRATT PLANS TO
WORK WITH FARMERS
Commissioner Proposes to Divide
District for Road Build
ing Purposes
(By Live Wire Editor)

The farmers in this district have
had so much complaint to make about
the roads that they fell into the habit
of thinking that the sole duty Of the
county commissioners was to spend
money on the roads. The court house
deal, following closely upon the very
similar Kiona bridge deal made them
sit up and realize that the roads were
not all the county commissioners are
empowered to spend money on, and
the question of roads was temporarily
forgotten. But now that the court
house deal has begun to lag in inter-
est we are turning back to good roads
again.
Commissioner R. E. Pratt has an-
nounced that he intends to try divid-
ing his district into number of sub
districts, the roads in each of which
to be under the supervision of a fore
man who shall live in the subdistrict,
keep an eye on the roads and do such
work as he can himself, and when nee
essary, hire help. In effect this is
putting into practice one Of the
strongest features of township organ
ization and we most heartily approve
of Mr.. Pratt's plan. He recently ask
ed the Finley Grange to take up the
matter and make recommendations
for subdividing the territory between
Kennewick and Hover and also re-
concentrations for foremen. In short
it is Mr.. Pratt's purpose to have the
farmers plan and do their own road
work as far as possible, but inasmuch
as he and no other will be held re-
sponsible for the results he will make
no promises further than to say he
will follow the farmers recommends
tions as far as his good judgment
will permit. H..
The matter was brought before the
Grange last Saturday but owing to
the Finley Fair which kept so many of
the Grangers up late the night before,
not many were present. First, the
division of the territory was discussed.
There are three main courses of travel
between Kennewick and Hover and
the Grange recommended that the ter
ritory be divided into three districts,
one for each main division of traffic.
First, there is the district between
Hover and Finley. Second, there is
the oiled road and the roads tributary
thereto. Third, there is the territory
lying between the oiled road and the
river. The Grange recommended that
the dividing lines be established ap-
proximately as follows:
First district-A territory bounded
by starting at the northwest corner of
section 26, thence south to the irri-
eating ditch, thencel southeasterly
along the ditch to the river, thence
northwesterly along the river to the
north line of Section 25, thence west
to the point of beginning.
Second district-A territory bound
ed by starting where the main N. P.
ditch intersects the south line of the
city limits of Kennewick, thence
southeasterly along the ditch to the
east line of Section 27, thence north
to the northwest corner of section 26,
thence east to the river, thence north
westerly along river bank to the O-W.
right of way, thence westerly along
the right of way to the center of the
east line of Section Is, thence west
two and half miles to the center of
section II, thence north one mile to
the center of section 8, thence west
half a mile to the east line Of section
z, thence north one-half mile to the
(ror&sr,oJ ~, -oro