East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1919-02-22
STATE MONEY
VITAL FACTOR
is ASSERTED
Schedule Provides Market
Roads as Well as Better
Travel for People.
USE OF AUTO HAS
CHANGED METHODS
Bonding Money Would AL
low Regular Funds for
Other Work.

(From the East oregonian, Jan. "a.
1879
At a special meeting of the Pendle'
ton Commercial Club, held last even
ing under the four foot rule. C. p.
Strain, secretary of the road campaign
organization for the county. outlined
Tho general reasons why the people
should vote for the bond proposal
soon to be submitted TO them. The
reasons as presented by Mr.. strain
were so convincing that he had his
audience fully in line on the subject.
Aside from Mr.. Strain, other speak,
ers included w. l.. Thompson, vino had
just returned from Salem where the
highway board conferred with the
legislative road committee. Mr..
Thompson predicted that the legisla.
e-will provide for the sale OF 10
million additional road bonds. With
this new issue and other funds avail
able the highway commission will be
able TO complete the Columbia and
Pacific highways.
The Columbia highway will be paw
cd as far east as Seufert, gravelled
from Seufert to Echo. paved from
Echo to the Washington state line.
The road between Pendleton and the
Idaho line, via La Grande and Baker
will be gravelled for all but a short
distance. which will be paved.
In his talk last evening Mr.. Strain
said In part:
1t Is a time When cool heads and
balanced minds should prevail. The
splendid victories of the American
army have thrilled the nation with
patriotic emotion. There are those
who would ride into power and float
unworthy projects to success on this
tide OF sentiment. But surely no such
charge can be made against the men
who suggested the road program pro-
posed for Umatilla county at this time.
or against the project itself. The
facts are that the coming of the mo-
tor vehicle spelled the doom of the
old fashioned dirt road as a main
highway. 1t has destroyed our dirt
and macadam roads beyond hope of
repair as such.
Dirt Roads Too Soft.
A dirt road can not be made to
stand up under motor traffic. Its
surface is too soft and yielding. When
fifteen to sixty horse power is turned
onto the hind wheels of a machine I
with chains on them II Is bound 10
smash a dirt surface. II has been oh I
served also that a macadam is soon
pounded into chuck holes by motor /
power machines. Only gravel. when
scientifically laid. and hard surface
can be made to sustain motor traffic..
And the motor car has come to stay.
fNfa nf
recognize its possibilities both as a
practical utility and as an uplifting
mlfying influence: In 1t they see an
agency capable of speedy effective
service calculated to aid the individ- 4
ual in his work and to lift him out OF
his narrow environment and to enlarge
his vision through travel To see for
oneself any extended scope of AM
erica with its varied resources of soils
forests mines, factories, and cities is
to acquire an inspiring conception OF
our country's greatness and power.
And the grandeur of its natural won
ders and majestic mountains with
tIers OF charming water and majestic I
mountains with which oregon is rich /
IN endowed evokcs a higher reverence
of God. Given good roads. the motor \
car through its capacity. speed and en-
durance renders satisfactory service to-
the entire family, the wife and chill
dren included
People Want Highways.
Having caught such vision, the
people will not rest until system of
highways is made to unite each eoun-
ty. each state. and the whole nation
into one accessible union of under
standing and sympathy
Congressman Shackelford devised a
very ingenius act TO promote good
roads. Under that act congress ap-
propriates money to be spent for post
roads I'm any state where the state wii'
match dollars with the federal gov
ernment. The people of Oregon
adopted this principle of matchins
dollars in the six million dollar bond
ing act two years ago.
state to Match.
We are now informed by w. L.