The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1921-03-31
HEPPNER OREGON, THURSDAY, MARCH 81, 1921.
COMMERCIAL CLUB
HAS GOOD MEETING
A Leading Question for Discussion Was
Roads, the Closing of Gap In Willow
Greek Highway and the Handling Of
Market Road Money Claiming Atten-
tion.


up at the commercial club meeting on
last Friday evening when the subject |
of Roads" was reached in the order
of business The club is naturally in |
terested in the matter Of getting the |
Willow creek highway completed, and |
there Is now gap VI some IL miles !
extending from a point short distance |
beyond Lexington to the Wightman |
! place below Heppner, or about l2 miles |
that is not graded and cannot be until |
some funds are secured to carry on the
work. Just how to arrive at a solu-
ton of the problem had not yet been |
decided al the time Of the meeting Fri
day evening, and the subject called |
forth considerable talk and developed |
the fact that the sentiment was unan-
/ imous that something must be done to |
complete the road and that the time to
do it was now However, when it was
suggested that the market roads fund |
might be applied on this road and used
to close up this gap 1t developed that
II might be well to proceed with eau
| tion, as this fund was understood by
the farmers to be set aside for purely
market roads and there was some
question as to whether the highway
would come under this classification. |
The opinion prevailed, that while 1t |
was stated that there could be no ques-
tion in this regard, the attorney for |
Ia stn}a ierb -,
held such roads to be market roads as
well as state highways it was only |
fair to put the matter squarely before |
the farmers and get their sanction or
disapproval of the procedure before an |
attempt was made to divert the mar
ket roads fund. Dist Atty, S. E. Not
son gave II as his opinion that the |
funds could not be borrowed by the
county as the matter now stood, so
that it would be impossible to get hold |
of the funds temporarily in this man
ner J. P. Conder, who was instrument
al in getting a petition before the court
to apply this fund this year on the
Lexington -Jarmin road, stated that he
was sure that all those interested in
this proposition would waive any
claims to the fund at this time and |
allow the money to be spent on the
Willow creek highway, providing they !
could be assured of its return in a
reasonable time; that he was ready to
pledge their support to this PROPOSE |
ton, while County Agen Hunt briefly |
expressed the opinion that II it was
attempted to divert the fund without |
a thorough understanding on the part
of the farmers interested in the mar
ket roads, there would be a bitter fight |
precipitated.
The result Of the discussion, which |
was all in a good natured vain, was
the appointment of a special committee
to meet with the farm bureau and to
act in conjunction with road committee
already appointed and assist in work.
ing out this problem. w W. Smead
F. R, Brown and Chas. Thomson were
appointed.
W B. Barratt, state highway COM
missioner being present urged prompt
action in this regard. Mr.. Barratt ex-
planned that as soon as the grading
and surfacing of the Morrow county
unit Of the Oregon Washington high
way was completed, the state would |
take over its maintenance, and this
alone would mean the saving Of thou
sands of dollars TO the tax payers OF
the county, In measure this would /
compensate for the loss that might be
sustained for wear or two by those
who would be lenefitted by the buil1-
ing of marked roads, it being estimated
that this maintenance would probably
cost the state around $4,000 per mile
Mr. Baratt also brought out the fact
that the completion of this road at
this time meant the spending Of nearly |
half a million dollars in the county
on the part of the highway commits
sion, and that II the grading Of the gap
between Heppner and Lexington was
not soon completed, our people stood
in line to be passed up, as the funds
at the command of the commission
were being rapidly appropriated and
when gone 1t would be long time
before other money sufficient TO carry
on the work would be provided.
Other routine business of the club
was the voting Of 81 per member as
the club donation to the funds for
helping along the promotion work or
the Umatlla Rapids Power Association
and the secretary was instructed to
draw the check of the club for the re-
quired amount in favor of the associa-
ton.
The request Of the Heppner Library
association that the club make
monthly donation Of IS for the blying |
of books for the library was tabled
A committee consisting of F, r,
Brown. Dean Goodman and w, w,
Smead was appointed to confer with
other organizations of the city with
reference to the securing Of a band
leader and providing for his compen-
sation
Upon motion it was ordered that
check for SIS, in favor Of r. J. Carsuer,
be drawn, this to compensate for eX
penses on account of his recent trip
to Portland in behalf of the club.
Other bills were Patrick hotel ac
count expenses of Mr., Jones, Near East
Relief meeting. 50; Heppner Herald,
printing, $40.
1t was moved and carried that the
club go on record as favoring the plan |
of paying telephone bills under the
new schedule of rates, on protest It
appearing that rehearing in the tele
phone rate case would in all prohahtl- |