The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1922-06-29
THE PAVING CELEBRATION


When the Hauser Construction Co.
pours the last truckload of hotstuff on
the Rowena section Of the Columbia
River Highway east of Mosier, the
residents of The Dalles propose to
stage celebration memorializing the
completion of more than 200 miles of
paved throughfare from the Pacific
ocean to the vast expanses Of eastern
Oregon. That celebration ought to be
success, and we know that all good
Hood River citizens will cooperate in
whatever way they can to make. it 30.
We remember with warming of the
cookies Of our hearts how The Dalles
turned out in 1920 to aid us in our Ben
son Day celebration here. We now
rejoice with The Dalles over the paved
highway to their fair city.
But we of Hood River should feel
little ashamed of ourselves in our
apathy over some 1000 feet of unpaved
highway at the west edge of town.
AS long as this bit Of city street re-
mains unsurfaced, it cannot be truth
fully said that an unbroken paving ex-
tends from Astoria to The Dalles. |
Another unpaved stretch of several
hundred feet intervenes on the foot of
State street. While the condition Of
the streets may reflect somewhat on
our civic pride, many of as think the
paving should be done by the State
Highway Commission. The streets are
in fair condition, except for their un-
favorable comparison with the smooth
ness of the highway paving. AS for
our municipal and county needs they
are good enough in every respect. 1t
is only when the cars Of unsuspecting
state highway tourists bump into the
depressions and ride over the ''thanky
marms" of the city streets that we
are made to appear remiss in our
duties.
Frankly, we believe the city stretch
es should be considered, insofar as the
paving goes, as state highways. and
that state funds should be expended in
the paving of them. 1t may hurt our "
pride somewhat to ask the state to :
step in and pave our city streets. If =
there were financial possibility of !"
our doing the work ourselves, it would
be disgraceful for us to make such a
The usual process of paying
'or such work by assessment Of charges n,
o abutting property, would result in 10
onfscation of the property. The city n,
5 unable to raise funds from the gen a,
raj fund. Indeed the situation pre- n
ents an impasse. The state must pave or
be streets or they must go unpaved al
or some time to come. of
1t is not a violation of any prece- m
ents to ask state aid on such city he
treets. The state has paved city M
before. The Rowena "
aving plant will soon be closed. The 70
ity and county governments and the n
itizens Of Hood River should lose no p,
me in taking up the matter with the
tate Highway Commission in the way
an appeal.
The argument may be advanced by
ther sections that Hood River cannot he
racefully ask for such state aid in or
lew of past benefactions. 1t is true Of
hat the valley has been peculiarly for ar
lnate because Of strategic position.
'ut every time the state has expended tic
uge sums in the development Of gen. We
raj state enterprises. the action has ga
reduced a call on us to put ourselves Wa
n dress parade. 1t is true that the th'
pparent help we have received has fe
cen magnificent. But it has placed re-
; in position that is proving embar- thu
assing from the taaxtion standpoint. ho
is something akin 10 a poor family th'
a high social position. vel
e do not mean to call ourselves pow
rty stricken, but our demands fall on
community Of extremely limited
'ea. We believe our reasons for an
'peal to the State Highway Commits llr'
on are based on logic and are Just. na'