The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1922-11-30
BARRATT TO Retire
FROM HIGHWAY BODY
Commissioners Resignation Is Sent
10 Gov. OleOtt.- Colleagues Get
Praise.-Will Lay Down Duties at
End Of Current Year.

W. B. Barratt, member of the state
highway commission, rendered his
resignation to Governor 0lcott yes
terday. The resignation will take
effect December 81. This course was
adopted by Commissioner Barratt,
who is the eastern Oregon member
Of the board, in order to give Gov
ernor-eleet Pierce ample time for
selecting a new man.
In his letter, Commissioner Bar
raft says that his only regret in
leaving the department is that he
will miss his association with a few
men who Gin this day and age, when
suspicion and SANDER are rife, a
stand up before the world imbued
with the supreme satisfaction that
they have givn the best that was in
them, unselfishly."
Service Covers Two Years
Mr.. Barratt, who is a sheepman of
Morrow county, was selected by Gov
ernor olcott to fill the u~nexpired
term Of E. E. Riddle of Union county
when the latter died. Mr.. Barratt was
appointed in December 1920, so that
he has served two years. At the *
piration of Mr.. Riddles term, Mr..
Barratt was re%appointed on the under
standing, stipulated by himself, that
he would continue only until the plans
Of this year were worked out.
Owing to the scope of the work Of
the department and the innumemable
details, it requires about two years
for q new nan on the commission to
become sufficiently familiar with the
programme to develop into a valu-
able member. Mr.. Barratt has reached
this point.
Resignation Not Unexpected
The resignation of Commissioner
Barratt was not unexpected and is
not primarily caused by the change
in the governors office. For several
months Mr.. Barratt has planned NOV
ing from Heppner to Portland and
this would require a change, under
the law, as he would lose his resi-
dence in eastern Oregon. The same
situation developed when W. L.
Thompson, member of the first COM
mission, moved from Pendleton to
Portland.
The letter to Governor olcott fol-
lows:
Honorable Ben W. 0lcott, Governor
of the State of Oregon.
Dear Sir: I hereby tender my re-
signation as highway commissioner Of
the state Of Oregon, to take effect
December 81, 1922.
In rendering this resignation | re-
spectfully submit the following rea-
sons, towit: Permit me to call your
attention to our agreement on my
reappointment to this Office at the ex-
piration of Mr.. Riddles term wherein
| expressly stated that for personal
reasons | would not consent to fill
out the entire term of three years,
but that | would agree to serve tenn
porarily or until the 1922 road pro-
gramme projected by the commission
was consumated. That time has now
arrived, or nearly so, and in order to
give Governor-elect Pierce due time to
consider the appointment of my sue
cessor to fill this important position,
| deem it to be but fair to him to
submit my resignation to you at this
time, to take effect as stated above.
| am surrendering my commission
with the positive knowledge that the
power vested in the highway commits
sion by you and the members Of the
legislature during my incumbency
has never been abused and my only
regret in severing my connections
with the department is that in doing
so | shall be deprived of the associa-
tions of u few men, yourself included,
who in this day and age. when sus-
picion and Islander are rife, a stand
up before the world imbued with the
supreme satisfaction that they have
given the best that was in them, un-
selfishly, for the upbuilding of the
state Of Oregon and the advance
ment Of the interests Of the citizens
within its boundaries.
Thanking you most heartily for the
honor conferred by this appointment
and for confidence reposed in me,
am, sir, yours respectfully,
W. B, BARRATT.
November rs, 1922.
Highway Engineers Praised.
~ hope" said Mr.. Barratt, as he
left for Heppner last night, that the
personnel of the highway depart
ment Is not disturbed. The corps Of
engineers are as hard-warking and
conscientious and honest a group OF
men as can be found anywhere. Hours
have meant nothing, for they have
worked nights and Sundays without
complaint, and there never has been
the slightest hint of graft connected
with the department. 1t is a splendid
organization and the highways Of
Oregon will serve as a monument
to their faithfulness to duty.
"As for my colleagues, Commits
| s%ioners Booth and Yeon, | consider
them two of the biggest and most
public spirited men in the state and
1t has been a privilege to associate
with them"
Others Expected to Resign.
What action Chairman Booth and
Commissioner Yeon will take has
not been announced by these road
builders, but it is known that they
do not expect to serve much longer.
The law provides for three COM
| missioners, one from eastern Ore
pon. one from western Oregon, Re
pr~esentatives from several coast coun
ties have passed resolutions asking
that a coast county be represented on
the commission. Mr.. Booth, whose
home is in Eugene, is the western
Oregon commissioner, and Lane coun-
ty is a coast county, although this
fact is sometimes forgotten. Mr.
Pierce's answer to the resolution wa
in effect, that he wants the best COM
mi~ssioners he can get.
Mr.. Pollman Possibility.
Back of the resolution from the
coast county meeting was, it is re-
ported, a plan to propose Charles
Hall of M~arshfield for the place.
William Pollman is considered as
certain to be the eastern Oregon
commissioner If he wants the APP