The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1922-07-27
HIGHWAY COMMISSION
MAKES HEPPNER VISIT
Arrive in Over Spray -Heppner Road
Late Saturday Evening and Are Enter
tained by Heppner Citizens.-Gover-
nor Olcott Comes Via Condor.

Quite distinguished party officials
and citizens Of Oregon, were hosts of
Heppner on last Saturday evening on the
arrival here of the members of the state
highway commission and Governor Ben
W. 0lcott. The party consisted Of Rob-
ert A. Booth of Eugene, chairman of the
commission, John B. Yeon of Portland
and William B. Barratt of Heppner, COM
missioners; Ray A. Kline of Salem, Sec
retary to the commission R. A. Baldock
of La Grande, district engineer of the
state highway Office; Governor Ben W.
Olcott; John w. Kelly, The Oregonian,
Henry C. Frye, The Telegram, R. J.
Johnson, The Journal, newspaper repre-
sentatives that have been with the party
on the entire trip; and W. S. and J. Jays,
drivers.
On Friday morning this party left
Pendleton for trip over what Governor
0lcott pronounced the worst piece of
road in Oregon, the Pendleton-John Day
road and they spent Friday night at
Mt Vernon Springs, On leaving this
point they motored to Spray, where the
party divided, the governor going out to
Fossil and Condor and coming into
Heppner from that point with several
members of the praty, while the commits
sion drove over the road from Spray to
Heppner, and say that the greater por-
tion of this is but little better than the
Pendleton-John Day stretch.
Citizens Of Heppner, on hearing of the
proposed visit of these distinguished
gentlemen, arranged to give them
warm welcome to the city, and a ban
quet was prepared and spread before
ming The governors party was some
what delayed, however, and they did not
reach the banquet tables until an hour
or more later. Fried chicken with plen-
ty Of "fxins' was partaken of by n
company of about sixty citizens and
visitors, all being served in a manner
highly creditable to the hotel manage
ment.
Presiding as POSTMASTER, Hon. C. Z.
Woodson took charge of the program
upon the vians being disposed Of, and
after presenting greetings to the visi-
tors, introduced Chairman Booth of the
commission, who in we'll chosen words
reviewed at some length the work that
has been accomplished during the time
the commission has been functoning.
The road program of Oregon Is a big
one, and has far outstripped the calcu-
lations of the most optimistic road en-
thusiast at the beginning OF work some
six years ago. Fifty-fve millions in
money have already been expended and
the program is fairly well on its way
The system Is now so far completed that
practically every section of the state is
tied up to trunk line, and interstate
communication Is comparatively easy;
when completed the system will bring
all parts Of the greatest state in the
greatest country on earth into close
association, and we shall all become
better acquainted and better equipped
to enjoy the great resources in scenery
and material wealth the state possesses.
Mr.. Booth emphasized the fact that the
policy of the commission would be to
complete the road program now under
way just as rapidly as possible; that the
commission would be slow in taking on
new WuTk uHttl tuls WAS uUHe. fuTLnpT
the state should be proud of the fact
that it is proven that Oregon Is building
the best roads in the entire country
and for less money than other states are
spending.
Mr.. Yeon, being in Mr., Barratt's home
town. was not expected to do any talk
ing; in fact he and Mr.. Barratt had the
understanding that Mr.. Booth was the
speechmaker for the commission. How
ever, he could not refrain from passing
some compliments on the splendid re-
ception given the party here, and he en-
phasized the fact that he is greatly op-
posed to the destruction of the good
roads the people have built, by their
abuse in speeding and heavy traffic Mr..
Yeon stated that there was but one
point, perhaps, in which the commission
had fallen down in road construction.
They were laying the roads out on prop
er grades, giving them good drainage
and foundation, but as yet they had not
discovered just the proper surfacing to
stand the traffic Thirty-fve miles
speed per hour does no damage to the
road surface, but speed in excess of this
is ruinous, and Mr. Yeon called for CO.
operation on the part of the citizens
that the laws against speeding be right
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