Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1922-06-15
NEWPORT MAN
TAKES ISSUE
WITH REPORT
B. r. Jones Urges Building Of
Road From Salmon River to
Taft Instead of to Devils Lake
il, Order That Markets May Be
Reached.

Newport, Oregon, June 18th. 1922.
To the Editor:
In the last issue Of the Leader, some
one writing from Portland under date
of June End, 1922 said among other
things, that the County Court of Lin
cCln County at its meeting with the
State Highway Commission had agreed
to a project with the cooperation Of
the Ferest people, to construct road
from Nekwin in Tilllmook County
through the forest reserves to Devils
Lake in Lincoln County, and next year
it was decided to build from Devils
Lake to a crossing of the Siletz river.
This project to cost $500.000.G0 and
Lincoln County to pay sl20,0000O the
rest to be paid by the State and Fed
eral government.
The correspondent is in error in this
that prior to the special election in
1921, the County Court of Lincoln
County and the County Court Of Till
amook County and the Forest people
had made an arrangement whereby
and Wherein. they would build the
road from Neskwin In Ti.lamook
County, through the forest reserve to
Salmon river in Lincoln County, Lin
coin County, Tillamook County and the
forest people to cooperate in the ex.
penses, Lincoln County was to pay for
her portion the sum Of $19.00000,
When 1t was suggested that Lincoln
County bond for s120, 100000 to build
road from Salmon river to Taft, on the
Siletz river, the County Court of Lin
coin County with delegation Of cit
liens went to Portland and met with
the State Highway Commission and
they entered into contract with the
Highway Commission whereby and
wherein, they would cooperate and
each party put up $4,000. Lincoln
County Court making 1t contingent
that the people would vote the $780,
10000 for this project.
When the County Court returned
from Portland they published in the
County papers that the State High
way Commission had agreed to this
proposition.
The distance from Salmon river to
Taft at the Siletz river Is about eight
miles, the most of the way Is thru an
open country and there is a good dirt
road with good grade, therefore 1t
is not likely that the completion of
this road, the grading and rocking
would cost more than $4,000 per mile
at the very most. We are advised
that the State Highway Commission
have contracted the rocking Of the
Corvallis-Newport road for $5 10000
per mile, and on the road from Salmon
river to Taft there is hard rock such
as Is at Agate Beach. Therefore II Is
not likely that the cost OF the Salmon
River-Taft road would exceed $4,000.
Now the County Court made this
agreement with tn estate Highway
Commission with the understanding
that the county was to reserve from
the s120 10000 to be voted by the peo-
pie the sum of S1900000 to spend on
the said proposed road from Neskwin
to Salmon river Therefore the coun-
ty would have left for the building OF
the Salmon river Taft road S101, 100000
or more than enough to complete the
said road without the cooperation of
the State Highway Commission. Now
why not build this road according to
agreement from Salmon river to Taft
and all of it this year, instead Of
building only about three mics from
Salmon river to Devils lake? The
people of the Devils lake country and
all Salmon river have to haul their
products over the Coast range to Will
amina. The building of tho Salmon
river-Taft road will let them have an
Ocean outlet to market.
B. F.. JONES.