Siskiyou Double Crossed

Siskiyou county apparently has been double crossed again by the state administration.

The Board of Prison directors announced this week that a prison labor camp would be located in Palomar Park, near Los Angeles, to build a recreation center. Translated, that may be interpreted to read that there is virtually no chance a prison labor camp will be located in Siskiyou county to improve the badly neglected Klamath River road.

Thus politics. Millions having been dumped into populous Los Angeles county for roads until everything form cow trails to movie actresses hearts are concrete coated, the state is forced to create a recreation project to woo the voters. The Prison Board announced the convicts would build two artificial lakes, which will be stocked with fish "for fly fisherman only." The convicts will also build a swimming pool, and 250 (count ‘em) camping and picnic sites.

While this tomfoolery is going on, trucks laden with vital defense ores will wallow hopelessly in the Klamath River mud, fine timber will remain isolated, and the several thousand inhabitants of one of Siskiyou county ‘s most valuable regions will remain orphans of the storm.

The highway department, which must approve a prison road building project, has consistently given Siskiyou county the brush-off.

Members of the State Prison Board visited this district some months ago, and went unanimously on record in favor of a Klamath prison camp, but this recommendation faded a few weeks later when two members of the Board were killed in an automobile accident. The new Board has shown no particular inclination to support the Klamath road proposal.

If America-we almost said when- goes to war, it may be necessary to rush quantities of men and materials from the interior to the coast in a hurry, to repel possible enemy raids. There are few useable routes now. In such circumstance, an adequate Klamath highway would be not merely important, but terribly essential.

When the big bombers with their grim Swastikas roar overhead, we sincerely trust the gentlemen responsible for diverting competent prison labor from a needed defense road building job to do a half baked recreational project will realize their error.

Perhaps we should not be too pessimistic. Perhaps we will get a decent road down the Klamath after the war.