The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1904-09-21
THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TAKEN
TO TASK.

IO IASk.
Editor Leader:I have been
reading the proceedings of our
Board of Supervisors published
in your issue of last Wednesday,
and find what seems to me some
right curious proceedings by the
Board on the road question. From
what the Board did at its August
meeting, some people, of which |
was. one, thought it meant bust
ness" for one time, and was GO
ing to deal with the contractors
and their bondsmen and make
them toe the mark OF. take the le-
gal consequences; but if / under
stand the matter correctly from
the record published in your last
issue, the Board only Numbered
in the index and is going to
prove consistent with its past re-
cord of playing into the hands of
the contractors rather than de-
mand what is due the people, in
dealing with this road question.
Let lis see if the action of the
Board at its last meeting does nos
Justify this statement. / find that
at the September meeting all the
members of the Board made sign
ed reports on the condition of the
roads in their respective districts.
Contractors E. 3. Smith 4 Son
had roads lying in part in the dis
tricts of three members of the
Board. If one will read the re-
ports of these three members,
Messrs. Jones, Bryant and Bris-
ter, he will find every one of them
reported that after a personal in
spection of the roads in their dis
tricts lying east of the railroad
(the territory belonging to f. B.
Smith & SOM, they had found
roads not worked up to the plans
and specification of the contract,
and therefore the contractors had
been derelict in every district of
these three members. A specially
bad state Of affairs was reported
by Supervisor Brister from his
district. Yet in the face of a bad
showing like this, what do we find
the Beard doing? Do we find it
declaring the contract forfeited,
that the contractors shall not be
paid in full according to contract,
and that suit be instituted against
them and their bondsmen for fail
ure to comply with their contract
No, not by considerable. Just
what the Board did in the light of
this state of facts, | will tell by
quoting their own published pro-
ceedings.
In their fourth days proceed
ings, on which day the road ques-
ton was the special order,v in
an order rejecting the report Of
County Road Superintendent
Montgomery, the order proceeds:
1T appearing further to the sat-
isfaction Of the Board on the petit
ton of Nj. Y. j. Greer and SO
Other good and lawful citizens
and tax payers of the county, that
tile public roads lying East Of the
j. G. railroad il said county as
contracted to Z. B. Smith & Son..
are not put and kept according to
plans and specifications, but are
badly out of repair ID many
places; Wherefore, By agreement
Of the Board Of Supervisors Of
Lincoln county, Miss, and the said
+. B. Smith & Son, the contract
entered into BY the said +. B.
Smith q Son with the Board of
Supervisors Of said county Oh the
day of Sept, a. d. 1901, is
rescinded, forfeited and held for
naught on the following terms and
considerations, to-wit:
The Board of Supervisors
shall pay TO Z. B. Smith e Son all
moneys due on said CONTRACT up to
and including the first day Of
Sept, 1904, ont of the road fund.
for the territory lying East of the
/. 9. railroad and outside tbc sew
eral municipalities from the com
mutation money collected and to
be collected from the hands liable
TO road duty III said territory as