Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1912-07-25
HARMONY AT FREE
 BRIDGE MEETING Session Yesterday Was Yak en Up in Reviewing With
 draWals as Filed.
END THE WORK TODAY
Commission Will Then Ascertain n Majority For Or Against the
 Free Bridge.

The Free Bridge Commissioners got down to real work yesterday and spent most of the day reviewing the listing withdrawals, which were filed by the Taxpayers Protective Asso- citation in an effort to cut down the number of petitions filed for the Free Bridge. President w. D. Hearn pre- sided at the session during the day and all of the commissioners were present. The attorneys for both sides were also on hand and T. J. Collier president of the Taxpayers Protective Association, also remained throughout the session.
 When the Commission reconvened at 10 o'clock yesterday morning Com missioner k. B. Bloom offered mot ion that the commission review the withdrawals before going into any of the petitions for or against the Free Bridge. Attorneys J. H. Carmichael and Asa C. Oracle objected to this procedure, asserting that the attor- neys for the Free Bridge had agreed with them that the commission was to first establish a prima facia case by ascertaining majority for or against the Bridge. After arguing the matter at some length the motion of Commissioner Bloom was unani- mously adopted.
 President Hearn said he could not see any possible harm that could come from review of the withdrawals be- fore going into the petitions; that it was the aim of the commission to systematiZe it's work and go about it in a fair and complete manner He stated however, that the commission would not let anyone tell it how to proceed, that they would transact all their business legally and openly
 The list of withdrawals will be completed this morning, shortly after the commission reconvenes at 10 o'clock for the day. It was evident by the number of withdrawals list ed yesterday that the Taxpayers had not added many withdrawals to it's list, as filed with the commission last April. Many of the names listed for withdrawals from the Free Bridge pe- signed she Bridge petitions. This procedure, however, is considered formal in a way and will have little or no effect on the majority petitions yet to be gone into.
 At the morning session of the com mission yesterday number of tax payers, both for and against the Free Bridge, were present, although the attendance was not as large as that recorded at the first meeting of the commission on Tuesday. The commissions meetings are open to the public, however, both those who favor the Free Bridge and those who are opposed to it.
 The Bridge Commission will not meet every day, but will probably go into the petitions as soon as the work of reviewing the withdrawals is completed. It will ascertain ma jority for the Free Bridge. If the commission finds that there is a ma jority for the Free Bridge it will make this fact known and it will then be the object of the opponents of the Free Bridge to offset this majority by a careful inspection of each sigma ture
 The genuineness of the signatures and the legal right of signers to sign the petitions will be questioned as the 1oAPoJOio uCClI pIOPCi. lHO pCtltloAo will be left with the Taxpayers or their representatives to be reviewed, but they will be placed in the care of a custodian, to he named by the con- mission. This work, it is stated, might require several weeks. MT. Col Her at conference held Tuesday between the lawyers from both sides, said it would take him three months to do this work, but his attorneys were willing to agree to sixty days. It is thought, however, that the work will be systematized and done in ev- en less time than is desired by coun- sel for the Taxpayers.
 The meeting yesterday was harmon ious and there was practically no ill feeling exhibited at any time. The anti-Free Bridge people seem per fectly satisfied with the manner in which the commission is handling the petitions and it is expected that the harmony will continue.
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