Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1912-03-24

that al0ther conference was arranged for and will be had l hope within a few days
 What is delaying that conference MT. Hearn?''
 There are two things. First, you l also know thar the Bridge Commits s.oners agreed net to spend any of the taxpayers money on preliminary work. and ill keeping our word in this regard we have to depend cn two CT three Of cur friends to check up hnd tabulate the petitions that were circulated When you take into con sideration that there are about twen- ty-five hundred petitions, aggregating about $5,000,00 in value, or more than half of the property of the coun- ty, you will realize that this has been l na easy job. Especially when done by young meI. who are employed in ether ways during the day and had to do the work at convenient times.''
 Don't You think MT. Hearn. that that arrangement was false econcmy?a
 Perhaps so, but our word was out and We have had to stand by it. This same work cost the [ Smith people more than S5,000 so you see it has aeen a hard and tedious job for us. We are thankful to the young men for their patient and splendid work, and hope to be able to compensate them in small way for it Another cause for the delay is that it has been cur purpose to show at this confer ence a bonafide contract with the railroad. Many of the supposed mem- bers of the Tax Payers League have openly stated that all their objec- tions to the bridge would be with drawn if it was certain that railroad would be secured. Many of their members have assured us that they dppi SSicteC llC lhi pOi luHSG lO lllI0 SAly of a North railroad, and while it would be of little benefit to some of them, they would not stand la the way of SO important improvement to Pine Bluff ard express willingness to pay reasonable tax
 You think then MT. Hearn that all important obstacles are about remov ed?''
 Frankly, l do. l fully appreciate the objections raised by some of our tax payers and many of them are not to be censurad. And I assure you We have all felt much satisfaction at the action of a great many of them, in their as ;urance after explanations in the way we are handling the sit uation When all this is over, and he many difficulties that we have met is shown to the public, feel certain that there will not be tax payer in this county who will not freely com mend the patriotic and unselfish work of the Chamber of Commerce and Bridge Commissioners.
 ''How do you thing it will be until the road and bridge is completed?
 From information that we have the bridge should be completed and the trains operating into Pine Bluff within twelve months after the con- tract is let, and by the way, this re- minds me that in our conference with Mr. Miller, he showed us report that was made by an expert representative of his physical agents, showing that not less than fifty loaded cars would be transported over his road and this bridge every day in the year, and 1t was upon this splendid showing that he secured the financial arrangements necessary for the completios of the cad. You will remember that i'll our statement ito the public on "How the Bridge will De built We based our figures on only twenty cars per day If this expert opinion is correct, the bridge will prove revenue producer instead of tax upon the people, and I am very confident that this Will prove the correct selution.
 What about the ,uthern exten- ciop of +ho rnad9',
 We are doing our best to get MT. Miller tc start on this end of his road at once, and now that it seems cer- tain that the Crossett Lumber Com pany will extend it's lumber road in to Monticello from Crossett, thus giving Monticello connection With the Rock Island cn the South, which will carry it's trade to Mdnroe, you will readily see that this will take one f the most important towns and sec tions out of Pine Bluffs territory. We are now considering asking MT. Miller to return here at once and see If ar rangements cannot be made to per