Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1912-07-28
THE FREE BRIDGE
 MAJORITY 548 Commission Adjourns Until August l2 to Give Taxpay- CTS Time to Protest. TELEGRAM IS FOUND C0ttoE Beit and lran Mountain Roads Secretly Fighting the Free
 Bridge Project.
TELEGRAM IS FOUND

The Jefferson County Free Bridge l Commission adjourned yesterday aft ernoon at l o'clock until Monday. i August l2, at 10 d. m. Adjournment was aken after one of the busiest l sessions held by that body since it's first meeting on last Tuesday. The Commissioners completed it's work of listing tna Free E., .Ige signers, a copy of which was turned over to the officers of the Taxpeyers' Protective Association, the anti-Free Bridge Drganizat on and the board will hear evidence that any taxpayer wishes to present against the Br dge, when it reconveneS
 While the Free Bridge Commission has not acted on the majority, it is evident that there are more than five hundred signers in favor of the Free Bridge in majority ever the total number of tax payers, as shown by the taxpayers of the county The total number of tax payers on the county records in 4,663. The total number who have signed for the Free Bridge is shown and admitted by J. H. Car michael, counsel for the Taxpayers, to be 1880. The resolution to ad- iourn until August 12 was introduced by Commissioner A. w. Mum. Mir. Carmichael argued, for mere time in which 70 prepare evidence but the Board d q not consider it necessary.
 It developed during the morning session that the Cotton Belt and Iron Mountain railroad companies ale se- cretly fighting the Free Bridge pro- ject. This fact became known when the protest peth ions, filed by T. J. Collier, president of the Taxpayers Protect ve Association, were reviewed by the Commissioners. Among the protest petitions was found tele- gram, dated, April Is, 1912, addressed to Mir. Collier, and signed by Sam H. West, general at orney for the Cotton Belt railroad. 1t reads: This com pany is With you in opposition to the Free Bridge A protest petition was also found among them, signed by M h. Clarde' vice president and general solicitor for the Iron Mount ain railway company. This petition is dated April 29, 1912.
 The Commissioners held two ses- sions during the day, one in the nor ming md the other in the afternoon. Both of them were open to the public and Mir. Collier and his attorney, MT. Carmichael, were present. The re- view of the protest petitions showed that ,.hefe were many signers who own no property in this county and whose names are not on the tax books at the court house. Tn no few instances it was shown that many names had been gne1 to single petitions by one and the same per son, in some instances Chere being as many as ten and fifteen names on one sheet ill the same hand writing. Previous to the inspection of the protest petitions the Commission tab ulated the withdrawals, filed by the Taxpayers las; April and on July 23 and notwithstanding the claims made by MT. Collier only IA taxpayers had asked that their names be withdrawn from the original Free Bridge pet tions. This includes all the with drawals that had been already strick- en from the Free Bridge petitions by the Commission at the request of taxpayers last April.
 There was large attendance at the afternoon session, but there was the usual small number of Free Bridge opponents present, three ac- tually being counted during the en- tire day, which number included MT. Col.ier.
 After the names of the Free Bridge signers were tOtaled, Commissioner Nunn presented resolution, calling on the Board to adjourn until Aug ust 12. This resolution states that the adjournment for two weeks was being taken for the purpose of giving all persons interested full oppcT- tunity to inspect the petitions on file with the Board, including those fav- bring the Free Bridge, opposed to it and the withdrawals, that any such persons might prepare evidence that they may desire to introduce before the Board at is next hearing.
 Attorney Carmichael insisted on mere time. 'HNow, since there has been disposition of fairness on the part of the Board,' he said, "in the matter, it strikes me it would be for the best interest of all concerned to give a reasonable time for hearing. Frankly l think you have shown enough to place the burden on those who oppose the Bridge"
 In view fthe fact that the attor- ueys for the Taxpayers and MT. Col Her did not take advantage of the opportunity offered them each day to protest against the petitions as they were read and listed, the members of the Board were not disposed to give
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