Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1912-02-01
.REPLYFROM JIG. MIAKERT'
says He Was Incorrectly Quoted a.
to What He Said at the Meet
ing at Harvey.

loT puuiicdtioh upoh tho HuS'sAo" -
the county bond issue for improve
ment Of the roads and would not do
SO at this time il it were not for the
fact that the reporter who reported
the meeting at Harvey on Tuesday |
night misquoted my statement and my /
position in the matter.
did not say that l opposed the /
bond issue as county proposition f,
becasue it allowed a pro rata division
Of the funds while a good roads dis
trict or precinct would compel the ex-
penditure of all the funds collected in
that district and would not permit OF
a strong districts funds being used to
improve weaker district" but l said
exactly the opposite. / said that Il
was opposed to county bond issue
because the law did not require pro
rata distribution of the funds, and be-
cause it would give the commission.
ers' court the power to use all OF the
money on one or two roads, to the ex-
clusion of all others, whereas, pre-
cinct bond issue would be legal guar
antee that the money collected in each
precinct would be used in the precinct
where the taxes were collected"
am opposed to any bond issue that
will render it possible for injustice
to be done to any portion of the coun'
ty. and that will build up one portion
of the county at the expense of the
rest of the county, and in this connec-
! ton | wish to submit the following to
the voters of this county for their con-
sideration.
| am unalterably opposed to any
county bond issue for the improve
ment of the county roads for the fol-
lowing reasons
/. Because the same law that au-
thorizes a county bond issue also au'
thorizes a bond issue by precincts, the
money to be used in the subdivision
of a county where the tax is collected,
which is much fairer and safer
method of raising money for the i'm
provement of road than is county
bond issue.
3. When a county bond issue has
been ordered, the bonds sold, the
money goes into the county treasury
and is absolutely at the disposal OF the
commissioners court. and the commits
: sioners' court has the power to spend
every cent of it upon one road, or In
one community, if it sees fit to do so
to the exclusion of all other parts Of
the county.
8. Because any promise made by
the county Judge or the commission
ers' court to use the proceeds of the
sale OF the bonds upon any certain
, road or to distribute it fairly, is moi
and can not be made legally binding
and can not be enforced.
A.. Because the personnel of thu
commissioners court can be changed
within two hours time by death, OF
resignation and by appointment, ant
there is strong probability OF 9
change of one or more of its members
at any regular election, and the new
member would not be under even any
moral obligation to carry out the pol
icies and pledges of those retiring.
5. Because it is not morally RICH
for the farmers in the remote parts o
the county to be taxed in order t.
! build a few roads and thus build VI
the commercial interests of the city a
the expense of the farming classes.
6. After a county bond issue ha
been voted. and the evil of an unfai
distribution of the funds has present
ed itself, it will be too late to remed.
the evil and the property taxpayers Il
some parts of the county may have
burden to bear for forty years as
penalty for a hasty vote cast at tn
solicitation of a few honest but mis-
. informed citizens of the county.
If the reader will take his penci
and figure the interest he will fin,
:, that inasmuch as none of these bond
> can be paid until ten years have eA
pired, and supposing that they ar
paid off in blocks of $4,000 each a
/ the expiration of every ten years, 20
i will find that the total amount o
8 principal and interest will be $474,5O
8 to be paid for the sake of obtainin
t the sum of 100000 to spend on tn
roads and that the work will not las
until one-fourth of the money has bee
8 paid, thus leaving us with an indebted
n ness of $150,OOO of interest-bearin
s bonds long after the roads which wer
: built with the money have worn GU
: ]. G. MINKERT.
Bryan, Texas, Feb. |, 1912.
e A Pipe Organ for Navasota.