The Huttig news., 1912-09-07
AMENDMENT No.
IS WINS FAVOR
Voters Will Give Cities Right
to Issue Bonds, 1t Is
Believed. /
WILL BE SUBMITTED SEPT. 9
Measure Is of Vital Importance to
Cities and Towns of State,
1t Is Declared.
WILL BE SUBMITTED SEPT. g

OF all the measures that are to be
submitted to vote of the people of
Arkansas at the coming general cleo
ton, none is regarded of as much inn
portanee to the material development
Of the state as the proposed constitu-
aonal amendment No. Is, which, if
adopted. will give the cities of the
state and all Incorporated towns of
more than 1000 population. the right
20 raise money for public improve
ments by issuing bonds.
1t is believed that the prejudice
against the issuing of bonds, which
grew out of conditions which existed
nearly half century ago, is practical
ly dead and that the people of the
state are now willing to remove the
restrictions which have retarded in
many ways the advancement of the
cities and towns of the state An
amendment of similar nature but
without the restrictions and safe
guards of the present amendment, was
defeated by small margin four years
ago only because of the discovery of
features which were said by some to
render the measure unsafe. Very lit
tie, if any criticism has been made of
Amendment No. Is, which will be sub
mitted at the election September 8.
For that reason it Is not believed that
there will be any serious opposition
to this measure. All that is needed to
insure its passage, it is believed is
to make its provisions known to the |
voters who will be asked to pass judg |
ment upon it on September g.
Realizing that Arkansas is the only
state in the entire Union that prohib-
its its cities and towns from issuing
bonds under proper restrictions, and
believing that as long as this condi-
ton exists Arkansas cannot hope to
Keep pace with the other states of the
Union in any phase of development,
many officials and representative citi-
zens of the cities and towns of the
state have joined hands in an effort
10 cast off the bonds that have held
them in check so long. Responding to
calls from all parts of the state, Mayor
Chas. E. Taylor of Little Rock issued
call for meeting of mayors, city
attorneys and other officials and eiti-
zens of the cities and towns of Arkan.
sas, and at this meeting the amend
ment which is to be submitted in Sep
tember was drafted The amendment
reached its final form only after
lengthy discussion of all the proposed
features and, as it was finally APPROX
ed, it is believed by those who are
sponsor for it to be surround
ed by all the safeguards that could
be desired by the tax payers.
The work of securing the submits
sion of the amendment and of making
the campaign in its behalf has been
IN the hands of an executive COMMITTEES
composed of Mayor Chas. E. Taylor
of Little Rock, Mayor Pagan Bour-
land of Fort Smith, Mayor A. C. Jor.
dan of Pine Bluff, Mayor w. w. Wat
ers of Hot Springs, Mayor ]. P. Eau
cette of Argenta and Mayor Thomas
Burress of Jonesboro This commit
tee has the assistance of the exeeu-
lives of all cities and towns in the
state and the members believe that
the only campaign required is one of
publicity, in order that the voters may
be fully informed upon all the features
of the proposed amendment. They
have sought to turn the light on to
every phase OF the measure so that
the people may know just what they
are voting for when they cast their
ballots for Amendment No. Is.
Stress is laid upon the fact that
after Amendment No. 10 is adopted,
not a dollars worth of bonds can be
issued and sold until after a majority
of the qualified voters of the city or
town affected have decreed by their
ballots at an election held for thai
purpose, that such bonds shall be is
sued. Amendment No. Is merely re-
moves the iron clad restriction now
embodied in the constitution prevent
ing the issuing of bonds in any form