The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1913-07-28
AFFAIRS OF LEVEE
BOARDS TO Be
PROBED
CHARGES OF IRREGULARITIES
AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT REACH
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE.
PROBING MAY BE FASTENED
Thorough investigation And Audit OF
Books Had Been Planned, But Re-
ceiPt of Letters From Confidential
Sources May Advance The Work.

Jackson, Miss, July 2S.-Letters
from confidential sources alleging ir-
regularities. and mismanagement in
connection with the affairs of the
Yazoo-M Mississippi Delta Board of Leyee
Commissioners have been received by
the joint legislative investigating COM
mittee.
Members of the body state that the
affairs of the levee board will receive
their attention before the close of the
| year. that it was their original plan to
have the affairs of both levee boards
examined, and the books and accounts
audited, prior to the receipt of this
information, and it is likely that their
probing will be hastened.
The legislators decline to discuss
the revelations set forth in the letters
they have received, but admit that the
general charge is that of extravaganza
and mismanagement. A number Of
letters have been received from plant
ers in the upper delta bitterly COM
planning against the increase of tax
levy recently ordered by the board,
, contelding that it is in no sense justi-
. fed in view of the present condition
of the levees in that district, which
successfully withstood the record
breaking floods of few weeks since.
Hon. j. w. Cutrer, of Clarksdale,
president of the Yazoo- Mississippi
board, had planned to leave for Europe
during the present week 1t is not
" known here whether the prospective
S investigation will cause him to change
o nected with the levee board in various
capacities for many years, and foTrtAA
t. past five years has served as its
}; dent.
b. The lower levee board will
come in for it's share of attention /
d. the legislative committee. 1t viii
}; recalled that this board was asss
N with veritable storm of criti{
after the crevasse at Beulah sew
months ago. Thus far, however
allegations have been filed with
committee regarding the financial
n agement of the board in the ld
district.
1t has been more than a decade S
the levee board books were audited
lg legislative committee. 1t has
u- the custom for the boards to
IA their accounts thoroughly ched
o. each year by expert accountants,
ut the legislative supervision of IL
he bodies has been exceedingly lax,
in lawmakers always enacting such
he islation relative to their affairs as
or boards may recommend, without n
er ing investigation as to actual co
tn tions in the two districts.
Lewis E. Crock. 4 Meridian, an
pert accountant. rd ehed Jackson
1y day, and reported the legisla
yas committee for duty He will be
en signed to the task of auditing
les books at the University of Mississi
he The accounts of that institution
he will be recalled, were given a I
. a ough checking about two years
les. by Chas- ]. Moore, and his report
nor rather sensational in character.
ees was, in fact. disagreement over
ich management of this Institution
caused two members of their gent
kin board of trustees to tender their re
and nations at the beginning of Gov. Br
rom er's administration.