Evening journal., 1914-09-22
NO COLONIZATION.
LEVY COURT REPORTS
Commissioner Smith Scored
in Open Session for In
warranted Charges
CALLS FOR SOME
INVESTIGATIONS"

At the conclusion of the minor rou-
tine business in the Levy Court this
morning, Commissioner Gooding arose
to renew the charges of colonizing
negroes under the guise of employing
them upon unnecessary road work. made
by Commissioner Martin +. Smith. ia
the Levy Court on September s. Mr..
Gooding entered a sweeping denial of
the charges OF colonization and said
that Commissioners Scott and Fouracre
and himself had made thorough in
vestigation.
The membef of the probe committee
denounced not only the charges brought
by Mr.. Smith, but also stated that the
latter was conducting road work under
his own supervision IN the most obsolete
manner. in which a plow and a shovel
were the implements used, in lieu of the
modern machinery used upon the work
which Mr.. Smith objected to.
Mr.. Gooding then read various afli-
davits. showing that the majority of the
negro laborers had lived in the immedi
ate section for a period of fourteen
years on more.
Mr.. Gooding closed his report with
The remark: 81 hope this will be a great
lesson to Mr.. Smith and that he will
give more careful thought in the future
before making such charges against the
court"
Mr. Gooding then dwelt upon some
of the work the committee discussed
which Mr.. Smith had supervised. Mr.
Gooding said that all sections of the
road which Mr.. Smith had built was
thick with deep bitches. known as
Spring busters
Mr.. Fouracre then asked that the
Court demand some explanation from
Mr. Smith as to why he ieopardized
life and limb by inferior and destruc-
tive repairing" while he made. un-
founded charges against the Court
Commissioner Scott echoed the
statements made by Commissioners
Fouracre and Gooding. and deplored
the manner in which alleged spring
breakers" crossed the repaired
roads at short spaces apart.
81 believe Mr.. Smith made an un~
fortunate misstatement in regard to
his charges of colonization, said Mr..
Scott. " but do join with my fellow
committeeman in demanding some ex-
PLANTATION as to Mr.. Smiths rainbow
roads"
In replying TO the report MIR. Smith
repudiated the fact that he had ever
made charges of colonization. and
had simply stated that unnecessary
work was being done at this time in
the year Mr.. Smith then dwelt at
length upon the various phases of
road work, which he alleged should
be done at different times Of the year.
Mr.. Smith then began to read a list
of things which he explained he did
wish investigated. These charges of
unnecessary expenditures began with
the retention of high salaried clerk
and what he termed an underground
and infantile experiment" upon the
planking of Washington street bridge
Mr.. Smith insisted upon reading his
address and suggestions. He was al
lowed to do so.
/. Following the suggestions Of Mr.
Smith. Commissioner Burris sprang 10
his feet and denounced the same
paper for encouraging school boys
to destroy the sticky coating on
Washington street bridge.
Mr.. Fouracre then interrupted to
state that Mr.. Smith had given to the
same paper his only report and failed
to provide the clerk of the court
with one.
An adjournment was then called
until 2.3O o'clock