Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1914-09-05
COUNTY JUDGES
 FAVOR ACT NO. 5
Like President Wilson, Sev- eral Arkansas Officials
 Believe in Publicity.

ArkdnSaS county judges, as i Gut'' favor act NO. , and tue purpose of the act which provides for publicity in public affairs. There is too much secrecy. they say, and a county sul- fers when it's people are not thor ougEly informed and ahle to vote in- telligently.
 Like Woodrow Wilson, who says Publicity is one of the purifying ele- ments of politics." William J. Bryan who started the agitation which re- suited in the law providing for publi- cation of campaign expenses, Senator Kern, Senator Works and other not able statesmen. several county judges have come out with unqualified en- dorsements of, publicity, and declare their favor for act No. , in Arkansas
 Protection for Public.
 Judge Sam Williams of Marion county offers the following reasons why the people ought to know how their affairs are conducted:
 "I am firmly convinced the merits of act No. 3, after carefully investi- gating it's provisions, requiring that county court orders and equalization board proceedings shall be made pub lie through the press.
 During my experience the past four years as county and probate judge of Marion county, it has been my duty to pass upon many claims against the county and road districts involving thousands of dollars of the peoples money. Some of the most annoying and unpleasant tasks that l, as county judge, have had to per form was passing upon claims that upon their face appeared to be eXorb- itant. and sometimes presented by people who seemed willing to impose upon personal or political friend shin existing between them and my selfse Claims of this nature are ire quently brought against the county or some road district, the true merits of which the county court cannot be fully advised without undue delay and expense to the county. But if such claimants were to know in ad- vance that their demands would be published to the world so that their neighbors and all familiar with the facts involved, might know what they were doing or attempting to do, they would either make no claim at all or else confine it within the bounds of fairness and justice, rather than be subjected to unfavorable exposure.
 'In my judgment, this act will not only serve as protection to consci- entious county judges who may be harassed with eXtravagant demands against the county, but will etfectual- ly deter any county judge who may be disposed to reward political friends with the peoples money, or take profit to himself through graft in the conduct of public improve ments, building courthouses, bridges. jails, etc., in view of the fact that the people must be advised as to how the funds on such things are disbursed.
 ''I believe the saving to the cO,lD- ties, in the suppression of eXtrava- gance and payment of unjust de- mands, which will be accomplished under act No. 8, will far more than pay the expenses of letting the peo- pie know what is being done. For who would lodge an unjust or excess sive demand against the county or who would attempt to have his taxes lowered to $1,000 on property that his neighbors know is worth $2O,000 when he knows it would be published to the world that. in effect, he is a taXdOdger or is trying to take from the public treasury money that does not belong to him.
 "Not only that, but the people who pay the expense to support the state. maintain the county and build the roads, have right to know exactly how their business is being managed