The Forrest City times., 1914-06-26

provides for 1t. The state is, also, In poor financial condition. But the state owes very largely the bankrupt condi- ton of It's treasury to the fact that | THE PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW Graft CTS and plunderers have been allowed to prey-the people didn't know. The people will willingly pay their taxes if they know the money is properly and Judicially spent. Publicity will inform l them.
 Will Not increase Taxes.
 ACT NO. WILL NOT INCREASE TAXES,
 Tt becomes operative immediately : on it's adoption by the people. { "Crookedness in official circles will at once stop.
 "Lawlessness as a result of igno- rance will begin to wane
 The courts will be less busy Tax dodgers will quit lodging.
 The state revenues will grow and the leaks will stop
 The newspapers will be getting some Of this money, but the grafters l and plunderers will lose. 1 The newspapers will be giving the state service, while the grafters and | plunderers give it nothing but a bad name and a bad taste in the mouths of the taxpayers.
 Take your choice,
 Act No. and PUBLICITY THAT YOU MAY KNOW; or,
 The Freedom of Grafters and DARKNESS THAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW"
 Then appears a thorough exposition of Act No. 3, section by section. The cost is given wherever possible to compute or estimate it. Where i'm l possible to estimate, the publication expense is shown to be very light and inconsequential, in consideration of the results to follow.
 Under Section 1, relating to the pub 1 lication of l & R. measures, the ex- pense is reduced by the fact that the period of publication is reduced from thirty to twenty days (meanng six to four weeks in weekly newspapers). It | 1 lication of the l & R measures this year would cost s1S875 per county, as against $265.00 per county under the existing law. The l & R measures two years ago would have cost under Act No. $552.50 per county instead of $S0500 per county. The importance of the thorough education of the voter on all measures requiring his "intelli- gent" ballot is advanced as the req son for publishing such Acts and | Amendments in the newspapers which are read. rather than in pamphlets, which are seldom read Besides, each publication in the newspapers Is shown to be cheaper than in pamphlets.
 Section provides for the publica- tion of synopsis of all General Acts of the Legislature, the synopsis to be prepared by the Attorney General. As only the meat of the law will be con tained in the synopsis, the publication expense is shown to be paratively light while the benefits are great. A synopsis of all General Acts of the 1913 session has been prepared by competent lawyers, such as would be expected of the Attorney General, and the expense of publishing this synop- sis figures $20200 per county under Act No. 3. The brief argues that it is easily worth $15,000 to the state for it's citizens to know the law which they are expected to respect and obey. l nf To n one, and ignorance results in quite as many law violations as criminal in tent.
 Section 3, requiring the publication of all general orders of the Railroad Commission, is claimed to be one of the strong features of Act No. 3. There are two sides to every proposition be- fore the Railroad Commission, the rail roads on the one side and the people on the other, and 1t is not good idea, says the brief, for only one side to a controversy to have full and accurate information as to the proceedings of the court. Publication of orders in 1913 would have cost. under Act No. 3, S3S00 per county.
 Tax dodgers are hit by Section 4, re- quiring the publication of the proceed. ings of equalization boards showing the increases and decreases In assess ments, etc. It is argued that this sec tion will result in a marvellous in- crease in the assessed valuation of property in this state, and bring about a reduction in taxes, accordingly, to those who made honest assessments It is believed that the effect of this section will vastly more than offset the expenses incurred by all of Act No 3, and it is shown that the ex- pense under this particular section will annually reduce-though small at first just as tax dodgers quit dodging and the work of the equalization boards reduces.
 Section calls for a published report of all disbursements in counties and road districts, showing to whom each claim is allowed and for what pur pose. It is argued that this section