The Brinkley argus., 1914-07-24

.-rhs state rs<ohues wrn sr6W and
 the leaks will stop.
 "The newspapers will be setting
 some of this money. but the grafters and plundsrers win lose.
 "The newspapers will be giving the state service, while the grafters and plundsrers give 1t nothing but . 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 thorough exposition of Act No. 3, section by section. The cost is given wherever possible to
 compute or estimate 1t. Where i'm
 possible to estimate, the publication expense is shown to be very light and inconsequential, in consideration of the results to follow.
 Under Section l. relating to the pub ifcation of I. & R. measures, the ex- pense is reduced by the fact that the period of publication is reduced from thirty to twenty days (meaning six to four weeks in weekly newspapers). It is shown that under Act No. the pub lication of the & R measures this year would cost $1S8.75 per county. e against $265.00 per county under the existing law. The q R measures two yeary ago would have cost under Act No. 6 @553.50 per county instead of 9SO6.00 per county. The importance of tho 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- ton 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 comparatively
 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 $2O2O0 per county under
 Act No. 3. The brief argues that 1t
 Is easily worth $16,000 t0the state for
 its citizens to know the law which
 they are expected to respect and obey.
 That ignorance of the law excuses no
 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. 8. 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 8 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, $500 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 marvellous in crease in the assessed valuation of property in this state, and bring about
 . 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 1t $ shown that the ex- pense under this particular section will annually reduce-thOugh small at first just as tax dodgers quit lodging and
 the work of the equalization boards reduces. Section calls for 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 will save the taxpayers many thou
 sands of dollars from graft and extra vaxance.
 Other sections of the bill call for . report of the commissioners of ae-
 counts. improvement districts, munich palities, etc, all of which means vast saving annually to the taxpayers. The slogan of this campaign is Tho
 Public has Right to Know" Act No
 : provides for turning on the light" {" n- V- A>..A T-s- A