The Harrison times., 1915-07-24

franchise taxes for the year 1914
amounting to $8,36521, which had not
been paid into the treasury, and for
which no satisfactory excuse has
been given. The committee and It's
accountants know the reason suits
have not been brought on these un-
collected claims. This was fully ex-
planned to one of the accountants
Most Of them were in sums so small
that the state could not have recover
ed enough to cover the advance costs
of the courts in which the recovery
was had. Furthermore, the constitu-
tiCnality OF the franchise tax act was
pending in the Supreme Court of the
United States, which was settled
few months ago, and this is another
good reason why suits had not been
filed against delinquent corporations,
which was explained to the account
ants.
As to His Trips.
THE next complaint pertains to the
costs OF the travelling expenses OF the
attorney generals office, and there is
recital of two trips to Mississippi
and one to South Carolina, and two to
Washington, d. c., and other places,
and the committee states it does not
know what benefit the state Of Arkan-
sas received from these trips. The
chairman of the committee must have
known about some Of the trips, be-
cause he had talked with the attorney
general and the assistant on the sub
ject, and he could have known exactly
the reasons why each OF these trips
was taken, and in what respect the
public had interest in 1t. The commit
tee apparently wanted no information
except upon points which would re-
feet upon the integrity Of the Office
AS to Alleged Indebtedness.
"The last item of Indebtedness due
from the attorney general to the
state, according to the report Of this
committee, is $9,995.02 This commit
tee arrives at that conclusion by get
ting information from the Probate
Court records of the different counties
in the state of the amount OF judg-
ments that have been rendered in such
courts in favor Of the state for inher-
itance taxes, and deducting therefrom
the amounts collected and paid into
the treasury since the committee re-
ceived this information. The commit
tee thus assumes, as an indebtedness
on my part, the amount Of all the judg'
ments that are uncollected all over
the state of Arkansas on account of
inheritance taxes,
Attorneys Fees.
with regard to the charge that the
attorney general could have saved the
state $1,000 in attorneys fees and
failed to do so, have this to say: The
suit to recover the Cotton Belt fran
chse tax was brought two years be-
fore came into office. The attorneys
brought the suit on contingent fee,
If they succeeded in recovering the
tax they expected the state to give
them fee; otherwise their labor was
to be without compensation, The case
was pending several years, and finally
reached the Supreme Court Of the
United States Before II was decided
the taxes for other years were due
and the attorneys who brought the first
suit insisted that they should have the
right to bring suits for the other years
since the Arst suit was begun, They
said that inasmuch as they had taken
chance of working without compen'
sation, they should bo allowed tho
opportunity of having q fee for the
recovery Of all the tax that might be
adludged due from the corporation.
If there was a stipulation that all 9th.
er cases should abide by the judgment
In the first suit brought, that stipula'
ton was voluntarily annullod by the
attorneys before | came into otllce by
bringing other suits"