The Dickson County herald. (Dickson, Tenn.) 1907-1979, 1915-07-23
PITT HEASlEE'S VIEWS
on ROAD BOND LAW.

IL IN tNAuibK knB new Np6NtA& E0a1
IoF bond Las, which applies to Dick.
|son County, one h convinced that
There are several serious defects in
this Act. and as this new Law IL
published in fnli In this Issue oi
1.-THE Herald. and m every thoushllnl
cihHen should investigate fully, he.
fore voting IN the bond election III
August 18th. ! take tho liberty ~
referring 10 a iew omissions and
peculiarities oi the new law.
| In studying TINS new Act, one IL
Impressed with The fact that no
provision IL made for checking the
accounts or auditing the books of
the Road Commissioners. Ii ap.
pears that the Commissioners have
hull authority to spend the $3.50.
600 90 as they desire, and should
careIessness, extravaganza or graft
be pFaotioed BY any II the Com.
missioners. the tax payers ii appears
have no authority 10 investigate and
no way 10 dstAcs sanic.
Twice year the II. 8 Govern
men. have National Banks examin.
ed. Twice,a yeaf>oar State authori-
ties audit State Ranks. The books oi
Postmastets arr frequently checked.
and in this day Of progressive bust.
ness. il 10 customary that all trans.
actions Of public officials, be nlly
investigated by disinterested audi
tors. at least two or three times a
year, and why the taxpayers Of
Dickson County should be called
upon to turn over $3.50. 10000 Of
their money to Commissioners with
absolute power 10 spend as they
desire, is IN the words OF Coy.
Patterson more authority than
any good man should want, and
any bad man should have. True.
the Act instrncts the Commissioners
to make quarterly report to the
County Court. but this section Is
in.operative aud useless, because
no penalty is placed upon the Com
| missioners In the event they fail to
make the report. You might have
! a law against stealing. but II no
provision were made fer pnnishing
the thief, the law would be void
| and without merit.
Another weakness of this road
law is. that no limit Ia placed on
the term oi Office of the Commits.
sioners, and when they are ence
elected, they would serve without
| any limit TO their term. II II took
them three. five. or ten years; and
with the Commissioners having alb
solute authority. unlimited term III
office, and no provisions made Tor
removal ie case of incompetency.
then under this new law that II on
August l4th, the voters authorize
the issuance Of the $3.50, 10000
bonds. that then all the Commits.
sioners would have to 90 would be
TO spend the money, and all The
property owners could do, would be
10 pay taxes.
There il a general law In Ten
nessee that requires all voters be.
tween the ages OF II years and W
year.. to pay poll tax before they
can vote ior even Constable Or
| School Dirs3.or This poll tax reve-
nuegoes to the pubic school fund of
the county, but this special road
! Law for Dickson County provides
that no voter will be required 10
pay poll tax 10 vote on August IA.
| II ls claimed by those favoring more
bonds that hy this exemption, all
Of the negroes who have been
brought to DickS,n cUDity to work
on the present roads, can cast their
votes in favor Of the bond election
and by this Act. the imported non-
/ property holding negroes can vote
hi, rher taxes and bigger bsnded
d.b, on the property owners Of otr
connt,'. Bn, the smoothesi poliii-
mi .ct al the whole law IN the
pooler' in Section . where The
| Commission ers Of the South side o
The coD n.y ars authorized TO expend
"A sun n .. exceeding sl5.ooiW'
,ha 49,. y oil the town h Dick
on ~. RS sayoring the bond
' A"ose ',g the people Il
election are telh l,onds are issue,
Dickson shat II the, !. s;sh,l
(fonttnund -. s