The Harrison times., 1915-05-01
Investigating Committee Charges
Irregularities in State Departments
Report Furnishes Substantial Reason for Improved
Accounting Systems and Publicity of Receipts
and Disbursements in State
Departmental

The following letter. received by
the committee, in response to a let
ter Of inquiry, was written by G. b
Coe of Tuckerman:
"In reply to yours Of recent date
concerning my automobile tag foI
1914, The number 1854, motor No
2S690. The sheriff, Mr.. McCustin
gave me my license. He said they
would not cost him anything. My ap
plication for 1915 was returned to me
because l had not sworn to same.
had no car in 1913"
Fertilizer Analysis Expense.
"As a supplemental report on the
Department OF Mines, Manufactures
and Agriculture, we desire TO call at
tcntion to the fact that in addition
TO the expenses Of the fertilizer in
spectors, amounting to many thou
sunds Of dollars operating from this
department there has been paid to q
chemist, said to be in Little Rock, the
sum Of S2,210 for analyzing feedstufr
and a further sum OF $3,735 for ana
lying fertilizer, making total OF
SIS. 945 paid to this gentleman for his
services, and no on knows better than
the farmers and stockmen OF this
state whether, after the expenditure
OF such great amount Of money
they have had any better grade OF
commercial feedstuff or fertilizer,
says the report, Hence, we submit
these facts"
The report OF the committee on the
Department OF Education, in full, fol
lows:
we regret very much to report to
your excellcncy that, on account OF the
in the case whore Judgment OF the low
or court was affirmed, making the In
junction perpetual and preventing this
committee from paying the expense OF
the investigation Of the state offices
and institutions, we are unable to re-
port our work that we have done un-
der the resolution continuing us as an
scmbly OF 1915 officially, but we are
unwilling for your honor and the peo-
pie OF Arkansas at large, 10 fall 70
know, or have the benefit OF our IN
yostigHtion which we have made since
the adjournment OF the General AS
aombly Of 1915, and on which we have
not made any report because OF the In
nu which prevented our paying
for the printing OF five hundred (b0O)
copies, Rs provided by said resolution,
I'VE further regret the fact that the
doelSion OF the Supreme Court makes
II necessary for US TO discontinue thia
work, temporarily at least, from tho
fact that we believe somo fcw OF the
State institutions wish Investigation,
and we further believe that the pco.
pie generally, who pay the taxes and
would have 10 bear the expense OF this
committee work, are demanding that
they be advised specifically Ns to the
manner In which the state officials are
conducting their offices and the state
institutions cxpondng tho money ape
propriutod for thoir use,
while we realize, as we have said,
that some few desire Investigation, we
are further constrained TO believe that
the suit brought TO Cnjoln the further
continuance OF our investigation by
tho gentleman from the State at large,
was not prompted by the incentive
alone 10 save che taxpayers cf the state
of Arkansas the cXponHo OF our invcH-
tlgatlon, II In n matter OF common
knowledge TINT our inyeHtlgRtlons dur
Ing the sitting Of the recent leglsl0-
turc heretofore reported, has not ale
together shown, In our humble judgz
mont, that the money paid by tho al
ready oycfhurdcnpd Taxpayers has
been expended iudiolously or with n
ylow OF atrlct economy 20 say the
least and we dare say that some Of the
state officials, and possibly somo Of
the state Institutions, lent assistance 70
tho dlacontnuNnoc or our inyCHtlEhu
tions=if not financially, In u moral
sense,
"Wo believe that the democratic
government which has guided the old
ship Of state 30 long IN the state OF
Arkansas has reached u political
crisis, and when no guided by officials
who fear investigation and refuse 70
lend their moral support 10 same, that
II IL high tlmo that the voters Of the
great state OF ArkOneaa bo advised
and have m opportunity TO say
whether or not they viii continue 10
honor such men with such exalted po'
sitions,
10 Not Critlclse,
I'VE have no dcaire or inclination To-
crltlcgc the judicial department uf our
state government for rendering the
opinion that has discontinued the work
Of thlR committee but we are forced 20
tho conclusion that tho decision has
defeated the viii OF "a great majority
of the people OF the state.
I'VE further regret that we are not
able financially 10 continue the Wurlt
at our expense, ana n we were, from
cur previous observation we rather
think we would be puiolnrd from ua
turlrrnE with the books OF the differ
ont state departments, HH we could no
LONGER net officially and HH we have
stated before we do not believe that
the parties doHifiug these iuyoHtlEhz
lions Discontinued, care for the expense
we nuur but rather they object tu the
information that we gather being made
public,
I'VE base eur conclusion that we
have reached in this matter from the
fact that the expenditure Of the states
money I'M the offices that We have ale
ruudy Investigated iH inconsistent with
the Tact that they hro Interested Hp
very much n saving tu the state but
Hrum to ho more Interested In thvlr poe
luluAl future and personal gain,
nOur certified accountants submitted
their report 90 uR on the office of the
suBpfintendent OF public instruction on
March D. II became necessary that we
write various letters over the State 10
county examiners ana county superln-