Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1916-02-22
TAXPAYERS ORGANIZE TO KEEP CHECK ON
 BUSINESS OF PUBLIC
iContinued from Page n

! iHe people SnOulQ femdln Wltnln lne law. He again gave assurance that Judge Elliott could be depended upol to guard the peoples rights.
 Here, Chairman Gould took occasi n to commend the commissioners of the district as being conscientious an l dutiful," and asserted that ''thn con tract with Coleman & Can't differs from the understanding of it present. ed the court. He said the bank where the districts funds are kept, pays in terest on daily balances, Interpreting this as additional evidence of :he commissioners desire to protect tl.c interests of the people. Mir. Alexan- der added his commendation for the commissioners.
 Form Organization.
 Attorney H. K. Toney offered a mo- ton that the meeting resolve itself in- to a permanent organization, and that a committee of five be appointed to investigate all complaints of taX-pay CTS, that the public interests might be fully protected in all Improvement district matters The motion was adopted unanimously. after being SOC onded by Tracy Mills. The type writ- ten motion, presented by W. C. Ht l. son. reads:
 "Pine Bluff, Ark, Feb. 21. 1916.
 "The following resolution was read and unanimously adopted by the mass meeting of the citizens of Pine Bluff, Ark. held this day:
 That Whereas, the taxpayers O. Jefferson county, Arkansas and the city of Pine Bluff nave suffered l previously from Outrageous ana high-handed attorneys fees, and
 "Whereas, In the opinion of those who are hsre assembled to protest against these things that the time has come tc. take some steps to pre- vent such outrageous fees in the fu- ture,
 'Be it resolved, By this mass meet ing that there shall be appointed l committee of five as permanent or ganization for the purpose of inves- tigation and preventing in every way possible a further payment and col lectien of these exorbitant fees in the future, and
 Be it further resolved. That sai,l committee is advised and requested by this mass meeting to exaa,ine into and investigate the attorneys fees that were heretofore paid, au1 that are still being paid, to the free bridge attorneys, and other officials connected herewith, and if in their. judgment said attorneys fees. and ether fees and salary paid, are un reasonable, unjust and unfair to- the taxpayers, they are instructed to em plcy counsel and bring suit for the recovery back to the treasury for all sums so considered by them as ul-. l reasonable."
 1 Chairman Gould said he would take time to name the committee, i.s he desired to appoint ment who would not be amenable to influence by the bridge commission.
 During he discussion of the resolu- tion, Judge Gould bitterly excoriated "the attempt to put over this cer.,e- tery deal,'' and aroused applause by declaring that the meeting should al- so take action on the bridge rropo- sition" to the end that the commits sioners would stop paying fees to lawyers.
 J. B. Baker asserted that it was not only lawyer who obtained large foes from the bridge district: that there is the question of the assistant secre- tary salary. Mr. Baker also cri .ici7ed the city collector, and said he hal called at the city collectors office on several occasions and found numbers of people waiting to pay their taxes: that the collector was absent, and finally some taxpayers would be com pelled to leave and return again. He said that enough time is thus Slost by taxpayers to pay the collectors sal ary. Mir. Baker declared the collec- tor should designate office hours, ad- vertise them and remain in his office during those hours. He evoked laugh ter by relating that he had made this statement at the collectors office, and MT. Hut. the collector had been told of it. When Mir. Hut came in 2" said MT. Baker, "he asked, Look hele Baker, who is running this office, you or me Neither one of us,' replied Mir. Baker said if the collector would designate office hours, and maintain them there would not be so many de linquent taxpayers.
 eff there is bridge commissioners present." said Attorney Alex Powell "Pd like to ask him why the co;n- mission should pay Frank Bloom $90O a year for serving as. assistant secretary when Walter Deaver has of fered to do the work for $500 year."
 Drew White, member of the bridge commission, urged by several.,o "let Us hear from you," said no proposi- tion such as was stated by MT. Rowe!l had been made to the commission. He said if the work could be done for less than it is now costing the com mission, he would favor the change Mir. White declared that the commits sion was not now paying attorney anything, and that it was upon his motion that the assistant secretary's salary had been reduced from s100 a month to $500 a year. and on his mo- tion that the commission dispensed with attorneys.
 J. F. Baker 'moved" tbat MT. ,Deav- CT take the assistant secretaryship of the bridge commission, if he can get