The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1916-05-05
County Highway Explains
Damage Drainage bitches
Would Do to People.
MIR. HOUCK REBUKES
&. B. OLIVER IN COURT
Tells Attorney He Doesn't Know
What He's Talking About
Arguments Today.

pliCdIlOn LOT d dissolution OF the IN
junction restraining the Little River
Drainage District from cutting eight
County roads will be heard by Judge
Kelly in the Circuit Court at Jackson
today.
Yesterday was consumed in the ties
timOny of expert witnesses, examined
by the opposing counsel.
1t Was stated last night by Il semi
official source that Oliver K Oliver,
attorneys for the drainage company.
would depend upon the decision of the
Supreme Court in the Charlton Coun-
ty drainage suit to win their case.
This was their principal defense in Il
similar suit heard ten days ago in
Scott County. and which the drainage
district won.
Butcher Sperling, County Clerk. ties
titled yesterday that Cape Girardeau
County had levied the heaviest assess
ment permitted by law for the upkeen
Of the County roads In the past ten
years, he testified, 100000 had beer
turned into the road fund from taxa
ton, and o. this sum &157 geo had
been spent. His testimony showed
conclusively that the money needed to
build the bridges could not be obtained
from the County without q special
bond issue election. which would r.
quire two-thirds Of all the votes G.
If the people should refuse to ts
this measure, the County would =, a.
without highways leading fro ...
Girardeau County to the ..'.
south.
Louis Houck, one of the
critics on county roads in
the State. followed Mr.. Sp, ...
testified as to the width Of the
Levec and Bloomfield roads and fur
nished other technical facts. In the
course of his statement ne said the
charter for the Bloomfield road called
for width Of sixty feet.
There isn't any charter for thii
road" interrupted Il. 3. Oliver, attor-
ney for the drainage company.
"Of course there is a charter for it.
You don't know what you are talking
about" snapped Mr.. HOuck. He was
then permitted to finish his testimony
without further interruption.
viii O'Brien, an employe of the
drainage district, discussed the size Of
the Diversion channel and the acreage
it and the hoodways would occupy
Dennis ScivalIy. County Highway
Engineer. showed that it would cost
500 900 to build the bridges that will
be needed if the drainage company is
given the right to destroy the roads.
BY combining the AllenvilIe-Sh Sham
bOro and the AllenvilIc-D Delta roaa .
one point where they may eros s.r
proposed line of the drainage dit.
one bridge can be eliminated, Dir.
testified. The cost Of ...
various bridges necessary, as GU
by NJ. ScivaIly, follows. On,
Swamp road bridge, 22,tDy, g..
Levee, $4,000; Dutchtown-B Iomcycr,
So, 900; AIlenville- Sharpsboro. 500;
Allenvilic-Delta, $S,4OC; to make re-
pairs on a bridge over Whitewater
and Rum Branch, $4,000; AIlenvilIe-
Zalma, $500; Bloomfield. $500.
c. W. Henderson and Judge W. E.
Cracraft, two experts, were asked If
they did not believe it would De unfair
10 call upon the County to build these
bridges, to which question Attorney
Oliver objected. The court sustained
he objection and then announced that
he witnesses might answer but the
would be excluded from the
'ecOrds. Neither answered the ques-
ion asked by Judge Hays, the Coun-
Us attorney.
The court room was filled with
armers, who were present to listen
o the case and witnesses. The farm
rs living in the western section Of
he County are enraged over the eff
orts of the drainage district to saddle
he 100000 burden upon the tax
ayers.
1t is feared that if Judge Kelly dis
olives the Injunction, the drainage
istrict will cut the roads before
urther action can. be taken by the
,ounty. This would precipitate an
calamity, and the roads
'ould be impossible until the question
as finally decided as to which party
,ould bear the expense Of construct