The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-06-17
STATEMENT MADE :. IN REFERENCE ID THE COUNTY FUNDS Dr. LOyelady Explains Reso- lutions Regarding Trans
 fer of Funds BOOKS OF COUNTY
 OPEN TO PUBLIC Commissioner Barber Given Informa- ton on Transaction by President
 of Board, Who Claims It
 Was Ignored

CT Arlie Barber, a few days ago, regard ing the resolution passed by the board of revenue transferring $125,000 from the general fund to the road fund, pr. R. F. Lovelady issued statement yesterday. Dr. Loveady stated that he does not seek to add kindling to the bonfire Com missioner Barber evidently thought to set off, but simply to explain the situation in order that the public might know the real facts. Dr. Lovelady said in referring to the telephone conversation with MT. Barber, that he merely called the com missioner up to explain the matter and relieve him of the opinion he had evident ly formed from only seeing part of the transaction.
 Tt was purely a matter of correcting an error that l called him up,' said pr. Lovelady, "but MT Barber evidently could not see it that way. He could not or would not see anything but the resolution passed by the board authoriz- ing the transfer of the money which we to the road fund. I explained to him that we have all money divided into diff ferent funds. For instance, there is the road fund, school fund, convict fund and number of others and, according to law, only d certain per cent of taxes go to each fund The only fund we are al- lowed to transfer money from the general fund is to the road fund, but he seems to have ignored this information
 At the regular meeting of the board of revenue May P, resolution author 1ip of to ha Sp6 for improvements of the county roads was suggested by Maj. w. J. Cameron and was passed and entered on the min- utes. When this money was secured it was placed in the general fund by tho treasurer and had to be transferred in the way we did it. I tried to explain this to Mr. Barber, but he would not listen to the explanation. If he had looked into the matter thoroughly as he should have done, in fairness, he would have found there was no occasion for criticism
 MINUTES ARE CITED Dr. Lovelady cited minutes on the board of revenue record to bear out his state- ment, which are open to the public. Dr. Lovelady read his statement to the mem bers of the board of revenue yesterday morning and it was approved by the ma jority of them. Hugh McGeever suggested that if Mir. Barber was enough interested he might come over and get an insight into the business affairs of the county and how they were managed. He said that if the county had surplus fund, it was due to good business management, and he thought probably Commissioner Bar Der could profit by looking things of this nature over.
 According to members of the board, the county has no secret dealings and the books and records are open both to the public and MT. Barber for inspection. The board had intended to ignore the at- tack of MT. Barber. and it was only that the information is due the public and to correct the opinion that might have been formed by the attack that a statement was issued in reply. The statement is not directed at Commissioner Barber, but to the public.
 Dr. Loveladys statement is as follows:
 STATEMENT OF BOARD
 Under the law. the county has to keep all it's funds separate and spend them for the purpose for which they were levied. The law provides if there is a surplus in the general fund of the county, the hoard has the right to transfer said surplus to the road fund.- The only trans fer that can be made under the law from one fund to another.
 'On account of the unusual amount of road work done by the board of revenue it became necessary to borrow $125,0OO to carry on the necessary road work until taxes are paid to the county next fall When this money was received, the treas urer deposited 1t in the general fund of the county, thereby creating a surplus iu the general fund to that amount, and be- fore the board could use the money for road work it was necessary for them to transfer this surplus, according to law, to the road fund, which was done. This is all there is to the great sensation caused by the transfer of the surplus.
 "As to the resolution, the board passed two, one about three weeks ago author. izing the borrowing or this money, and the one which is referred to on the trans fer was the other. The whole trouble in this matter was that Mir. Barber only had one of these resolutions and to make complete statement he shoud have had both of them, because they both pertain to the same business transaction. Instead of getting the last resolution from the clerk before it had been entered on the minutes, if he had inquired as to some- thing of this transaction, he could have looked the minutes and found the other resolution, which was passed some weeks before.
 "I think it but fair that the public have