The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1912-1984, 1916-04-21
NAME COMMISSION
BEFORE ELECTION
Is Suggestion of Many Taxpayers to
Fiscal Court-Road Bond Cues
ton Accusing Interest

Quite a lot of interest and dis
cussion is being aroused over the
proposed bond issue of 100000 to
be voted on May 18th in Lincoln
county. The proposals of the Fiscal
Court as outlined in a circular is
sued, containing the resolutions of
the court have attracted a lot OF
attention. and interest. The action
of the Fiscal Court is set forth in
this issue in full so that all may be
made cognizant of what the court
proposes to do in the event the
bonds are voted.
The suggestion of the court that a
commission will be named - advise
and assist the conf in handling the
fund realized In the event the ronds
are voted is meeting with much IA
vor. Voters and taxpayers, however,
with whom the I. J. has talked, IL
sist that the Fiscal Court should
make public the names of the men
in each magisterial district who Will
be appointed OIL this commission, ie-
fore the road bond election is held
The proposal. 50 1T is understood, Is
to appoint two well known and re-
sponsible business men or farmers
and taxpayers in each magIsterlal
district, one a republican and the
other a democrat so that politics
shall not enter into the matter IN any
way. which is as it should be. An L.
j. representative was at Crap Of-
chard this week, and heard the
names of but two men suggested
for the commission from the Crab
Orchard magisterial district, both OF
whom have the entire confidence OF
the community. These names were
w. E. Perkins, the well known mer-
chant, of Crab Orchard, who is Il
democrat, and Henry Cummins, a
well known farmer of the Preach
ersville section, who is a republican.
With these two men on the commls-
sion and other like them from other
sections of the county, on the COM
mission, every taxpayer would feel
that no better selections could be
made to compose a board to spend
the bond issue money.
That the greatest care and all
safeguards possible will have TO be
thrown about the immense sum
which is sought to be voted, is made
manifest by the experience of the
OI06F WlllNll lebNO 'OSNo
road bonds. In a very Illuminating
article on the subject last week, the
Louisville Times had the following
to say about the road bond question
in Bell county, where $780, 600 was
first voted, and now another bond
issue is asked for to complete the
work begun. The Times said:
Bell county was one of the first
in Kentucky to vote bond issue for
roads after the enactment of the
State aid law. The amount of bonds
voted was S250,OO0. The County
Judge, who had led the fight for the
bond issue, undertook the building
of the roads. Under his direction,
large sum was expended in the pur-
chase of road machinery. The selec-
ton of the quarries from which stone
was to be taken was made by him.
1t is nowhere charged that he has
benn animated by any other desire
than to give Bell county the best
system of roads possible. He is n ]
man of remarkable energy and pro-
nounced decision of character. There
is no hint of graft. But "neverthe- |
less and notwithstanding" Bell |
county is confronted by the necessi- |
ty of voting an additional S150.000 |
of bonds if the work done and TIE |
money already spent are not to rep
resent a practically total loss.
According to the Pinnacle News,
approximately 100000 of the road |
fund has been spent and between |
two and five miles of road has been |
finished"
From the Middlesboro Three
States it is to be inferred that the /
people of Bell county have been left |
in the dark as to the way |
in which their money has been spent:
1t is said: Eve will admit too /
much publicity in some cases is not
the best when in big business finan- .
cial problems are in the course If
being worked out, but when the |
public money is being used, we be-
lieve it is necessary that the public
be informed in detail. We have urg-
ed these facts upon Judge Asher.
"This was our advice to him sew
eral months back, when it was APP
parent that a new bond issue was
necessary before the present roads
mapped out could be completed.
When you are spending the peoples
money, they want to be informed on
these matters, and we now urge that
if Judge Asher wants to get right
before the people to give them a de
tailed statement backed with logical
as to why we need the
bond ISSUE 1t is all right in bust
ness deal to go and consult few dis
private citizens, but when
we are spending the money of all
the people it is nothing but right that