Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-02-11
Agreement Reached at Con ference of Judge, Mayor
 and Legislators.
WILL NOT BENEFIT
 FOR NEXT 2 YEARS
Because $0,00G q Year Is Pledged for Years 1917 and 1918, the Addi- tional Revenue Will Not Bene-
 fiji City Until 1919.

As result of the conference held at the city hall last night by mene- hers of the council, Mayor simon Bloom, County Judge L. E. Cheek and Jefferson county's lesislative repre- sentatives, there will be pushed through the general assembly to adoption, bill instructing and au- thorizing the county collector and the county judge to pay to the city one-half of rthe road taxes collected on property lying within the limits of the city, to be used for work on the streets and highways in the city Under the terms of the agreement reached last night, the city will get onlv small amount Of money from this source this year or next, but thereafter will receive a sum approx mating $12,000 year from this source, unless the legislature passes the proposed bill to take the automo- bile taxes entirely away from the counties, instead of allowing one-haif Of all automobile taxes to remain in the county where they gre paid. The oss of the automobile taxes will mean loss of about $300O per year to the city, under the agreement reached last night but if is confidently be- lieyed the bill to use the automobile taxes as a fund to meet the federal road appropriation has not yet been assured of passage To Issue No Pledges. At the conference last night, after Mayor Simon Bloom had pointed out
 the danger and unfairness of the prac-
 tlce of issuing warrants against money to be received several years
 hence, County Judge Cheek stated that
 his only objection to the proposal of the city was that there were out at this time such warrants, or pledgea
 in the city, amounting to about $9,- 900 for 1917 and about s9,O00 for 1918. Judge Cheek explained how this practice had been followed in past years, and agreed with Mayor
 Bloom that t was not right, that it
 Was actually dangerous, because the 1
 people at any election are likely to l
 vote. down the 3-mill road tax, which 1 would compel the county to redeem | these warrants or pledges out of oth or
 revenues, or default in the indebted 1
 ness thus carried. There was discussion of the maj
 ter, which was followed finally by
 the agreement that the proposal of l
 the city shall be urged for passage by |
 the general assembly, through bill 1
 to be prepared and presented by State l Senator Creed Caldwell, and which l VII take the place of a bill presented
 oy Representative Newton in the l
 lower house during the past week, and |
 whlch yesterday was passed by tho |
 house. Senator Caldwell's bill will |
 pe somewhat different from that Jf |
 representative Newton, in that it will |
 contain provision whereby the city, 1 out Of it's portion of the road taxes,
 to De received from the county in |
 lsiI and 1918, will take up and can- eel the warrants and pledges hereto l
 lore issued by the county judge in l the city of Pine Bluff, in the amount | of about $9,000 for eacl of those two | years.
 Judge Cheek made < plain, in his
 tax to the council. that he intends 1
 no. to issue warrants against funds ! no. yet collected, as lcng as he re-
 nalis m office, as he believes such l
 practice is not proper.
 II was brought out during the dis vussloh that the practice of issulr ]
 .nese a pledges has been carried on for Hui.e number of years in this coun- & w' ana that !! has been virtually im- i
 al posslole for the county judges to do
 tansthlng without following the GUS.
 o .uih established by his predecessors,
 H;..', .ne revenues for this fund were
 nn,,y nn,ualiy tied up, and each was com
 hieaea in TO deal in "fu :ures" himself,
 n. W. oloer to do any road work. There o,,s mds no criticism of an individual, but on's the practice itself
 1,, Judge Helping City.
 o ouase Cheek, who has already lent
 tfhpnsloerable thn assistance to the city in tho bo matter of street work, informed ton u mayor last night that he will ex.
 hu;,, hsHu assistance to the city in the re ana u,olng of the Missouri street bridge anoo no as direct result of this assist ,e, nias,, Mayor Bloom was able last rah,,;,':o ; 10 announce that the work of he he'a.dlng this important bridge will stroe. s.arted at once. The Missouri se,ee. sevaa bridge has been impossible for aal ano;aa months, and because of fin ahln '. condition the city has not been ma,,. 'o erect new structure or to Manon No satisfactory a1I repairs to the old plimen+a e, Bloom spoke in highly com nipht nihhtary terms of Judge Cheek last cos,,:, nn. as did members of the city in sr0a suage Cheek has already helped ,.s nog great ca degree,' said the mayor, "ana bm1a mat aa he is going to hel D us re- arc ah, ,ne Missouri street bridge. we ant ant dDie hpieda to promise that this import
 -. "rGr prlage will be rebuilt at once fit of T th hJuoge has given us the bene of da, 1a .ne county teams on a number cou1a cq d1ays in the recent rast, when he count. u,d not conveniently use them on dona roads, and among other work the ,, py the county teams has been piecee eiaeing Of Seventeenth avenue, needed VI work that has been sorely l the coun Monday the judge will have ths euun.y roay teams helping us to grade
 svao 70 Greenville, which IS