The weekly soliphone., 1917-08-16
BOTTOM COUNTIES PROMISE BIG
 FOOD CROPS;B0LL WEEVIL HAVE
 BUT SLIGHT EFFECT ON COTTON

V A S 0 A " A V appointments at the school houses and churches in every section of the county talking to the farmers, white and black. and putting up to them in the strongest possible way the necessity for raising food and feed stuffs and live stock. The campaigns early last spring were mapped out and carried through by the members of the Commercial Club. The business men seem to en- joy the work. They go into it en- thusiastically. They are always ready to respond to a call, and think nothing of quitting their business, even to the point of clos ing the doors of their establish ments, if this extreme measure is necessary, in order that they may meet an appointment. It is this splendid. spirit of unity, this keen sense of public obligation, this en- thusiasm in all activities for the greater good that comes from community service, that has made Lee county one of the most pro gressiye in the state, and Marian na famed as city of deeds. So rapid has been the progress in farm development in Lee county that a recent government survey made by A. D. McNair shows the aver age yield in dollars and cents from the farms in Lee county is far in excess of that from the farms in any other county in Arkansas.
 FINE SYSTEM OF, ROADS.
 Incidentally, it may be profitably stated that Lee county has the finest system of dirt roads in the state. With no desire to disparage the efforts that have been made in Greene county during the past six or seven years to construct sys- tenn of good roads, it is in order to observe that this dream will never be realized until the people make up their minds that they not somebody else-must dig down in their jeans for the money. It is true the large amount paid into the road fund each year in the shape of direct taxes is enough to make many permanent improve ments, but the impracticable and criminally wasteful system of eX- pending this fund through road overseers whose positions come un- fer the baneful and blighting in auence of local politics, invariably results in negative returns.
 ENTIRE COUNTY IN IMPROVE
 MENT DISTRICT.
 "In Lee county about five years ago the progressive citizens de- termined to put an end to this frightful waste of public funds. They had a special act passed by the general assembly creating all of the county into a special road district. The act authorized bond issue of $40O,O0O. This money was expended under the direction of a commission composed of five of the best citizens of the county They employed a competent superintend- ent who in turn employed subordi- nate overseers. accountable directly to the superintendent and subject to dismissal by him at any time their services proved unsatisfactory. With this organization, a network of excellent dirt roads was con structed in the county. Leyees were built over low places, all streams were bridged, substantial culverts were constructed, and splendid drainage system went hand in hand with the construction of the roads, The result is that at any season of the year the highways all over the county. with the exception of those through the gumbo bottoms, are in good condition for traffic.
 COMMUTATION TAX.
 But peraps you are most inter- ested in how these bonds are re- tired and how the money is raised to keep up this system of roads. Un- der the special act creating the dis trict a communication tax of five dollars is paid by every male per son in the county between the ages of twenty-one and fifty. lin ad- dition to this the regular three-mill road and bridge tax is annually lev jed and collected.
 The fund arising from the col lection of these taxes, amounting to approximately $25,O00 annually, is spent by the commissioners. A fixed portion of the fund is used in pay ing the interset and maturing bonds, Ire remainder is used in the up- keep of the roads and bridges.
 TAX NOT BURDENSOME.
 "It is probable you think this an nual tax of five dollars on all males between the ages of twenty-one and fifty is burdensome, but that is not the case. Under the