Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-05-09

Rock and other places in interest of the schools, without putting in claim for their railroad fare. In other words, to be school director, you must devote all this time, do your work conscientiously and then get "cussed" by some people.
 Notwithstanding all this, my con- nection with the schools has been a pleasant duty. In my opinion our schools are the greatest asset Pine Bluff has. The school children of to- day will be our citizens twenty years hence. My only regret is that I have been unable to do more.
 "NOw for fear some might inter- pret this as a political letter, I want to say emphatically, it is not Per sonally l prefer to retire from the board. 1 have never asked a single person to vote for me for any office and I never shall. God forbid that our school election should get into politics.
 Yours truly.
 "E. A. HOWELL, President"
 Finances of District.
 MT. Magee presented statement by H. B. Strange, secretary of Pine Bluff school board, on the financial condition of special district as of May 1, showing disbursements from July 1, 1916 to May 1, 1917, totaling $6S,o71.65. The revenues were $74,- 020.66, as follows: July 25, 1916, from general fund, $62,o2O51; Sep tember [, 1916, from state fund, $11,- 96o.00; from land redemptions and hunting license, $35.15. The district was overdrawn with the county treasurer on July 1, 1916, $39 ,201.31. ;. The overdraft on May 1 was $33,- 752.30.
 The statement itemizes the dis bursements of $6S,571.65, shows the bonded indebtedness oI the district which is $97,000, and gives informa- tion relative to the plans for redemp- tion of bonds, and procedure in meet ing teachers salaries toward the close of each year, when funds are exhausted.
 The statement also records that the board "has in it's hands the sum ot $390.65, being proceeds from sale o1 horse and phaeton, dividends from Bank of Pine Bluff and sundry smal items," and concludes with the of. fer:
 "I desire that your organization and all citizens shall! know that any records or proceedings of the boaf( are open for inspection, and that we as board, nor I as secretary, have anything to conceal. I have neve1 refused a request from any one tha they be permitted to see anything de sired in connection with the schoo board records.
 eff any item in the within repor is not perfectly clear, I shall bt more than glad to have committe' from your organization or any indi vidual give me an opportunity of ex hibiting our records for their infor nation"
 The reading of the statement wa: dispensed with, and it was referred tt the auditing committee of the asso citation. This committee is composed of John Perdue, Arthur Mills and F. Magee. It was decided that whe1 this committee completed it's report it shall be given to the newspapers and on the evening of the day of it publication the association will mee to determine if it shall wage cam paign in favor of the 12-mill schoo tax.
 Mills Asks Questions. It was after MT. Magee had con cluded reading the letter from MI l Howell, that John L. Mills asked the committee had been told that MI Higginbotham had been employed t I audit the books of the board for tn past ten years; that MT. Higgin botham had begged off" because c other work; if MT. Higginbothar ''isn't member of your organiza tion,' and if the committee was no told by the board that it was becaus of Mir. Higginbothams affiliatio with the organization that he ha been employed, and that MT. Higgin botham was expected by the board audit the books as soon as he ha completed work on which he was CT gagged. President Palmer replie that they had been told Mir. Higgir botham had been employed on Apr 1, because he was "one of you crowd" MT. Mills defended the men bers of the board, asserted that state ments reflected upon them, and d. clared there is not a member of tn board who doesn't want you to hay a statement of the districts final cial condition"
 Mrs. Blackburn made the stat