The Mena weekly star., 1917-08-30
M True Americans Prefer Peace War Home to the Battlefield
Bateed but Today the Only Way

borrowing more money on new notes each year tO pay interest on princi- pal and interest, until at the end of 20 years he owed S32000 for a 2-mile road and had to commit suicide to cancel the debt, or start where he was when he first bought that poor little farm by going in debt for it.
 And this was the kind of an argu- ment that a banker-stockma farm CT submitted and seemed to believe his farmer friends would swallow.
 And, keep in mind, the farmers were the only ones who would pay for the highway--the bankers, mer- chants and all the 'plutocrats" were just going to choke it down the farmers" and make em like it-and by such a process as that!
 But there was no argument against such "tiggerin' as thai-and you know, figures won't lie" but such funny folks will figure.
 Asked if he did not know that if the first cost of the road was as he stated, S2i0,000, and the per cent bonds retired in part each year for 20 years-the only plan under con sideration-the total interest would be Slif000 or S7.200 a year, Mr Myers was sure if the bonds were to be retired that way it would be a whole lot worse than his plan, be- cause the farmers would have to borrow more money from the banks at 10 per cent. He was sure of that
 Mr. Myers was very bitter against allowing non-residents, who wanted the highway and signed the petition for the district merely so they could sell their lands He did not seem to want to take their part of the taxes and have them help build the road for the homefolks to use, whether the outsiders sold their land to others to improve and pay taxes on, or merely let it lay idle and paid the taxes themselves.
 At the close of Mir. Myers address he introduced Mir Joe Lewis, who took up the subject in quiet, digni- fled manner. He objected to the road at this time because of the war and because he thought the farmers would bear too great a part He read several letters from F.. Phelps, tax commissioner of the Kansas City Southern, carrying the idea that the railroad would pay but small part of the necessary taxes, also a let ter from the State Highway Com missioner William B.iOwen in which lit was stated that the cost of the road al this time probably would be 10 per cent more than if built some time earlier. The acreage in the dis trict was given at 230, 400 and Mir. Lewis allowed the suggestion to be made that it was not the purpose of Mena to shirk it's part-that Mena folks thought it about fair that the railroad pay one-third the cost or, according to Mir. Myers estimates, Si2S.000; Mena and the other towns in the district ane-tbird another Sl2S,000 and tho 100000 acres or thereabouts outside, the balance, or something b&ss GO cents an acre, all Ithis to be fivided into 20 annual payments.
 And these figures did not allow anything for the federal and state aid that such an enterprise would receive.
 At the close of Mir. Lewis talk, Mir. Myers announced a meeting at Hatfield for Saturday, September 8, al which it was proposed to form an anti-highway league.
 Judge Alley asked if they would allow the other side to be heard--if they would allow him, for instance, to present the highway side of the issue. MT. Myers was not disposed to do this, and remarked that "Mena had not invited them to secret meet ings." This was answered to the effect that Mena had never held secret meeting, but all were adyer- tised and everybody urged to be present
 Judge A. E. Wear, in brief ad- dress, spoke for full and fair hear ing, open and aboye-board, adding that the enterprise was big one and should not he settled on prejudice. nor hastily.
 At the close several came for ward and responded to an appeal for funds to pay the expenses of the anti-rOad fight.