Sharp County record., 1918-05-24
JOHN n. PACE
Commissioner OF Mines, Manufac-
lures And AgricuIture-Candid
For Reflection.

mud-slingine campaign to which |
would not stoop. He has had 400,-
900 slanderous circulars, full of
false and mean statements, printed,
and held them back to the last five
days of the campaign, hoping |
could not reach the people with an
answer. This is the usual way to
circulate such stuff.
The circular undertakes to tell of
charges made against me by a lee-
islative investigating committee in
1915. Only four extracts are made
from the committee report, and no
charge of corruption in either. No
wrong done, except as seen by my
opponent
The remainder consists of false
statements, false argument, and
base insinuations. Just like a law
yer making u mean speech on film
sy testimony. In fact, this is what
my opponent has done. The truth
of the whole matter is, the examin-
ers found no shortage. no misappro-
priated or misspent funds. Every.
thing was clean and open. The Leg
islature of 1918 had failed to appro-
pirate the necessary money to carry
on the fertilizer inspection work.
The law said to use the tag money,
but the Auditor refused to draw a
warrant without an appropriation,
The Governor issued deficiency
proclamation on the fund in the
treasury, but the Auditor issued one
warrant and refused to issue more
The question was whether would
let the law 90 without enforcement.
If | had the fertilizer manufacture
ers would have gone into court and
killed the law, like was done with
the feed law, and ! would have
been criticised for it. The money
was being piled up in the treasury
and could not be used for anything
else. So took q port of the money
received for tags and used it for the
state, TO pay the expenses and CAL
ry on the work. When the leeisla-
ture met the appropriation was
made; the vouchers were cashed
and the money deposited back in
the treasury, If that hadn't been
done the work would not have been
done, the law would have been kill
ed, and Arkansas would have been
a dumping place for adulterated
fertilizers.
In regard to the funds for feed
tags, the court granted an injunc-
ton against collecting It after a
certain date | had on hand checks
for about thirty days sales Of taes,
as Il was the custom to deposit eN-
cry 80 dayo or less, ! could not re.
turn the checks because the taes
had been shipped, | could not de-
posit the checks In the treasury for
fear Of BENG In contempt OF court,
So held them over and waited un-
I'll the legislature met and | could
have It's protection. Tho transac.
tions were clean and fully explained
with satisfaction to the examiners,
and | can Oct a statement from
them to thet effect
Another charge 10 that the com.
mittee found certain checks In my
hands. The truth Is, turned over
to them certain checks that for cel-
tain good reasons had not been de.
posted and asked them to check
the transactions, they held the
eheeke for come time and returned
them to me for deposit
In regard to the Gin sample
wrappers They were bought IN
car lots and supplied TO the einners
without profit, to save chem money,
and to have the wrappers Uniform
and In compliance with the law
Il was not compulsory The money
received has been paid to the firm
l IL