The courier-index., 1918-11-01
EACISTRATES LIBERAL
3IlIIO vsArsuGW
WITH APPROPRIATIONS
.oe,Im COURT, IN ANNUAL SES-
sloN PROVIDES GENEROUSLY
Soo ALL DEPARTMENTS OF
eo,,NTy GOVERNMENT.

oourt of Lee county, helu oi Nionuoy
.a-,oon of this week was marked
deeree of liberality in the mat
~ - of appropriations that seldom
'sarocterizes the actions of the court.
rsen,y appreciating the fact that the
,,.va.t measure of cooperation should
- extended to the government in its
w.r activities, particularly with ref
s.ance TO the increased production of
food and feed stuffs, the court unani-
nouslv voted to retain white and
aolored farm demonstrators and can
r;ng club agents The salary of the
.rhite demonstrators was made the
come as for this year, $1,000. The
salary of the canning club agent was
;rcreased from $540 to $840, that of
,ha colored demonstration from $500
- ssOO and that of the colored can
rinp club agent from $3.50 to $500.
Tho expense account allowed the
White demonstration and canning club
agent was increased from $500 to
ssoO. One thousand dollars were ap-
nropriated for tick eradication. Other
appropriations were made as follows:
paupers, 81 200; county general ex-
nense. Sc, 800; for building and main
tanning bridges, $4,000; for tax books
assessors fee and pay for township
assessors, $4,000; for justice of the
peace courts, $1,000; for feeding and
care of prisoners, $4,000; for circuit
court expenses, $4,000; for records
and blanks, $1,000; for county health
department. including $500 as salary
for county health officer, s2,400 for
repairs on Jail, $4,000; for negro high
school, $3.50; for children's home in
Little Rock, S100.
/. Reference to the reports submitted
BY Judge j. A. Plummer and County
Clerk E. W. King. published else
where, will show the financial con-
dition of the county to be exception
ally good. In spite of the fact that
labor and materials have increased
from fifty to two hundred per cent,
the county closed the fiscal year
with a balance of $4,000 On the
first of October, 1917, there was
practically no balance to the credit
of the general fund The statement
this year includes the claims allowed
at the October term of the county
court, and counting these claims, the
county has balance of $4,000. Dur
ing the year, as Judge Plummer's
report shows, a great deal of sub
stantial work has been done, especial
ly in the matter of rebuilding bridges
and repairing the county Jail.
The more important reports sub
mitted to the court are as follows:
$50
Report of Judge J. A. Plummer
From the reports of the county
clerk and the treasurer you will see
that our finances are in good shape,
that we are creating a sinking fund
that will take care of our outstanding
bonds of $4,000, Notwithstanding that
we have reduced our tax levies so
per cent for that purpose; these
bonds draw 5 per cent interest and
are due in 1896; but we have an
option to take them up in 1926, and
am satisfied that our sinking fund
VIII take care of them at that time,
with the same levie of one half MILL
Interest on County Funds
AS required by law, l advertised
lor bids for county depository, all of
the bids were unsatisfactory and
were rejected. l then made contract
with, at that time, all of the four
banks in Mariana, and the banks at
moro and Haynes, whereby they
save the county 1-2 per cent in
'erest on our daily balances, and
oongated themselves to cash at par
all OF the county warrants presented.
nmiting our overdraft to $4,000.
Under the then disturbed financial
condition of the country l felt that
u was a fair rate of interest-to
nave accepted an offer of 1-2 per
cent without an agreement to carry
oVerdraft would have cost the county
Ten times the difference between
IL and 3 IL per cent, as our war
rants have always been cashed at a
uiscount for fully six months of the
year With a much firmer financial
feeling in the country 7 confidentially
expect to have offers for a larger
interest at the expiration of the con-
tract Januray I. 1919.
Each school district and special
.unu Is credited with the interest on
Its fund
County Farm
The fund now to the credit of the
county farm is $5,1S1.14. Last year
we transferred $4,000 of this fund
- tne county general account, leav-
,ne then $1,93095, accumulated since
,ast October $3,25O.19. This fund has
'een collected from fines assessed
against parties who were convicted
" mlsdemeanors and sent to the
arm In default of payment, and who
"ere afterwards paid out, and amount
1erived from sale of hogs. wood and