The Dermott news., 1918-01-17
The Arkansas
 Louisiana Highway

ment District, gotten out by the secre- tary, is of interest to every person in Southeast Arkansas. The Commission has advertised for bidders on the works and buyers for the bonds. and will meet at McGehee today to transact such business as may come before it:
 THE DISTRICT was created by a special act of the Arkansas Legislature at its 1917 session, which appears as Act No. 264 It includes parts of Lincoln, Desha, Ashley, Chcot and Drew Counties, Arkansas Contained within the boundaries are about 675, 900 acres, POO miles of railroad right-of way, and about 29 towns, of which 20 are of good size. It's location is in southeastern Arkansas, and it extends from near the Jefferson County line to the Louisiana State border
 IMPROVEMENT consists of better ment work to be done on approximately l55 miles of public road, and is to be to straighten and improve it, and to put hard surface on all of it, of which ll3 miles will be asphalt It is much need ed, as large part of the road is impass able in bad weather The roads from Little Rock to the town of Grady, the northern terminus of this road are now improved with hard surface; and this road, beginning at Grady, parallels the Missouri Pacific Railroad to MCGehee; thence a lateral east through Tripp Junction to Arkansas City is to be inn proved, thence prong south from Tripp Junction through Halley. Lake Village and Eudora. to the Louisiana State line. Is to be improved; also prong south from MCGehee, through Dermott, to the Louisiana State line is to be inn proved. also a lateral from Dermott to Haley
 LEGAL MATTERS have been con ducted under the advice of Rose. Hemingway. Cantrell, Loughborough & Miles The validity of the act creat- ! cision of the Supreme Court of Arkansas 1 Bennett. ct al vs. Johnson, ct al. l97 s. w ll4s). The Supreme Court in other cases has approved the constitu tionality of such legislation, and the validity of all acts hereunder necessary to be taken prior to the issuance of the bonds
 THERMOMETERS for the War De partment have advised the Board that they will recommend that permission be granted the district to take gravel and sand from the Mississippi River for concrete work. a privilege denied to [ others The road will assist the mili- tary operations of the Government. establishing as 1t does an important I means of communication between Alex E andria and Little Rock, both cantonment sites: also an outlet for transportation of military supplies to the Gulf and to the Mississippi River
 work will be by taxes irrevocably levied on benefits irrevocably confirmed on the real property in the district. The bene- fits extend to the acreage about five miles on either side of the roads to be improved on real property in the towns along the line of road and to the rail road rights-of way m the proportions benefited the acreage will bear about 96s of the cost. the town property about 2s.. and the railroads and other public utilities about lts
 TAXES FOR DEBT will represent but small proportion of the value of the affected property. The railroads are satisfied with their tax.
 VALUES AMPLE Some parts of Arkansas are more highly developed than others. This is one of the least developed sections and one of the rich est parts of the State. All of the lands are in the fertile Mississippi Delta The territory is strongly owned and it's value Is just beginning to be appreciated Even on present undeveloped values. the security is ample
 SECURITY. Assessment of benefits to the real property in the district to be derived from the making of the improve ment have been made and levied. They amount in the aggregate to more than St. GOO, ,0OO.0o. The only limitation of the amount of this that can be collected Is that construction contracts shall not | exceed 30S of the general county tax | assessment against the lands in the dis | trict levied in the year 1916. which amounts to $9. l66, GOO. %. and this lmita- ton does not include any interest on bonds. The 30s limitation is not of the tax against any tract of land. but ls of the aggregate amount that can be collected from the lands in the district as a whole.