The Mena weekly star., 1918-05-09
poLK CouNTY sALARY BILL
To the Editor of The Star:

VIII you hfluit permit AiS bi5fu tife ] medium of your paper, for the bene- fit of the general public, to answer the many inquiries that have come to me in reference to the Polk county sal- ary billg
 In the first instance, before the leg islative session of 1917 opened. agreed with Will Alexander and W. L. Parker, county and circuit clerks respectively, to introduce a bill to re- lieve the county clerk from the duty of making the intermediate exten- sions of taxes in the tax rolls of the county This, it was agreed, would de- crease the expense of the work in the clerks office at least s200, and would in nowise work an injury to the coun- ty or to any taxpayer Ii was agreed that they should prepare the bill Be- fore starting to Little Rock l called on them for draft of the bill, and was informed by Mr Parker that he would nave it prepared and sent to me.
 Soon after the legislature convened l met Mr Parker in the Marion Hotel in Little Rock and again asked him for the bill. receiving the reply that he did not yet have it prepared, but would get it ready in a day or two At the appointed time l called again on Mir. Parker at the Marion Hotel and asked him for the draft of the bill. being ready and willing to carry out my part of the agreement. He told me at that time frankly that Senator Ben Johnston had the bill and would introduce it in the senate and tbus save me the trouble l thanked him for his thoughtful consideration of my interest and went about my busi- ness.
 In a few days Senator Johnston came to me and asked me what I was going to do about his salary bill In reply to my inquiry as to "what sal ary bill" he answered bill providing for an increase in the salaries of Polk county officials. l told him I did not know what I would do until saw the bill and studied it provisions. With that he left me saying that he would introduce the bill and I would then do as l pleased about it.
 When the bill, as passed in the sen ate, came before the house, I found that instead of providing for relief of the county clerk, it provided for an aggregate increase of $500 per an- mum in these offices, S700 in the sal ary of each of the clerks and $500 in that of the sheriff and collector, mak- l ing the salary of each of these officers $S,000 per annum promptly moved to indefinitely postpone action on the | bill, thus putting an end to it.
 After this. in an ineFeditably short time, the Rev H. H. Thomas, D. D.. IL D.. came te me with a very pitt ful story about the pay of the county officials being too little; that they were on starvation wages, which was a blot on the good name of Polk coun- i ty. Being unfamiliar with certain conditions and without Investigating matters very much. I agreed with him on compromise bill. the one had 1 published in The Mena Star.
 When l introduced the bill Mir. Thomas sent out several telegrams at his own expense. In fact all the time he was working with me on the salary bill he was big hearted and free with his money, so much so that I was con- strained to ask him how he could af- ford it. His answer was that he was making lots of money and hence did not care for expense. He further stated that he was there to prepare brief in the Supreme court which would pay him $500, and that he had I secured a case since coming to Little Rock which would pay him another $500 The limit came when he tried to get me to ride home on his pass, and then he almost tainted when l told him I was going to have the sal ary bill pritned in The Mena Star and was going to invite criticisms from my constituents.
 The following are the names of the few who urged me to pass a salary bill: The Rev. W L. Smith, J A, Thornton. Walter Nance, W. I. Green, A. H. Scoggin, Phillip Abernathy, Judge J. L Alley. Dr. c. P Dunman, J. C. Jackson. W. N. Martin, Eugene Abernathv. Henry C. Rushing. T. R. Jones, R. & Allen and W B. Thomas.
 On the other hand I received a flood of letters and petitions running up to the hundreds against the bill. and as I was in the legislature to represent the majority of the people rather than the few, promptly withdrew the bill and thus ended the history of the Polk county salary bill
 Thanking my friends for their sup port in the past and strong solicita- tions to be candidate for the second term, and with no intention of doing an injustice to anyone, desiring only that the facts be placed before the people, I remain,
 Yours very truly,
 Chas Burnett.