The Dermott news., 1918-05-23

he Is some watch dog when 1t comes to
taking care of the peoples money.
Remember, am sticking to the rec
ords. The records tell the story.
Each tag remittance held up by him
was violation of the law The cash
Ter of any bank had just as much right
and authority to slip and use S.. O57. IS
of the depositors' money from 1918 to
1915 as John H. Page had to keep the
people money from the State Treas
-ury from 1918 to 1915. He had no more
right to the peoples money than any
other citizen of the State If there had
been no Investigating Committee what
would have become of all this money
in my opponents possession ? What
would your fate have been if YOU had
committed such wrong against the
State of Arkansas In the face of all
these facts he has the Gall to ask the
voters of Arkansas to disregard all
party presidents. and elect him for
Fourth term. which is contrary to right.
justice and the time -honored principles
of the Democratic Party.
Read this paragraph from the Inves-
tigating Committees Report, Page 6S !;
ION account of poor records of tags
shipped and the lack of detailed in
formation on many of the invoices for
tags purchased We Investigating Com
mittee) have been forced to abandon
our efforts to balance the tags on
hand"
Why Poor Records and Why In
Mess Tell the people why they
have right to know
Read this paragraph from Investigat-
ing Committees Report. Page 6s:
According to the tags sold as per
the receipts shown in the treasurer's
office. and the tags purchased, per in
voice. We Investigating Committee)
find the difference between the tags
actually on hand and the tags that
should be on hand so great. that, in our
opinion, the figures cannot be relied
upon. there being approximately more
tags on hand than the records call for.
Why can't the records be relied upon?
Something Tells a Thinking Man Why.
Mr.. Page. don't you think you ought
to pay the State of Arkansas interest
on the $S.O57.35 you withheld from the
State Treasury from 1918 to 1915 in vio-
lation of the law? Kirby's Digest.
Section 3447.
During these years the State Treas
ury was without money. The cause is
apparent.
Section of Act l6l. of the Acts of
1911. requires all fees for feed tags to
be paid to the State Treasurer. The
Acts of 1918, on Page 764, Section 7.
requires that all fees for fertilizer tags
shall be paid directly to the State
Treasurer. The Investigating Commit
tee said Contrary to this law. the
Commissioner John H. Page) has re-
peatedly failed to comply with the law
in receiving money for feed and fertili-
ger tags" MIR. Pages office and the
State Treasury are only few steps
apart. 1t was very convenient to have
the peoples money in the vaults of the
State Treasury. The law says it must
be kept there. but Page overrides the
law. When he took the oath of office
he swore he would discharge his official
duty. Has he done it The records
speak the truth. See Investigating
Committees Report. Page ~.
After the Investigating Committee
completed its work in Pages office. the
Commute gave him hearing, and the
evidence was so conclusive against him
that his own testimony convicted him.
See Investigating Committees Report.
Pages rs and IS.
When Page left Dardanelle for Little
Rock. he was a poor man. His salary
has always been from 500 to $3.50 per
month. until he got it increased Sl00
per month, during the last Legislature.
His official records throw some light on
how he manages the States business.
| shall leave it for you to figure out
how he has accumulated a fortune.
In the 1917 Legislature, Page secured
the passage of the Gin Law The first
thing he did in this law was to add
81. 200 per year to his present salary.
Sections 2. 8 and 4appealed to him, for
in Section 3 it gave him q Deputy
Warehouse Commissioner at q salary
Of 81. 500. 90 per year. an accountant at
q salary of 81. 10000 per year. and a
stenographer at salary Of 81. 200 per
year. and travelling expenses for him
self and two assistants. This makes
two travelling expenses for him at the
expense Of the taxpayers Of Arkansas.
Some good things in this law, you see.
for Page. He likes the Gin Law. for
he gins in 81, 400. 90 at stroke for him
self He is the Proud Daddy of it. He
Crows About 1t. He worked day and
night for its passage. for he wanted
81, 400. 90 handed to him right of the
reel. As q matter of fact, the law
does not mention in single line where
the Commissioner John H. Page) 10 to
furnish Sealed Gin Wrappers for the
two samples of cotton which 10 taken
from each bale. He sends out q letter
over his signature. calling the ginners'
attention to the fact he had the Sealed
Gin Wrappers for them. He had print
81 . carload of these wrappers for the
million bales Of cotton the farmers had
raised on their farms and he brought
these wrappers into the State House
and sent them out at the expense Of
the people. and sold them to the gin.
ners Of the State at exorbitant prices.
II the law says he can do this, he did
not turn one cent Of this money into
the State Treasury, and II the law does
not provide for him to do this. then. he
has plainly mislsad the ginners at the
expense Of the people Of Arkansas.
The way he sold these wrappers would
run into the Thousands Of dollars.