The Little River news., 1920-01-28
WERE WE UNFAIR9

Tha News wants to be fair Ill US news reports, and is going to be II we hurst a trace doing it. The News last week published an account or the trouble between two city night mar shaIs. and referred to certain conoi- tions in city officialdom that led up to it. For this reason it seemed to us that 1t involved the public interest more than any private rukus, which we were not in the habit of referring to. In writing this report we tried to get our facts on straight and to be ap- solutely fair and nOnpartisan. we were taking no issue, merely reporting an event. Mayor Locke felt that ms position had been stated unfairly, we threw our columns open to him, and he has furnished us with copy of the minutes of the meeting of the council at which time MT Harris was employ ed. and which we gladly publish. The public is entitled to all the facts, and we are not running an organ for one man and against smother. The min- utes follow:
 Minutes of meeting City Council January 1st, 1920.
 sThe Ashdown City Council met in the regular session on the above date with John E. Locke, mayor, present, and presiding, with the following members of the council present: Mayo Robertson, Roscoe Wood, S. J. Meyer, G C. Cobb, and A. P, Steel.
 Owing to the absence of the r.cor- der, w. w, Bishop, A. P. Steel, was appointed by the mayor, as recorder pro tempo. A motion was made by Roscoe Wood and seconded by Mayo Robertson that the council employ Eugene Harris as night marshal of the incorporated town of AshdOwn at salary of $100 per month. Said salary to be paid out of police fund of said incorporated. town of Ashdown. Mo ton carrier; vote taken; the following voted aye: Robertson, Wood, Meyers, Cobb, Steel. Harris to be given work as such night marshal on this date, January 1, 1920.
 GA P, Steel, J. E. Locke,
 Recorder. Mayor"
 Upon reading the above minutes we do not see where the News has been unfair, or has misstated the position of MT Locke, The minutes say that the council did employ Harris. The News so stated in it's former report, but stated that they took him on for one month on trial. When this writer served on the council we hired our regular marshals by the month, and there is nothing in the minutes to show that the practice of so hiring had been discontinued, or that Harris had been hired for longer period No time was stated. There is nothing in these minutes to show that the council had previous to this meeting authoriz- ed the mayor to employ another mar shai That the council did employ Harris at this meeting with no refer ence to what may or may not have oc- curred previously has not been ques- toned. That is a matter of record We were not writing an attack, and believe that Mir Locke is mistaken in feeling that he alone has been attack od akA efhora defended
 The News is going to say this, how ever. since the subject of blame is up Somebpdy made a mistake when two marshais were put to work on the same job. If the old marshal was not deing his duty he should have been discharged and vacancy created for a new man. Two men in enc job, both claiming authority with reason, was bound to lead to friction. The coun- oil, according to record, is alike res- ponsibie with the mayor that a conGi- ti0n like this should be brought about. None of them possibly foresaw this. We all can see further behind than we can see ahead. That there has been friction. lack of cooperation, or some thing recently among city officials is regretable. And remember, the News is going to be just as fair to one as the other. and when we make an errone- Ous statement we stand ready to mend our ways, Or at least let you have your say
 NOTICE-I have taken up at my place