The Mena weekly star., 1920-03-25

ACT 471--An Act to Repeal Act No.
 3, Known as the Publicity Act, to
 Refer the Same to the Voters ofsthe
 State and Each County at the Next
 General Election, and for Other Purposes.
 Be It Enacted by the General Assem-
 bly, of the State of Arkansas:
 Section l. That Act No. 3. known as the Publicity Act, initiated and adopted by the people at the general election held September, 1914, be and the same is hereby repealed; provid- ed, that this Act shall not go into ef- feet until the next general election, when the same shall be submitted to the voters of each county fer ratifica- tion or rejection; that at the next gen eral election held for the election of State and county officers there shall be printed on the ballot the words: For Act No. g. and Against Act No. B." and in any county in which the majority of the voters voting on such question vote against Act No. 3, then in such county said Act shall be re- pealed, and this Act shall be in full force and effect. Approved March 2S, 1917)
 Thru some oversight, probably, this matter was not submitted to the peo- pie of Polk county, as provided, but, nevertheless, County Clerk Alexander assumed that the original act was dead, and therefore did not supply the data for publication. As a result the money appropriated was not used, and was turned back into the general fund by the Quorum court in October, 1919.
 The Star, being the paper that would do the work and receive the pay therefore was not disposed to be placed in position where unthought- ed or ignorant or prejudiced persons could say it was stirring up this pub licity matter because it was profita- ble to The Star to do so. But toward the close of last year so many made inquiries that Judge Finger was ap- preached in the matter and very promptly announced he wanted those figures given.
 Mir. Alexander, however, declared the act authorizing the publication was dead.
 The Star took up little investiga- tion with the result that all parties decided the Publicity Act was NOT dead, and would not be dead until the act provisionally killing it was sub mitted to the voters of Polk county and these approved.
 Then The Star and others were in- formed that, anyhow, no appropria- ton had been made to pay for the cost of printing, and therefore if The Star did the work it would get nothing for it. This seemed very pleasing sit  uation to certain opponents of the Publicity Act and it's workings.
 But Judge Finger yet insisted that he wanted the facts given in black and white, and The Star, therefore, in- formed the judge and MT. Alexander that it would print them, pay or no pay, if the matter was supplied for the purpose.
 This was done, so far back as he last half of 1919, several weeks ago by County Clerk Alexander The Star has now done it's part, as agreed. The phrase at the head of the financial statement, giving the "Cost of this publication to the Taxpayers at $57.50," is, this considered, more a matter of form than of fact. The Star would not accept pay for this from Judge Fingers private funds, as was practically rendered, and unless the Quorum court sees fit to make an ap- propriation or a legal way is found to pay the cost, The Star will be the loser
 And, just as a final word; The Pub licity Act provides that such work be done at "cne-half the legal rate" and with the present cost of printing it is far from certain that this one-half legal rate will pay the actual cost to say nothing of profit to the publisher. But The Star still contends that '.The people have right to know" and at least until the Quorum court recon venes it will publish, pay or no pay the expenditures of the County Court Mir. Alexander having exprest him self as very willing to provide tho copy.
 The next publication of this charac- ter should be early in April, for tho i first three months of the year 1920. ~----------------- CAN'T SITppIY nEM ANn