The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1920-09-30

=
The leaders in the movement against
the Democratic party in Polk county
have made speeches all over the
county in which they say that the
Road Improvement District tax is a
mortgage on our homes. In one sense
this statement is true. n the person
neglects to pay his road tax the col
lector can sell his land for the taxes.
But it differs from a mortgage in this
respect After a mortgage is fore
closed the owner Of the land has no
chance to redeem II. When the coli
lector sells. land for the taxes; the
owner has two years to redeem it by
paying up the back taxes, penalty and
cost When mortgage is foreclosed
the owner has no such chance to re-
deem II. All state, county, district
and school tax is mortgage upon our
homes in the same sense that the road
Improvement tax is a mortgage on
them. Yet what patriotic citizen will
object To paying these taxes
The tax which each school district
votes upon its citizens is a mortgage
upon each home in the district, and if
not paid by the second Monday IN June
Of each year. the collector will sell the
home for those taxes. Yet ! wonder
who would object to paying this
school tax for the education and en-
! lightenment of our children?
/ believe I'M fair play This argu-
ment about the road Improvement tax
being a mortgage on our homes IS
made to alarm and arouse the people
against the Democratic ticket. 1t is
| no more a mortgage on our homes
THAN the school tax is a mortgage on
lour homes. The road tax is only 10
mills on the dollar on the assessed val
uation in the first zone. The assess
ed valuation is supposed to be only
/ so per cent of the real valuation. On
most of our property, | believe the
assessment is less than SO per cent OF
its real value. On this basis, man
who owns a farm worth $500 would be
assessed at 5000 and his yearly tax
would be only So.
| believe in majority rule This
is Democratic and / stand squarely
Iupon this platform. Notices were
published in The Star 30 days before
any bill creating special road dis
ltrict was presented to the Legislature.
The people in the Mena-Big Fork
4 Distrist circulated two petitions, one
for the road and one against it. The
petition for the road had more sigma
lures than the one against 1t. The
lbill was passed and the district
created The commissioners were APP
pointed TO build the road. Then came
4 storm of protest, asking the COM
missioners to resign and no more K
be appointed. This protest reached
such a fever heat that the commits
sioners. after consulting with me
made a proposition that man who
favored the road and one who op
| nosed It should each take a petition
and both 90 together and give every
| land owner i'm the district chance <
sion either for or against the road
!. the commissioners agreeing that II
majority were opposed to the road
they would abide by their desire. Th'
leaders Of the Citizens ticket reject
Il ID inc proposition. If they believe'
in fair play and majority rule, VIII.
: did they not accept it? 1t was jus
I as fair a proposition as could be made
The reason is plain. They We're eithe
Opposed to the majority ruling or els
/. they wanted to keep the agitation u
50 they might have chance to 3
!. elected to Office.
And, finally, despite all stories 7
!. the contrary, in no instance, in roa
: matters, in tick eradication matter
! in public or in private, have ! eve
given my consent or support to an
!, step where it was not plainly eviden
Z that such move was actually approve
! by the majority Of the taxpayers IN
! terested.