The Mena weekly star., 1920-06-10
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ROAD DISTRICT
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$500 49,
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meeting followed an effort made tc
get both ants and pros together N
an understanding on the road SQUAD
bic.
The court room was filed to its ca
pacity with Representatives of both
sides. When Chairman Mcmillan
called the meeting to order Mr.. Shlnn
called attention to the fact the crowd
was mixed and that confusion would
likely result if an effort was made to
take action on the committees report
Of its visit to the commissioners. he
suggested a recess until l o'clock.
J. r. Lambert of Egger told how he
had walked three days over the dis
trict in an effort to get at the accur-
acy of the signatures favoring the
highway. He recited a number Of
names that were against the road who
were not signed to the petition, and
also called attention to the change in
ownership of other lands.
II was upon motion by Former
Judge Wear that the good roads adj
vocates were invited to present their
arguments favoring their side. A
number of suggestions regarding the
matter were made by R. Golf, Sam
Looney and 7. K. Jones, ST., but it
was finally decided to permit Gem
missioner George w. Petty to present
the argument for the building of the
highway
Commissioner Petty Speaks.
Mr.. Petty. right at the outset, stated
that he was now in possession of need
ed facts and was prepared to speak,
something he had been unable to do
authoritatively before. He called at
tention to the law regarding the as
sessments to G-sprove the statement
that the assessments could be changed
at win.
The commissioner also stated that
the bonds had been sold, and in reply
to question by Mr.. Shinn explained
that while they had been sold, no mon
ey will be paid on them until con-
tract for building the road had been
made and approved. He also called
attention to the fact that the bond
buyers in way protect the tax payers
by insisting the road be built and COM
pleted out Of the sum OF money adj
vanced on the securities sold.
Mr.. Petty next explained that the
cost of the road as shown by the bids
of the contractors was total of $780,
$50. These figures were received at
Little Rock last week Regarding the
cost of work on the road up to this
time, Mr.. Petty explained, in answer
to question by l.. M. Wimberly, that
it would require more time to figure
out the exact amount, but he assured
the meeting the total was not great.
Mr.. Wimberly stated he opposed the
road because the people have had no
voice In its building.
Taking up the passage of the special
act creating the district, Mr.. Petty
told of petition carrying 259 names
asking for the road. He did not offer
to say whether all the signatures were
genuine or not, or whether all the
signers were landowners.
The speaker drew parallel be-
tweer the present road agitation and
the coming of the railroad to Polk
county. He told how the community
Of Dallas lost the railroad because il
did not meet the improvement half
way. The result was the doom of
Dallas as town and the creation of
Mena.
The Mena merchants reused a cheer
when he said that when you lay
down on progress you've laid Polk
down to rest forever"
Mr.. Petty also called attention to
the wealth of timber resources in the
Big Fork country, and stated the
road could be built and paid for out
of this without a cent of tax against
strictly agricultural products.
Who Pays for the Road.
In closing, the speaker saiu that of
the % miles of road between Mena
and Big Fork the city pays for about
miles, the federal government about
miles, and the state about 2 miles.
He did not believe the farmers in
Board Camp and Big Fork communi-
ties were asked too much when asked
to pay for only 8 miles of the entire
road.
The speaker ended by reading by
request the list of those who had
signed the petition for the road.
WhenCommissioner Petty had con-
cluded Mr.. Shinn started the talk
that lead to the meetings determine
ton to kill the highway project in
District 2.
Before the meeting adjourned V. e.
Abbott and Joe Lewis were granted
to speak, which they did,
but not on the subject of the Big Fork
highway. Lewis read a poem of his
own composition, which received much
applause. 1t was intended to reflect
on the integrity of The Star and on
those prominent in the various efforts
toward securing good roads in Polk
county.
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