The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1921-12-02

been and therefore cost over twice as
much as it should have cost; but so far
as security in that road is concerned,
every dollar expended is covered by a
lien on properties worth many times
the Indebtedness.
Seventh, Arkansas has met the pay
ments accruing on taxes which are
due in June, July and August, 1921, on
practically a one hundred per cent ba-
sis, which directly contradicts the
newspaper charges.
Eighth, the road laws are not con-
fiscatory, but, on the other hand, the
money expended on roads has en-
HANGED the value of the land affected
from three to twenty times the total
amount of the improvement tax lev.
les against the lands.
Ninth, Arkansas is in better shape
today than most of the States in the
Union, which is attested by the fact
that her wholesale merchants have
transacted more cash business in the
past month than at any other time II,
her history.
I talked with several hundred bank
crs, merchants, planters, farmers,
Swamp angels" "hillbillies," and
plain citizens. | was astounded.
did not talk to a single person who
believed the state, or any part Of it,
was bankrupt; who believed that
there would be any lands confiscated
due to road improvements; nor did |
hear a single man declare himself
against the road building program In
general.
| did hear, quite true, in several of
the road districts complaints about the
inequalities Of tax assessments in the
various zones. In other words, Bill
Smith was angry because his tax was
a couple Of cents an acre more than
Tom Browns. These matters are be-
ing adjusted to the satisfaction of ev-
eryone; but even those who complain
ed the most about the inequality of
the tax assessments vigorously as
sured ME that they wouldn't do with
out the road again under any consid-
Grafton, and, so far as the road itself
was concerned, they were very well
satisfied. But do not believe that, of
all the taxpayers talked to, even one
per cent were complaining about the
inequalities of tax assessments.
l first visited the Faulkner county
road districts. that were widely quot
ed in first-page newspaper articles a
few months ago as being almost to-
tally against the bodybuilding pro-
gram. had to pinch myself the first
day I got in the district. was UNI
able to find an objector I first met
the principal business men Of Conway
several bankers, merchants and
large land owners. They were a unit
in declaring that the road districts
had been well managed, the commits
sioners being large taxpayers or cit
liens highly respected in the COM
munity; that the roads had been built
where they should have been built and
built as cheaply as was possible at the
time they were constructed. These
men assured ME that they would SOON
err quit business than 60 back to the
old dirt roads of years ago.
then started out on a hunt for
conscientious directors" / visited
the road commissioners, tax collectors,
the sheriff of the county, and the
Chancellor's deputy. They were in
censed at the reports circulated in the
newspapers. But l declared, "the
press dispatch has quoted lawyer
here as declaring that the road taxes
mean ruin to the landowners in the
neighborhood and that they were up
in arms over it. | have been informed
that there is case pending in court
now, filed by this attorney" was
directed to the court house where this
suit had been filed. ! requested the
privilege of looking over the papers.
They were Immediately produced. I
received another shock. There had
been originally twenty-one names on
the paper twenty without TIE attor-
ney's), but seventeen of them had been
scratched off in ink requested an
explanation. "Well," tie Deputy
Chancellor told ME, Gas quickly as the
men who had signed their names to
this suit found out all the facts in the
matter they came up and had their
names erased or compelled the lawyer
to do So" That isn't all. ! was as
sured that one of the remaining three
names, besides the attorney, was ia
vorable to the road project. / looked
him up, asked him if his name was
still on the papers, and he said: "No,
think it is scratched off. | am we'll
cotiS6ad with tbo roadc ~ bo;n~