The log cabin Democrat., 1921-03-04
ISSUE STATEMENT
 ON ROAD DISTRICTS

UN kUAU DlNihIUIS To the Taxpayers:
 In view of the many rumors con- cerning the affairs of the road dis tricts of this county we deem it proper to make the following statement
 1. The Conway and Damascus road district has sold bonds to the amount of $53O,OOO, the Conway and Vilonia road district, s40O,OOO, and the Conway and Palarm road district, $330,000.
 ?. No further bond issue is con- templated by any of these districts. So far the work seems to be within the original estimate of cost, and the engineers of the districts assure us that all three roads will be completed, including hardsurfacing the entire length of each of them. for the funds now available to the districts.
 3. No increase in the levy of taxes for any of these districts is contem- plated. If there is no considerable amount of delinquencies in tax col lections this year, and the county court makes the adjustment for improve ments during this year, the county court will doubtless order a consider able reduction in the rate for the next and succeeding years.
 4. The combined total of the en- gineers and attorney of the districts, together with the expenses for clerical work, will not exceed six per cent of the amount of the bond issue, of which the engineers will receive 5 per cent. The services of the engineers and at torney will extend through period of approximately three years.
 3. Each of the districts is keeping complete set of books, showing every item of receipts and expenditures. An itemized statement of every penny re- ceived and disbursd will be filed as required by law.
 6. No member of any of the boards of commissioners of these districts has received or will receive any per diem or pay for his services to the district. We are advised that the road districts of Faulkner county are the only districts in Arkansas that do not pay their commissioners.
 2. Some criticism has been eX- pressed on the ground that act 82 of the special session of the general as sembly of 1920 was passed without notice. While under the law no notice was required, notice of the intro- duction of this bill was published in the Log Cabin Democrat on Decem- Der IS, 1919, more than thirty days before this special session met; and in this notice it was specifically stated that the bill would provide for such additional levies on the assessment as would be sufficient to pay for the con- structlon of the roads.
 8. Immediately after the slump in the price of cotton last fall, realizing the great financial distress that would prevail in this county, the boards of commissioners of these districts en- tCelNOIG GN lO SONUlt eiIl dSl tcliltII NlII the holders of the bonds of the dis tricts which would permit a reduction in the cost of the roads-at least enough to do away with the taxes to be collected in 1921 It was neces- sary to have this agreement in order for us to divert a sufficient portion of the construction fund (which is re- tained on deposit by the purchasers of the bonds) to the payment of prin- cipal and interest of bonds maturing in 1921. We did not deem it prudent to permit a default on these bonds, for the reason that in such event the districts may be placed in the hands of receiver of the federal court and much unnecessary expense, all of which finally will have to be paid by the taxpayers, will be incurred The holders of the bonds refused to make any agreement along this line, so that it became necessary to collect the 1921 taxes.
 W. D. Cole, Tom Davis, H. Robin son, J. Frank Jones and Jo Frauen- thai, Commissioners of Conway and Damascus Road District.
 J. B. Mum, Opie Hartje, " D. Hill, w. M. Harrell and w. A. Simpson, Commissioners of Conway and Vilonia Road District.
 Wiley Mosley, J. c. Cubage, Frank Farris, H. B. Ingram and Frank E. Robins, Commissioners of Conway and