The Port Gibson reveille. [volume] (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1890-current, 1921-03-03
COMMITTEE HOLDS
IMPORTANT MEETING
Men Called in to Talk Over Conditions
and Suggest Any Remedy They
Might Have Officers Talk Of Re-
ceipts and Expenditures Of Their
Various Offices.


Various Offices.
The committee selected by the tax
payers 10 investigate conditions and
report back to mass meeting to be
held on the first Monday in March,
held an important meeting Saturday
The committeeman present were j. N.
Taylor, chairman, S. P. Headley, S.
e Dudley and N. c. Bearden. IN adj
dition to these President Guthrie, j
A. Regan and T. r. Trim Of the board
of supervisors were also in attendance.
Several business men We're asked
to attend and make any complaint or
suggestion that might occur to them,
Some of the county officers dis
cused the receipts and disbursements
Of their respective offices and furnish
ed figures to bear out their statements
While all present hoped that some
thing might be done to lessen the
burden of taxes, only one man, j. i.
Drake, made any suggestion which
might finally lead to relief. His sug-
gestion was that the Taxpayers or
ganize themselves into q vigilance
committee to help the board Of super
visors to keep down unnecessary ex-
penses. He declared that, being a
member of similar board to that Of
the board of supervisors, he realized
that the greatest extravaganza comes
from outside citizens who, wishing to
get some worthy, though unnecessary
cause through, bring pressure by PEE
tition or otherwise. These same people,
he stated, are often the loudest in
condemnation Of high taxes.
The members Of the board Of super
visors submitted figures Of road
Expenses, stating that contracts for
working roads had been awarded for
only two years on account Of high
cost. They also stated that a very
large part Of the general road work
the past year was due to the freshets
OF the spring which washed away
bridges and caused great amount Of
sloughing of road banks.
They also stated that only 8or9mills
of the tax levy is spent by the super
visors, the other being directed by
Legislative. enactment.
Chancery Clerk Mcrehead announe-
ed that there VIII be decrease in.
county expenditures this year on ae-
count Of the decrease in cost Of labor
and bridge material and the Topping
off Of tick eradication and Of county
agents. He thought the saving IN these
last items alone will amount to about
$4,000.
President Guthrie Of the board Of
supervisors said that about half OF the
cost of road work in DistNo ] was
due to the spring freshets.
Sheriff Bagnell furnished the COM
mittee with an itemized statement Of
the receipts and disbursements OF his
office which showed that the county
had benefited about S1300bv the plae-
ing Of the sheriff or a salary He gave
the gross receipts Of the office at SO,
172.16; gross expenses $6,97353, leay-
\ ING a net gain to the county Of 81 sl9o.
SO. To this he said should be added
/ 5000 of uncollected costs which are
perfectly good.
He said that the chancery clerks
office would about break even with
old fee system. Said that neither the
sheriff nor the chancery clerk are pay
4 ING their deputies as much as the law
| allows. and that one Of his deputies
4 viii be dispensed with at the end Of
/ the month: that there have been no
\ more employees ia his office than
4 there would have been had he been
paving them out Of his own pocket
Both Sheriff Bagnell and Chancery
Clerk Morehead stated to the COM
lmittee that few years ago there
were only four funds used by the
county, while now there are twenty
three, which adds greatly TO the work
4 necessary for both officials.
A The sheriff then mentioned some
ways in which he had saevd the coun-
tv money outside Of the duties Of the
office, among them being the saving
of bridges in times Of freshets.
Supervisor Trim said that he knows
he has saved his district as much rs
S5000
Circuit Clerk Allen submitted a
<. statement Of receipts and expenditures
Of his Office, largely along the lines OF
of the letter which he published IN the
4 Reveille last week He stated that nm
der the salary system he you'd not
be paid extra as registrar Of the coun-
tv as was done under the fee system
AZ amount Of about S40O.
Chancery Clerk Morehead said that
4 his Office was having an audit made
'lC. r. Wharton doing the work, and II
would be submitted for the consider
alton Of the committee before adjourn
ment; but twelve o'clock had arrived
and the committee adjourned to meet
next Saturday, the last meeting before
the mass meeting on Monday, Marcn
Tth.