The Mena weekly star., 1921-10-06
About Good
 Old Arkansas
Apparently the Effort to Slander Our State Is Being Pushed--Some h. stances and Refutation by the Ar kansas Advancement Association.
tParke-Harper News servieel

Again the shadow of the Holford bonds stalks across the Arkansas horizon. A New York broker has cir cularized Arkansas with an offer to sell bones issued by this state to aid levee and railroad building, at the bargain price of $5 for 5000 worth of bonds. The broker informs his pros pective clients that these bonds are due in 1901 and that the interest and principal is unpaid and repudiated. AIn the opinion of certain competent financial and investment authorities, these bonds are a lawful obligation of the state," says the circular letters. .Holders of these bonds may not bring suit as the law does not recognize the right of individuals to sue state. However, there may be day of set clement. Buyers of these bonds at the extremely low price may await the reckoning with complacency." The issuance of such a circular at a time when the Arkansas bond market k very unsteady is evidently a part of a system of propaganda to further be- little Arkansas and the Arkansas Ad- vancement Association has begun an investigation which will determine the cause for these worthless bonds being offered for sale at this particu- lar time. If this circular has been distributed as freely over other states as it has in Arkansas says President Virgil c. Petite, "it is going to do us whole lot of harm. Every holder of an Arkansas bond is going to become extremely anxious and it is certain that he will buy no more Arkansas se- cureties until his mind has been dis abused. The Holford bonds were is- sued in carpet bag days and Arkansas did not get one cent of benefit from them, hence their repudiation by the Fishback amendment"
 Another evidence of how insidious propaganda has injured Arkansas was brought to light last week. A prominent banker of Pine Bluff in- formed President Virgil C. Petite of the Arkansas Advancement Associa- tion of the incident. This banker spent the summer in Colorado with his family. He visited a market to make purchases and became engaged in conversation with the green gro
 
 cred the banker was from Arkansas, hc began to eondole with him concern ing the prevalence of pellagra and famine in Arkansas. The banker did his best to convince the Coloradian that there was no epidemic of nelIa- gra in Arkansas and asserted that he had never seen anyone who was afflicted with the disease. The bank CT painted a very pretty picture of Arkansas life and the prosperity and contentment of the people who reside. in this state. The grocer declined to be impressed and displayed copy of the local daily paper which showed under heavy black headlines, that President Harding had requested as- sistance from the outside for peIlagra and famine stricken Arkansas. In disgust the banker asked for the amount of his bill in order to leave the store. The proprietor was apparently mortified that such question should be asked and refused to accept nav nlent for the merchandise. The Pine Bluff banker, who is amply able to purchase any block of ground in Little Rock, was still mad over the incident when he related the story to Mir. Pet tie.
 So favorable to Arkansas is the story written by Sherman Rogers which appears in The Outlook next week that 100000 copies have been purchased for distribution over the United States. Every bank president and cashier, as we'll as every editor of the United States will receive a copy The cover of this issue will he unlque. Upon it appears the word NAkkANSAS' and underneath a large question mark. The Arkansas Ad- Vancement Association is now making preparation to entertain other writers oi national importance and the first of these is expected to visit Northwest Arkansas before the end of October.
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 m refuting an article published some months ago attacking the credit oL Arkansas improvement districts me Arkansas Advancement Associa- .lon IS gathering statistics from tho ll,eaolng bond brokers of the United | Slates. Most Arkansas improvement l listrlct bonds pass first thru the brok- 1 craze concerns of St. Louis and re- ports from these concerns are now | 'aiiig made to the Arkansas Advance. nent Association. One broker states Inat in the past three years. his con- | ,ern has handled $3,172, 900 worth of 'onds and that every cent of the nr;n~ ipai and interest has been paid by the 1.operty owners. Other brokers will sive similar reports and this informa- 1on will be spread over the entire United States. e"''re