The log cabin Democrat., 1921-01-31
ALLEGES TAXES FOR
 HIGHWAYS TOO MUCH
Judge Prince Says Assessments for Roads Much Higher than AL
 lowed by Law.
Editor Log Cabin Democrat:

lonia and the Conway and Palarm road districts, and find charged from Z 3-5 to 4 times the amount to be paid each year, as the law creating the districts allow to be charged and collected.
 l find each of the three road dis tricts is divided into 15 or more zones and the benefits to all lands in zone 1 are assessed at 90 per cent of the as. sessed value of the lands as found on the tax books for the year 1917; and said benefits assessed from 90 per cent to as low as 10 per cent, in the different zones.
 find on July 6, 1920, in record 20 of Faulkner county court the proceed ing of the commissioners of the three road districts, giving the amount of bonds issued for each of said dis tricts, etc.
 Bonds issued for Conway and Dam. l ascus road of $530,0OO, which is as. sessed on the lands, with further as. sessment for general expenses of $53,. 900, making $583,000 assessed on all lands in this district; and the pay ments divided into installments for each year from 1921 to 194O, inclu- sive, and 20 per cent of the amount of the benefits to each tract of land to be paid each year.
 And bonds are issued for Conway and Vilonia road of $4000OO, and the same assessed on lands in this district with further assessment of $40,000 for general expenses. making total of $440,000 assessed on all the lands in this district; and the payment as above divided into installments for each year from 1921 to 1940, inclusive and 14 per cent of the amount Of the l benefits to each tract of land to be paid each year.
 And bonds are issued for the Con- way and Palarm road of $330 ,000, the same assessed on lands in this district with the further assessment of ,00C for general expenses in this district making total of $363,000 assessed against all the lands in this district and payment divided into installments for each year from 1921 to 1940, in elusive and 13 per cent of the amount of the benefits to each tract of land in the district to be paid each year; and the said order and judgments of the county court requires the county I clerk in each of the 20 years to eX- tend on the collectors book 20 per cent of the said benefits to the land in Conway and Damascus district, and IA per cent of the benefits in the Con- way and Vilonia district and 13 per cent of the benefits in Conway and Palarm district
 All of the people in Conway have to pay in each of the three districts. To explain, I live in Conway, and pay on lots and 6, block 59. Boule- yard addition, and the assessed value for 1917 is $500, in zone 15, and benefits are 10 per cent, making $50. which is the amount of the benefits to each of the three districts, making $150 benefits to the said districts, They charge me 20 per cent, 14 per cents and 13 per cent, making AZ per cent, which amounts to $23.50 for each of the 20 years, making $470, when the benefits to my lots going to the three districts are only $50. They mak me pay S320 too much. Now, l am in the 18th zone under the law, I am only assessed 10 per cent benefits on the $500, making the said $50 for each of the three dis tricts.
 To further explain: Suppose I was in zone 1, where 90 per cent of the assessed value of the lands are the benefits; then l would have to pay on $450 benefits. My taxes in the 20 years would be five times $470, which would be making me pay $2,350 on the two lots. Instead of having to pay $23.50 for each of the 20 years under the law, should only pay S7.50 year; that is, $250 to each of said districts.
 What is to become of all those in zone 1 and in the other zones where the per cent is from 90 per cent down to 40 per cent?
 To explain further, the payments fixed for 20 years would make each annual payment only , per cent, in- tead of taxing us as the law pro- vides, they "stick us" four times the proper amount for every year for 20 years.
 Last year these boards met and gave out the information that they could not let out and build, and about this time l heard a very important gentleman say the roads must be let and constructed, it did not matter what it cost, and in a few days the boards met and let the roads. They let the three roads for $1,230,00O, for which they issued bonds and tackled on this $123,000 they said for ex- penses, making S1,353,000, that they "stuck us" for and assessed our lands I fA,