Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1922-11-24
NEWS AND VIEWS FROM THE
STATE cAPiTEL.
by F. r. sIrd.alI

ties of Mississippi for roads and
bridges up TO Dec. 81. 1920, was $41.-
422,095.15, and that the total aggre-
gate indebtedness of all the counties
in the state up TO that time was $780,
714,20098. 1t Is thought that the
bonded Indebtedness since that date
for which there is no data to COM
pile the fa.ts-has increased to $780,
100000, and If this is true the total
aggregate bonded indebtedness of the
50 counties Is $60,000,0 900. This is
In addition to the bonded indebted
ness of the towns and cities of the
state and 10 the state bonded indebt-
edness which is said to be the great
est since the state was admitted into
the Union. 1t appears that there is
no law requiring the compilation of
the various indebtednesses OF the
counties, municipalities and cities as
in other states and the Legislature
will perhaps be called upon to pro-
vide for such legislation in the in
terest OF the taxpayers II, order that
they may know how much they owe
and for what. The aboge indebted
ness of the counties Will doubtless
prove an eye opener to the peopfe.
All the Democratic nominees from
United States senator down were
overwhelmingly elected ai the No
vember election, the Republicans
and Socialist candidates receiving a
very meager vote, joint vote of per-
haps less than 10 per cent The con-
stitutional amendment taking the
trunk highways out of the hands Of
the boards of supervisory and plac-
ing them under the. control Of the
highway department in order that
Mississippi may receive a million and
quarter dollars annually from fed
eral appropriations carried by good
vote and will be Incorporated az q
part of the constitution when the Leg
islature convenes in January, 1924.
The amendment to abolish the office
of county treasurer was also adopt
ed, but by not as large vote as the
other amendment.
Federal Judge Edwin Holmes de-
| livered a most drastic charge to the
grand jury at me recent session of
| the federal court of the southern dis
trict of Mississippi at Jackson on the
violation of the Volstead act He
pointed out that IL was a physical i'm
possibility for the federal court un-
aided by the state courts and state
officers to cope with the Illicit dis
| tilling evil and showed tnat the state
courts had concurrent jurisdiction
and that they had power to send vio-
lators IF the liquor laws to the peni-
tentiary for three years while the fed
eral court only had jurisdiction to
send them to the penitentiary for six
months. Judge Holmes invited a con-
ference of Mississippi judges and
state officials for cooperation 10
suppress the liquor evil. His charge
is being commended in the highest
terms by the press and the people
are saying that he has pointed the
way to suppression of violation of
both federal and state laws.
Sam Bagnell, the sheriff of Clai-
borne County, possesses unique
| triplicate record. He enjoys the dis
tinction of having been the first tax
collector to settle with the state au
| ditor for the past three years. He
| collected the taxes so efficiently IN
his county as to obviate the neces.
sity of publishing delinquent poll
tax list and he has standing cash
| offer of 500 for any information tnat
will point him unerringly to the To-
cation of an illicit still. Recently in
raiding still it became necessary for
Sheriff Bagnell to shoot and wound
one of the parties at the still who
attempted to draw pistol Visitors
from Claiborne County to the capital
state that IL sheriffs we're able to sue
ceed themselves under the constitu'
tion Bagnell would perhaps De re
elected for lire.
The board of supervisors of the
Capital City of Mississippi, of which
Hon. Lamar Puryear is president, has
immeasurably gratified the Taxpayers
OF the county by reducing the county
levy two mills. This reduction mas
been made notwithstanding substan
tial countrywide improvements during
the past year and 1t will not inter
fere with contemplated additional
improvements for the next year
State Superintendent of Education
Bond continues to urge school teach
ers throughout the state to take
their county paper. He states that
A. w-ooDoa4rr~ - hoardu ~ aunop