The Mena weekly star., 1922-01-05
JOE ANDERS REVIEWS PAST
 AND PRESENT PROBLEMS
Hatfield. Dec. 31. 1921


 hear folks ask. "What are the people going to do in Polk county next year?" That don't cover it all It is all over the United States. In the first place the people have spent too much money for the last years, and now have just found it out and while the people have found it out that way, both our county and our state has gone to the extreme of spending like the people have. Now the people have found out that they have been travelling too fast gait, when will our county and state find it out? Of course there are fine school houses all over the county and state, especially special districts. When first went to school in my early days, | it was at the Six-Mile school house and at the old Martin school house. sat on split log bencehs and in a very poor school house, but listen, it was paid for, and the district didn't owe one cent on it. Our school house didn't cost as much as the in- terest on a school house in special district would. Now these fine school houses in these special districts are not paid for. It is a tight rub to pay che interest on the bonds. Now know what I am talking about as 1 am one of the Hatfield board of di- rectors and I am not running down school either, but facts are facts and there isn't anyone that can deny it. Now which is the worst, own a very sorry house or owe for a good one The banks advertise, Hive within your income' Now I think the peo- pie are going to try and adjust their business as good as they can and cut down from every angle and the state and the counties in the state will have to do the same. 1t may be hard to get it done, but if things don't change they will have to come to it.
 Owing to conditions the farmers will have to try and do without our farm demonstrator if they possibly can, and our home demonstrator, and all other expenses that can be taken advantage of that will lessen our taxes and get our officers salaries put back as they were in 1910. That will lessen our taxes. People only make so much money as a rule and if it ] takes it all for taxes of course you have to go wanting. There was a man the other day told the phone man to take his phone out as the SIS on the phone would help his taxes on the i highway, as 1t had to be paid. Now those taxes will be the first thing that people will try and meet. So they will cut all other expenses to meet them and save their land and their homes for their children if they can. l Now a man need not get raw over such conditions, for it is so people could make it as they did years ago if the taxes were like they were in 1905. Our taxes in 1905 was three-fourths less than now, so you see that is quite an item. Now just 2 word to the merchant who wanted the good road If it takes s20 out of every farmers hand for taxes in the good road dis trict the merchant will miss his part of it. as the taxes have to come. Be- fore we got the good road taxes our county paper was S1 50 and the other day I renewed for si. So the paper has taken its loss from some account or other. The slump has come and there isn't anyone that can help it.
 it has got here at last and the first payment of our taxes on the Jeffer- son highway is just starter on it
 The men who boosted the highway
 knew how things were going fo 60 when they were boosting. The knock. CTS know now how it is going and by
 the time they pay on it for 20 years the boosters will know how it Is done
 notice Congress is et work cn mek.