The border vidette., 1931-04-25
Answering Mud Singing

circular. one A. Bettwy, com
mences by admitting, in effect,
that there isn't single news
paper in Nogales with enough
confidence in him to support his
candidacy, then states that city
employees have been taxed"
for contribution to get votes
for Mayor Karns. This is q false
statement. A few-very few
of the city employees have con
tributed small amounts, wholly
voluntary, and without solicita
ton from aoy city officer or
department.
When this mud singing circu
lar was called to the atten ton of
Rev. 0. A. Smith, be stated:
my attention has just been
called to an unsigned circular
which has evidently been put out
for campaign propaganda, re
porting me as having said that
the Associated Charities has
plenty of money and we are go
ing to spend it to win the election
| for Karns. This statement is an
absolute falsehood, as I have
never even thought of charities
money being used in that or any
other connection except the pur
pose for which it was intended.
Further, I do not pay out
monies of the Associated Chari
ties; this is done by the proper
officers of the Associated Chari.
ties, as all expenditures are
passed upon by the Board of
Directors. The books of the
Charities are always open for
inspection.
'Mr. Fet.wy's statements to
the effect that I have been circu
lating reports that if he is elect
ed Nogales will have wide open
saloons aud gambling is equally
false"
OF course Nogales cannot have
tsaloons or gambling even il
Bettwy is Mayor because even a
Mayor cannot legalize law viola
tions. Even Mayor" Bettwy
can't OF do that. The widespread
reports that have come from
some of Bettwy's supporters
strongly indicate. however, that
such promises have been made
to many people.
! And then comes the rotten
part of Bettwy's circular when
| he apparently quotes from the
City Minute Book and accuses
one of the citizens of NoRales of
having been granted q favor"
by the city administration by
charging off assessments against
him as worthless and uncollect
itle. The "Promising Buncb,"
desiring to hide the truth as
usual, does not quote the full
minuteentry but deliberately con
ceals the fact that other people
are likewise included in the
assessments charged off. Every
remaining assessment for this
imrovement was charged off.
These assessments were for a
Hudgin street improvement in
1919, eight years before the
present. administration took of
fee. The assessments were
illegal and uncollectible from
the beginning. Every City At
torney since 1919 has tried to
collect them, but failed because
they we're illegal. They were
carried as assessments receiva-
BILE" on the city books during
the time Mr.. Duane Bird was
Mayor. All of these assess
ments !, have been "outlawed"
since 1921. The city carried
these assessments as assets"
and it was at the suggestion of
the City Auditor, an outsider not
connected with the city admins
tration, that they were charged
off.
Bettwy's circular then states:
I'VE wonder if there are any
other taxpayers of Nogales that
have had their taxes cancelled"
There's the falsehood for you!
Tracy Bird, who procured the
data for Bettwy's circular, we'll
knows that the assessments of
eight other people. all
assessments for this improve
ment-were charged off as worth
less and uncollectible. Yet any
reference to this factis puposely
and cautiously avoided.
The meeting at which these
minute entrys we're made was
held On July 9th, 1929. Mayor
Harms was not present. but was