T ^ * - .. t
^ TWELVE PAGES THIS WEEK
Road Commissioners Reply to
Criticisms Made by County
Commissioners of Accounts
In the report filed in circuit court
several days ago by the commission
ers of accounts for Lee county, a
copy of which report is published in
this issue of the Courier-IIndex, the
commissioners severely criticised the
f commissioners of the road improve
ment district for alleged looseness in
disbursing tin district’s funds, the
commission charging that the secre
tary issues checks in payments of
bills for labor and materials without
first having the bills checked over
and their accuracy verified by the
board The commissioners further
criticise the board for not having all
the bills sworn to before they are
paid. In an article prepared by Dr.
0. L. williamson, chairman, and D
S. Plummer, secretary of the board,
replying to the strictures made by
the commissioners of accounts it
is claimed the latter made no
effort to ascertain the facts or
to inform themselves on the methods
used by the board in carrying on the
work, in employing overseers, laying i
out the work, inspecting their labors
and checking up on the bills turned
in. The road commissioners further
contend there is no looseness in.
their plan of disbursing the road
funds, and that, upon the contrary,1
every possible safeguard is thrown 1
around the money paid inlby the I
taxpayers. The reply of tffe road
commissioners is published below.
The report of the commissioners
of accounts shows there is only
$2,762.27 in the county farm fund,
whereas there is usually a balance
of $10,000 or more in this fund.
The difference in the balance now
and in former years is due to the
fact that Judge Plummer recently
transferred $10,000 from the county
farm fund to the general fund to be
used in the building of new bridges
and the repair of old ones.
TKa enAAft + Vw% -
shows all the county departments j
have been well handled during the
past year. The circuit and county
clerks, the county judge, the treas
urer and sheriff are commended for
the efficient manner in which they
have kept their books and accounts
and the sheriff is complimented on
the excellent collection he made in
the taxes.
The article prepared by Dr. Will
iadson and D. S. Plummer on the
affairs of the road district follows: 1
A STATEMENT
By the Board of Road Commissioners
That portion of the Commission
ers of Accounts' report which relates
to the itoad Improvement District is
so misleading that we believe the
tax payers are entitled to a statement
of facts.
They state that they do not think
that the Road District is getting an
economical administration. We do
not know how they arrived at that
conclusion as they do not pretend to
know anything whatever about the
amount or the kind of work that has
been done during the past six
months. They have not Inspected
it themselves nor have they ques
tioned by the Supervisor of Roads or
any member of the board as to the
kind, location or amount of work.
They also state that “There is a
looseness in Its (the Road District’s)
management which should be rem
edied. All bills are made out for and
at the instance of the overseers of
the several districts, for time, labor
and purchases and paid by the Sec
■ c.di\ upon presentation witnout
question or verification.’’
In order to enlight* n the Commit
-ioners of Accounts anu other citi
zens who are not familiar with the
"ay in which we conduct the affairs
°f the itoad District, we will state
the method in detail.
In January of each year the Presi
dent of the Board and Supervisor of
Hoads, who are thoroughly familiar
"ith the requirements of the roads
of every section of the county, care
fully plan in detail the work for the
"ntire county for that year, taking
mto consideration the needs of each
township and the amount of road
'axes paid by each township. The
outline of work is kept for reference
so that no work will be overlooked,
'he Board discusses these plans at
first meeting and they are uiodi
i|('d if thought best and the Presi
."t °f the Board and the Super
^visor are told to proceed. This plan
_ w°rk is followed throughout the
,.Vpar as closely as labor and weather
conditions will permit.
I he method of operation: We re
aervo for the supervisor as ' much
"°rk in the various townships as
he ran possibly do with the dis
tnct s teams during the year. As it
ls impossible for him to do it all
"o employ an overseer in each
township. We select the very best
men that we can s't to take the
"ork. We enter into written con
‘ ,raots with the overseers for the
"h°le year. In our contracts for
911 we paid the overseers an av
’■'•ago of $2.00 per day for their
services while at work and paid them
■an average of $3.50 per day for each
team and driver that they worked
°n the roads. It has cost the over
seers practically $2.00 per day to
’eed their teams and from $1.00 to
*1.50 per day for their drivers. The
citizens do not expect the Board to
get work any cheaper than that.
These contracts specifically state
that every overseer shall be under
-he supervision of the Supervisor of
Roads, that they shall work under
his direction and that they shall not
undertake any important or extensive
work without having been directed to
do so by the Supervisor or some
member of the Board. They provide
also that the Board can discharge
any overseer at any time if it is not
satisfied with him.
In the spring the Supervisor visits
each overseer, goes over the road
with him, explains the work that
he wants the overseer to do and di
rects the way in which it is to be
done, if necessary. After the over
seers begin work the Supervisor
visits them as often as possible,
watches their work, notes the num
ber and kinds of teams and the num
ber of men they are working, sees
that they do not employ more labor
than needed and assists them in get
ting results. If an overseer is mak
ing his work cost too much we try
to correct the trouble and if we
can't correct it we discharge him.
The Supervisor is constantly in po
sition to know whether or not an
overseer is doing honest work and
by comparing his payrolls with the
work he is doing he can determine
practically whether or not the pay
rolls are correct. The Supervisor
reports the work of the entire county
to the President of the Board every
Saturday. The President of the
Board is familiar with every road in
the county and has personally in
spected every piece of work of any
importance that has been done since
tlie district was formed, except a
little work east of the St. Francis
river. The other Road Commission
ers, J. B. Markham, R. L. Hartley,
" alter Curtis and T. C. Conner, are
in close touch with the work in their
sections and they know whether or
not the overseers of their respective
sections are earning their pay. There
is no lack of supervision of the over
seers worn.
The statement of the Commission
ers of Accounts that the overseers’
bills for time, labor and purchases
are paid hy the Secretary of the
Board without question or verification
is incorrect. The overseers are not
allowed to make purchases except
when ordered to do so by the Super
visor. They do make out their pay
rolls. No one could supervise that.
If we had to check every overseer’s
payroll every Saturday we would
have to have eighteen supervisors,
one to every overseer. As a matter
of fact the Supervisor does O K
every payroll that he possibly can.
The President of the Board signs
every check that is paid. He knows
from the weekly reports of the Su
pervisor what work each overseer is
doing, knows how many teams each
overseer is working and about what
their pay rolls should be. If he has
any doubt as to the correctness of a
payroll he holds it up until the Su
pervisor can investigate. Every prac
tical means possible is used to verify
payrolls. All other bills are allowed
by the Board.
The Commissioners of Accounts
state that they think that all ac
counts should be verified under oath
and passed upon by the Board
or its President before being paid.
Every bill is passed upon by the
Board or its President. We do not
require all bills to be sworn to be
cause it is not practical, owing to
the many small bills and because it
would not prevent false statements.
Men present false statements to the
County Court and swear to them,
as proven by the number detected
by the Judge. It does not prevent
overcharging against the county and
it would not prevent it against the
Road District.
It is true that the Board gives no
bond for the judicious handling of
the road funds. Neither does the
County Judge give bond for the ju
dicious handling of the county funds.
Both, however, are subject to prose
cution if thev misappropriate, funds.
Finally, the Commissioners of Ac
counts find “two overseers in the
western part of the county for the
past six months-SUMMER MONTHS
AT THAT—have drawn out of the
road fund over $3,600.00”—and tijey
state "that even if they did honest
work it is not fair or just to the
other districts of the county for the
Hoard of Road Commissioners to al
low such expenditures of the road
funds on two districts to the neglect
of the others.” The overseers re
ferred to are Slaughter Hunch of
Hampton township and Ernest Hunch
of Spring Creek township. We will
say emphatically that there are no
better overseers in the county. They
work hard and produce results.
Their work has been absolutely sat
isfactory to the Supervisor, to the
Hoard and to the tax payers of their
townships. They have not done any
work except that which they were
ordered to do by the Supervisor.
They have not been paid a dollar
that they did not earn. As for the
work being done in the "SUMMER
MONTHS” those are the months in
which all heavy work is done The
Board was justified in spending
$3,60 during the past six months in
Hampton and Spring Creek town,
ships The road needed the improve
ments and the road tax for those
two townships last year amounted
to twice thirty six hunderd dollars
There was nothing unfair or unjusl
to the other districts in the Board
having spent in Hampton and Sprin*
I
A Liberty Loan Appeal |ii
On Wednesday afternoon the Gourier-Index_j*cceiv
> ed the following telegram:
Little Hock, Ark., Oct. 17, 1917.
|;! The Courier-Index, , ;
| Marianna, Ark. !
A meeting filled with patriotism and determined
Americanism was held yesterday by representative bank
ers and business men. All the forces in the state of
Arkansas are necessary to measure up to the full respon
sibility put upon this state to sell to the people the
Second Liberty Loan. Money so invested will be put in
the best security the world has to offer. It will feed and
equip the boys who have gone to the front. No true
American man, woman or child can help but feel this
call upon them. In a resolution adopted today, we ask
that your paper publish free this telegram on your front
page, followed by a half page advertisement appealing
to the people to respond to this splendid opportunity
to invest their money for the protection of their homes.
If this request is complied with, kindly send copy of
your paper to*the Liberty Loan headquarters to the !
; undersigned in St. Louis.
* CHAS. H. BROUGH,
K Governor of Arkansas. ;
l:j Wm. COMPTON,
!' Gen. Chm. Libertv Loan Organization.
!; H. S. HAWES, ,
W. L. HEMINGWAY,
Chairman for Arkansas. !
; In cheerful compliance with this request this tele- ;
i; g. am is being given prominence on the front page of
this week’s issue of the Courier-Index, and on another
page a stirring, patriotic half-page display advertisement
,j; appealing to the people to invest in Liberty Bonds, :
hj appears.
COLORED FAIR WILL
BE HELD NEXT WEEK
HANDSOME 34-PAGE CATALOGS
HAVE JUST BEEN ISSUED—
SPEAKERS OF NATIONAL RE
NOWN TO ADDRESS NEGROES.
The Courier-Index job department
has just turned out one thousand
copies of a thirty-four page catalog
for the Lee County Colored Fair
Association, that will hold its second |
annual fall exhibit here next week.
] On Monday and Tuesday the exhibits
' will be arranged and on Wednesday
the fair proper will be thrown open
to the public, and will continue to
1 and including Saturday. A fine list
; of premiums has been offered by the
j citizens of Marianna, and the pro
j gram includes speeches by Geo. R.
i James, president of the Wm. R.
j Moore Dry Goods Company of Mem-1
phis; Dr. C. E. Morris of Helena;
, Hamp Williams, federal food admin
istrator for Arkansas; W. T. Vernon
of Memphis and Roscoe >Conkling
Simons of Louisville, two of the best
known negro orators ip the south.
In adition to these sevqjp other men
of prominence, both white and black, j
are scheduled for addresses.
The exhibits will be displayed in
| the building formerly occupied by the
i Lee County Milling Company. The
concessions and amusements will be
; located on the grounds near Mann’s
I gin.
The negroes of the county, under
the leadership of Dr J. H. Barabin.
1 Prof. D. W. Hughes. Dr. E. J Money, |
W A. Strong. E. M. Cater ond others,
have made extensive preparations
: for the fair and are anticipating a
daily attendance oi at least uue
' thousand people
-„-0
NOT A GOOD SECOND
Timid Suitor “I suppose when
you recall what a handsome man
your first husband was you wouldn’t;
i consider me for a minute?”
Pretty Widow—“Oh, yes, 1 would—]
but I wouldn’t consider you for a
second.”-r-Boston Transcript.
Creek townships one half of the
money paid last year by the citizens
of those townships. No other town
ships have been neglected, with the
; possible exception of Walnut and
even in that township some splendid
work has been done and Mr. Brown
has been employed to do more,
i The unsettled question as to the best
1 location for a road in that section
I together with the fact that we could
not get an overseer till very late
has prevented us from doing as
! much work there as we wanted to.
Walnut township will be one of the
sections that will receive first con
sideration next year. The. roads of
every other township have been
worked this year.
We do not feel that the Commis.
; sioners of Accounts would have
made the statements they did if they
had known the facts and we regret
that they did not question the Super
visor or members of the Board rela
tive to the work and the Board’s
method of conducting the business
of the district. We are always glad
to answer any questions. We know
that the Road District is getting an
economical administration because
we are in position to know and we
I can convince any fairininded man
! that such is the case.
Respectfully,
Board of Commissioners of Road
Improvement District No. 1 of Lee
County, Arkansas
O L WILLIAMSON, Pres.
S. D. PLUMMER, Sec.
TUBERCULOSIS TAKES !
A STAGGERING TOLL
_
25,000 CASES IN ARKANSAS LAST
YEAR—2,360 DEATHS-VIGOROUS
CAMPAIGN TO CAMBAT MAL
ADY PLANNED BY RED CROSS.
W. S. McClintock, chairman of the
Red Cross, this morning appointed
Miss Emma Clbrk chairman of the
Tuberculosis Committee of the Red
Cross, to co-operate with the Arkan
sas Public Health Association in its
campaign against the white plague
in Arkansas. According to the fig
ures of the State Department of
Health this state has 25,000 cases
of tuberculosis, which last year cost j
our state 2,360 lives and about
$14,000,000. The Public Health As- i
sociation is inaugurating a move to.
raise $20,000 on Red Cross Christmas
seals, with which fund it will em
ploy visiting nurses and give next
year to each county one month of
an educational campaign in the fun
damentals of the disease. Reports
from the war zone and the recent
examinations of our men show how
serious is the need if this move.
The Public Health Association be
lieves this demonstration will show
our people the importance of 'a visit-,
ing community nurse, so that the
counties will eventually employ one
on full time as have several of the
eastern and northern states. Lee
county is the thirty-ninth county to
co-operate in this move, which has
enlisted the hearty support of the i
best citizens in the state.
--o—
CHILDREN TAMPER
WITH MAIL BOXES
POSTMASTER McMURRAY SAYS
LETTERS HAVE BEEN MISSING
—UNLESS PRACTICE IS STOP
PED WILL BE PROSECUTED.
Postmaster E. H. McMurray is at'
a loss to know how to handle a gang
of had hoys who persist in opening
mail boxes at the postoffiee and
taking out letters. The banks of the
city have been missing important
mail and others have complained to
the postmaster that their boxes have
been entered and letters removed, i
There are certain hours in the day
when the postoffiee windows are
closed, and it is easy for bovs to !
slip in and tamper with the boxes.
The postmaster has the names of i
several boys who are known to have
been stealing mail. He has no de
sire to turn them over to the federal
authorities for prosecution, but says
if parents do not exercise themselves
in the matter and keep their children
out of the postoffiee he will be forced
to report the matter to the proper
authorities
The Courier-Index management has
had complaints filed by subscribers
who state that their papers are taken
out of their boxes. It is not un
common to see children in the post
office tampering with the mail boxes
almost every day. If the practice is
not stopped Postmaster McMurray,
authorizes the statement he will take
the names of all boys and girls
caught in this ugly work and report
them to the federal officers for
prosecution.
--o
More than two-thirds of the world’s
supply of tin is mined in the Malay
peninsula.
CASES DISPOSED OF
IN CIRCUIT COURT
—
FORGERY CHARGE AGAINST U. S.
BRATTON DISMISSED — NEGRO
MURDERER GIVEN LIFE TERM
COURT ADJOURNS TO MONDAY
On Tuesday morning of this week
Judge J. M. Jackson adjourned the
October term of the Lee circuit court
until Monday morning, October 22,
at which time he will hear the pe
tition and argument to dissolve the
Haynes special school district. This
case has been tried out several times
and has been to the supreme court
on two occasions.
The case against IT. S. Bratton,
former postmaster at Little Rock,
charged with forgery, was dismissed,
by the prosecuting attorney upon pe
tition of a large number of represen
tative citizens of Augusta. Bratton
was charged with having forged the
name of a bonding company to a
bond he filed with the city council
of Augusta in connectidh with the
purchase of the municipal water and
light plant several years ago. The
case was brought to Lee county pn
a change of venue from Woodruff
county, and at the last term of the
Lee circuit court, when the case was
tried, the jury failed to agree, seven
standing for conviction and five for
acquittal. More than a hundred citi
zens of Augusta were here as wit
desses in the case. Mr. Bratton had
caused subpoenas to be issued for
fifty or more citizens of Little Rock
to report at this term of court as |
witnesses for the defense. The Au
gusta citizens who had been pushing
the prosecution decided it was very
doubtful if a conviction could be se
cured, and rather than put Woodruff
county to such a heavy expense they
petitioned the prosecuting attorney
to dismiss the case, which he did.
Before adjourning court Tuesday
Judge Jackson appointed R. L. Mixon
D. L. Griffis and W. P. Harris jury
commissioners.
The following criminal cases were
disposed of during the eight days
the court was in session:
Jesse Britton, negro, first degree
murder, jury trial, given life sentence
Lizzie McGehee. assault, plea of
guilty, fined $10.00.
Will Green, assault, plea of guilty,
fined $50.00.
Andrew Jones, assault to rape,
jury trial, three years in the peni
tentiary.
Corbet Chambers, petit larceny,
jury trial, not guilty.
P. D. Henderson, murder in first
degree, jury trial, not guilty.
Leon Bayliss, grand larceny, jury
trial, not guilty.
James Townsend, forgery and ut
tering, plea of guilty, two years in
each case.
J. T. Turner, petit larceny, plea
of guilty, fined $10.00.
Jesse Foot, grand larceny, jury
trial, one year in penitentiary.
Tennessee Robinson, first degree
murder, jury trial, not guilty.
John Dennie, grand larceny,' plea
of guilty, one year in penitentiary.
Ed Young, manslaughter, plea of I
guilty, two years in penitentiary.
Will Turner, forgery and uttering. I
plea of guilty, two years in each
case.
George Lorraine, murder, case dls ,
missed.
Arthur Perkins, aggravated as- j
sault, plea of guilty, fined $5000.
John Lee. aggravated assault, plea ;
of guilty, fined $50.00.
Will Cobb, assault to kill. Jury j
trial, one year in penitentiary.
Swain Walker, pistol, plea of guilty,
fined $50.00.
Swain Walker, assault, plea of
guilty, fined $10.00.
Tom Mayhew, forgery and uttering,
plea of guilty, two years in each i
case.
Sam Hardin, petit larceny, plea of
guilty, fined $10.00.
MARIANNA ELEVEN BEATS
FOOTBALL SQUAD FROM HELENA
The Marianna high school football
team defeated the Helena high Fri
day by the score of 12 to 0. The
Helena team outweighed the local
squad 1m could not stop the speedy
local backs. It was an unusually
clean game, few fouls being called
Marianna kicked off to Helena ami
then held them for downs, and with
end runs and line drives carried the
bail over, but lost the opportunity to
kick goal.
In the fourth period Hampton pull
ed their famous * pippin” play for a
long gain, and later carried the ball
over for the second touch down.
Helena’s best playing was done in
the fourth period, pushing Marianna
to the two foot line, where the locals
held them. This was the only time
Helena came near scoring
The last year men, Panich, Harris,
Hampton and Dupuy starred for the
locals. Of the new men Clifford
and Chaffin showed up well. Willis
at center was like a stone wall.
The game was enjoyed by a large
crowd The locals play Forrest City
this afternoon and everyone should
come out and help the boys win.
-„-o
PRISONER DIES IN FLAMES
Helena, Oct. 17. News reached
Helena today of the accidental burn
ing to death of an unknown negro
man in the calaboose at Klaine, night
before last He was arrested Sunday
on a charge of stealing a gun, and
was placed in the calaboose awaiting
transportation to Helena. In some
way the calaboose caught fire and
the negro was burned to death before
rescued.
COUNTY CLUBS WILL
MEET IN MARIANNA
FIRST FALL EXHIBIT OF PRO
DUCTS OF BOYS' CORN CLUB,
GIRLS’ CANNING CLUB, WO
MEN’S CLUBS WEDNESDAY.
On Wed >nesday of next week th#
club women of Marianna and the
Commercial Club will be hosts to
the members of the boys’ pig and
corn clubs, the girls' canning clubs,
and the members of the county fed
eration of clubs, the occasion being
the first annual fall exhibit of th*
work done the past year by all fhes*
clubs. The boys will exhibit their
corn specimens, the girls their can
ned goods, and the ladies who ar#
affiliated with the various community
clubs will have on display speci
mens of the canned products they
put up the past season.
I addition to these displays th*
local Red Cross chapter, under th*
direction of Mrs. j. T. Morris, will
have an exhibit of Red Cross article*
made by the ladies of Marianna and
^ee county All the exhibits will b*
made In the city hall. Miss Grac*
Evans, home economic agent, and
P. F. Newell, county demonstrator,
will have charge of the exhibit*
made by the corn and canning club*
boys and girls.
The Commercial Club, assisted by
the club women of Marianna, will en.
tertain the visitors who are expected
to number approximately three hun
dred. Lunch will be served in th#
basement at the Elks Home at T.h*
noon hour. In the afternoon the del
egates from me reiterated ciudh will
hold a meeting and discuss matters
relating to community club work.
O. R. Perry, manager of the Majestlo
Theatre, will put on a matinee that
afternoon so the boys and girls will
have something to amuse them. The
matinee prices will be 5 and 10 cents.
The list of prizes offered by the
Commercial Club for exhibits made
by the ladies is as follows:
$5 to the club, as a whole, canning
the greatest number of cans of veg
etables.
$5 to the club canning the great
est number of cans of fruit.
$2.50 to the individual displaying
the greatest assortment of jellies and
preserves.
$2.00 for the best pen of chickens
—two hens and one rooster.
$l.o-i for the best loaf of bread.
$1.00 for the best white cake. *
$1.00 for the best pound of butter.
*2.50 for the individual canning the
greatest number of cans of fruit and
vegetables.
$2.50 to the club donating the
greatest number of cans to the army.
$1.00 for the best jar of mustard
pickles.
$1.00 for the best jar chili sauce.
$1.00 for the best jar dill pickle.
$1.50 for the best jar plain cu
cumber pickle. ,
$1 00 for jar pickle llllle.
$2.oii .or best piece of crochet.
$2.50 -for best piece of embroidery.
$2.00 i or neatest made child's dress
—moderately plain.
$2.50 for neatpst lady’s house dreBS
moderately plain.
Only members belonging to a
federated club can compete for prizes.
The list of prizes offered by the
business institutions of Marianna
for exhibits made by members of the
corn and canning clubs was published
in last week’s issue of the Courier
Index. Supplementary to that list
we print below an additional list of
prizes inadvertantly left out of the
list published last week:
Prizes for the po-’* - club of Lea
county:
First prize, $5 given by Mixon
Met lintock t o w inner or this prize
will be required to make highest rec
ord along all lines.
First prize, best pen of chickens,
(3 in pen) $5 pair of Shoes by
Grove-Reed Go.
Second prize, $2.50 in merchandise
by P. R. Turner.
Third prize, $2.50 in merchandise
by Word & McGlenney.
Best record book:
First prize. $2.50 by Daggett's Drug
Stire.
Second prize, set of dinner platet
by Griffis-Newbern Go.
THE GREATER NEED
Gpysy fortune teller (seriously)
“Let me warn you. Somebody's go
ing to cross your path.'*
Motorist—“Don’t you think von
had better warn the other chap?”—♦
livery tody’s Magazine.
A MILITARY PROBLEM
“What are you knitting, my pretty
maid?”
She purled, then dropped a stitch.
“A sock or sweater, sir,” she said,
“And darned if I know which!”
—Kansas City Star.
I LOCAL COTTON MARKET
Receipts during the past week
1.886. Receipts for same week
last year 2,020. Receipts up to
October n, this year, 2 296.
Receipts up to October 11, 1916,
9,622. Total receipts to date
this year, 4,182. Total receipts
up to October 19, last year,
11.642. 11
Prices paid for cotton in Ma
rianna yesterday ranged from
31 cents for short staple to 42
cents for long staple. Seed
sold yesterday at $60 a ton.
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