THE HUTT1G NEWS.
DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF SOUTHEASTERN ARKANSAS AND UNION COUNTY.
VOL. X. NO. At
HUTTIG. ARKANSAS. SATURDAY. MARCH 17. 1917.
PRICE, $1 PER YEAR
THE NEW CONSTITUTION
Excellent Ideas of a Citizen On What the
Document Should Be.
Now that Arkansas is to have a
Constitutional Convention to frame
a constitution for submission to the
people it seems that all interest in
the document itself is lost in a
speculation about who should be
delegates to the convention.
The framing of a constitution is
the most serious and important
work that can engage the mind of
statesmen. It is to be the ground
work of our law for generations to
come perhaps and is of immense
importance to the people.
A state constitution differs from
the federal constitution in this.
The legislature of a state can pass
a law that the constitution does
not prohibit either in express terms
or by clear implication, while con
gress can pass no law unless it is
given express power to pass that
law by the federal constitution,
either in express te-uns or by clear
implication.
The people should select, not the
strongest candidate or politician
who can get the most votes as
delegate, but the best brains of
their country to represent them in
this delecates. ardous and import
ant work.
As the remuneration allowed is |
not sufficient to pay the expenses
of a delegate to this convention j
and inasmuch as the honor of the
position will depend entirely upon
the kind of constitution they may
frame it appears^ that the people
should get together in mass meet
ings or otherwise and name the
men whom they want as candi- j
dates. No man can afford to make i
a race for the place and it is a,
place of such dignity that no man !
should be required, expected or al- j
lowed to decend to the ordinary j
level of brush-beating politics to j
secure the election.
We have no pets in mind for the}
position. Any man who is qualified !
to represent the county of Union
can make more than the four dol
lars per day that is allowed him by j
law for the time the convention is ]
in session but no man can refuse I
this honor if he is selected by the |
people to represent them, even J
though it entails a personal sacri
fice on his part.
We hope that the new constitu-;
tion will reorganize the financial i
system of our state and county
government. Both should be put
on a budget system. For the state
the governor should have power to
appoint a committee of senators
and representatives elect as a
budget committee—they should j
get together at least sixty days be
fore the legislature meets look into)
the resources of the state and esti
mate its revenues for the next two I
years and draw appropriation bills
for the various functions of the |
state government and shouldJ
therein be limited to 90 per cent of
the estimated revenue. Then the
legislature would have only 10 per
cent to play with.
Every proposition to build aj
state institution, such as a state j
hospital, state schools, ets.. should
be referred to the people should
have submitted to them the ques
tion of building it and maintaining
it by voting the tax, millage basis,
necessary for its maintainance.
In the last twenty years we have
increased the state institutions and
fastened burdens on the people by
mere'i^gislative enactment.
Any legislature now can vote to
build a million dollar institution
that may cost half a million every
year till the end of time to keep it
up.
The people only should have that
power for it is their money that is to
be spent to maintain it and the ex- i
pense is just begun when it is built, j
The quorum court should be re- j
quired to meet twice a year. In
December it should meet to inves- j
tigate the probable revenue of the 1
county for the next year and to
provide for deficiencies if any.
Then, doing away with the coun
ty assessor, let township assessors
be appointed to make the assess
ment, require him to visit the
homes and require the property
owner, not to value his property
himself but to give a fi^ll and cor
rect inventory of his property to
the assessor. Then let the asses
sor do the assessing. In that wav
all property would be assessed
equally. Do away with equaliza
tion board and let the quorum
court meet again, pass on the as
sessments, hear the complaints of
those who complain of th°ir as- j
sessments, adjust the same, and
then levy a sufficient tax to,meet
the estimate they have already
made. In that way if the property
assessment should be doubled.the
rate would automatically be cut in
two. You would have no more
taxes to pay then if your property
were assessed at full value than if
it were assessed at half value.
The levy would only be made suf
ficient to meet the estimates al
ready made and could not be more
than sufficient to do that and there
is no use trying to get along with
less than it takes as we do today by
going in debt all the time and hav
ing a high rate of taxation as well.
Elections should be held only
every four years. That would give
people a time to rest from politics.
Officers should be made inelligible
for reelection—saving only judicial
officers perhaps. Then they would
not trim their sails to the political
winds all the time and would at
tend to their office as a matter of
business regardless of fearorfayor.
Our supreme court should be in
creased to seven judges and a pro
vision made that when our popula
tion reaches certain limits it could
be increased to nine. Our supreme
court judges are the hardest
worked men in our state officers
today. They work day and night
and for a very small salary.
The old constitution was adopt
ed when our population was one
third as large as it is today, our
wealth about one-sixth and our
industry and business about one
tenth. It provided for five judges
which was ample for the first twen
ty-five years but has never been
ample since because of the increase
of work.
Circuit judges should be elected
as at present but, as in many of
our states is the law today, they
should exchange circuit’s every
year and no judge hold court in his
own circuit more than one year
any way during his term of office.
He would then know no political
pulls or favorites and have no
friends to reward or foes to pun
ish. Our circuit judges are all
high minded, honorable , and up
right men. No stain of dishonor
has ever been laid at the door of
one of them in the history of our
state, but they are embarrassed
and they would be more than hu
m^to if they were not, at times, un
consciously swayed by local in
fluences and environment. The
supreme court would assign to
each judge his particular circuit for
each and every year.
The constitution should be so
drawn as to obviate the necessity
for so much local legislation. Our
legislature gets much abuse for in- j
dulging in so much local legislation
but it is the fault of our constitution.
Provide that the railroad com
mission should have exclusive pow
er to say whether the railroad
Continued on Page 8, first column.
Native Seed Corn
During the past year most farm
ers have solcf their supply of corn
and it is difficult now to find seed
corn which can be relied upon.
Seed corn adapted to local condi
tions is always the best if it is good.
Do not buy seed corn indiscrimi
nately, regardfess of where it was
grown. It is always best and most
profitale to raise corn that will
grow throughout the fail season
and yet mature. It is well to be
careful in buying seed and know
where it comes from because corn
grown ir^ the North usually ma
tures early enough but most of the
varieties in those sections with a
shorter summer season than our
own do not produce as large ears
or as much grain as more prolfic
varieties and the plants do not at
tain as great a size. Further,
there is danger in seeding corn j
grown further south because in
some of our sections it may not*
mature early enough. Seed corn j
must be well matured and the best,
not only for those reasons but be
cause seed corn that produces a
weak plant is almost as bad as seed
that fails to grow at all since neith
er will produce corn.
Due the Boys and Girls.
In a recent speech before the
senate of state legislature. Senator
Walker Smith of Magnolia in sup
port of the bill for an appropriation
for agricultural extension work in
the state during the next bi-annual
period said: “Give the boys and
| girls a chance. Every county
I should have a county agent if
I for no other reason than to carry
on the club work because boys and
girls wh<i belong to the clubs be
come interested in the farm and
farm life and are not easily at
tracted to the city. The city has
no lure for youngsters with inter
est in the home place. Fathers
and mothers should make their!
boys and girls partners in the farm- j
ing business and fewer of them will j
leave the farm. We need every j
Arkansas boy and girl who live in
the country today for our modern,
progressive farmers and house
wives. Let them join the 10.000
boys and girls now in the club work
under the direction of the Exten
sion Division and they will receive
instructions for better farming
methods and housekeeping. Now
is the time for the children to join
one of the several clubs. See your
county agent and enroll them as
soon as possible or write to W. J.
Jernigan, old state house, Little
Rock.”
The Car Situation.
Deplorable conditions in the
building trades and other indus
tries of the Northern and North
Central states, owing to freight
congestion and embargoes, are pic
tured by a well-known lumber
authority who recently returned
from an extensive tour through
Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania. Mich
igan, Illinois and Wisconsin.
“It is said, and 1 believe true,"
declared this gentleman, “that
there are about 350,000 loaded
box cars at Atlantic ports and ter
minals, backing up from those ter
minals as far as Omaha and Min
neapolis and. of course, that is the
direct and immediate cause of the
congestion. That stuff is largely
for export. Of course, in the mix
up there are quite a lot of domestic
shipment^, which got tangled up in
the shuffle. This condition is
practically paralyzing the domestic
commerce of this country, which
amounts to about thirty billion dol
lars annually to take care of for
eign commerce, which normally
amounts to about two billion but
\xhich last year, the prenomenal
year, was over five million. I don’t
think it requires a very high order
of intelligence to tell which class of
commerce is of the most vital con
sequence to the general wc-Fsre
and prosperity of the United States
of America.
"Plants are shutting down in
practically all the sections of the
country 1 visited because they can't
get in the raw materials. In some
cases pubiic buildings, after being
nicely started, have been aban
doned because it was impossible to
get the lumber to complete them."
Nominate Candidates.
At a mass meeting held in the!
town hall at 7:30 o’clock Monday!
night the following ticket was
nominated for the election to be
held Tuesday. April 3:
Mayor—G. T. Thompson.
Recorder— W. H. Moore.
Aldermen—A. E. Lucas. F. W
Scott. J. B. Crockett, L. M. De
spam and T. B, Weaver.
Notice of Election.
Notice is hereby given that an
election will be held in the Town
Hall on Tuesday. April 3. 1917,
for the purpose of electing a mayor,
recorder and five aldermen for the
Incorporated Town of Huttig for
one year.
C. T. Thompson, Mayor.
W. H. Moore, Recorder.
Methodist Church Services.
The following services will be
held at Union church Sunday: Sun
day school at 10:00 a. m. Preach
ing at 1 1 a. m. and 7:30 p. m. by
J the pastor. Junior League at 3:00
j p. m. Epworth League at 6:30 p.
' m. A cordial invitation is extend
ed to all to attend these services.
Rev. A. Turrentine. Pastor.
Tell us the news for the Npws
No. 10060.
REPORT OF THE CONDITION
FIRST NATIONAL BANK Of HDTTIG
At Huttig, in the State of Arkansas, ai
the Close of Business March
5th, 1917.
RESOURCES.
Loans and Discounts . S63.791.37
U. S. Bonds deposited to secure circu
lation (par value! . 6.250.00
Securities other than U. S. bonds, not
including stocks owned unpledged 4,120.98
Stock of Federal Reserve Bank 50 per
cent of subscription . 850 00
Value of Banking house (if unencum
bered1 . 2.400.00
Furniture, and Fixtur is. . 1.700.00
Due from approved Reserve Agents in
New York. Chicago, and St. Louis 4 768.09
Due from banks and bankers .other than
above). 19.899.42
Outside checks and other
cash Items S3.486.32
Fractional currency . 104.01 3.590.35
Notes of other national banks.
Federal Reserve notes .
Lawful reserve in vault and with Fed
eral Reserve Bank
Redemption lund with U. S. Treasurer
{5 per cent of circulation ...
300.00
1.080.00
15.198.23
312.50
Total
S124.260.92
LIABILITIES.
Capital Stock paid in
Surplus fund.
Undivided Profits $1,775.50
Less current expenses, in
terest. and taxes paid 1,277.67
Circulating notes outstanding.
Demand deposits:
Individual deposits subject to check
Cashier’s checks outstanding
Total Demand Deposits $ 89,052.20
Certificates of Deposit
Tola1 of Time Deposits $200.00
Liabilities other than those stated abvove
$25,000.00
3.250.00
497>3
6.250.00
88,440.73
611 47
200.00
10.89
i
Total. S124.260.92
State of Arkansas. County of Union, ss:
1, C. T. Thompson, Cashier of the above-named
bank, do solemnly swear that the above statement
is true to the best of my knowledge and belief.
C. T. THOMPSON. Cashier.
Correct—Attest:
F. W. SCOTT.
T. B. WEAVER.
C. A. BER»Y,
Directors.
Subscribed and sworn to before me this 15th day
of March. 1917.
W. S. SLOAN. Notary Public.
RECAPITULATION.
RESOURCES.
Loans and Discounts .... $03.791.37
Overdrafts NONE
U. S. Bonds to secure circulation 6.250.00
Bonds. Securities, etc. 4.120 98
Stock in Federal Reserve Bank . 850 CO
Banking House and Fixtures . 4,100 00
Cash and Exchange 44 836.0?
Redemption Fund 312.50
Total $124,260.92
LIABILITIES.
Capital Stock paid in $25,000.00
Surplus fund and undivided profits . 3.747 83
Circulation .6,250.00
Deposits 89.252.20
Other Liabilities. 10.89
Total. *124,200.92
][
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Results.
Are you getting results for the hard work and close
att°ntion you are giving to your business? Have you any
thing to show for your last year's work except a mere living?
Too often we give all our time and thought to work
we are undertaking and do not stop to figure out the results.
If have made a good salary year after year, you should
have something laid up to show for it. If you have a farm
and have made good crops for many years, you should have
a bank account to show for vour net profits. If you have
been in habit of spending all you make, whether it be much
or little, resolve now to figure on the results of your work
and have something to show for it.
Deposit everything you can possibly save above your
living expenses, and at the end of the year you will have
results to show for your year's labor. We ll help you save.
m
THE
FIRST NATIONAL BANK
BHIIIlIBBIISSlIlIBBIIIIIUIUmillllHimilllHIIl
m ■
s You Can S
j Travel in
f Comfort
■
■
m
: When You Go By The
m
■
I Iron
■
! Mountain
Route !
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Call or write for partlclars B
F. H. MOORE, s
AGENT, |
HUTTIG, ARKANSAS 1
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