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Newark Journal
$1.50 PER ANNUM
NEWARK, INDEPENDENCE COUNTY, ARKANSAS, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1919
VOL. 19 NO. 28
THINKS MR. BEST iS
TRYING TO KILL ROAD
TAXPAYER ASKS SOME POINTED
QUESTIONS IN REGARD TO
THE CORD ROAD
To the Editor Newark Journal.—
Your issue of the 2nd carries an ar
ticle from Cord, of date Sept. 29, and
signed “good roads booster” and your
issue of the 9th, carries an article
from Dota, signed by A. T. Best, both
of which have reference to Road Im
provement District No. 3.
If you will allow me space in your
paper and bear with me for a short
time, I will try in my humble way to
enlighten these two good roads advo
cates and other interested parties in
some of the facts with reference to
this Newark to Cord Road.
In the first place, both seem to be
opposed to the law creating the dis
trict, from the standpoint of the peo
ple not having a say in its creation.
This matter was inagurated through
a notice given in The Journal, during
the regular session of the Legisla
ture for this year, calling a meeting
at. the Mayor’s .office in the town of
Newark for the purpose of discussing
good roads. At this meeting, there
being ;ome twenty-five or thirty
present, the matter of building a road
from Newark to Cord, and one from
Newark to Paroquet Bluff was decid
ed upon, and the commissioners for
both roads were elected at that meet
ing and the chairman selected a com
mittee of two to go to Little Rock,
have a bill drawn creating both dis
tricts and request our Senator and
Representatives to introduce the same
and procure its passage.
Now if these gentlemen will take
the time to read Act No. 537 of the
Acts of the last regular session of the
Legislature, they will be convinced
that it is a workable document, one
under which a good road can be
built, and similar to many others
passed at the same session creating
road improvement districts in other
counties of the State, many of which
are today under construction.
Second. One of these advocates
commends, while the other condemns
the Commissioners. Messrs. Fields,
Herrington and Fortune were named
in the bill as commissioners, and
when the Act became a law, they
qualified and have honestly and con
scientiously acted as such, under the
law. These men were selected as
Commissioners to build a good road
from Newark to Cord and it was their
duty to make an honest effort to do
so. 1 would be glad for Mr. Best to
inform the people if he would try to
build this same road if he were plac
ed in the position of one of these
Commissioners, whom he persists in
condemning ?
Third. Both writers say that they
are in favor of Goiod Roads. “The
Booster” has a fair record as such
for his boosting, but I must submit
a few questions to Mr. Best and re
quest his answering before I can
place very much confidence in his sin
cerity as a good roads booster.
Will Mr. Best tell the people how
long he has been a Good Roads boost
er?
Tell them whether or not you sign
: ed a petition asking the Special ses
| sion of the Legislature to repeal this
! good road law?
And you might tell them while you
. re answering questions if you did
| no sign a protest to the Commission
\ ers, requesting them to cease work j
until you could present your petition j
to the Legislature and have the Act
repealed ?
Will you tell the people now what!
has caused this change or heart?
We can tell a tree by its fruits and
we judge people by their acts, so if
Mr. Best has placed himself in the
attitude of a Good Roads Knocker by
his acts, the people will not believe
him sincere when he says that he is
in favor of good roads, unless it be he
favors good roads at the other fel
lows’ expense.
But I am not satisfied yet. I think
Mr. Best ought to tell the people why j
this sudden change of heart? Is it j
because of a vacancy to be filled on j
j the board.of Commissioners?
Fourth. Mr. Best says w'e know j
and all the people know that the Com-1
.nissior.ers did not need 75 per cent
of the assessed value of their farms
to build this road. • Well, now let’s:
: see, Mi- Best. I am pleased to tell1
! you that I have been placed in pos-,
session of some facts in this matter
| and will tiy to enlighten you with ref- j
erence to the falsity of your state
, ment.
The Commissioners at first con
templated building a gravel surface
16 feet wide and requested the Engi
neers to submit their estimate, which
was done, showing that it would cost
$130,000.00 to build this road. With
interests added, this would make the
total cost about $210,000.00. Owing
To Help You Win
Riches— power—happiness. The average
man places these as his goal. He dreams
about having them.
But the average man is slow to take a prac
tical step towards that goal. He is content
to dream about it—and never gets there.
The most practical start is to start a savings
account. Rockefeller had to save his first
thousand dollars. It earned the rest of his fortune.
Character Earns Credit
Saving men r>ot only have capital for their efforts.
In saving, they establish a reputation which will make
it easy to secure additional capital when necessary.
A farmer has frequent need for capital if he is
striving continually to improve his property. How
important it is then that he build up his credit—
establish his char
acter.
The easiest and
quickest way is to
start a savings ac
count.
IPWKLIipiHIWIjHM
To
Youatr
and Make
YourHwwy Sa-ife
BANII WITH US
The First National Bank
NEWARK, ARKANSAS
C. M. Edward*, President, W. W. Jernigan, Cashier
G. M. Field*, Vice Pres. T. M. Harrelaon, AwtXashier
—“and from there we went to Japan”
Talk about adventures !
Men in the Navy come
home with the kind of
experiences that most
chaps read of only in the
books.
Here’s your chance!
Unde Sam has, as you know,
a big Navy and gives red
blooded young fellows like you
an opportunity to step aboard
and “shove off”.
What will you get out of it?
Just this:
A chance to rub elbows with
foreign folks in strange parts cf
the world.
The chance for good honest
work on shipboard—the kind of
work that teaches you something
real: the kind of work that put3
beef on your shoulders and hair
on your chest.
You will get 30 care-free vaca*
tion days a year, not counting
shore leave in home or foreign
ports.
You will have the kind of com*
radeship in travel that sailors
know.
You will have regular payj
over and above your meals, lodg
ing and your first uniform outfit!
—good stuff all cf it.
You can join for two years.
When you get through you'll bo
physically and mentally “tuned
■o ' for tbs rest of your life.
Yuu'H bo ready through and
through for SUCCESS.
There's a Recruiting Station
right near you. If you don't!
know where it is, your Post
master will be glad to tell yoo«
To any Father and Mother:—
in tha Nary your boy'a food, health, work and play, and
moral wallers tue looked after by responsible er parts.
Shove off! "loin the
U.S.Navy
to the low assessment of the lands
they knew that class of road could
not be built, so they decided to make
the gravel surface 10 feet and in
structed the Engineers to make their
estimate on that basis, which amount
ed to $80,308. and by adding-the in
terest necessary to retire that amount
of bonds would be a total cost of
$128,000.00 which would take a rate
of 75 per cent for the first zone, 60
per cent for the second zone and 45
per cent for the third zone, making
due allowances for lands which was
overlapped by other road Districts.
Now, Mr. Best, you can clearly see
that this requires a rate approximate
ly two times what you would try to
have the people believe the road
could be built for.
Nowr I would be glad for Mr. Best
to tell the people how he intends to
pay for the construction of a road
that takes 75 and 45 per cent of the
assessed valuation, when he proposes
to levy a rate of only 30 per cent ?
I can tell you this much for your
consolation. If your land was assess
ed as it should be, and as the law
requires, you could build on a 20 per
cent basis; but the low assessment is
no fault of the commissioners; that
fault rests with the people themselv
es and the assessing boards of the
various townships, and until THEY
learn to regard their oaths and du-1
ties, this same state of affairs will
continue to exist. Again he laments
the fact that the people have not
been heard in this matter. Let me in
form you that I am possessed of the
information that the people have been
heard in this matter, and I am sure
you will be surprised when I impart
to you the nature of the hearing.
On the 25th of September,* as you
well know, was the day set by the
Commissioners to receive protests
against the assessment of benefits,
as previously made. There came for
ward, a goodly number, some protest
ing against the rate, some against the
law, some against the Commissioners
I and others against everything. But
lo, and behold, there wrere altogether
but about 15 per cent of the assessed
valuation of the district filing any
protest at all, so it seems that about
85 per cent of the property owners
wanted this road built, and were wil
ling to pay the rate of assessment
necessary to build this road, and too,
Mr. Best, it seems that this 85 per
cent believed that the Commissioners
needed this levy, else they, the com
missioners would not have asked for
it.
Good roads would be the biggest
thing that can happen for the coun
try today, and we will realize more
and more every day the need of them,
but we will never build one mile of
good roads in this country by knock
ing. It is a man’s job and not a
knocker’s job. It takes money to pro
mote any public enterprise. Hot air,
and propaganda will not take its
place. In the case of building good
roads, the landed interests have the
say as to whether they will stand the
tax, while the tenant who rents and
cultivates the land has to haul his
products to market over mud roads
and can’t have any say. But just
put this matter of building roads on
the same basis that the tax for our
public schools are on, where the peo
ple vote the tax, and see how quick
we will have hard surfaced roads
all over the state ?
Now, Mr. Best if you are in favor
of good roads, as you say you are,
what difference should it make to
you as to how you get it, whether
through the supervision of the Coun
ty Court or through the supervision
of the State Highway Department,
working in conjunction with the Com
missioners, as prescribed in this Act?
Under the act as originally passed,
the building of the road was assured,
but I fear the plan you have cham
pioned will materially prolong con
struction, if not altogether kill the
road. The people who have stood for
the construction of the road were wil
ling for the Commissioners, who were
named in the Act, to build it and
those who have advocated supervision
by the County Court, are the same
bunch who have been instrumental in
trying to have the Act repealed. So
it would seem to me that you believe
County Court Supervision is equiva
lent to killing.
I am not afraid of the judge in
this matter, because I believe him to
be in favor of good roads, and I am
sure if it falls to his lot to appoint
(Continued on Page 6)
NOTICE OF PETITION
TO CONFIRM TITLE
Independence Chancery Court,
C. C. Crisenberry, ex-partee.
Notice is hereby givep that C. C.
Crisenberry has filed a petition in the
office of the undersigned Chancery
Cleik of Independence County to con
lirm and quiet title to the following
described lands in Independence coun
ty, Arkansas, to-wit:
‘‘The West half of the South West
quarter of Section 3G, Township 14,
North, Range 7 West, containing 80
acres.”
And all persons who have or claim
any title to said lands are hereby
warned to appear in said Court on the
first day of the December Term
thereof, 1910, and show cause if any
they have, why the title of said pe
titioner to said lands should not be
confirmed.
Given under my hand and seal this
14th day of October, 1919.
10-16-6t B. F. ADAMS,
Clerk of the Chancery Court.
MARTIN-CRESSWELL
W. C. Martin of this place and Miss
Zella Cresswell of McRae, were mar
ried at the home of the bride at Mc
Rae on Wednesday evening, Rev. J.
E. Snell officiating.
Mr. Martin is the efficient manag
er of the Yeatman-Gray Grocer Com
pany of this place and is a young
man of sterling worth and splendid
business character, while the bride
is one of White county’s most esti
mable young ladies.
The Journal most heartily joins
their wide circle of friends in ex
tending congratulations, and in wish
ing these splendid young people a
full measure of all the good thigs
of life.
FINE ENTERTAINMENT
The play given at the High School
Auditorium last night, “Mrs. Tubbs
from Phanvytown,” by pupils ot' the
Batesville High School was exception
ally good. The cast was under the
direction of Mrs. Blandford, and the
play was pronounced by the large au
dience to be a decided success.
NOTICE
All persons indebted to us on black
smith inp are kindly asked to come
in at once and settle We need the
---
CIRCUIT COURT NEXT WEEK
The fall term of the Independence
Circuit Court will convene at Bates
ville next Monday,
money. FINK BROTHERS.
ALL FIREARMS IN
HELENA ARE SEIZED
CIRCUIT JUDGE ISSSUES ORDER
AS RESULT OF RECENT
RACE TROUBLE
Helena, Oct. 15.—Acting under or
ders from Circuit Judge J. H. Jack
son, deputies under Sheriff F. F. Kit
chen, today completed search of hard
ware stores and other places of busi
ness in Phillips county for firearms
and ammunition In most cases it
was found that proprietors and man
agers had boxed their stock of rifles,
shot guns, pistols and ammunition and
turned them over to the sheriff.
The order was issed by Judge Jack
son in connection with the recent in
surrection of negroes in the lower
part of the county.
It was said in authoritative quar
ters today that of the several hun
dred negroes held for taking part in
the insurrection approximately 100
will be held for trial on charges of
murder, accessory to murder, rioting
and inciting riot. The evidence again
st them, it is said, is very strong.
Trial of the alleged insurrectionists
will be held at the coming term of
the Phillips Circuit Court, which con
venes next Monday.
COUNTY DIRECTOR APPOINTED
Joe M. Gray of Batesville has been
appointed director for Independence
county, to have charge of the Third
Annual Red Cross Roll Call which
takes place November 2 to 11. The
! object of the roll call this year is not
so much to raise a tremendou9 fund
as it is to keep the American people
enlisted as active members of the
America Red Cross. The great pur
pose of the American Red Cross is
to serve the American people. Plans
for the future call for nation-wide ac
tivity for public health, extension of
our nursing resources, greater facili
I ties for disaster relief and to fulfill
whatever other public duties may fall
upon the Red Cross. The annual
membership costs $1, but it is the
member that is the greatest import
; ance—not the dollar.
R. C. Adams was over from Oil
Trough today on business.
Mrs. J. D. Martin of Carlisle is
spending a few days here visiting
Mr. and Mrs. F. M. Martin.
wiiiiimffiifflraiwniiittaBnmnfflnmflnfima^nmiiinnnruiiiiiiniiiiuiiHuiiimmmimiiiiiiiiiinniQnitiinrai^iiifflinnn&nnniiramimffiBnMHm
Kitchen happy
A Kitchen Helper That You Can Keep,
NMTCKK!
Of all places on top this earth where a Nap
panee Dutch Kitchenet is most needed, the big kit
chen of a farm house comes first.
And it is a fact that farmer folks, getting to be
the most well-to-do and up-to-date of our popula
tion are the ones who have the most Napanee
Dutch K^tchenets. If there are exceptions they
need not long remain so. Come in and let us show
you the many advantages this cabinet has, and then
when you have decided to take one home, you will
be a “Kitchen Happy” farmer’s wife yourself.
“The Begt For the Money”
C. W. Naxfield Co
Batesville, Arkansas