Click image to open full size in new tab
Article Text
FORMER OFFICIALS STANDING TRIAL ON ARKANSAS CHARGES Embezzlement Count Against One-Time Lieutenant Governor Comes to Naught. BY THOMAS J. BRANSFORD. Special Dispatch to The Star. LITTLE ROCK, Ark., November 4.Former State and county officials were in the limelight in circuit courts this week. Former Lieut. Gov. Lawrence E. Wilson was acquitted in Ouachita Circuit Court of a charge of embezzling $500 from the People's Bank of Stephens while liquidator from March 21, 1931, to November 20, 1932. This was the first of seven indictments against the former official, who was defeated for a second term. In Washington County former County Judge J. Lona Slaughter and former Circuit Clerk Pat Johnson were among nine men against whom 56 indictments were returned by the grand jury Monday. Slaughter was named in 27 of the indictments. He is charged with subornation of perjury, as was Johnson. Prosecuting Attorney J. W. Trimble said that general charges against the defendants are conspiracy to defraud and making false affidavits. $30,000 Overcharge. An audit by State Controller Griffin Smith shows that the county had been overcharged about $30,000 for bridges built during part of 1930. all of 1931 and part of 1932. Controller Smith said in his report of the audit that overcharges for work done ran from 100 to 700 per cent. Although no action ordinarily is taken under decisions of the Arkansas Supreme Court until time allowed by law for filing motions for rehearing has expired, officers of the Democratic State Central Committee certified the name of David D. Terry to the secretary of State as the party nominee for Representative from the fifth district soon after the Supreme Court handed down an opinion that a circuit judge has no authority to restrain party officials from certifying candidates on the basis of official returns from primary elections. 3,000 Votes Challenged. Action of the Supreme Court will not affect the suit filed by Brooks Hays contesting the returns from all counties in his district. Mr. Hays challenged the votes of approximately 3,000 persons in the district. most of them for the non-payment of the poll tax. According to the official returns from the run-off primary, Mr. Terry had a lead of 625 votes over Mr. Hays. Arkansas farmers will receive a much greater return for their products in 1933 than they did in 1932, according to figures compiled by T. Roy Reid. assistant director in charge of the State agricultural extension service. Cash returns for lint cotton sold this year will be approximately double those of 1932. The price of rice and other crops has been raised materially through the efforts of the Agricultural Adjustment Administration. Recovery Plans Aired. A plan for the reduction of the cotton acreage next year to about 60 per cent of the five-year average acreage has been announced, calling for rental benefits to farmers ranging from $3 to $11. The long-time corn and hog control plan will soon be started and calls for participating farmers to reduce corn acreage 20 per cent and litters of pigs to be farrowed 25 per cent. Along with efforts to aid farmers. railroads in the State were given a chance to regain a part of their business lost to truck lines when the Arkansas Corporation Commission issued an order reducing intrastate less-thancarload rail rates 30 per cent up to 150 miles and making motor truck rates and rail rates the same on a mileage basis. The new rates became effective November 1. On the same date new rates on interstate rail shipments between points in Arkansas, Memphis and Southeast Missouri became effective.
