United States Post office
PINEVIEW, N. C.

W. BARNETT, Postmaster

July 8 1918

F. M. McKay 
Chairman Local Board Harnett Co.
Duke N.C.

Dear Sir:-

I have taken up the matter referred to in a careful way and made a thorough investigation and am sure there is no truth in the charges against Colton Douglas.

I went over to his farm yesterday without betraying my mission and found by his own labor that he had about 20 acres of fine corn, about 5 acres of very good cotton & about the same amount of other grain besides a very good garden for the House. I talked to his wife & was satisfied they were both pulling together in harmony. This she assured me.

I find however he has been active in opposing a special school tax for the district in which he lives & this appears to be the cause of the complaint against him to get him away. To explain, there was a special election for a special school tax for the school district No 4 held at Pineview N.C.

The majority of citizens opposed for reason that as there was no special need for it as there was only one family of established citizens within the two mile limit who had children there being a school at Johnsonville that could accomodate the balance.

The election was held & reported by the committee & Registrar, that the election for special tax was carried by a majority of two.

This the real majority of voters considered a false report & one of them C. A. Cameron went down to Lillington to report the true condition. They refused to consider it so Colton Douglas at the request of the voters went to Lillington to present a sworn statement from 14 of the voters which clearly gave a majority against the tax.

The Board refused to consider the matter even then. So at the request of the voters he presented the matter to a lawyer Mr. E. F. Young of Dunn N.C. who went before the Board & soon had the matter reverted.

The majority of voters desire to know why the School Committee J. H. Johnson, S. A. Cameron & W. N. Holmes who had sole charge of this election should report to the Board at Lillington that a majority of two carried the election when really a majority of 4 voted against it & to help their side allowed a negro to vote.

The Board at Lillington has ordered another election & many of the citizens consider that they & the old committee are still trying to carry the election by extending the district to take in some who will likely vote for the tax & cut out what they can

Hence the attack on Colton Douglas

Yours &c respectfully

W. Barnett p m