The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-13
BLALoCK is OUT FOR BLOOD.
DEPARTMENT MAY
BE SCORED.

Hints That the Committee May Make
Report That VIII Lead to steps
Being Taken to Abolish 1.-THE
Committee SHII at Work in the
Controller Generals Omce-The
Method of Keeping Track of the
Tax Payments Criticised.
Atlanta, Ca, July 12.-Of the Blalock
committee, only the chairman and Mr..
Berry attended to-day's meeting. They
continued the work on the tax books in
the controller generals Office, investigat-
ing more particularly the payment Of the
professional tax by railway officials.
After the days work was over Chair
man Blalock said that their task had been
a hard one; that in many instances it was
next to impossible to tell who had paid
and who had not
"The tax laws need TO be simpified,"
he said, and harmonic. The present
patchwork is entirely out Of date"
There is no doubt that the committee
will recommend to the legislature a COM
plete revolution along this line.
All capitation taxes should be re-
urnable and payable at a common point"
he added, INSTEAD of being scattered over
the various Counties
The system of paying out the county
school fund, which is too slow to put the
teachers promptly in possession of their
salaries, was also freely criticised. Mr..
Blalock thought these persons the worst
paid of all public servants.
He was also dissatisfied because the
county boards, which some times do not
draw from the treasury the full quota Of
the educational fund did not appear to be
notified of the balances due them. Mr..
Berry thought too much of the fund went
to pay the expenses of the county boards.
Criticism was also expressed of the man
ner of taking the school census. In Worth
county it was objected that the school at
tendance has increased tremendously if not
actually doubled since the last count
The old charge that Mr. Bialock wants
to take away the federal agriculture
appropriation from the branch college at
Athens and established an Independent
school al Griffin to which it shall go. was
discussed by Dr. J. 3. Hunncut of the
Athens institution is quoted as saying to
the college authorities that he would no
longer be "a party to the farce of apply
ing the money intended for agricultural
training to the university"
Mr.. Blalock this afternoon talked as if
he might have a Ratchet about him that
he would not reluctantly use to lop away
the agricultural appropriation from the
university.
Some significant remarks were made
too. concerning the failure of building and
loan associations to deposit 70 per cent
of their securities with the state treasurer
as required by law.
outside the committee there was more
talk eff asking the resignation of the state
geolOgist and the still more important
prediction that the agricultural depart
ment might be abolished on the strength
of the committees report. The investiga-
tors are outspoken In regard to the unfair
ness which they claim has been practiced
on the farmers by fertilizer manufactur-
ers under the existing methods of inspec-
ton, but war has not openly been declared
against the existence of the department
that conducts the work. Rather than have
no inspection at all, the committee may
decide that even an imperfect system had
best be tolerated