Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1901-10-24
GOVERNORS MESSAGE
TO THE LEGISLATURE
A VERY STRONG PAPER SUBMIT.
TED ON AFFAIRS OF
THE STATE.

dalton with a brief prologue TO the erect
that the state is in an especially flourish
ing industrial condition.
The taxable values of the property of the
state has increased forty-three and half
millions Of dollars In the last three years, and
than that OF Georgia, she having had no diff
iculty In borrowing TO pay arrearages due her
teachers up TO the limit prescribed in the
constitution, and at the remarkably low rate Of
per cent per annum, and this too, from her
own banks not dollar having been borrowed
outside her own borders.
For full and detailed information as to
the operation of the various departments
of the state, the governor refers the gen.
eral assembly to the reports of the heads
of those various departments. He takes
occasion, however, to declare that all Of
them have been ably and economically
conducted, and that several, notably the
university, are flourishing now as they
never fiourished before.
CONDITION OF THE TREASURY.
From the reports Of the comptroller and the
treasurer, herewith submitted, II will be seen
that the total receipts at the treasury for the
fiscal year ending on the 30th day OF September
were s., S04 1876 and the total disbursements for
the same period We're 50, 4S9, 6l9. The amount OF
was $50 722 Of this amount siO0 900 was sink
ing fund and S444, EOS was money derived from
the sale of public property, and Is not availa-
In the treasury available for general purposes
September Goth was s1Se.5i4.
state treasury made at the last session. of the
general assembly, including SIS 900 TO pay PEN
sions 70 INDECENT widows OF deceased Confed-
crate soldiers, is So 706 000 The total estimated
receipts at the treasury from all sources at
the maximum rate OF taxation allowed by the
tax act for the present year will be ss.56s. 600
Thus IL will be seen that the appropriations ex-
pensions are to be paid for the present year to
INDECENT widows OF deceased soldiers.
But the appropriation Of 900 for the public
10 meet the demands upon Il: the appropria-
lions for pensions fell short s. 40, and that for
aggregating nearly SlT, 900, must be added to
the $40, 900 deficiency, which gives us total
deficiency Of S157. 900 for the present year, II
pensions are to be paid to the INDECENT widows
But the presumption is that the general as
sembly did not intend that these pensions should
be paid this year unless there should be in the
treasury surplus unapproprtated sufncient 10
pay them for me act OF APPROPRIATION Saa e ,..
OF any money In the treasury not otherwise APP
propriated.'' II this construction of the act Is
correct and II was the intention OF the gem
eral assembly TO pay them next year, but not
20 pay them this. unless there was a sufficient
unappropriated surplus in the treasury TO DO
so. the actual deficiency to be met this year is
s7i, OO0 aside from about $780, 600 which viii be
due the teachers in the public schools and $780,
900 money borrowed and paid TO them.
For next year, 1902 the deficiency VIII De
this amount augmented by $4,000 to pay pen
sions 70 ISIS new pensioners, including the
INDECENT widows, whose names have been added
to the pension rolls during the year; s24 600 to
the support OF the state troops; in all a total
deficiency for the year 1902 Of no new appro-
priattOns- are made at this SESSION. OF A1o5,VVV
This year we have had to pay for no insurance
all the state property being covered by policies
taken out IN ISIS nor was "a, anySa s,5's SpPfrSo
state. troops havipg been .suppQrted this year
out of the approIri ton made tor tnelr suppots
diverted temporarily 20 the payment OF exc
penses in organizing troops for the war with
Spain and subsequently refunded TO the state
by the general government.
There are three ways in which It is possi-
BILE to meet these defciencies-raise your rate
OF taxation, reduce some Of the appropriations
made at your last session or apply the public
property fund now in the treasury TO the pay
Inent OF the interest on the public debt. The
first Of these should not be considered. The
lowered, not raised. The second, while it is
practicable. VIII probably be deemed inexpe-
dent by the general assembly. we, therefore,
have left for consideration only the third the
use In payment OF the interest on the public
debt OF the fund derived from the sale OF pub
This fund is dedicated by the constitution
'to the payment OF the bonded debt of the
purpose whatever" II the. semi-annual In
stallments OF interest We pay on the bonded
no doubt about our lawfully using this fund to
pay interest. In that event the money raised
by taxation for the purpose Of paying interest
ciencies and we at the same time even
lower the rate OF taxation, for the amount OF
money now in the treasury derived from the
sale Of public property is larger than the total
amount OF all the deficiencies except that In
the school fund.- to meet which plan is sug-
gested elsewhere. My own opinion is that the
Interest on the debt is a part OF the debt, and
that the public property fund can, without VIC
tuition be applied TO the payment Of interest
TIL all of it has been applied in this way.
can be made clearly to appear that the inter
Sond I debt as contempiated N tie eonstitu-
ton, an act be passed authorizing and direct
the treasury derived from the sale of public
property, or so much thereof as may be nee
terest on the bonded debt, and that the money
which will be realized under the provisions OF
the tax act approved December q, 1900 intend
ed to be applied to the payment of the Inter
est on the bonded debt. be used TO supply the
deficiencies in revenue for the years 1901 and
PENSION APPROPRIATIONS DEFICIENCY.
AS has already been stated, there was de-
Se present sns yeST az 81 2 90 IN ths
appropriation for disabled Confederate soldiers
and s. $40 in that for widows of deceased sol
dlers. To devise means to meet these dehcien-
cies i called into consultation the attorney
general. the presiding officers OF the senate
and house Of representatives and the chairmen
OF the appropriation committees Of the two
imously agreed that It was the intention of the
legislature to make provisions for the payment
Of all whose names were on the pension rolls
and that the deficiency was due to miscalcula-
lions. BY the advice OF the officers above
named, following an established precedent. 1
by executive orders directed the treasurer to
transfer to the pension funds named S5,72O TO
meet the deficiencies and to pay all Of the
were due. To cover the amounts thus paid out
In excess OF the amounts appropriated at your
last session for these two classes OF pensioners,
I ask the general assembly to make supple
mental appropriation at this session.
He submits figures and statements to
show the utter inadequacy Of the contin-
gent fund. and urges that rewards be not
longer paid from IL. but from the fund
arising from the hire of convicts.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
1t Is my duty again to call the attention Of
h nrnN ~ - fUFn WNs.
working OF our common school system. For
many years past the funds collected by taxa
ton for the support OF the schools In any given
year have had 10 be applied almost entirely
70 the payment OF teachers for work done the
year before thus leaving but little to support
the schools for the current year. To remedy
this evil as far possible the legislature In
1897 passed an act authorizing the treasurer to
advance to the school fund out Of the general
fund I'm the treasury the LIST day of April
In each year 500. 600 to be returned to the
general fund out Of the school taxes when coll
iected during the following fall and winter.
This he was able to do, because there
always In the treasury the LIST day OF April
the sinking fund OF si00. O00 and the fund de-
rived from the sale OF public property approx
imatinR $500 600. both dedicated to the pay
ment OF the bonded debt, neither of which
amount loaned TO the school fund IN the spring
would be paid back. In this way. and by re-
sorting In two instances 10 temporary loans, the
teachers were partially paid. but for the bulk
OF their earnings they had TO walt till the
end q the year the beginning 81 he prpE-