The Savannah morning news., 1902-10-24
THE LAST MESSAGE
OF GOV. GAMBLER TO THE GEN.
ERAL ASSEMBLY.
CONDITION OF THE STATE.
HEALTH AND PROSPERITY
THROUGHOUT GEORGIA.


Them Taxation, the Pension Sys-
tenn, the Convict Lease system and
the Constitution ItseIf-Gov. Cam
dIer's Account of His Stewardship
of Four Years.
Atlanta, Oct. 2S.-The final mes
sage of Gov. Allen D. Gambler to the
Legislature is as follows:
To the Senate and House of Repre-
scntatives: In transmitting to you my
last annual message congratulate you
on the suspicious circumstances which
surround you. During the year which
is approaching its close prosperity in
all branches of business has blessed the
people of our state. Our farmers. upon
whom those engaged in all other
branches of business so largely de-
pend, have been fairly prosperous. La
Dor has been employed at fair wages,
and we have had no conflicts such as
have marred the prosperity and tran
quillity of sister states between en-
ployers and employes.- Money for all
legitimate enterprises has been album
dant. Business in all the avenues Of
trade has been good. Invested capital
has yielded fair remuneration to its
holders. No scourge or pestilence has
and our colleges have never been in
better condition nor done better work.
Our state debt. already SMALL is being
steadily reduced. The volume of prop
erty returned for taxation is steadily
increasing. and the rapid rise in the
state rate of taxation which marked
the years from 1888 TO 1898 has been
arrested, and the annual tax rate has
been reduced. All of our state institu-
q re in crnnA nd 10
ing well and efficiently the work for
which they were intended. and upon
the whole Georgia occupies an envia-
bic position in the sisterhood of states.
Finance AMI Taxation.
AS will be seen from the reports of
the Controller General and the Treasu-
rer, herewith transmitted, the total re-
ceipts at the Treasury for the fiscal
year ending Sept. 80. were 1886, 1853.
and the total disbursements for the
same period s4,105, 705. This excess of
disbursements over receipts is due to
the fact that in order to pay as far as
possible arrearages due teachers and to
pay new pensioners admitted to the
rolls, for whose payment no provision
had been made. the General Assembly
al its last session authorized the use
in payment of the interest on the
bonded debt of a part of the money
accumulated in the Treasury in the
past from the sale of public property.
The kalnount thus applied was $325. $50.
But for this extraordinary disburse-
ment the receipts would have exceeded
the disbursements $219.532.
The receipts include $50, 900 II became
necessary to borrow in June, in order
to enable the treasurer to paw the
teachers in the common schools for two
months of their work in the first half
OF the present year. Last year to be
able to pay them for two months work
we had to borrow 5000, 00O This wear
TO meet all other expenses, including
largely increased pension roll, and nav
teachers for two months a loan of only
$4,000 was necessary, but this year
the rate of interest was higher. Last
year, as was shown by his report, the
treasurer borrowed from Georgia
banks at per cent. per annum This
year when 1t became necessary to
borrow l requested him to again en-
deayor to borrow from the home
banks at low rate of interest. He
applied to them, but while they mani
rested disposition to accommodate
the state, it was, with two exceptions.
at rates varying from per cent. to (
per cent. They all assigned as a fea-
Son Tor the high rate of interest de-
manded by them the absorption in the
channels of trade of the large sur
pluses they had in their vaults a wear
before when they loaned to the state
at per cent, and the active demand
OF tneir customers for money growing
out OF the revival of business. After
this unsuccessful effort to place the
loan In home banks at a rate of in
teLest satisfactory to me, / placed IL
with the National Park Bank of New
oftf an 215 per cent, which was the
lowest rate obtainable in that civ
This is a very low rate, considering
.ne demands on the New York banks
during the year. sAs funds have been
so heavy that call loans have fire.
quently been made to their regular
customers on the best collateral at is
per cent to 20 per cent, and some
times even at higher rate
Inc aggregate taxable value of all
the property in the State including
railroads. is ,S467 $50. This is an in
crease over last year of $40, 755. TAG. The
rate of taxation for the present wear
was fixed by the Government and
Controller-General at $500 on the
thousand dollars. This rate will WELD
a sufficient amount to meet all ordinary
demands on the treasury for the next
year,
1t ts gratifying 10 be able to report
TO the representatives of the peonIe
that the rapid advance in the States
rate OF taxation which began in 1889.
when the tax rate was $3.50 on the
thousand Hand eliminated in 1898 at
S6.2l, the highest rate ever paid by the
people Of Georgia, has been, as else
where stated, arrested and indeed re-
duced during the last four years to an
average of $5.30h per thousand. This is
q saving to the taxpayers of 81. 600 600
IN Tour years, sixteen hundred thousand
dollars less than they would have maid
had the rate remained 1921. This re-
duction has been rendered possible not
outstanding largely increased appro-
Priations for pensions and schools. and
special appropriations for new build
mgs at the University, the School of
Technology and the State Sanitarium.
partly by the most rigid. economy in
other public expenditures and partly
by the increase in the property return
ed for taxation.
In this connection / am glad TO he
able to say that all the appropriations
made by the last Legislature have been
sufhcient to meet the demands on them
and there will be no deficiencies for
you TO provide for at this session. In
deed, there will, be in some of the ap-
preparations for the present year small
unused balances which will revert to
the treasury.
rs State Institutions.
The attention of senators and rem
resentatives is invited to the reports
or the various state institutions which
have been laid on your desks These
reports will amply repay careful peru
sal. The State University is perhaps