The Brunswick daily news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1903-1906, 1904-06-15
HART MAKES A
LENGTHY REPORT
What Georgia's Attorney
General will Submit to
Legislature
TOUCHES MANY SUBJECTS
A Synopsis of What Will be Said in
the Report, Which has Just Been
Issued by This Popular
Official

Atlanta. June 1.-THE annual report
of Attorney General John c. Hart
which will be transmitted to the legis
latWe through Governor Terrell, is
Just from the press and ready for dis.
ribution. The report covers only the
last seven months Of last year on ac-
count oil the fact that he made his
last report up to June 1, 1908.
Attorney General Hart's report deals
in The first place with the Duektown
copper mine trouble. in which it be,
came necessary for the state to pro,
ceed against the copper mines at Duck
town, Tenn, to prevent the complete
destruction of vegetation in the north.
ern counies OF the state. The outcome
of this litigation is well known the
state having secured the promise of
the mining companies to cease roast,
ing the sulphur and copper ore in the
open air. The new process viii do
away with the poisonous gases which
We're SO destructive to the vegetation.
With regard to the school land eases
in which the state sought to recover
title to certain lands in the southern
part Of the state which was set apart
by the legislature Of 1918 Tor school
purposes Judge Hart.Seports:
4 had hoped this time 10 have
been, o9gn able pie to ort That , all CASES ip
The recovery of lots Of land M IL
and 100 IN each surveyors district
reserved by the state and set apart for
the education Of poor children, evil
denced by the act Of 1878, page 3o5
would have been satisfactorily adjust
ed. There are, however a number
Of cases still pending most of them
resting under submission in conforms
ity with an act passed by the legisla
tnre at its last session. viz, the act
approved August 17,1903, page SO acts
of 1908, This act was passed in view
Of the suggestion made in my first
annual report calling attention to the
fact that legislation was needed by
which claimants might set up equit
/ able rights not allowable by strict
legal pleading, Prior to this recon-
mendation the litigation instituted had
developed that a number of persons in
| posses ion of these lands had in good
faith purchased and erected valuable
improvements thereon, yet, they did
not, in point Of fact, have a good title
against the state. A number of liti
gants took advantage of this last act
providing for submission to arbitration
and the arbitrators have heard the
evidence and argument of counsel
though have not yet rendered their
award Your excellency appointed
Hon. y. V. Whiprle, Of Cordele, as ar
bitrator in behalf OF the state. In
the Coffee county cases defendants
named Hon W. M. Toomer, of Way
cross, and these two named as third
arbitrator, Hon. w II. Gritin of Val
dosta."
During the year several of these
school land cases were comprised and
money paid into the state to the ex
tent Of $1,sl8.2b.
one Of the most interesting features
Of Judge Hart's report relates 10 the
franchise tax. On this subject he
says:
AS stated in my last report | was
Of the opinion that the act passed by
the Legislature, approved on the 17th
OF December, 1902, known IS the fran
cbise tax act, was constitutional, The
act was successfully put in operation
and return Of franchise epproximat
ing in value $13,O00O00 was levied
and collected last year. have repre-
sented the state in a number Of cases
of appeal to the board of arbitrators
from the assessments Of the eomptrol
Ter general. In this way have grown
quite familiar with the law and itf
practical enforcement and as a result
/ deem it appropriate TO make the sug
gestion that the legislature should pro
vide system, having for its object
uniformity in the assessment Of fran
chise valuations. The present methoC
Of creating a board of assessors aftei
difference between the corporation
and the comptroller general, is no
altogether satisfactory. The awards
made by the different boards have
brought forth criticism, in that it pro
duces inequalities in the assessmen
Of values. This is due to the fac
| that the personnel OF the boards diffo