The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1907-08-29
SMITH FIRES BROWN
Georgia Governor Suspends
Railroad Commissioners.
ACTION IS SENSATIONAL
S, G.. McLendon is Immediately APP
pointed to Fill Vacaaey-Govsrn-
or Gives No Reason in the
Order for His Action.

Hon. Joseph NJ. Brown, one Of
Georgia's railroad commissioners, was
suspended from Office Wednesday
morning by Governor Smith.
Hon. S. Guyton McLeudon Of Thcm-
asville, elected last fall to succeed
Commissioner Brown at the expiration
of his term, October Is, was immedi-
ately appointed to succeed the sus-
pended official.
Commissioner Brown was immedi-
ately served with copies Of the order
in his Office. He took the matter very
quietly.
sMr. McLendcn drove to the capitol
about 1880 O'Clock Wednesday morn
ing and was sworn in by Governor
Smith. This action placed him in at1-
thority in less than two hours after
his appointment.
The section Of the code under which
the governor predicated his action in
suspending Commissioner Brown is as
follows:
ANY commissioner may be sus.
pended from Office by order Of the
governor who shall report the fact
of such suspension and the reason
therefor to the next general assembly,
and if a majority Of each branch Of
the general ASSEMBLY, declare that said
commissioner shall be removed from
office, his term Of Office shall expire.
The governor shall have the same
power to fill vacancies in the oiace OF
commissioner as to fill other vacan-
cies, and if for any reason said CONF
missioners are not appointed during
the present session Of the general as
sembly, the governor shall appoint
thsm thereafter and report to the next
senate, but the time until then shall
not be counted as part Of the term
of Office of said commissioners, re-.
spectively, as herein provided"
There are various surmises as to.
the causes leading up to Governor
Smiths action In his campaign and
since his election the governor stated
repeatedly that it was his purpose to-
have commission in conformity withs
his views, and that if any commis-
sioner failed to do his duty he would
suspend him from Office.
Several contributcry5 causes are be-
lieved to have act1ated the chief e1-
ecHive Commissioner Brown has
given out various interviews recently
to SHOW that freight reduction means.
nothing to the consumer, but that 1t
simply puts the money in the hands.
of the manufacturer and the whole
saler.
He also dissented from the majority
opinion of the commission in the pas
senger rate reduction, effective Sep
tember 2. He adhered to the zone sys-
TEN, and when the majority opinion
was fled, put on record dissent that
agreed only in part with the finding OF
the other two members. It is believed
that Governor Smith felt that Commis-
sioner Brown was in the main opposed
to the reforms desired BY him, and in
eorsed by the masses at the polls. y
- Under the act authorizing the re-
moval OF a commissioner, it will be
noted that the governor is required to
specifically set forth his reason to the
general assembly. This canont be
done now until the next session. Com
missioner Browns term would have
expired on October 18th next.
Commissioner Joseph NJ. Brown was
elected a member of the railroad COM
mission on August IS, 1904. He came
to the Office with twenty years of rail-
road experience back of him in ,the
service of the Western and Atlantic,
both when the property was operated
by the state and after it passed under
the control of the Louisville and Nash
vile.
AS a rate expert, he ranks higa;
many considering him one Of the best
rate experts in the country. He has
been a deep student Of tariffs, traffic.
and all matters apparetaining to the
| business.
While a student in Harvard, Mr.
Browns eyesight failed, and for long
while it was feared he would be to-
tally blind. It left him with perma-
nent eye trouble.
News of the suspension Of Commis-
sioner Brown spread rapidly through
the capitol and the city, creating a sem
satiop.