The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-20
ATLANTA SUFFERS FROM BURGLARIES Houses Have Been Entered and
 Citizens Held Up FEW ARRESTS ARE MADE Question Has Arisen Regarding En- forcement of Law of Weights and
 Measures, Which Is
 Dead Letter

In that period some 50 or more houses nave been jimmied into or entered by skeleton keys operated by up-to-date gum shoe artists. while a dozen ar moro cit- lzens have been held up on the streets and
 Ill some instances successfully relieved of their money anG va1uables
 Scarcely a Gay has passed within that { period without a record of from two to m burglaries or street robberies. and there ] mas been scarcely an arrest made even on suspicion. This sort of immunity has en- outraged the midnight gentry to such an extent that they are becoming bolder in their operations, sometimes not even wait ing for night to fall before getting in their nefavious work
 The burglars have singled out certain sections of the city for their operations
 l ne majority of the burglaries on the Nofthside have occurred within an area comprising half dozen residence blocks
 Inc holdup men have not been particular about locality. and even electric lights have not interfered with them when they had game in sight. There has been con siderable criticism of the police depart ment for its failure to land on what ap- pears to be an organized band of bur glars and break up their traffic, but so lar 1t has pot been successful An Atailtan who wanted to find out something about the Georgia law relative to weights and measures and how 1t Is being enforced, applied to Judge John R. Wilkinson ordinary of Fulton county the other day and asked to see his set of standards. The ordinary informed him that he had none, and that there had been no standard weights and measures in the ordinary's office since 1881
 Inquiry demonstrates that this Is pretty ! much the case all over the state The i law requires the ordinary to keep a set of standard weights and measures, which must be the same as the United States standards, but 1t also requires that these standards shall be furnished him by the state. A further requirement is that the 1 ordinary shall mark or stamp all correct and accurate weights and measures used in the county, and persons purchasing weights and measures for use in business shall carry them to the ordinary to have them so stamped. Failure to have his weights and measures properly stamped makes a merchants bills and accounts 1 non-collectlble at law If any person com | plains of any weights and measures, 1 whether stamped or not they must be | inspected Ly the ordinary, and if found | false 1t is the duty of the grand jury to | indict
 The law specifically provides that the | governor ahall procure standards for each l county in the state which does not have | them, and then the duties of protecting | the public are put upon the ordinary. Re- l gently several ordinaries in the state have written to Governor Smith asking him to furnish tkem sets of standard weights and measures. He has invariably replied that he capnct do so because the legisla- ture has m06% no provision for paying the expense. It is said a set of standards costs something like $500.
 There is a set of standards in the of- flee of the secretary of state, but only one, and it is kept there as a record for reference. Secretary of State Philip Cook has taken much interest in the matter of correct weights and measures, and has several times attended the conventions held to deliberate on this matter in Wash ington But he Is no more able than is the governor to supply the lacking stand ards without funds. If the public ssto be protected In this respect the legislature will have 10 make the necessary appro- priation to buy the standards. There is little likelihc cd that it will do so in the present depleted condition of the state treasury.
 The sting of defeat which rankles with the followers of James c. Woodward, who was recently beaten by Robert F. Maddox for mayor, threatens to defeat Atlanta's proposed $1 LOO, 900 bond issue un- less something is done to overcome the opposition which the result of the elec- ton has aroused
 The strength of the opposition lies in the fact that 70 carry the bonds two-thirds of the voters actually registered must go to the polls and vote in their favor. It is a case wherein literally a stay at home vote is votn against the bonds.
 "If Jim Woodward had been elected would have voted for the bonds. but will not do it now" is an expression heard all most daily among his followers, and in numbers which makes the situation alarming to the bond advocates
 There is no question that Atlanta needs the bond issue. Her water works sys- tenn is unequal to the demand upon 1t, and will be still more so when the balance of the new territory is actually taken in. There are nearly 10000 residences in the city without city water or city sewer con- nections The sanitary situation is one of the most alarming aspects. In addi- ton to that the city schools are over crowded and it is practically impossible on present income to provide the neces- sary additjoba, room.
 It is proposed to devote the proceeds of the bonds 10 these three purposes, each of which mas been pronounced emergent by large committee of citizens which in- vestigated tho situation.
 The fact that Atlanta had to deal with this big bond issue was one of the argu- ments in favor of the election of Maddox. It is also evidently one of the principal reasons why the Woodward crowd pro- poses to fight it.
 The election will be held early in the year when the registration is small and upon that fact the bond advocates chiefly base their hopes.
 Atlanta seems to be taking rather se- big automobile course in this county. and then make a pull for an international au- tomobile race next fall.
 The matter has reached stage where the chamber of commerce has taken hold of it for investigations appointing com rnittee for that purpose at its meeting today The chambers real action in the matter will depend upon the report of this committee and unless 1t Is favorable it will not likely take hold of it at all.
 A 2S-mile course just to the south of Atlanta anl reaching practically to the Chattahoochee river, has been suggested. Only abou. half of it Is now paved. An other suggestion Is for a course to the north of he city This again brings up the old fight between the North and the South Sides
 So far ths project has had no encour- agement from outsiders, but prominent Atlanta citizens are getting more and .x,tt,eo m fha S,,hiaof o,1