The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-08-03
LEGISLATORS To
SUPPLY THE CASH
Georgia Needs More Money 10
Keep Up the State
SCHOOLS NOT NEGLECTED
Increase Is Made in Appropriations for
Schools of the State and Funds
Are Set Aside for Farm
ers' Institutes.
SCHOOLS NOT NEGLECTED

sideration of the general appropriations
bill, which comes up Immediately fol
lowing the passage of the general tax
bill.
1t remains to be seen whether the house
will be as keen about holding down APP
preparations as 1t was in cutting down
the specific taxes reported by the ways
and means committee. The general as
sembly has long been charged with hold
ing down taxes while 1t boosts appropria
tons, despite the effort of leaders to
make It cut its garment according to
the cloth.
1t is encouraging to note, however, that
the total appropriations recommended by
the appropriations committee this year
are approximately $4,000 less than those
put through by the first session of the
last general assembly. Still 1t is possible
the general assembly may try to put
through some appropriations which the
committee has failed to recommend. It
has a way of doing that at times, al
though the recommendations of the COM
mittees usually carry great weight.
Practically the only increases which
the house committee has made In appro-
priations as compared with last year, are
IN the amounts given for the mainten-
ance Of eleemosynary institutions and in
stitutions of higher education. A sub
stantial increase is also recommended
In the common school fund for 1911, for
which year the figure Is put at $780,
ooo' while the appropriation for 1910 is
s2,50Ooo, the same as at present
The appropriations made for the sup
port and maintenance of the executive.
legislative and judicial departments of
state government are approximately the
same as for the last two years. The most
important change made, perhaps, is that
cutting the governors contingent fund
from $4,000 to $4,000. the latter amount
being all that Governor Brown asked
for.
The state sanitarium at Milledgeville
was given small increase in its main
tenance fund, the total being s424, 422 for
1910 and s4So,s92 for 1911. The Confed-
crate soldiers home is given an appro-
priation of $500
The State university at Athens is given
a maintenance appropriation of s37. 500
In addition to the usual appropriations
Tor the payment of interest due it by
the state, aggregating s1431414 An ap-
preparation of 5000 is made for the sum-
mer school at the State university. The
sum of $500 is given for farmers in
stitutes over the state. The Georgia
School of Technology is given 100000.
an increase of $4,000 over last year. The
Georgia Normal and Industrial college at
Milledgeville gets $4,000; the North Geor-
gia Agricultural college at Dahlonega s21. :
5V; the State Normal school at Athens
$4,000; the State College of Agriculture
at Athens $4,000, of which 10000 is to
be used for extension. work; the negro
college at Savannah gets $1,000. All of the
foregoing appropriations are for main
tenance and general expenses.
The appropriations made to other state
departments, such as agriculture ento-
moiosy' geology, penitentiary, railroad
commission, pensions, state library state
board of health, public printing and
others, are all approximately the same
as they have been for the last two years
Inc penitentiary department however
which used to get $4,000 year, taken
from the fund received from the hire of
convicts, is given this year but $4,000. the
amount which 1t asked for. The money
this year, however, comes out of the gem
y,
convict hire. The penitentiary depart
ment's expenses have materially de-
creased, OF course, since the convicts have
been turned over to the counties and
the latter pay the expense of keeping
them.
The state board of health gets s21. 500
to cover all expenses, and the state troops
are given only $4,000 annually for the
next two years. The militia was anxious
t,1<
does not seem any present hope for it.
The appropriations committee has recon-
mended comparatively few special appro-
priations About the only ones of any con-
sequence are $4,000 for investigating and
hghting the disease of cotton known as
block root, and s22 900 to give each of
the agricultural schools of the state $1,000
IN addition to the $500 a year they now
receive from fertilizer inspection fees.
Near Beer Decision.
Inc state court of appeals rendered an
interesting decision Saturday in which it
Is evident the court takes occasion to
dlscla1m any of the responsibility for the
near beer" situation in Georgia, which
has sought to be put upon It,
The judges of the court, of course de-
cline to discuss the subject, but 1t is. ap-
parent from a reading of the courts de-
cision that 1t has been somewhat net
! tied over the criticism which have been
| directed at 1t on account Of certain de-
cisions in which near beer was involved
1t seems some Of these criticisms have
grown out Of the one time famous Rob-
| ertS case in which the court only held that
| II was not unlawful for a man to keep
| beer in a private warehouse to be used
! solely In the manufacture of soft drinks
| the sale of which Is not prohibited by law
! Ihe courts decision in the Roberts case
| was widely and warmly commended; any
| other construction Of the law, it Is said
| would have driven from the state practi-
| cally every manufacturer of soda fountain
| drinks.
1t is contended that the Roberts decision
was on entirely different subject and
| had nothing whatever to do with the
| near beer situation.
The courts decision rendered today was
| in the case of Ware VS.. the State and Bat
| tie VS.. the State, two near beer dealers oil
Rome, who were convicted in that county
of selling intoxicating liquors in viola.
ttes of the state prohibition law.
policeman secured some of the So
called near beer sold by these parties and
1t was analysed and found to contain
| from to per cent of alcohol, and found
| to be Intoxicating. The defendants sought
to plead that they bought the stuff under
guarantee from the manufacturers thai
1t was Notwithstanding, and set up thai
they in good faith 80 thought 1t.
Nevertheless they we're convicted and
the state court of appeals in sustaining
the conviction holds that their showing
was not sufficient.
The court in its decision takes occasion
to discus briefly the near beer situation
in the state and the legislative intent in
the enactment Of the state prohibition
law