Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-08-22
MACON,S AMBITION.

spein y
city which stands and if to get
to WISH every Georgia would probably begin COW
citing the capitol
such matter however must be regarded from standpoint
of the interests simply question of one
y individual fortune Not what is best for Macon
Atlanta for any other single community but what is
best Georgia and for the peoples common warehat is
light which such question be viewed And when is
so considered Macons bhe proposal uproot the states
of burden with colossal debt the taxpayers
of today for years will be recognized wonderfully
ambitious, but woefuly unreasonable.
socaled capitol bill introduced at the recent
session of the legislature eleventh hour strenuousy
urged place calendar 1t hoped doubt that
the of closing days the might
through house of the general assembly, and thus acquire
a certain dignity.
that particular sally the local advocates of the bill under
took to cys remarkable claims based
These chiefly the effect that Macon the center
of the population and transportation That neither asser
ton founded indeed has logical support glance
the facts and figures in the case will prove
In of population for instance the record shows
that the present of capitol considerably nearer the
center than is Macon North of Griffin hundred and
hirtyx thousand hundred and frone registered voters
while south Griffin only hundred and thirty four
thousand hundred and sixty If GAINESVILLE be taken as the
basic point the difference noteworthy North OF
GAINESVILLE the Atlanta end there one hundred
orysx thousand four hundred and forhree registered
voters south of GAINESVILLE only hundred and
thousand, five hundred and ffty-eght.
Macon itself is taken the point of comparison VIII De
found that north city hundred and
thousand hundred and against only one
hundred and twelve thousand eight hundred and hyegn 10
the south
To contend therefore the face Of these figures that the
capitol should be moved Macon in order that be nearer
population like arguing that the axis OF the earth
should be shifted to satisfy some individuals whm
Macon the center OF ansporta
equally unfounded Into Atlanta there come each day
local passenger trains and forree through trains
and each day her stations Macon the
other hand has but eighteen local and nineteen through trains
1t is clear therefore far the pubc business
interests depend transportation facilities and upon this they
largely depend Atlanta the logical and actual center Tor
all the people of the state and located as best to serve their
convenience needs
present capitol average member of the general
bly, us just how much this Wanted difference amounts
and then determine it sufficient to warrant the tremendous
and upheaval of moving the capitol
The average shortne distance from county their
stations Atlanta hundred and
and fourenth miles The average distance Macon is
hundred and eighteen and onenth miles Thus the difference
fraction eighteen miles, less than county
BREADTH considerably less than the corporate boundaries OF
Atlanta and doubtless of Macon too.
people Georgia expected incur heavy special
upon virtual revolution simply in order that
of egatureG Surely this proposal ambition has
away with common sense
center of population railway facilities Atlanta and
ced for that these particulars site Is desirable
the capitol the other What then would the people of
Georgia as whole gain by this suggested transfer
would perhaps be deeply stimulated
community the town and the
citizen would rap no benefit whatever On the contrary they
would burden that would overhang them and their
children for long decades to come
The state paid million dollars present capitol build
ing that this structure duplicated in
today would less than millions and doubt
considerably because OF the great advance the
of building material and labor
The suggestion has been made that Macon would share this
expense by issuing million dollars of municipal bonds
We know whether the city, financial status and its charter
provisions would permit this to be done Nor is it by
certain that majority of its voters would consent to saddle
themselves with such debt Indeed there evidence that
any great number of Maconans regard seriously the scheme to
the capitol
Admitting, however that the difficulties in the way of this
ancfu bond could all be overcome million dollars
would furnish only beginning for capitol fund and the
people of the large who have commercial interests
whatever Macon would be called upon contribute the
remainder.
amendment would be required in order that
of other counties might impose
themselves of from three million dollars simply to
crafty the ambition of single community
Such proposition will scarcely appeal to the hundreds of
workngmen who
particular of special interests that would
receive any benefit.