The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-24
CHANGES KILLED
 BY INVESTIGATION Hudson Is Eliminated From
 GubernatOrial Race POLITICS IN GEORGIA Fee System May Be Abolished in Full ton County-Senate Committee
 Delays Confirming the Gov
 ernor's Appointments
POLITICS IN GEORGIA

Atlanta. July 2s-(Special.)-It it ex- pained that the reason why Commission CT T. G. Hudson's friends supported the Ault resolution, proposing an investiga- ton of the department of agriculture, when 1t was in the house, and then sought to defeat it by amendment in the senate, vas that they did not perceive the poli- ties in it until after 1t had been passed by the house and was before the senate for action.
 m the latter body Senator J. E. Shep- rard, who is from MT. Hudson's home county, Sumter, declared that the reso- lution was being used by Mir. Hudson 8 enemies as a club to accomplish his po- litcal death. And yet Senator Sheppard voted for 1t; so did every other senator whether MT. Hudson's friends or not. Po- litically they did not feel that they could go on record against it.
 With it's unanimous passage by both houses, Governor Smith will, of course, have to approve 1t, and 1t Is stated the ,int committee to conduct the investiga- ton will be appointed by the respective pre- siding officers some time next week.
 Just what the investigation is going to reveal is at present a matter of sur mise. In fact, little is known about the operations of the department, for there is no legal requirement upon 1t to make periodic report of its expenditures and operations. But among other things men, toned is the extensive employment of fer tilizer and oil inspectors, kept upon the departments salary list, combined with the charge that the inspection system has been used to build up political machine. The law puts no limit upon the number of inspectors employed, and possibly the only questions before the Investigating committee in this connection will be whether or not the department has dis tributed sinecures and whether the in- as a political machine
 The Investigating committee Is empow- cred to meet during the legislative vaca- ton and is not called upon to make it's report until the next session of the gem eral assembly.
 It is generally considered that as a re- suit of this legislative action Mir Hudson has been completely eliminated from the race for governor at this time. What op- portunity will remain open to him in that direction in the future remains to be seen.
 While the abolition of the fee system has been advocated for county officials for many years, there has never been any actual legislation on the subject. It would appear that Fulton county is about to iAke the lead in the natter
 In@the last county primary the question was submitted to vote of the people, and 1t carried overwhelmingly As a result there has been introduced in the legislature bill proposing to substitute salaries for fees in Fulton county, and since it has received the popular indorse- ment, there is practically no question as to it's enactment.
 Most of the officials who will be affect ed by the measure. favor it, or profess to do so, while others are silent.
 Many of Fulton's county officers, partic- Ailarly those who have bene reelected term after term, have accumulated small but comfortable fortunes from the fee system. It has generally been believed that the clerk and sheriff have enjoyed receipts of between $10000 and $20,0O0 a year; in fact, opinion has inclined more toward the latter figure as the correct one.
 The pending bill proposes to give each oi the county officials except the tax re- cever, who is to get S4000, salary of $50O0 year. This includes clerk sheriff, or dinary. solicitors of superior court. city courts and tax collector. Deputies are to be employed and paid salaries fixed by the officials they serve, and the balance of the fees collected are to be turned into tle county treasury.