Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-26

ton Of their homes and lives Several
OF such threatened outrages have been
perpetrated through the dynamiting OF
houses besides the burning OF one store
l am reliably informed that quite
number OF farms in Forsyth County
nave been practically abandoned this
year for lack Of labor. which has fed
before these threats. The State can not
tolerate such a condition Of affairs. She
can not allow even a Just resentment
against lawless individuals TO take the
shape Of wholesale intimidation Of labor
necessary for the conduct OF farms and
Industrial enterprises
There Is no reason why farms should
lost their productive power and why
The White women OF this State should
be driven to the cook stoves and wash
pots simply because certain people blind
iy strike down all Of one class in re
taliation for the nefarious deeds Of in
dlvlduals IN that class. The application
~ the law is 10 the individual who viO
lates 1t, and all who are law abiding
are entitled TO and must have the pro-
lection Of the law
1, therefore, recommend the enactment
" a statute which will meet the situa-
ton above indicated, and punish all who
would impair the powers Of honest la
Dor. The penalty for dynamiting or
burning residences should be fixed at
5000 for each ohense, and rewards Of
such amounts, not greater than 5000
per person, should be authorized for the
arrest, with proof TO convict. Of every
one guilty Of posting threatening no
Ices or using other measures for in
timidating people and driving them from
their homes
Railroad Commission Reduction.
Unnecessary offices which levy addi-
'ional taxes upon the people should be
1bolished. II Is against public polity
% maintain sinecures. I, therefore, re-
'pectfully recommend 10 your honorable
bodies the reduction Of the membership
~ the Railroad a..
members to three.
When II is considered that only one
member Of the five Is required by law
70 devote his entire time to the service
or the office, and that the larger num-
Der OF members makes that body cum
bersome, as well as needlessly expen-
ilve, II is patent that n is TO the States
interest to reduce the number OF Com
missloners. and also 10 dispense with
ne onice Of special attorney for the
Railroad Commission
] will add that the Interstate Com
merce Commission has assumed the au-
thority to raise intrastate rates when Il
seems that these rates inturiously affect
Interstate rates. The lower courts have
upheld that Commission In this action
The Supreme Court OF the United States
has practically upheld this position in
recent decision, hence II would appear
that blow has been struck the Rail
road Commissions of the States In such
event il would clearly be a waste Of the
five members on this Commission for the
purpose mainly Of supervising the occa-
sonal building Of depots and the collec-
ton OF statistical information
Furthermore, IT is well known that the
number of members OF this Commission
was increased I'm 1907 for the purpose
or installing what were termed port
rates Yet, although the advocates of
port rates have been In the majority
on the commission from September 1901
to June, 1908, and from November, 1911
TO this date, there has been no effort
made by the Commission to even pro-
rates" have been proven to be a cam
paign theory, which II is impracticable
TO make effective, II is manifestly con.
trary to the public interest to maintain
fVe members on this board at the eX-
pense Of the taxpayers.
Criminal Law Reform.
Inasmuch as our penal laws have
undergone little change during tho past
half century, II might be timely for YOU
10 make inquiry looking to amendments
necessltated by changed conditions and
modern developments.
/ wish TO direct your attention to one
important change that is needed In
cases where prison penal
ties with alternative fines are imposed
leave should be given for payment OF
the tine, or the pro rata portion Of the
me due at any time before the compile
tion Of the prison or chaingang sen
ltNtfs III MOST court lhElkNlEtlNUS III is
held that once the fine alternative is re-
iected, and the period for accepting It
elapsed, the fine can not be paid except
by communication from this office. In no
case viii they pro rate the penalty, de-
Quoting. as they do in cities, for the pc.
riod Of time served by the prisoner.
This is manifestly unjust. amounting
to special penalty on poverty and
misfortune A great many persons are
unable to raise the amount OF the al
tentative fine when II is imposed upon
them, but later do raise II, or a suffi-
Client amount allowing for the time
served. to meet the intent of the SEN
tence imposed. The only way they can
get relief is by coming to the Execu-
tive Office with applications for Glenn
ency, which puts them to unnecessary
expense and this office to much trouble,
all Of which could be obviated by your
providing an automatic method for pris-
oners to pay their fines at any time be.
fore sentence is completed.
Pardon CLERK Recommended.
Applications for executive clemency
are becoming more and more burden
some on the Executive Office. During
the past eighteen months this office has
been forced to consider nearly 1000 of
such appeals Outside the assistance
rendered by the Prison Commission. the !
Executive Office each week is forced to
read and answer scores of letters, and J
see or otherwise deal with scores of call |
ers relating to such applications. has
much as the Constitution places full re-
5ponslbility in these matters on the Gov !
ernor. he Is in duty bound to examine !
each record and TO make such investi- |
cations and inquiries in addition to
those made by the Commission as he
thinks proper
The result is that this work takes up
a large proportion OF the time OF the |
Executive Office. precluding attention TO |
other important business. In addition !
to this, lack OF time makes 1t impossi- !
BILE for this office to pursue investigation |
OF many cases as thoroughly as their I
Importance demands
Therefore, / recommend that you pro- |
vide the Governor with a pardon clerk, |
or attorney who shall devote his entire !
time to assisting in handling applica- |
uons for executive clemency,
Better Tax Assesslnq
Again permit me to repeat the recon- |
mendauon made in my general message |
Of last year and previous ones during !
former administration, relative to the
urgent need Of a better method of as
sesslng property for taxation.
All who have studied the question !
agree that II property now escaping
taxation and other property bearing
less than its equitable burden were re-
CURED TO contribute their just part to
the support of the State government our
revenues would be augmented to the
extent of the deficit. which is now Of
serious consequence.
IL is but simple honesty to demand
that all property be required to bear its
Just share Of the expenses of the gov
which gives IL protection
Therefore, ! recommend that you amend
NE tax law so as to provide a method