Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-25

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/ number Of farms in Forsyth County
! have been practically abandoned this
/ year for lack Of labor which has fled
! before these threats. The State can not
/ tolerate such condition Of affairs. She
I 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
] ~ strike down all Of one class in re-
| taliatlOn for the nefarious deeds OF in
dividuals in that class The application
| u the law is TO the Individual who vio-
l lates IL, and all who are law abiding
are entitled TO and must have the pro-
| lection Of the law.
| l, therefore. recommend the enactment
Of 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
| $500 for each offense, and rewards Of
| 5uch 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
| their homes
| Unnecessary offices which levy addi-
| tional taxes upon the people should be
abolished. IL ia against public polity
| 10 MAINTAIN sinecures. /, therefore. re-
spectfully recommend to your honorable
| bodies the reduction Of the mem bership
| Of the Railroad Commission from five
members to three
When il is considered that only one
member OF the FIVE is required by law
TO devote his entire time to the service
| Of the office and that the larger num-
per Of members makes that body cum
| bersome, as well as needlessly eXpen-
slve, It Is patent that Il Is to the State 3
interest to reduce the number of Com
| missioners and also to dispense with
/ me nHice Of special attorney for the
/ Railroad Commission
l viii add that the Interstate Com
merce Commission has assumed the au-
thority to raise intrastate rates when IL
seems that these rates injuriously affect
interstate rates. The lower courts have
unpneld shat Commission in this action.
Inc supreme Court OF the United States
has practically upheld this position in
a recent decision, hence II would appear
that blow has been struck the Rail
road Commissions Of the States In such
event II would clearly be a waste Of the
peoples money to maintain as many as
fiVe members on this Commission for the
purpose mainly Of supervising the occa-
slonal building Of depots and the coilec-
ton Of statistical information.
Furthermore. II is well known that the
number Of members Of this Commission
was Increased In 1907 for the purpose
OF 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,
10 this date, there has been no effort
made by the Commission to even pro
mulgate port rates" Hence, as port
rates have been proven to be a cam
paign theory, which II is impracticable
I n m L off De- Go
| trary TO the public interest to maintain
| five members on this board at the ex-
/ pense Of the taxpayers.
Criminal Law Reform.
Ipasmuch as our penal laws have
undergone little change during the past
! halt century, 10 might be timely for YOU
10 make inquiry looking to amendments
\ necessitated by changed conditions and
modern developments
1 wish to direct your attention TO one
! important change that is needed In
misdemeanor cases where prison penal
/ ties with alternative fines are imposed
! leave should be given for payment OF
| the fine, or the pro rata portion OF the
fine due at any time before the compile
ton Of the prison or chaingang sen
tence. In most court jurisdictions Il Is
held that once the fine alternative Is re-
jeCted, and the period for accepting IL
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 theN DO IN cities, for the Pc
( Rod Of time served by the prisoner
This is manifestly unjust amounting
to a special penalty on poverty and
misfortune A great many persons are
/ unable to raise the amount OF the al
| Tentative fine when IL Is imposed upon
them, but later do raise IT, 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 10 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
see or otherwise deal with scores Of call
ers relating to such applications. Inas-
much as the Constitution places full re-
sponsibility 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
| thlNkS 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
] Importance demands.
Therefore, / recommend that you pro-
| vide the Governor with a pardon clerk,
1 or attorney who shall devote his entire
/ time 70 assisting in handling applica-
tons for executive clemency.
Better Tax Assessing.
Again permit me to repeat the recon-
mendation made in my general message
/ OF last year and previous ones during a
| former administration, relative to the
urgent need OF better method of as
sessing 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-
( quirei 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.
! II is but simple honesty to demand
/ that all property be required TO bear its
l just share OF the expenses Of the gov
eminent which gives II protection.
/ Therefore, l recommend that you amend
/ tie tax law so as to provide a method
/ taxes more just than now prevails.
Compulsory Arbitration Necessary.
During the fall OF last year there oc-
| CURED a strike by the employees Of the
| street car company in Augusta. and