Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-30
VETO THREAT
To HASTEN
BUDGET
Governor Declares He Must Have
Appropriations Bill Ten Days
Before Adjournment,

Governor Slaton has sent word
down the line, and it is sure to be
accepted as final, that tie Legislature
must bring out the general appror
priations bill at least ten days be-
fore final adjournment, or face the
prospect of an executive veto.
Governor Slaton is known to have
some very positive and precise ideas
Of what the general appropriation bill
should carry, and he is going to in
sist that the General Assembly toe
the mark in the matter of keeping
that bill well within the States in
come.
Heretofore the practice has been to
bring in the general appropriations
bill at the very last moment, leaving
the Executive to wrestlS with it the
best he knew how within the FIVE
days allotted to him after adjourn.
ment, in which he may act upon all
legislative matters left over,
This year, however. the Governor
has determined that he shall have
that bill ten good days before ad-
journment, in order that he may re-
turn it to the House and Senate, IL
necessary, with such recommends
tions and changes as he may think
proper.
Blame to Be Shared.
Responsibility for exactly what
happens thereafter will be distributed
fairly and justly between the Execu-
tive and Legislative Departments,
which, heretofore. it has not been.
Governor Slaton, who served six
teen years in the Legislature, knows
the methods OF both houses thor
oughly, and he knows how the Cen
eral Assembly frequently has embar-
raised the Executive Department in
the matter of making impossible ap-
preparations.
That he will stand for none of that,
now that hei $ the Governor, already
is as plain as can be.
Representative Crawford Wheat
ley, who is to be the chairman of
the General Appropriations Commit
tee, discussing this matter to-day,
said
Il think the Governors attitude is
proper and just what 1t should be.
Il shall do my part in helping him
with the program he has mapped out,
If have to keep the appropriations
committee in session every day until
the bill is completed.
Program Requires Time.
After the House gets through with
tit will originate in the House
the Senate will want as much time
on it as it may have, and the Sen
ate is entitled to have time to whip
it into such shape as it desires. Then
IT will have to come back to the
House, for final readjustment. Final
ly, 1t will go to conference, and then
to the Governor.
That will take a great deal Of
time. At the same time | think the
Governor should have it ten days be-
fore we adjourn, as that will give us
all time to get together.
Governor Slaton has started out
right, in my opinion, and /, for one,
shall cooperate with him as far as
l can"
The General Assembly will not be
able to transact much business until
the House and Senate committees are
named.
Both Speaker Burwell and Presi-
dent Anderson hope to get their COM
mittees framed up for proclamation
by Tomorrow, but IL may be We'd
nesday before they are read.
Hundred Bills in Hopper.
Already more than a hundred bills
nave been introduced, notwithstand-
ing the fact that there yet are no
committees to which they may be
referred.
AS soon as the committees are
named an avalanche of new matter
Is looked for.
After the committees are named it
is likely that the Legislature will re-
main in session one day to give them
time to organize, and on Thursday
adjourn over the Fourth Of July until
the following Monday, at which time
the genuine work of the Legislature
will begin.
The impression seems to be that the
present Legislature will not waste so
much time as Legislatures generally
do.
With the Governor setting the pace
for rapidity Of work, the legislature
is pat to follow his lead
If that program is adhered to- the
saving of much precious time at the
tail end Of the session will be ire
mendous and viii save the life of
many a meritorious measure likelyl
otherwise to go down and out.