The leader-enterprise. [volume] (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1912-1915, 1913-06-25
and the Georgia Normal and Indus
Payment Of School Teachers.

Payment Of School Teachers.
urge upon you the necessity for
taking such steps as will enable the
executive office to make prompt
monthly payments to public school
teachers.
Economy in Appropriations.
urge your honorable bodies
to exercise great discernment and
care in the matter of approprlatlng
the peoples money; and that, so faI
as can be made practicable WI hout
initiating against the actual needs
of the states institutions and the con
duct of the government. you exercise
the strictest economy.
LawIess Element in Certain Counties
recommend the enactment OF
statute which will punish all VINO
you'd impair the powers of hon
est labor. The penalty for dyna'
hitting or burning residences should
be fixed at $500 for each offense, and
rewards of such amounts, not greater
than 5000 per person, should be au-
thorized for the arrest, with proof to
convict, of every one guilty of post
ing threatening notices or using 9TH
er measures for intimidating people
and driving them from their homes
Railroad Commission.
I respectfully recommend to your
honorable bodies the reduction of the
membership of the railroad commits
sion from five members to three.
Criminal Laws.
recommend that you provide the
governor with pardon clerk, or at
torney who shall devote his entire
time to assisting in handling applica-
lions for executive clemency.
Taxes.
Again permit me to repeat the re-
commentator made in my general
message of last year, and previous
ones during a former administration,
relative to the urgent need of bet
ter method of assessing property for
taxation.
All who have studied the question
agree that if property now escaping
taxation, and other property bearing
less than it's equitable burden, were
required to contribute their just part
to the support of the state govern
ment our revenues would be augment
ed to the extent of the deficit, which
is now of serious consequence.
1t is but simple honesty to demand
that all property be required to bear
its just share of the expenses of the
government which gives it protection.
Therefore, | recommend that you
amend the tax laws SO as to PROVIDE
a method of assessment for and
equalization OF, taxes more just than
now prevails.
Ducktown Copper Mines.
The United States supreme court,
some years ago, gave to the state OF
Georgia a decree against the copper
companies operating in what is
known as the Ducktown region IN
Tennessee. The fumes arising from
the operation of the copper mines
have been doing great damage to
growing crops of citizens living in
Fannin and other Georgia counties.
This state, being willing to allow
owners of the copper mines to con-
tinue the development of their proper
ty if our citizens were protected
against damage, has allowed the cop
per companies time for pertectlng
appliances for taking care OF the
sulphur fumes This is resulting In
the manufacture of enormous amounts
of sulphuric acid from the copper
fumes.
But as the damage is still being
done to some extent, one of the com
panies, the Tennessee Copper COM
pany. has offered to place in the
hands of the state a sum approximate
ing $4,000 annually for the purpose
OF indemnifying those Georgia cltl-
zens who are damaged, such annual
fund to be available until their i'm
proved appliances are completed.
| respectfully suggest, therefore,
that you authorize the governor to
make this agreement with the Ten
nessee Copper company, and require
a similar agreement to be made with
the other company or companies to
the end that our citizens be protect
ed from damages which are occurring
during the growing season to crops
each year.
Compulsory Arbitration Necessary.
During the fall of last year there
occurred a strike by the employees
of the street car company in Augusta,
and another strike by certain en-
ployees OF the Georgia railroad,
which, for number of days, prevent
ed the public from having the benefit
CT the operation of these comon car
riers.
BY the census of 1910, the city of
Augusta had population of 41,O40