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


/ Of such threatened Outrages have been
perpetrated through the dynamiting Of
houses besides the burning Of one store
/ am reliably informed that quite a
| number Of farms in Forsyth County
have been practically abandoned this
year for lack Of labor, which has fed
before these threats, The State can not
tolerate such condition Of affairs She
can not allow even just resentment
/ against lawless individuals to take the
l 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-
| ialiati0n for the nefariOus deeds Of in
! dividuals IN that class. The application
" the law is to the individual who vio-
lates it, and all who are law abiding
are entitled 10 and must have the pro-
| lection Of the law.
| I, 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
! 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
| timidatng people and driving them from
/ their homes
Railroad Commission Reduction.
Unnecessary offices which levy addi-
| tional taxes upon the people should be
| abolished IL In against public polty
/ TO maintain sinecures. l, therefore re-
! spectfully recommend to your honorab BILE
bodies the reduction Of the membership
! 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-
| Der OF members makes that body cum
| hersome, as well as needlessly expen-
| slVe II Is patent that IL is to the States
interest to reduce the number OF Com
| nlssioners, and also to dispense with
! ne oftice 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 injuriously affect
| Interstate rates. The lower courts have
! upheld that Commission In this action
| The Supreme Court OF the United States
mas practically upheld this position in
a recent decision. hence Il would appear
that a blow has been struck the Rail
road Commissions Of the States In sucb
event 1t would clearly be a waste of the
| peoples money to maintain as many az
I'VE members on this Commission for the
| purpose mainly Of supervising the occa-
slonal building of depots and the collec-
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, 1907
70 June 1903. and from November, 1911,
TO 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
10 make effective, Il is manifestly con.
I trary TO the public interest to maintain
4 hve members on this board at the ex-
/ pense Of the taxpayers.
Criminal Law Reform.
luasmuch as our penal laws have
undergone little change during the past
! half century II might be timely for YOU
/ to make inquiry looking to amendments
necesstated by changed conditions and
/ modern Developments
! l wish to direct your attention 10 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 II is
/ held that once the fine alternative Is re-
. r
! 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 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 Exeou-
| tive Omlce 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-
i 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. mas
much as the Constitution places full re-
| sponsibillty 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 Ohice, precluding attention to
other important business. In addition
/ TO this, lack " time makes IL impossi-
! bic FOR this office TO pursue investigation
/ or many cases as thoroughly as their
/ 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-
/ lions 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 a better method Of as
| sessing property for taxation
! All who have studied the question
/ agree that If 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
1 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
! just share OF the expenses of the gov
eminent which gives il protection
/ Therefore, l recommend that you amend
/ the tax law so as to provide a method
| of assessment for, and equalizing Of
! taxes more Just than now prevails