Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-09-23
WAR Of WORDS RACES
AS VOTE NEARS On NEW
CHARTER FOR ATLANTI
Continued from Page /,

1t simplifies matters only tends to
relieve the people of what little au-
thority and power they have now and
place the same into the hands of a
political ring for their own benefits.
1t complexities and further removes
every important department Of the
city government from the control of
the people.
Would Centralize Authority.
The mere fact that the advocates of
that charter have reduced the num-
Der of boards can only rightfuIly be
construed that they are concentrat-
ing their power, and if it were pos
sible for them to do so they would
much rather place the whole control
of the city under one board instead
of the number they have With that
charter in force, every employee of
the city government will be concen-
trated into one political machine for
voting. In addition to this, it is in
tended to retain a few Of the board
members of this city whose term of
office expires by limitation and makes
it possible for their reelection.
With all due Difference and respect
for Judge Hillyer and his opinions,
the question naturally arises, Where
did he get on in the getting up of
this charter and the promulgating of
il to the people? l never heard of
bis connection in any Of the back
room Caucuses in the preparation of
it, and never knew that he was con-
neCted with it in any way until after
it went to the Legislature Then 1t
appears that they called on Judge
Hillyer to act as their chairman,
presume for the purpose of giving it
some responsibility and relieve it of
the odium that it was carrying as it
came from the back room caucus.
Sanitary Reform Secuted.
Before ending this last article l de-
sire to again call the attention Of the
people to some Of the most glaring
parts of the proposed charter. Their
main feature is the abolition of the
sanitary tax This is not worth an
honest effort on the part Of any body
of men, and is only put there to catch
the unwary with the idea that they
will be relieved of three dollars san
itary tax, when in fact, the city is in
sore need Of money for carrying on
public improvements and paying for
illegal debts contracted by this same
body that got up this proposed char
ter, and, therefore, is in need of all
the money that II can legitimately Sc
cure. If the sanitary tax should be
abolished, the money would have to be
raised from some other source, and l
know of nothing better than to either
ND on he q 70 hn
is being relieved of sanitary tax or to
raise that amount of money by the
blanket fee system bill that they must
propose to enact under the charter
provisions contained in their dOcu
ment The statement that It is un
fair to the small property owner to
have to pay a sanitary tax when the
large property owners in the center of
the city have to pay no more is I'M
true and unjust The sanitary tax law
is that each house in the residential
part of the city shall pay SO. and in
the business districts there is an as
sessment of SO for every 25 feet. In
other words, a residence lot of so
or 100 feet would only be subjected to
one tax while the Kimball House, as
] understand 1t, has to pay for % diff
ferent services, amounting to S66 per
ear.
Opposes Sale of Lakewood.
If the General Council is really in
earnest and desired to act honestly
with the people, they could have re-
pealed the sanitary tax years ago.
Some of the same people who got up
this charter have been in Council two,
three four and five years. The sani
tary tax is only an ordinance and not
a provision by the Legislature and
subject to be changed or entirely re-
pealed by the General Council at any
meeting Therefore, the putting of
that feature in their charter is sim
ply demagOgism and a desire to fool
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