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


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 a condition Of affairs. She
| 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
| ly strike down all Of one class in re-
/ taliation for the nefarious deeds Of in
| diViduals in that class. The application
/ Of the law Is 70 the individual who vio-
lates II, and all who are law abiding
are entitled to and must have the pro-
| lection Of the law.
I, therefore, recommend the enactment
| Of statute which will meet the situa-
| tion 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
/ timidating people and driving them from
| their homes.
/ Railroad Commission Reduction.
| Unnecessary offices which levy addi-
| tional taxes upon the people should be
| abolished. II Is against public polity
| to maintain sinecures. /, therefore, re-
| spectfully recommend to your honora BILE
| bodies the reduction Of the membership
Of the Railroad Commission from five
members 20 three
! When It 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
| bersome, as well as needlessly expen-
| sive, II is patent that II Is TO the State's
/ interest to reduce the number of Com
| missioners and also to dispense with
! 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 inturiously affect
| Interstate rates. The lower courts have
| upheld that Commission in this action.
| The 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 waste Of the
! peoples money to maintain as many as
/ fYe members on this Commission for the
| purpose mainly OF supervising the occa-
sional building of depOts and the collec-
! ton Of statistical information.
Furthermore, Il 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,
TO June, 1903, 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 IL is impracticable
to make effective, II Is manlfestly CON
trary TO the public interest to maintain
1--WE members on this board at the ex-
| pense OF the taxpayers.
Criminal Law Reform.
Inasmuch as our penal laws have
undergone little change during the past
! half century, it might be timely for you
/ 10 make inquiry looking to amendments
necessitated by changed conditions and
modern developments.
/ / wish to direct your attention to one
! important change that is needed. In
msSdemeanor 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
tion Of tho prison or changing sen
tence. In most court jurisdictions il is
held that once the fine alternative is re-
jected, and the period for accepting It
elapsed, the fine can not be paid except
by Communication from this office. In no
case will 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 1t is imposed upon
them, but later do raise II, or a suffi-
Client amount. allowing for the time
served to meet the intent Of the sem
tence imposed. The only way they can
! . l.
| tive Office 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
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-
| sponslbility 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 ne
! thinks proper
The result is that this work takes up
| a large proportion of the time OF the
/ Executive Office precluding attention to
I other important business. In addition
! TO this, lack of time makes Ii impossi-
| bic 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 to assisting in handling appica-
| 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 a better method of as
| Scssing 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 We're re-
Euuired to contribute their lust part to
| the support of the State government our
| revenues would be augmented to the
I 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 gov
eminent which gives Ii protection
! Therefore, I 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
Compulsory Arbitration Necessary.
| During the fall of last year there oc-
CURED q strike by the employees Of the
/ street car company in Augusta and