Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-04-06
SOCIETY WOMEN DO
NOT APPROVE OF THE
GOVERNORS MANSION
Georgia Does Not Provide Well for
the Governors Official Home; Old,
Dilapidated, Poorly Furnished

The state of Georgia is a mighty
poor householder
If you owned a ramshacklc old
house worth a few thousand dollars
at the most, but situated among
business houses, on land worth $780,
O0o, and We're paying out thousands
of dollars Of good, hard cash every
year or SO to make the house fairly
habitable, besides a couple of thou
sand dollars a year for the upkeep ef
the house. how would you be regard
ed by your neighbors and acquaint-
ances?
When you consider that you might
sell the property for the 100000.
buy choice residential plot and
build one of the finest homes in Dixie
all for, say, 100000. and invest the
remaining 100000 at per cent,
bringing in an annual revenue Of
$4,000, wouldn't it make you look
foolish?
That is the position of Georgia as
a houselleeper to-day.
The state undertakes to supply its
governors with a complete home
house, all equipment and funds for
Its upkeep. But that its undertake
ing has become a near-disgrace is a
fact notorious not only throughout
the state, but throughout the South.
Georgia's executive mansion CD in
lovely Peachtree street was pur-
chased in 1871, and cost 100000.
1t was not a new building when il
was acquired by the state, but it was
considered quite an imposing aud
pretentious thing, as executive man
SlOnS Went IN those days, and the
early governors thought themselves
very WeIl provided for by way of a
home
For good many years, however,
thousands Of Georgians have watched
the capital of the state expand and
grow into a mighty city, pack and
jam itself about the old home in
which the governors have lived, the
while that home has become more
and more unsuted to the needs Of
the state and the peace, happiness,
health, and comfort of its occupants.
Occupies Valuable Lot.
The governors home stands today
on "a lot fronting Peachtree street
165 feet, and extending back 300
feet II lies between Cain and Ellis
streets-the lot is the creme de Ia
cream Of Atlanta real estate.
The present structure, therefore,
IS antiquated and out of date. It is
approximately half a century old.
The plumbing is neither modern nor
sanitary, and il can not be made so
through tinllering. The ordinary
comforts of a home are missing m
many instances, and such is the char
acter of the building that they can
not be supplied.
The furniture the state provides,
along with the carpets, the rugs, the
front door mats, the window shades,
the table linen, and so forth. Theo-
retiCalIy those things are there IN
satisfactory completeness. Actually,
they are there In part, and no more.
A full equipment of china suppOs-
eddy is furnished governors by the
sovereign state Of Georgia. When
one governor moved In not long ago
ne found a dozen cups and saucers.
d few scattering plates, and a bread
knife He promptly-like a good lit
tie governOr-gOt him supply OF
china on his own hook, and let il
so at that! He was no kicker, but
he didn't get what was coming 10
him, nevertheless!
Carpets Are Renewed,
The carpets and things have been
renewed, now and then-have been,
yes! Some of these days they viii
be renewed again-unless new
mansion is provided. there likely isn't
any doubt of that,
The mansion is very near the bust
ness heart of Atlanta. It Is IN
noisy, busting, hustling section, sur
rounded by hotels, apartment houses,
stores, factories and garages. Il is
not in a locality that any man would
select for a residence.
As a practical proposition. no cltl-
zen could afford to live where the
mansion now stands, SO great is the
value for business purposes of the
.and upon which it rests. The prop
erty is worth approximately 100000
to-day.
The state pays the governor a sal
airy of $4,000 per year. II furnishes
him a home and certain amount
for upkeep. The servants are paid
by the state The furniture, the car
pets and the front door mats are
paid for by the sovereign state OF
Georgia The gas bills and the wa
ter bills also are paid. The carriages
and horses ar claTgeaDle To the
governors private purse. The emma
the governors family uses ls the
property of Georgia. Every moNSel
Of food the governor and his FANNY
ousumes is paid for by the gov
crnor
The approximate expense io iAe
state for upkeep IS Sl.I5U per amman.
As q business proposition. uH less
than as 4 matter of right ana Jus'.n.