Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-22

VIII be other new county urop0sa Is
submitted for the critical ANALYSIS
and consideration Of the General As
sembiy
Tax Reform Prominent.
Iuquesti0uably however. the one
| big problem about which the entire
work Of the new Legislature will re-
yolve viii be the matter Of tax re-
form
The state must have more revenue
with which tu pay its absolutely nee
. essaFy bills, even IL no single appro-
pT.aton is enlarged. and the tax
rate, c0ustitutionaIIy restricted To
five mills, cannot be raised
Various forms Of special taxation
viii be proposed-as the inheritance
tax, for instance-but the paramount
puzzle 10 solve win be how to get
the assessments up equitably and
fairly. so that taxation may be even
ly and justly distributed in the fu-
ture, and every legitimate subject ~
taxation made to bear It's or his hon
est share Of the burden.
An effort Will be made 10 create A
State Board OF Tax Equaiizers. and
the chances are that the effort will
succeed. although II already is evil
dent that strong forces will be lined
up against this
will have its champions viii propose
the creation Of Legislative Com
mission 20 consider this. and collat-
eral suggestions, said commission 10
sit in recess Of the General Assem-
bly,. and to report bin for consld-
Grafton year hence at the present
Legislatures fiscal session.
The incoming Governor viii take a
very vigorous stand against ex-
cessive appropriations.
In several speeches he already has
placed the Legislature on notice that
he viii not sign appropriation bills
carrying more than the State can
afford TO pay, even n he has 10 go to
the unusual length OF vetoing the
entire general appropriation bill In
seeking TO sustain his ultimatum.
Several Legislatures OF late have
appropriated more than the entire
income OF the State, and the Conse-
quence has been heavy annual en-
barrassment to the Executive Depart
ment in undertaking to meet the bill
thus incurred.
Individual Legislators, anxious to
placate the folks back home" have
pressed appropriation claims regard
less Of the States ability to pay. and
then put the matter up to the Gov
ernor for solution when the time
came to meet the amounts set aside
here and there for specific purposes.
Need for Economy Felt.
There seems 20 be a feeling among
the boards Of trustees OF the various
State institutions that the State must
call n halt on increased appropria-
lions until some effective means Of
increasing the revenue has been en-
acted into law, and to that end the
Nau.F -. d ~
that the demands made upon the
Legislature this year by way Of ap-
preparations will be modest Few In
creases will be asked for. and then
only when absolutely necessary.
Realizing that the State has no
money with which to pay increases
anyway, the various boards Of trus-
tees apparently have determined 10
make a virtue OF necessity and not
ask favors just now
This attitude Of the boards OF con-
troll II persisted in viii greatly aid
the Legislature I'm evolving a scheme
TO raise more revenue. and TO that
extent will simplify the biggest prob
lem the General Assembly has to
face
Among some Of the more impor-
tant measures to be introduced dur
ing the forthcoming session Of the
Legislature are; A bin to regulate
child labor, a Hill 70 restrict the praC-
tiCe of medicine; a bill to reform and
Codify the banking laws, a bill 10
revise and extend the health, quaran-
tine and sanitation laws; a bin 10
revise and simplify the registration
laws and the manner OF holding pri-
mary and general elections. bill to
provide for biennial instead OF annual
sessions of the Legislature, with
provision for salaries for the mem
bers instead OF a per diem system
OF compensation, and no limit on the
time Of the Legislatures sittings, n
bill TO require railroads. I'm the disCrc-
ton Of the Railroad Commission. to
provide underpasses and overpasses
at all grade crossings bill 20 pro-
vide a new Executive Mansion for
the Governor and his family during
his term of service. a bill looking 10
the release Of the Western q At
lantic Railroad and its extension to
the Atlantic Beaboard; a bill to pro-
vide for the refunding Of $685. 600 Of
State bonds, maturing IN 1915, a bill
to amend the convict laws IN such
wise as to permit the State to par
ticipate IN the Federal aid to good
roads act; a bill 10 furnish to the
Secretary OF State fire proof files
for the many precious documents now
utterly unprotected: a bill TO pro-
vide a Capitol Annex for the use Of
the two courts Of review and the
Library.
Besides these proposed additions TO
the civil laws, there will be various
changes IN the criminal statutes pro-
posed notably a bill to provide to
mis6emeanor Conyicts, In certain cir
cumstauces method Of paying
themselves out of prison, and bill
looking TO the establishment of a
central place OF execution for crimi-
nails, with oleCtroCutlon instead Of
hanging as the means of infliCting
the death penalty.
II is a noteworthy circumstance
that the new Legislature is composed
almost entirely OF new men.
The percentage Of old membership
returned is not far below the aver
age, but not many members of the
last House will be seen in the new.
Several weli-known members Of for
meT Houses. from four TO ten years
back have been sent TO the new
House but practically every one OF
the leaders Of the last House Will be
missing
From the House there have disap-