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

| 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 Ned
| 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
1 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 to the Individual who vio-
lates it, and all who are law abiding
| are entitled to and must have the pro-
| lection of the law.
l, 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 al
$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
| tees 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. 1t Is against public polity
| to maintain sinecures l. therefore. re-
| spectfully recommend to your honorable
bodies the reduction of the membership
! Of the Railroad Commission from five
| members to 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
! oersome, as well as needlessIy expen-
| sive, 1t is patent that It is to the States
| interest to reduce the number of Com
! missioners and also to dispense with
/ the office Of special attorney for the
| Railroad Commission.
viii add that the Interstate Com
/ merce Commission has assumed the au-
| thority to raise inTrastate rates when IL
| seems that these rates injuriousy 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
q recent decision, hence it would appear
that q blow has been struck the Rail
road Commissions Of the States. In such
event II would clearly be a waste of the
| peoples money to maintain as many as
nye members on this Commission for the
purpose mainly of supervising the occa-
sional 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
to June, 1909, and from November 1911,
| to this date, there has been no effort
made by the Commission to even pro-
mulgate port rates" Hence, as "purt
rat ag koz
paign theory. which it is impracticable
| to make effective, 1t Is manifestIy con-
trary to the public interest to maintain
| nVe members on this board at the ex-
| pense OF the taxpayers.
Criminal Law Reform.
| lnasmuch as our penal laws have
undergone little change during the past
half century, it might be timely for you
to make inquiry looking to amendments
| neeessitated by changed conditions and
modern developments.
l wish to direct your attention to 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 changing sen
tence. In most court Jurisdictions it is
held that once the fine alternative is re-
tected, and the period for accepting It
elapsed, the fine can not be paid except
by Communication from this office In no
case win 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 it is imposed upon
them, but later do raise 1t, OF a suffi-
cient amount. allowing for the time
| served to meet the intent of the SEN
tence imposed. The only way they can
I
| tive Office with applications for elem
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 prts-
oners to pay their fines at any time be-
fore sentence Is completed.
Pardon CLERK Recommended.
Applications for executive clemency
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-
sponsibility In these matters on the Gov
ernor, he is in duty bound to examine
each record and to make such tnvesti-
cations and inquiries in addition to
muse Ilhue Dy the commission as ne
thinks proper.
The result is that this work takes up
large proportion of the time of the
Executive Office, precluding attention to
other important business. In addition
to this, lack of time makes it 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
or attorney. who shall devote his entire
time to assisting in handling applica-
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
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
revenues would be augmented to the
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 it 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.
Compulsory Arbitration Necessary.
During the fall of last year there oc-
CURED a strike by the employees of the