The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1914-06-25

II you think it wise trust il may be put
IN the form Of law,
The action Of Judge Hart in perform
ing his duty as tax commissioner has
warranted the commentator you saw III
to pay his appointment at the last ses-
sion. A landowner, in sympathy with
the people of his state, he may be trusted
10 execute the law without harshness and
in full spirit Of exact justice
II Is pleasing to know that Governor
Stuart, Of Virginia, unanimously elected
governor of that great state, practically
commended in his message the very law
you have passed.
Economy.
One strenuous objection to the passage
Of the law has been the feeling that the
Legislature would spend any amount
found in the treasury. My experience of
seventeen years in the legislature and my
knowledge of the law lead me to proph-
esy that this act will not only be pro-
ductiye of great economy, but IN arousing
the civic virtue and patriotism Of the
people will SO emphasize the necessity Of
their watching expenses that henceforth
no appropriations viii be made which
the people with full understanding will
not approve.
The constitution provides that no APP
preparations can be made excepting upon
call Of the roll, and this requirement
was adopted in order to check Legislative
extravaganza and to give the people an
opportunity to see how their representa-
tive voted in matters of appropriation.
So many appeals are made for money
and for so many laGdable purposes it is
hard to resist them It is easy for the
legislator to glow with personal pride as
he expends the taxpayers money and re-
ceives the plaudits of the benefciaries
and the press.
Allow me to urge that you make nc
appropriations at this session other thar
those absolutely necessary Any amount
you appropriate win increase the deficit
already existing. / earnestly submit that
duty viewed from any angle cannot re.
quire you to give that which you have
not. Such action is to be disapproved ii
the citizen and condemned in the legisla.
tor. 1t is hypocritical to favor economy
in general terms and at the same time
increase the deficit already existing by
spending money not in the treasury. II
appropriate more than the revenue is in
defensible, and you can make this answer
to the appeals of all institutions; "TC
be just before being generous ista car
dinal maxim of force in legislation q
well as in law"
One Of the principal arguments il
favor Of the tax equalization law is it
tendency to force economy. So long al
the tax rate is five mills and limited Il
that amount, the legislator is tempted t
vote for every popular appropriation
with the knowledge that his constituen
cannot know that he is spending NOR,
money than the revenue. The expendi
/ ture is not reflected in the tax rate. Blu
when the tax rate is cut below the fv,
mills, then no legislator dare raise j
without giving q strict accounting to tn
4 taxpayer. / believe that next year tn
4 rate will be reduced below Ave mills
The people ought not to pay the entir
deficit in one year which has accumu
lated in several years. But with prop
erty on the tax books which has neve
been returned and with rigid econom.
| practiced by the legislature for shor
time, the rate should be reduced to threi
mills, with the certainty that the legisla
tor will be no longer tempted to appro
pirate beyond the states ability on tn
one hand and cut the revenue on thu
other hand. The representative VIII,
dares to do his duty in opposing extrava
gance viii receive the commentator ant
support of his people.
] commend to your careful considera
ton the report of ComptrolIer-Genera
Wright and call your attention to tn,
compliment his figures pay you for keep
ing the expenditures below those of pre-
ceding years.
Refundins the State Bonds.
On May /, 1915, there viii come du,
$227, 900 of bonds of the state, and OF
July /, 1918, will come due $3,30O,0O0 0.
bonds Provision must be made at thii
session for refunding these obligations.
We will have in the treasury from thu
sale of the Northeastern railroad, pay
able in November, 1914, $153,sI2.50
which must be utilized in taking up thes,
bonds. / think all the bonded indebted
ness falling due in 1915 should be con
solidated. Appropriate arrangement may
be made by the state for carrying tht
bonds due in May until the LIST of July.
For these bonds falling due in l9I!
there is no sinking fund. For the re
mainder of the bonded indebtedness, ag
gregating 100000, sinking fund o.
100000 year is provided for the retire
ment of the public debt. Therefore il
1915 practically the only outstanding
bonded Indebtedness of the state will b,
that falling due in 1915, for which yor
must make provision.
l do not think it is fair or right at thi.
time to make our citizens pay more thar
the 100000 year to the retirement Of
the public debt. The Indebtedness wa,
incurred largely in the construction Of
the w. & A. railroad, which is an in
heritance our children will enjoy and il
win lessen their burdens Our institu-
/