Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-01-12
.Sl(l 1ly
30 ~On~
1H.SSrXIt
R)l(fTieSSS
BY JAMES 8. NEv.N.

edies VI a iSioi III III ,tildt ilidhiieA VI
compromising public servants are
now able to quote some substantial
and significant figures.
For instance, John P. Ross, Solicit
tor General of the Macon circuit, re-
ceive6 net compensation OF approx
mately $4,000 during the year 1918,
according to his sworn statements to
the Comptroller General. This is the
latest record in the history OF that
office and is attributable largely 10
the number OF heavy fines in prohibit
fee system made $4,000 in the Macon
City Court and Bibb Superior Court,
and $1,000 in the Houston and Craw-
ford superior courts
The income of other Bibb County
officers OH the fee system, as now
disclosed for the first time by the
law requiring quarterly statements,
was as follows: Sheriff, 50, 100; Clerk
Of Superior Court, $780, Clerk of
City Court s6,400; Tax Coll 4ctor.
$500; Tax Receiver, s3,1e0; Ordi-
nary. $1,000.
the .cDlIEf otdlC
may now be had hearing upon the
operation of the fee system, and those
cited from Bib are merely set forth
as an example In very many coun-
ties the fees run far short of those
quoted; OF course. while in some few
others they run higher
The fsures quoted from Bibb,
moreover, are by no means conclu-
slve, save as they affect one side of
the argument for and against fees.
There are many expenses attached to
the various offices concerned, and
they must be set off, in fairness,
against the total figures returned. 1t
Is the net income of the offices, prop
erly conducted, that finally will settle
the controversy
There Is much division of opinion
among members Of the Legislature as
to the fee question, and it likely will
be long time before salary systems
are generally substituted At the
same time, the figures being returned
from the various counties are ex-
tremely interesting, and when the
entire State is made up. those who
oppose the present system likely will
be heard from again in the Legisla-
tive halls, most empllatically!
Representative Robert n Harde-
man. of jefferson County. a veteran
member of the General Assembly, and
by long odds the best dressed man
therein, is in Atlanta for day or so.
Mr.. Hardeman bedazzled his ru-
merous friends and admirers in At
lanta this trip with a lovely checked
gray suit, elegantly backgrounded by
a wine colored vest of striped silk.
The tout misunderstanding Mr..
Hardeman, of course-was most en-
gaging.
There once was Legislature away
back Wonder wherein somebody dis
puted Bob Hardeman's sartorial su-
premacy, but the disputing party
didn't get by with 1t, and since that
time Hardeman's right to be known
as the champion best dressed man in
the Georgia Legislature has gone un-
challenged.
The race for Congress in the First
District between Representative
Charles c. Edwards and former Rep
resentative ]. w. Overstreet is said
to be more than warm and decidedly
uncertain as to outcome.
OVerStreet served a part of a term
in the House several years ago, as
the successor TO Judge Rufus Lester.
and has been possessed of a. more or
less rampant ambition ever since to
return. Edwards went into Congress
originally by a rather narrow margin
of votes, and after a long convention
deadlock: and while he has been re-
turned continuously since his first
election, he never has had exactly a
"cinch" on the office. He is a good
fighter, however, and has managed to
keep his fences in pretty fair shape,
and it will be no Child's play to beat
him.
Mr.. Overstreet Is a tireless cam
paigner, has decidedly winning way
with voters, and his friends are very
aggressive in their claims for victory
to his banners this time. And it is
fact that he is showing very fine
form, indeed, in some of the counties,
nota bly, Bulloch, Screven and Bryan.
Whether he will defeat Mr.. Ed
wards is, of course, problematical, but
that he will give him the race of his
life, and perhaps defeat him, seems
abundantly assured.
Already the approaching COM
mencement and sweet girl graduate
season has been brought to the at
tention of the Governor, and he has
received half a dozen or more invi-
tatons to be the Orator of the day"
Upon as many such occasions in June.
AS the Governor can not possibly
attend more than four or FIVE com
mencements, ii is likely that those
who ask first and early will get what
they wish.
Not that this department of uplift
in The Georgian is undertaking to
start something" In the Governors
direction, however!
If anybody had any doubts as to
Judge Augustus w. Fite's perfect
willingness to rush in where angels
fear TO tread now and then, it win
be noted that recently in a charge to
a Jury lie gave il as his deliberate
opinion that "sll school children
should be kept in until in the aft
ernoon, al least, and maybe longer!"
The judge will have to square that
up with a lot of those kids somehow
when, after a while, he awakes some
fine day to find they have grown to
be voters!
Ordinary Harry Johnson, OF FLOYD
County, is in Atlanta for day or so.
looking after some details of the forth
coming pension distribution through his
office