The leader-enterprise. [volume] (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1912-1915, 1915-06-25

stitutes q system of checking which
| conforms TO the wisest public policy.
| By the act of 1912, the treasurer
| was ordered to pay acquisitions drawn
| directly upon him by the commission
| er of agriculture. Under an opinion
| given by the then attorney general,
| the treasurer was compelled to comply
with the law, and the commissioner of
| agriculture was forced 20 act in con-
formity with the legislative mandate
in sustaining his department The
result has been that on April q, 1915,
a discrepancy had been created be-
tween the books of the comptroller
general and the treasurer amounting
to over $4,000.
\ Inc amounts constituting this sum
have not been appropriated by the
! general appropriation act and the Sys-
| tenn violates the wise policy of inform
| ing the legislature the exact amount
| OF the appropriations made by it.
The appropriation, even though of
| no specific amount, should be included
In the general appropriation bill. The
| warrants should be drawn by the gov
| ernor and approved by the comptrol-
Ter general in 3 the usual way, thus
| afford1ng the safeguard which long ex-
perience has justified.
Inc law establishing the BARRIERS
board allows payments to be made in
/
! requested warrants from the governor
| to be approved in the usual way by
the comptroller general.
| recommend that the law occasion
| ing such conditions be amended SO
as to direct that all payments be made
under appropriation acts and then up
on warrants drawn by the governor
and approved by the comptroller gen
eral THESE warrants could be issued
upon vouchers and acquisitions estab-
fishing their correctness.
Borrowing Power OF The Governor
In 1912 the Constitution was amend
ed so as to allow the legislature to
grant authority to the governor to
borrow sum not exceeding $780,
600 for purposes named in the amend
ment. In order for the governor to
have this power, it was necessary that
an act be passed granting the author
lty and the governor was authorized
| to obtain such loan for the succeed
ing two years.
1t is necessary that this general as
sembly pass a law renewing this au-
! thority, and authorizing the. governor
to borrow in accordance with the Con-
stitutional provisions. l recommend
| that you pass general law giving this
authority in order that it may not be
| necessary for each succeeding legis-
lature to re-enact the law. If over
looked, the governor might be with
out authority to obtain any loan such
as permitted by the Constitution.
A great trouble in our educational
system has arisen from our failure to
pay our teachers promptly The con-
d1t1on arose from lengthening the
school term and increasing the appro-
prlat1on from an amount which was
satisfied by constitutional sources of
revenue to much larger sum and
| then diminishing the constitutional
revenue without making provision for
the changed conditions.
| | desire to recommend to you a
plan which, in my judgment, will not
only solve the entire problem, but
will accomplish economic saving.
In 1910 the legislature passed an
act constituting the county school
| boards bodies corporate with the right
| to borrow money and to sue and be
sued. Under this authority a large
| proportion Of the boards of education
| have been borrowing money to pay
| their teachers. Some, from lack of
facilities and for other reasons, have
| not done so and, in these instances,
teachers have often borrowed at ex-
| Orbitant rates.
| Now, l recommend that by law the
| state board of education, of which the
| governor is a member, be constituted
/
| powers to those of the county boards
of education. 1t could obtain advanc-
| es at such rates of discount as may
be deemed advisable
1t will be observed that the amount
| of the advances could be adapted to
the changing conditions of the treas
| ury. When the schools were not in
session none would be needed. In
September, when the corporate taxes
are received, repayments could be
made.
In any event, the state board of
| education, without violating any con-
| stitutional inhibition, could obtain
these advances at four to five per
! cent, while now the teachers are pay
| ing in the aggregate much more.
School Books
| With all of our wealth, the greatest
| treasure of a state consists in her cit
liens. Thousands of parents who find
it difficult to supply with food and
clothing their little ones, make any
sacrifice to give to them an education
which shall afford them the opportuni-
| ties of life.
| To these people, the item of school
books is serious question. While the
best should be supplied within practi-
cal limits, it is indefensible that ex-
| perimental changes should be made or
books be required, not because of their
necessity or excellence, but in order
to please some special publishing
house.
The act of 1911 guarded against this
influence by providing that the State
Board of Education should have on it
no member who represented, or in the
past had been connected with school
book concern.
This protects the farmers child, but
the artisan, the mechanic, the parents
| in crowded cities where poverty lays
its heaviest hand, are entitled to SINH
! lar protection. Hundreds of thousands
of dollars are spent for books by chill.
dren in the cities, and / recommend
that general law be. passed applica-
BILE to these cities, declaring the same
eligibility as requisite in city boards
of education as required in the state
board. Who can object to such law,
and whence would come the opposi-
| ton?
Western and Atlantic Railroad
The disposition of the Western and
Atlantic railroad is one of vital and
pressing Importance. The next leg
| islature after yours will witness the
termination of the present lease and
| there must be no delay in deciding
as to the disposition of this magnifi-
cent property,
l do not recommend more in detail
| about the action of the state in this
regard, since the subject will more
| nr0nprIu ho dnaIt with NV m y cunnocc