Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-07-03
Lynching in Georgia Greatly
Decreased, He Points Out
Pleads for Appropriation for
Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech
The creation of a state pardon board,
the establishment of a state auditors
department, a recommendation that the
governor be inaugurated in January IN
stead of June, the decrease in the num-
Der of lynchings in Georgia, strong
plea for an appropriation for the Geor-
gia School of Technology, the exemption
of certain schools and colleges from
taxation the states finances, and the de-
crease of crime consequent on prohlbl-
tion-these are the outstanding sub
jects discussed by Governor Mar +.
Harris in his farewell message TO the
Legislature read Friday.
In recommending the creation of
state pardon board of three men to pass
on all applications for executive Glenn
ency. the governor states that this labor
should be taken from the shoulders OF
the prison commission and the shoulders
of the governor, both of them burdeneo
with other matters.
Whether or not this is done, he says,
it would be we'll if the legislature re-
quires the prison commission to make
an examination of the whole record or
prisoner-the facts of his trial, his
life before and after he committed the
crime, and not simply his record as a
prisoner-before recommending a par
don.
Georgia is one of the few states, he
says, that has no one charged with the
duty of preparing a budget or LOOKING
after the payments that are made in be-
half of the state on claims that are
presented against it. He recommends
the establishment of a state auditors
department to look after this.
This is a serious mistake In our
law" says the governor, referring to the
Inauguration OF the governor nine
months after his election. The gov
ernor ought to be inaugurated at the
beginning of the year following ms
election. e. If there should be meet
ing of the new legislature for three
DAYS during the first week in January
or better still, if a commission could
be esta blished with proper powers ana
authority to meet in January and can
vass the votes, the governor could be
| inaugurated and take Office at time
which would coincide more nearly with
the fiscal year of the state. L would
| be glad to see a change here in the IN
| terest of the state"
GOVERNORS SALARY.
| He recommends an increase in the
| governors salary.
He asks that the legislature appro-
pirate $4,000 to pay the costs of reg
| istration day, instead of letting the FED
| eral government pay 1t.
He recommends changes in the law
! appointing notaries public, so that a
better record may be kept of the appoint
ments and their efficiency will be In
creased.
| He asks for money to pay the rent on
property outside the capital building
| leased as quarters for new judges OF
| co,,rt Of ANNALS and also occupied
| by the military department.
| In outlining the system by which war
rants were negotiated to raise money
for paying teachers in the public schools
| the governor calls attention to two mat
! ters which he says should be remedied.
! One of these is the refusal OF some
! counties to take the disbursements
! though the discount on the warrants IS
! only 8 IL per cent. The other is the
| demand of certain counties to get the
| money in the first five months OF the
| wear a course which disarranges the
! financial system.
! Calling attention to the report or the
| attorney general, Governor Harris
| points out that there is no one directly
charged with the duty of collecting IN
heritance taxes. though the attorney
| general is appointed TO take charge OF
! the collection. He says that Judge Johh
| &. Hart, state LAX COliliiA9oASAA~A' -
! a sked to look after these collections ana
| nerforned his duties so efficiently that
! he obtained judgments of $1O6,OOO IN
! taxes on the James NJ. Smith estate ana
| S4S 900 in taxes outside or this state
| Governor Harris asks the legislature 10
| allow Judge Hart per cent compehsa-
| ton for his services.
The governor earnestly asks" that
| action be taken either removing the
| state experiment station from Grlllln
! tn Athens and putting 1T under the con-
troI If the state College Of Agriculture,
or else enlarging or changing its ooaru
! of management so that enough or the
! trustees of the agricultural college snail
| no members of the board to control the
| experiment station. This change is re-
! ouested in order that the state may get
! the federal appropriation provided 1or
| experiment stations under the control
! of agricultural colleges.
The governor suggests an approx
| ton to pay for secretary anu iheet nc
| exnenses of the state council OF ue-
! fepse and the council on food conserva-
! tion. appointed by the governor at the
! sugpestion of the secretary or war anu
the secretary of agriculture.
! DECREASE IN LYNCHINGs'
! eft has been no small subject of re-
! ioicing that the crime of lynch1ng mas
| been so greatly decreased wlthlh our
limits" reads one portion of the mes
! sage. During 1916 there were only
| seven lynchings, three Of these Tor the
| ultimate crime. 1 may say, therefore,
that this crime, which has brought SO
| Great criticism on Georgia, has Amos,
! Completely disappeared from our midst
The governor reviews the work OF the
/ s+otats educational institutions during
the past year, declaring that the appro-
nriations for their maintenance approx
! innate their needs for the first time since
/ the war began, and expressing the nope
/ that the present Legislature Will Keep
nm the good work" He suggests that
/ the trustees of the Georgia Normal In
1 dustrial college at MtlledgeVllle DE
given authority to confer degrees ana
/ ito do everything that may be neces
| sarv to carry the education OF women
| TO the highest degree allowed to men In
/ the state" He says if this is DONE
/ there will be no need to allow women
to enter the parent institution at
! Athens II do not think well or CO.
sducation in our highest institutions
adds the governor.
! The governor makes a strong appeal
for an appropriation for the Georgia
School Of Technology.