Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-06-12
.PLANS ARE MADE FOR
OPENING OF LEGISLATURE
Session Opens June 27 With
Inauguration of Hugh M.
. Dorsey as Governor

On the rOurIn w euneSudN III june
which will be the eth of the month,
the 1e17-1S general assembly of Geor-
sia will convene in annual session in
Atlanta.
Nat H. Harris, governor of Geor-
gia, will retire, and Hugh NJ. Dorsey,
the governor-elect, will be inaugurated
to succeed him. The retirement of the
outgoing and the inauguration of the
incoming governors will take place In
the house of representatives in the pres
ence Of a joint session of the house
and senate.
The last general assembly having
disposed of the prohibition question by
enacting the dryest oone-dry law that
human ingenuity could devise, the IN
coming lawmakers will be forced to
turn their attention to other subjects
at the coming session
The states financial condition, If
importance counts. will probably head
the list. Appropriations for the year
1917 are 1885, 900 in excess of the esti-
mated revenue of the state for 1917.
If appropriations are Increased, or spe-
cial appropriations made, the deficit
will be still greater.
Yet in the face of this situation there
will be a renewal of the attempt to
repeal the tax equalization law, which
is the only thing that has prevented
the state. government from sinking
deeper into the financial morass than
1t is today. Without this law, which
has compelled tax dodgers to return
property for taxation and which has
increased taxable values several MIL
lion dollars, the states deficit would
be far greater than 1T is today.
TAX EQUALIZATION LAW.
An attempt to repeal the tax equaliZa-
tion law has been made every year since
IL was enacted In the last general as
sembly the attempt was led in the house
by a representatives openly accused or
the boor of being a tax dodger whom the
law had compelled to uncover property
for taxation.
This year ii is probable that the at
tack on the law will be the most vicious
and determined yet launched by it's enc
mics.
Ways and means of collecting the In
heritance tax is another subject that will
engage the attention of the lawmakers
The law now provides for an appraise'
ment of estates by ordinaries, and the
collection of the inheritance tax by tax
collectors according to this appraise
ment.
Recently the state attorney general
Clifford Walker, who was made super
visor of county officers by an act Of the
last legislature, and who was incidental
ly charged, among various other duties
ion, 90 lnap
itance taxes, has made an arrangement
with attorneys in various counties tC
pay a commission of 10 per cent for ZEN
forcing" the collection of inheritance
taxes on estates in the counties where
they live In several instances these
attorneys have collected their 10 pei
cent where the collection was enforced
without litigation, and this has led tC
criticism of the attorney generals ar.
rangement. He is prepared to defend Il
on the ground that it is purely bust
ness arrangement which will bring in
thousands of dollars to the state treas
ury.
Representative Stewart, of Coffee coun.
ty, has announced his intention Of in
Producing a resolution asking for join
committee Of the house and senate t.
Investigate" the payment of fees to at
torneys for enforcing" the collection Of
inheritance taxes.
Comptroller General William A
Wright, in his annual report to the leg
islature, touches on the subject by re.
commencing that the existing conflicts
in the system Of collecting the inherit
ance tax be harmonized.
MARKET BUREAU.
. The state department of agriculture
will ask the legislature to give the re
Gently created market bureau of the de-
partment a definite status and an appro
priation to pay it's cost of operation. The
bureau is undertaking very fine con
structive work along practical lines tC
enable farmers to market their food and
feed crops, a thing they have never
been able to do in Georgia
Among other matters t came before
the legislature are the cotton standard
ization bill, the land title bill. and va
rious bills on marriage and divorce, a!
we'll as a bill to put in operation the
present imperative vital statistics
machinery.
In the senate there Is a race for pres
for speaker between w Fl. Burwell, o.
Hancock, Nath +. Culppeper, of Meri
wether, and John ". Holder, of Jackson
Mr.. Burwell served as speaker of tn,
1894 house and the 1886 house. Mr.
Holder served as speaker of the 1911-1:
house. Mr.. Culpepper has been in the
house several years.
r. Bismarck Moore, elected clerk o
1857 house to serve during the re
cent bone dry extra session, following
the resignation of John T. Bolfeullet, /,
a candidate for reelection. John p
Knight, of Berrien county, a representa-
tive In several houses, has been a can
didate since Colonel Boifeuillet's resig
nation.
In the senate there Is race for pres
ident between Samuel l.. Olive, Of Au
gusta, and Judge II. w. Hopkins, o.
ThomasvIlle both OF whom were mem
bers Of the 1861 house and have nov
come to the senate.
Major Devereaux F. McClatchey, tn,
popular and able secretary Of the sen
ate. who has served since the death o.
the late veteran secretary, Charles S
Northern. of Atlanta, is a candidate fol
reelection without OPPOSITION.