Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-08-15
EXTRA SESSION
MAY De AVERTED
by HOT MESSAGE

ATLANTA, Ga, Aug. Ex-Governor
Hugh NJ. Dorsey jumped into the Iegis-
lative breach yesterday with a sharp
and pointed message to both the House
and Senate, in which he handled the
two bodies some plain talk, and has
most likely saved the State Of Georgia
an extraordinary SESSION.
The Senate appropriation committee
had held another meeting. prior to the
Senate convening. and out Of it had
come the report that the common
school figure would be cut, the Mil
ledgeville school would be given a
straight appropriation of $4,000 from
the State treasury, the full 10000
would be given back to the State Col
lege for agricultural demonstration
work as heretofore, and that the other
special appropriations would be passed
up as they came from the House
In the Senate there has already
sprung up two factions, one opposed to
the enormous House bill and another
o. more or less firm determination to
stick to the House bill On the House
side of the situation the reports from
the Senate appropriations committee
appeared to serve further to get up the
backs of the radical wing, and, if any
change had come since the night be-
fore, it was more danberously inclined
to force the extraordinary session. In
deed, even among the conservatives in
the House, there was expressed little
hope OF that hour of obviating it.
Governor Dorsey went to his office
after viewing the situation and dis
patchedto both bodies his special mes
sage, in which he expressed "appre
hension that the taxpayers of the State
will be further burdened with the ex-
pense of an extraordinary session" un-
less the differences in the Legislature
can be adjusted and reasonable mon
ey sheet passed. The purpose of the
message, he said, is to impress upon
you the injustice you do the people of
the State" and needless embarrass-
ment of the State officials, departments
and institutions of which the Legisla-
ture is guardian
If you forget the principle applied
by every conservative business man to
his own affairs, and which should be
fundamental canon of State financing,
that one should not expend more mon
ey than he has in hand or has any
reasonable expectation of being able to
get"
This language accompanied financ,
ial statement from the Governor show
ing that the plan put on by the lower
House means a deficit for the State Of
$1,95S,133.6O.
The message was read in the House
Immediately upon its receipt. while in
the Senate it was read some little time
after it was handed in In the House
the effect was electrical. For the first
time since the fall of the gravel when
the session convened on the first day
the House was in absolute order and
silence was maintained from the be-
ginning to the end of the reading that
has not been heard in that hall this
yeaT.
Leaders of the radical wing of the
House admit frankly that the message
has made such serious inroads on their
ranks they doubt ability now to carry
out the plan to fight for the $4O00,O00
to the very end of time, as they had in
tended toy and it is evident, on inquiry,
that the document has brought split
among the standpatters for $4,000
fund or no bill.
1t is not to be taken that the sudden
and decidedly favorable turn in the
situation has entirely killed the fight
that will be made by House members,
or that all DANCER of an extraordinary
session has passed.