Macon beacon., 1918-02-08
Letter From Big Bud.

Editor The Beacon!
We did nothing of Importance
last week, except to kill the bill
introduced by Mr.. Everitt; chair
man of the Ways and Means com.
mittee, to tax all notes and evi.
dences of debt of every description.
This would have virtually re-
opened the law exempting money
loaned at six per cent from taxa
ton, which | think is a very meri-
torious measure, and has been of
great benefit to the farmer. We
had a hard fight to pass it when
we did, and | was glad we killed
Everitt's bill. I understand How
erton says he will try it again, al
lowing the State to tax notes, ETC., 4,
but exempting them from city and
county taxes. We will try and
kill this also.
We had quite wrangle about
the money borrowed for various
purposes by the Governor during
1917. When the Governor thought
any repairs necessary to care tor
the state institutions, he wrote to
the members of the legislature
asking them if they favored the
measure to sign an article author.
izing the Governor to borrow the
money necessary lor this purpose.
A majority of the members of the
legislature signed these articles,
agreeing to vote to re pay this
money and authorizing the Gov
ernor to borrow money for various
purposes, altogether amounting to
over $100, 100000. When the chair
man of the Appropriation commit
tee brought in this bill to pay
these various loans, a lot of our
best men opposed it and said they
were only bound to vote to re- pay
such loans as they had agreed to;
that they did not authorize the
Governor to borrow all the loans,
etc. | made a speech urging the
House to vote for the bill; that we
were bound by the action of the
majority Of the members. The
banks had loaned the money in
good faith, and they ought to be
paid at once. Some contended
that the Governor and trustees
had not used the money as in
tended. I told them that if the
money had been stolen, we were
still bound by the vote of the ma
jority of the members, and that we
should pay this money and there.
by preserve the credit of our state.
And / am glad to say that this
view of the matter prevailed.
We have passed resolution for.
bidding the Governor asking the
members in recess to authorize the
Governor to borrow money except
in extraordinary cases, and be.
lieve this to be a wise measure, for
it is a well known fact that the
average legislator will vote to au.
thorize the Governor to borrow
money to erect buildings at the
various state institutions much
more readily than he will when
the House is in session and can
hear the arguments on both sides.
We are to have some radical
legislation proposed to change our
present school laws. Among other
things, they propose to elect a
board of school trustees for the
county, and they are to elect the
county superintent of education,
and they can elect any men whom
they think will be the best men,
whether he resides in the county
or not. / am greatly in favor of
electing all of our officers, and the
present system has worked well in
our county, and my present inten-
tion is to vote against this part of
the bill, but / have great conf
dence in the opinion of my cousin,
John FAINT, on educational matters,
and he thinks this is a wise change.
All of the superintendents of edu-
cation are invited here this week
by Superintendent Bond, and /
suppose we will have this bill up.
Sallie and | are pleasantly stu.
ated, and Jim Lipscomb and his
little wife board at the same place,
and our own grandchildren could
not be kinder to us. Ethel comes
over to see Sallie every day and
they have a fine time together.
And we are all proud of Jim Lips
comb. After graduating at the A.
& NJ, he taught agriculture at the
County Agricultural High
School one year, and then went to
Wisconiin A. & NJ. and completed
his course there, and he is now