Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-07-05
GOV. DORSEY URGES
PROMPT PASSAGE Of
IMPORTANT WAR BILLS
Message Proposes More Pow
er for Governor in Cases of
Mob Violence and Suggests
State Court to Try Lynchers

ObOlS OONll w ny GJIlOlICI D
Prompt action on war measures is
urged by Governor Hugh NJ. Dorsey in
his message to the house and senate
delivered Wednesday, and among the
important war measures mentioned in
his message are the bill to enlarge the
powers and increase the appropriation
of the State Council of Defense, the bill
requiring all able-bodied men between
the ags of IS and so years to work at
least five days in every week, and the
bill authorizing and enabling Georgians
in the army and navy to vote in cleo
lions both state and local.
Declaring that mob violence must be
stopped by the state or else the fed
eral government will take the matter
in hand, Governor Dorsey insists that
the governor should have the power and
authority to take a local situation in
hand at once, without waiting for a
call from the sheriff or other local au-
thorities TO send the military. He IA
vors a method whereby the conduct of
! local peace officers can be investigated,
with power vested in the governor to re-
move them for dereliction of duty. He
faVors the impaneling of a state court
with jurors drawn from the state at
! large to return indictments against per-
sons guilty of participation in mob
violence, and trial of such indicted per-
sons by a similar state court and state
wide jury.
With regard to the tax system of the
state Governor Dorsey declares the
time has come for a complete reorgani-
zation. He suggests the advisability
of doing away with general taxation for
support of state institutions, and the
substitution of a system OF income, in
eritance..-license end other special
taxes. He strongly recommends the
creation OF a special commission to
work out this problem.
Tax REORGANIZATION
Directly related to taxation is the
subject of appropriations. The present
slipshod system of pork barrel appro-
priations, as the governor points out,
has been discarded in progressive states
and the budget system has been estab-
lished in its place. The governor rec
ommends that the legislature create
budget committee to be composed OF
the governor, the president of the SEN
ate, the speaker Of the mousse the
chairman of the appropriations COM
mittee of the house, the chair
man of the finance committee of the
senate, the attorney general and me
state school superintendent of educa-
ton, which committee shall inquire INTO
the needs of all departments and pass
judgment upon them, and which snail
make recommendations OF maximum
amounts for each department, these
maximum amounts not to DE exceeded
except by a two-thirds vote Of the
bouse and senate acting separately. BY
this method, declares the governor, the
various departments will be built up as
a whole. instead of each one striving
against the other.
The governor recommends thdt the
railroad commission be reduced from
Eve TO three members, this reduction 10
take place when the terms OF TWO mem
hers expire on December l, 1919 ana
recommends that the commission De
made a corporation commission with
jurisdiction over the charter orgaEl~a-
zion and operation of all corporations,
nrhlic and private. He points out th2t
tbe control of all railroads by the led
oroI Government has practically stripped
tbe railroad commission of its functions
in this department. ,..;,-
Tbese above-stated recommendations
are the ones of general import anu IN
terest Below is a summary OF the ue-
tailed recommendations contaiheu !" '''
message: ,
Passing Local Bills
rrho Governor points out the we'll
known fact that entirely too much time
of the legislature is consumed IN the
ma ge of purely local leglslatlon' such
as the abolition of county treasurers'
The creation, abolition and recreation
of county commissioners tne gran IlH. slIis
| of authority to construct stairways into
| hotel basement barber shops, etc. He
urges again that a general plan should
! be adopted placing these matters IN
( the hands of local authorities.
/ Special attention is called to the fact
I that the act of the legislature IN 1911
prohibiting the acquisition OF lands b.
! condemnation proceedings without the
consens of the owner has brought to a
complete stop the purchases OF the red
eral government for its great forest re-
serve in north Georgia. He calls atten-
, JOY Tguouuu sUl lBul loTI aQl o. uo!l
/ EST reserve commission, which s max
/ ing these purchases. has adopted Teso-
{ luton refusing to buy any more lands
! in Georgia until this hostile legisla-
ton" is repealed. The act ought 10 be
: repealed, declares the governor, as Geor-
. gia was one of the first states in the
union 20 invite the federal government
! to locate a forest reserve within it's
. borders. and now this act for the bcne-
fit Of a few scattered property owners
/ is holding up the whole great pro-
gram.
The states contract for the purchase
ard exchange Of Parks annotated code
I is an unfair and unbusinesslike PROPOSE
ton, and should be changed altogether
( the governor recommends.
/ The governor explains that a batch
! of bills granting special pensions to
persons not entitled to them under the
. provisions Of the general law were
passed against the recommends ton of
. the pension issioner, and il would
. not be fair to grant these special pen
I sions.
Inauguration of Governor
The state election laws should be
/ changed, declares Governor Dorsey. so
| as 10 permit of the earlier ascertain
ment and declaration of the guberna-
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