Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1920-08-15
PACE TELLSHOW
ASSEMBLY SPLIT
Americus Officials Ask
ed Him Not to Press
School Measure

The wateropwer bills which fail
ed of passage at the recent session of
the legislature, contain the germ of
the greatest development scheme and
represents the grandest dream ever
conceived in the brain of man for the
growth of any commonwealth" ac-
cording to Representative Stephen
Pace, who was member of the house
committee which reported these bills
favorably, and who has just return
ed home from attending the fegisla-
tive sessions in Atlanta.
Telling of the confusion which
marked the end of the session and
resulted in the failure of the district
agricultural schools appropriation
measure and other bills of import
ance to the states educational insti-
tutiOns, Mr.. Pace said the failure of
these bills was due to the attitude of
several members whose interest in
certain bills which failed to pass
caused them to definitely block other
needful and meritorious legislation.
Il worked hard for the district Ag-
gle schools appropriation and secured
the passage of this bill through the
house," said he, "but it was amended
in the senate, and when the amended
bill came back to the house the storm
had broken and it was impossible to
secure intelligent consideration for
any measure. The appropriation for
the Confederate pensioners of Geor-
gia was saved only because the SEN
ate failed to tack any amendment
onto it, and the house had no oppor-
tunity to lay it upon the table in the
last hours of the session"
Asked concerning the disposition
of his bill to permit the appropriation
of funds derived from emergency
taxes now being temporarily i'm
posed for the retirement of the float
ing debt of Americus for the support
of the city schools, Mr.. Pace said he
had not asked the enactment of this
bill after receiving a letter from
Mayor Sheppard and every individual
member of the city council saying
that additional funds to be raised
through the increase of real estate
and other taxable values here would
provide funds sufficient for the needs
of the schools. The additional taxes
being temporarily imposed have been
definitely pledged to the retirement
of the floating debt, Mayor Sheppard
wired Representative Pace, and
should not be diverted into a differ
ent channel or used for another pur-
pose.
When Mayor Sheppard first gave
his views to Representative Pace the
latter informed him he must insist
upon making proper provision for the
schools and that he proposed to pass
his bill as published in The Times
Recorder, and a copy of which had
been furnished Secretary Perkins of
the citizens forum meeting. 1t was
then that the mayor and council
united in the request that ne not
pass the proposed measure, adding
the statement that increased taxable
values already in sight would provide
all necessary funds for the mainte-
nance of the schools. In view of
these facts, Mr.. Pace said, he there
upon ceased to press his bill for pas
sage, and it was never voted upon.
The bill affecting the salary of
Judge VIM. NJ. Harper, of the City
Court of Americus, which was intro
duced by Mr.. Pace at the request of
the county commissioners, and which
had his hearty approval at well, was
passed early in the session, and it
now law, as is also The budget bill
which affects the right of city council
to make appropriations for the sup
port of different departments, ex-
cept under a budget system. This
bill becomes effective January /,
1921, and is designed to regulate mu-
nicipal expenditures in such manner
as to prevent the accumulation of
another floating debt, interposing as
its provisions will, an effective bar