Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-09-03
Details Are Referred to Sub
committee, Which Will
Meet Here Next Wednes-
day and Report

A purpose to expedite as speedily as
possible contamination of the lease
Of the governors mansion, at Peach
tree and Cain streets, marked the
Initial meeting of the mansion COM
mission at the offices of Governor
Hardwicll Wednesday morning. The
meeting was featured by the prepon-
derating belief that improvements of
the property. as well as the ground
itself, will be absolutely exempt from
state, county and municipal taxation
"a circumstance that will enhance
the value of the lease-hold by at
least 100 per cent, in the opinion OF
members of the commission.
A permanent organization of the
commission was effected by the cleo
ton of Governor Hardwick as chair
man, and Representative Carl Guess
of DeKa1b county, as secretary.
consummation of the lease was re-
ferred to a subcommittee consisting
of the governor, Attorney General
Napier, Secretary of State McLen-
don and Thomas ]. CARING, of Ma
con.
The subcommittee will meet next
Wednesday in Atlanta to perfect de-
tails of the proposals that are to
be submitted to the public looking
to the disposal of the property for
period of fifty years, as agreed upon
by the commission and authorized by
the legislature. The commission will
meet the day following to consider
confirmation of the plans to be sub
uitted by the subcommittee.
All members of the commission
were present at the meeting, as fol-
lows: Governor HardWick, Secretary
of State McLendon, Attorney General
Napier, Senator'S Pat HARRISON and
Frank Manson, Representative
swift, of Ebert; Daniels, of Troup,
md Guess, of DeKalb; Messrs Thorn
as J. CARING, of Macon; Julian Nc
hurry, of Athens; and Charles M.
Milan, of Gainesville.
Need of Haste
After the governors election as
chairman and Representative Guess
election as secretary. on motion of
Secretary of State McLendon, Gov
ernor HardWick remarked, first, upon
the Importance of expedition, in the
ond, upon the question of taxation as
1T relates to the improvements to be
placed upon the property.
"At the very lowest estimate, 1t
costs the state of Georgia 500
day, possibly more, for the property
to remain idle" said the governor.
'That is a big consideration in my
The state needs the funds, and it is
wasteful folly to defer the leasing of
the ground
Governor Hardwick said that he
had not made a careful study of the
laws of the state with reference to
the taxation of lease-holds, and the
improvements thereon, more particu-
larly property owned by the state.
But" said the governor, sit is my
'curbstone' opinion that the improve
ment to be erected on the mansion
site will be exempt from state, coun-
the ground itself will be exempt from
taxes. There can be no question
whatever about this.
Taxation Is Important
THE Importance of this question
of taxation is obvious at once, when
we consider how vastly the value of
property will be enhanced if the i'm
provements on the property will cost
a million dollars. In that event, their
| exemption from taxation will be
worth at least 8 per cent, or 100000
| a year; if the improvements amount
| to $2,000,000, which is not unlikely,
| why then the exemption would be
| worth 100000 per year.
| Governor Hardwick suggested that
| the question should be carefully In
vestigated by the attorney general and
! a report submitted at the earliest
possible moment, so that the commits
sion will be in position to. take
| every advantage of his views in ne
gotiating for the lease of the prop
! erty.
Attorney General Napier and Sec
rotary of State McLendon, himself
lawyer of experience and ability,
agreed with the 'curbstone' opinion
of the governor as to the property
| and improvements being tax free.
The attorney general agreed that he
would make an exhaustive study
of the subject and submit his opln-
| ion to the subcommittee at its meet
! ing next Wednesday.
| The governor, attorney general
and secretary of state were in
agreement, however, that whatever
| the opinion of the attorney general
| as to the question of taxes, the COM
mission would be without authority
| to guarantee the tax exemption of
the property in such lease as may
be negotiated.
For Courts to Decide
1.-The question will be one for the
courts to determine, If it should be
raised by either the state, Fulton
county or the city of Atlanta" said
The governor But if the commits