The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1921-12-06

counties May Lose Money Reward
For Capture of Berrien.
atlanta, Ga.-Governor Hard
,;,k has announced that he has viz
.,,ry decided not to issue warrants
:, tbe state school appropriation to
.olace the shortage of R. N. Berrien,
!, the Atlanta broker who was han
limo the warrants as discount agent
i, the state, and who disappeared
i,om the city two weeks ago when
u.-rant charging embezzlement was
issued against him. 49,.
The governor has announced turth-
), that the warrants will be discount
a for the balance of the school war
,snt discounting period, which runs
~ next March, by the Citizens and
S,,tbern bank, at the rate OF per
,snt which is one-half Of one per cent
Swer than the rate Berrien was CIV
NV for warrants discounted since last
Attorney General Napier has fur
,,bed him an opinion, the governor
g,tpd to the effect that he is author
ned to draw warrants on the school
aooropriatiCn to replace the shortage,
4 M the governor said he could not
nncur in the opinion.
The Governor Opinion.
"On the one hand" said the gov
,ror, ct would be necessary to over
draw the school appropriation to re-
oace the shortage, or on the other
i,nd it would be necessary to scale
dawn the balance remaining in the
oDropriation to absorb the shortage.
Fdber one of those expedients is pro-
United bv law. | have carefully gone
Dyer the situation and cannot see how
would be possible to replace the
bortage without running counter to
me or the other of those statutes.
sromptroller General Wright and State
Speer concur in my view.
I Their approval of the governors war
rants is necessary before such war
rant can be paid, so if l issued war
rants to replace the shortage they
would not be paid"
The governor expressed the op1n-
ion that the legislature might see mt at
its next session, after hearing all the
facts, to make a deficiency 'approprla-
ton to replace the shortage, but that
8 as he pointed out, is a matter Tor the
legislature to decide. :,
& The question as to what agency snail
bear the loss may be settled by Legal
mceedings brought as a test case.
S43,811 Shortage.
Berrien's shortage, according to his
/ hitter to Governor Hardwlck made
8ubIc Tuesday, is $43,811. AS matters
ow stand under Governor HardW1cks
secsion not to issue warrants to re.
i lace the shortage, the shortage Will
& ave to be borne by the local school
3 rborities whose checks from Ber-
&en covering their respective pro-rata
#Iares of warrants turned over to HIM
Dr. discount, were refused payment by
Berrien's bank in Atlanta. In other
AYords the governors warrants under
s he old arrangement were sent TO the
ocal authorities for their endorSemeInt'
turned by them to State School Su-
puntendent Britain, turned over by
Britain to Berrien for discount, and
zBerrien disbursed the proceeds:
! The largest single check OF Berrlen
a which payment was refused was
ne for $4,000 to the superintendent
II schools of Chatham county. L ne
pliers ranged down to small amounts
hough there were several ranging
Pom $1,000 to $4,000.
The governor has offered a reward
j $3.50 for the arrest OF Berrien,
Which is the largest amount that can
offered by the state except where
capital offense is charged.