Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-08-02
CAPITAL REMOVAL WOULD
SADDLEDEBTON YERS

create said Indebtedness and issue
said bonds, payable, principa land in
terest at a period or periods, of not
more than fifty years from the date
county authorities are required be-
fore the issuance of said bonds, to
make provisions for the payment
thereof as and when the same shall
become due Said authority may be
exercised by said county board Of
the same to vote of the people of
the county"
This section does not require the
county commissioners of Bibb to Gre
ate any Indebtedness. 1t merely au-
thorizes them at their discretion TO
them to do SO if they see fit without
submitting the question to vote of
the people of the county.
"Now, suppose, for the sake of ar
gument, that this bill should pass
and the people of the state should
ratify it and the present capitol and
governors mansion in Atlanta are
sold, and the county commissioners
of Bibb county should decline to
hold this election or decline to assess
the taxes; what would be the result
Atlanta would have no capitol build;
capital, the state of Georgia would
have raised it's millions, but the coun-
ty of Bibb could not be compelled to
raise one dollar Of the 100000 it
is to furnish.
Another remarkable feature is
fit to raise these 100000, to issue
100000 of bonds, they can do so
without the consent and against the
wishes of the voters of Bibb county,
and in excess of the constitutional
limitation. This would be a fragrant
Violate of tho cfit1Itjnn Of "a
state of Georgia on the part of the
commissioners of Bibb county, but
that little difficulty is also relieved
in the constitutional amendment as
prepared, by exempting Bibb county
from the general operation of the
cent of bonded indebtedness, for sec
ton 3, paragraph 2, of this act reads
as follows:
Section 3, Paragraph 2. The
bonds so issued by the county of
Bibb shall be the binding obligation
for all purposes whatsoever; but the
same shall not be included in the in
uebtedness which said county may in
cur under Article 7, Section Z. Para
graph 1, Of this constitution
what does this mean? Bibb coun-
ty property valuation for last year
was about 100000. Its present
bonded Indebtedness is about per
cent of it's possible seven per cent
of bonds. Now, without the vote
of it's citizens, it's county commits
sioners are to be allowed to bond it
This would make the bonded indebt-
edness of the people of ,Bibb county
Macon add their state and county
them also add their income and 9TH
er federal taxes, and they will see
for the first time what their represen-
tatives in the legislature are seek
ing to put on their shoulders, and
without their consent.
"The last grand jury of Bibb coun-
ty reported that the jail and court
house were in bad repair, but that
they were unable to make he neces-
sary repairs for want CT money.
''These two propositions look a lit
tie inconsistent, do they not? But
the Mulberry Sellers, author of the
letter to the general molly, can
doubtless explain to the grand jury
CT Blbb county where they can raise
the few extra mill ons to make these
repairs and furnish the capitol and
mansion.
'"The purpose of this is to call at
tention, not only to the people of
Bibb county, but to the people of
the state, to the utter .foolishness of
Fowler was possessed of an Alad-
din's lamp which he could rub and
raise millions, it is an absolute i'm
possibility to do so, and the height of
folly to follow this pipe dream. The
people of Georgia are in no condi-
ton or mood to be taxed a single
dollar to accommodate the ambition
of few men, and certainly the peo-
pie of Bibb county are III no posi-
ton to be taxed, not only their part
of the general state taxes, but the
added millions that would fall di-
rectly upon them to carry out this
wild scheme, and if we know the
people of Macon, we are very sure
they do not propose to be taxed these
millions OF dollars without their
consent-a consent that is vouch-
safed to every other citizen of Geor-
gia.
'In all candor, there has been
enough time and money wasted on
this foolish proposition. What do
the people of Macon say?"