The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1921-11-08
POTS AND PANS PAY
MORE TAX THAN BONDS
GOV. HARDWICK GIVES OFF,
CIAL FIGURES TO SHOW FL
NANCIAL PLIGHT OF STATE
TAX QUESTION is TOUCHED

Sixty Years After the War Georgia Is
Paying More for Pensions Than 1t
Cost to Support Lees Army. Would
Not Tax People to Pay Pensions to
Rich Veterans
MACON, Ga.-One of the most
forceful and impressive OF the series
OF speeches Governor Hardwick is
delivering at the fairs throughout the
state was delivered here before an au-
dienCe of several thousand people, who
gave him close attention and frequent
applause.
The governor said when he went
into office he found a bankrupt state
treasury; one, in fact, facing a deficit
of several millions OF dollars and the
state with revenues lar insufficient to
pay the appropriations made by the
legislature. That shortage was estimat-
ed by Governor Dorsey upon going out
OF office at $3,100,000 an estimate
which the present governor increased
in making up his own calculations.
On December 3lst this year there
will be a deficit OF two and halt mil
lions.
Citing the financial condition for
1921, using the states official figures,
Governor Hardwick said the appropria
ton this year for common schools was
$4,500000, to which should be added
$5,500000 levied in municipal, county
and school district taxes for the sup
port of the common schools, thus CIV
ing them a round Sl0,O000OO, which,
he Contended is not a penny too
much but rather is not enough. In
1870, he said, 81 per cent OF the total
population OF Georgia was unable to
read and write while this year that
percentage has been reduced to 5.4 per
cent, and if we get revenues enough
we are going to work out that 5.4 per
cent" OF the population OF the state,
he said 81 per cent OF the boys and
girls who go through the. common
schools never get beyond what the high
schools afford them; that only two OF
every 100 go to colleges or higher ed
ucational institutions, and for that rea-
son his position is that the common
schools must be equipped to the very
best in order to take care OF that other
81 boys and girls out of 100, and GeOr
gia must never let the time come when
the common school equipment will be
unable to care for the %. The higher
educational institutions get in appro-
priations this year $1,20O,O0O, and I'M
til we get better tax system we can't
afford to give them any more" Pen
sions, he said, were $2,100,000.
The Pension Problem.
"This note of warning" said the
governor, may not be a popular one in
Georgia, but it is something the peo-
pie ought to bear in mind. We are pay
ing today, nearly sixty years after the
civil war ended, more for pensions
than it cost to run and support Lees
army the whole of the last year OF the
war l would pay an adequate pension
to every old veteran in the state who
is in need of it, but | would not tax
the people of Georgia one red penny
to pay pensions to rich veterans, those
men who do not need the money. /
would cut out of the pension list those
who have sufficient property or income
to take care of themselves. And among
those so-called Confederate widows the
proposition is exactly the same. | do
not refer to the real Confederate wild
ows, but the so-called ones. | do not
mean that woman who married the
soldier when he was doing service in
the army, or those who married the
soldier when he came manned and
wounded out of the army. But not a
cent OF tax should be levied on the
people to pay pensions to those Wo-
men who, in more recent years, have
married old veterans with both feet in
the grave, merely that they might in
short time become widows OF vet
Grams and draw pensions"
Eleemosynary institutions got in ap-
preparations this year, he said, $500
600. and in respect TO these his posi-
ton is that what they need they have
got TO have, but every cent OF it should
be expended under most rigid econo-
my and closest scrutiny. The civil es-
Establishments judges. etc, got 1887, 900;
public departments $354000; prison de
OF speeches Of Governor Hardwick is
partment 100000. And listen to this, .