Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1921-05-11

a semi official source. 1t once had an opportun
lily to break the solid South. The Leader believes
that opportunity has been lost 1t should be los
by this criminal proposal to lynch the South the
yard arm OF Eastern shipping.
TO PULL GEORGIA OUT OF THE BOG
Summarizing the deplorable condition of the
state governments finances, DR.. J. H. f. Nc
Pherson, professor OF political economy at The
University Of Georgia, member Of the state ta>
commission and recognized the nation over as al
expert on things connected with those two posi-
tons, makes the following remark:
While the United States government
takes S1060O0000 out OF Georgia for federal
purposes, the state is trying to get along with
4, less than one tenth OF this amount, and it
viii have to continue to get along with an
insignificant sum until its taxation system is
enabled to meet the task which conronts the
state. Other states have modernized the
taxation laws, Georgia will be compelled to
follow in their footsteps
State Treasurer w. J. Speer has wisely recon
mended in his official report that the governor
mansion be sold to meet an unsecured bond issue
Of $207O which falls due next year. Governor
elect Hardwick is faced with the task OF cutting
to the bone appropriations for many lines OF the
states activity. He also proposes to abolish
many commissions and alleged gratis in the
state. In the process, necessary, it is all too true
some good must go with the bad
The state OF Georgia needs an income OF 500
COO0OO, about twice what she is getting now. The
educational institutions OF the state from the
smallest school in the poorest school district to
the University Of Georgia all need. absolutely
NEED, twice as much and more money than they
are getting now or have any prospect OF getting
" What the schools need, ,he people need and
state" needs No state, no community OF PEG
pie are more advanced than are their schools
Progress follows education
Great progress is impossible as Gcorgia's
government now functions The state is strug.
Cling in the dark, bound hand and foot, under its
present constitution. The present constitution
was written by some OF the wsest men and great
est statesmen Georgia has ever produced but was
written by them at the end OF the reconstruction
period to fill a certain need which is no longer
operative, to guard against a certain danger
which no longer threatens
The present constitution successfully protects
the people at large from wanton and -wilful in
Jury from the governor or legislature But il
also prevents the governor and legislature from
making any great progress on any constructive
program. 1t protects the people from any hasty
or W1ully injurious action by their officers clos
@st home, the county and city governments But
N SO dong II cutters up the table of the legisa
ture with petty odds and ends and matters of no
importance that the solons have no time during
their long annual sessions to really work out any
big constructive legislation The present consti-
tuition has served its purpose just as the present
~ystem Of taxation has served its purpose
Other states have changed their constitutions
written them to be more modern and certainly
more elastic, and other states have changed their
system OF taxation. Must Georgia drag along
behind living from hand to mouth from year to
year, sending her public institutions begging for
the crumbs on which they must exist, even una.
Die to meet her own public school warrants
| Must Georgia children continue to learn" from
! little girls with hardly more than high schoo
education and certainly no training in pedagogy
md must they recite their lessons to these child
eachers in shacks and shantes hardly substan
tal enough to keep out the rains OF spring or the
Winds of winter?
How long must the country children of Geor
gia suffer for the lack OF ambition and magma
tlon OF the leaders and public men OF Georgia
Md these children are the men and women o
tomorrow, As they are denied opportunity
,oday SO will they fail in Accomplishment
tomorrow,
On May 18th Ben Hill county farmers and farm
women will vote to levy school tax in Ashton
md l.ynnwood districts. This tax must be an
horned and collected il the children OF those dis
riots are to have reasonable educational facili
les Heavy local school taxes must be levied a
ong as the state continues TO operate ON its pres
mt haphazard and un>cientihc system Edu
alton should be a matter OF state responsibility
t must be il school systems are to be really &C
ordinated and made really efficient. But as lon
IS the present taxing system is retained and tn