Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-07-12
LEGISLATURE WILL
CONSIDER INCOME
TAX THIS WEEK
Continued From Page ~

on constitutional amendments is the
bill by Representative Hamilton, of
! Floyd, providing for a constitutional
| convention to write a new constitu-
! ton for the state.
| A good deal of the time of the
house and senate up to the present
has been expended in discussion of
| the question whether to investi-
gate the state highway depart
| ment. Ademand has been made in
| both branches Of the assembly for
| sitting analysis of the overhead ex-
| penses of that department. ResoIu-
| TONS and counter-resolutions have
! been introduced. speeches and coun-
! ter speeches have been delivered, but
| up to the present nothing has been
done except the action of the house,
. in adopting a resolution requesting
! the department to furnish a list CT
its employees, showing the name,
eXplanati ton of it's overhead expenses.
Highway Expenses Low
All of this information already was
matter of public record and could
have been obtained by any member
or the house or senate who was suf-
hclently interested to consult the
records. according to a statement
given out Saturday by w. r. Neel,
state highway engineer, but in order
to make sure that the information
was placed IN the hands of the leg
1slators exactly as theyl wanted it, n
special statement would be prepared
and submitted. without waiting for
action by the senate on the house
resolution, Mr.. Neel declared
AS to overhead expenses of the de-
partment, declared Mr.. Neel. they are
over than the overhead expenses Of
any other state highway department
in the United States, and he felt
certain that the books and accounts
of the deparement would emerge vic
tor1ouS from any examination TO
which the legislature might care to
subject them.
According to supporters of the
highway department, in the house
and senate, the facts concerning the
departments work, as already pre-
sonted. have produced a strong and
favorable impression upon the minds
| of the members, and they express
the utmost assurance that the de-
partment will not be hurt. but will
he helped by any Investigation which
| is made of it..
Another subject of much CONVEX
sation but no action to date is the
question of expenditures in the de-
partment of agriculture and the re-
llations between that department and
the state college of agriculture at
| Athens.
Senator l.. C. Brown, of Athens,
arrived IN Atlanta for the opening
| of the legislature with the announce
ment that he would prefer charges
| against the department and demand
| an investigation of the same by a
| joint committee from the house and
senate. On Friday he announced that
| he would not introduce this resolu-
~ ~ no
| riculture, J. j. Brown, had "built up
propaganda" against. an investiga-
ton of his department by sending
employees of the department all over
the state, at the expense of the state,
to lobby with members of the legis-
lature in advance of the session and
| falsely inform them that DR.. An
drew M. Soule, president of the state
college of agriculture, was back of
the agitation against the department.
Important Bill Passed
On Saturday, however, Senator
Brown introduced in the senate a
resolution providing for an inyestt-
cation of the department by spe-
cial committee of the house and
senate. In the meanwhile, resolu-
lions had been introduced in the
house and senate expressing vote
\ of confidence in the college and the
| department., declaring that each
ought to function separately without
duplicated effort, and providing for
joint committee to bring Commits
sioner Brown and DR.. Soule together
| for friendly conference to map out
| a program of cooperation along this
| line. Neither this resolution nor
| Senator Browns resolution had been
ate adjourned on Friday until IL
In'clocly Mon6av rnOr0inp
One general bill of importance has
been passed by the house and sem
ate and approved by the governor.
| It is the bill providing for the i'm
mediate election of additional repre-
sentatives in the eight counties en-
titled thereto by constitutional
amendment ratified in the general
election last November. Governor
Hardwick will call special elections
at once, as provided in the bill.
| The counties entitled to additional
representation are DeKalb and Lau-
rens, which are raised from two to
three representatives each, and Col
quit, Dodge, Jefferson, Screven,
Walker and Worth, which are raised
from one to two representatives each.
Special elections are to be called
Iwithin fifteen days in these counties
to choose the additional representa-
tives, and they are to take their
seats as full-fledged members during
the present session of the legislature.
One bill involving a constitutional
amendment has been passed by the
senate, it being the bill to create the
new county of Peach with the city of
Fort Valley as the. county seat. The
supporters of this bill expect it to be
passed by the house this week, as
there seems to be practically no OPP
position to it.