Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-08-02
Citizens of Bibb County
Would Have No Vote on
Question of Taxes, Says
Frank Hooper

In connection with the announce
ment that the senate committee on
constitutional amendments will hold
a hearing Tuesday afternoon at 2
o'clock on the bill by Senator Wohl-
bender providing for constitutional
amendment authorizing the removal
Of the capital to Macon, Attorney
Frank Hooper, chairman Of the At
lanta Committee on Capital Reten-
ton, issued a statement Saturday
afternoon, calling attention to certain
vital issues entailed in capital re-
moval.
These include the statement that
capital removal will place on the
people of Macon huge bonded debt
without the privilege on their part
Of voting on the question, provided
the bill passes and the people of the
state should ratify it and the gov
ernor's mansion and present capital
are sold and the commissioners Of
Bibb county authorize a bond issue
of 100000. Or, if the commission
ers do not authorize such an issue,
the state would be without any CAPT
tai save a nominal capital.
Let the people of Macon add
their state and county and their city
taxes to this and let them also add
their income and other federal taxes,
and they will see for themselves
what their representatives in the
legislature are seeking to put on
their shoulders, and that without
their consent" says Mr.. Hooper.
His statement, in full, follows:
Some of our Macon friends have
expressed surprise at the statement
that the capital removal bill now
before the legislature will place upon
the people of Macon a huge bonded
debt without the privilege upon their
part of voting on the question. 1t
would doubtless interest the people
of Macon considerably to read this
bill, and also to read the letter of
June rs addressed to the general as
sembly by the so-called Georgia
Captal Removal association In this
remarkable letter to the assembly,
paragraph 2 reads as follows:
"'2 1t will give to Georgia with
out the added expense of a single dol
lar, if the people ratify the consti-
lutional amendment, a new and ade-
quate capital building and executive
mansion that isn't Cow barn." as
Governor Dorsey has termed the
present mansion, and with good rea-
son.
From this it is evident that a
new capital and governors mansion
in Macon will cost the people of the
state nothing; that is, that would be
true except for the fact that it is not
true. In paragraph the explanation
is given why it will not cost the
people of the state anything. The
old rundown mansion and the run
down capital building are to be sold.
and, according to Mr.. Fowler. their
proceeds applied to the bonded debt
Of the state. Now we have disposed
of them and their proceeds and the
new capital and mansion are to be
built in Macon. Where is the money
to come from? Paragraph 3 of this
, remarkable letter from the mythical
Georgia Capital Removal association
explains it:
"3. It will provide for the sim
pie and straight swap by the state of
two pieces Of inadequate and run
down property in Atlanta for the new
and adequate properties in Macon,
posed new properties-about four and
a quarter million dollars will be the
value Of the new properties, or maybe
| more-will be provided by Bibb coun-
ty and the city Of Macon. The state
contribution will be the old proper
ties in Atlanta
80 the state of Georgia has only
to be taxed to the amount received
from the sale of the capital square
and the governors mansion, and the
| difference, 100000, is to be paid by
the people of Macon and Bibb coun-
ty.
Senate bill No. 2, which provides
for constitutional amendment, en-
acts in section 2, paragraph 1, that
the capital shall not be located in
the city of Macon until Tattnall
square or other suitable property is
| donated, and further provides that
authority is granted to the county of
Bibb to issue it's bonds in the sum of
100000 and pay the proceeds there
of into the state treasury. So if a
new capital and governors mansion
erected in Macon should cost $10,000,-
900, only 100000 is to be raised by
the people Of the state generally.
Bibb county is to raise the other 49,
100000. Section 8, paragraph l, of
this bill is as follows:
| Section 3, Paragraph 1. Author
| ity is hereby granted to the county
| of Bibb, through the county board
Of commissioners Of said county, to