Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-09-05
WILL WAGE DRIVE
FOR PEACH COUNTY

A statewide campaign in behalf of
the ratification Of the last legisla-
lures action in creating Peach coun-
ty will be launched at once and
pushed until the general election in
November, State Senator j. e.
Dawson, of the twenty-third district,
announced in Atlanta Saturday.
Senator Dawson lives in Fort Val
ley, which is to be the county seat
of the new county, which is located
in the heart Of Georgia's famous
peach belt. The senator drew the
bill creating the new county by cut
ting off a slice of territory from
Houston county, and was largely re-
sponsible for it's final passage, after
hard fight that had extended over
a period of six years. O.
The senate passed the Peach coun-
ty bill in 1921 by a practically unan-
imous vote, but the house of repre-
sentatives lost the bill in the shuttle
VI bAAS NiOoill0 lAASAAC anu AcAAASO ~ cISI
on it. At the 1922 session, almost
every member of the senate joined
Senator Dawson with an active cam
paign among house members in be-
half of the bill. Emmett Houser, of
Fort Valley, the Houston represent
ative in the house, led the house
fight for the bill,
On the day the measure came up
for action. the senate took a recess
in order that its members might go
over to the house and work for the
bilIS passage. Representative
Houser made a powerful speech on
the touse floor, and the bill passed,
receiving the required two-thirds ma
jority.
Although Governor Hardwick
promptly signed the bill, the new
county cannot begin to function UNI.
til the people vote on the question,
as the measure was a constitutional
amendment.
"a two-thirds vote of the people is
necessary to ratify," said Senator
Dawson, but the people Of the af-
fected territory hope and believe the
paign we are launching, L expect to
visit my friends in various parts of
the state and explain the reasons
why it became so necessary to create
this new county,"
The senator said the Peach coun-
ty'' citizens are going ahead with
elaborate plans for a road building
program that will place the new
county among the foremost in the
state in the matter of good roads.
"a political division that had ex-
listed for years was one Of the rea-
sons why the new county was ere.
ated," continued the senator. 1--WE
| fought a clean fight and now we are
ready and anxious to join hands with
our Houston county neighbors and
work for the rapid development of
our section.
THE charge that Peach county
takes away the better part OF the
taxable values of Houston county
was, of course, untrue. AS matter
of fact, Houston, as it will stand
when Peach county is cut from it
still will be one of the best counties
in the state. The very best peach
land in Georgia is located just tc
the south of the enterprislng little
city Of Perry, the county site"
In token of Senator Davison's no
table service in having the county
of Peach created, his fellow citizens
are going to present him with thu
honor of being the county's first rep
resentative in the legi lature. HI
will take his seat in the assembly a
the opening of the 1923 session.
Other prominent citizel rs who will
take an active part in the ratification
campaign are Representative
Ho1ser, Mayor A. c. Riley, Jr., o
Fort Valley; A. ]. Evans, D. G. Stro
zier; w. L. Houser, J. w. Wolfork
A. !. Houser anG ]. NJ. Martin.