The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1922-05-30

Mr.. M. ]. Yeomans has furnished
the press another article on the $751;
100000 state bond issue for building
roads. He says:
What l shall say in regard to meth
DDS has no reference to any one ex-
cept to those actively engaged, for a
salary, in an attempt to saddle $751;
100000 bonded Indebtedness upon the
taxpayers of Georgia.
Many advocates of the bond issue
evidently have no definite conception
of the methods, plans and purposes of
those in active charge Of the campaign.
Hon. T. G. Farmer, jr., managing
director of the Good Roads Associa-
ton, recently replied to some phases
of my former article on the bond is
Sue, and makes much of two typo
graphical errors apparent on their
face. He makes no attempt to meet
the issue squarely, but seeks to mud
dy the waters that the people may not
know the truth. He says, however,
that it is his purpose to see that ev-
cry voter knows the truth about the
SIS, 100000 bond issue before the leg
islature meets in June. | trust this may
happen. 1t is my purpose to give him
some assistance, in order that the tax
payers may know something of the
immense burdens the bond advocates
propose to place on them without ade-
quate compensating advantage.
Mr. Farmer, in a recent speech, stat
ed that the Good Roads Association
and the highway department are dis
tinct and separate organizations, with
no connection, except the highway de-
partment furnishes much of the infor-
nation on which the bond advocates
are making their campaign; that the
highway department. is supported by
taxation; that the Good Roads Asso-
citation receives no part OF the money
for financing the bond campaign, di-
rectly or indirectly, from taxes levied
and collected from the taxpayers.
For some time it has been an open
question as TO where the money came
from for this campaign, and while it
is still uncertain how much money, ii
any, the cement people, the machin-
cry men, the supply men, the aeces-
sory dealers, the contractors and 9TH
ers who hope to get finger into the
SIS, 100000 pie have contributed, yet
one thing remains certain: that part
of the taxpayers of the state have
been bled, without their knowledge of
consent, for money for this campaign,
that more taxes may be levied on
them.
There is absolute proof that the
Good Roads Association, through its
employees, has induced various county
commissioners to inappropriate tax
money belonging to the counties to
the $75,000000 bond campaign, and
that the Good Roads Association re-
ceived this money with knowledge that
it was illegal and a transportation
of funds.
To put the case mildly, the county
commissioners who thus misappro-
priated tax money are personally la
Bile, and those who received it are in
the same boat.
The amount of money thus illegally
and illegally received is
unknown, but rumor places the figures
at many thousands of dollars. No Won
der high priced lawyers and canvass
ers are securing the state from one
end to the other Was there ever any
thing like it before?
1t is like making an innocent man
buy rope with which to be hung, or
gun with which to be murdered.
This is part of the truth Mr.. Farmer
failed to tell until confronted with the
proof. He then admitted the charges,
but the tax money thus illegally re-
ceived has not been refunded.
Appropriate Court Action Is in Order.
Have YOU ever read the Good Roads
Primer, and the other propaganda is
sued by the bond advocates? If you
have not, send for it at once. 1t reads
like an oil stock circular. 1t insures
riches, health, wealth, prosperity and
happiness, better schools, churches,
moving pictures, lower taxes, better
roads, and even the millennium, If on
w the taxpayers will mortgage them
selves and posterity for $75,000,00O.
We have in Georgia a law known as
the blue sky law" which seeks to
protect the people against deception
and fraud. This crowd should be hailed
before the blue sky commission and
their propaganda suppressed. They
are seeking to sell bonds which the
taxpayers will have to pay, and for
which no adequate return of perma-
nent nature will be had.
Have yoI ever -ead the last report
of the Highway department.? If you
have not, send for it now. 1t is also
rare, rich and racy, and has all the
earmarks of an oil stock circular. 1t
is handsomely illustrated with many
beautiful pictures and contains many
appeals for a bond issue, but nowhere
do the names of the engineers, EN-
ployes and hangers-on appear, who
spent in one year in overhead and
semi-overhead expenses $574185.lS
out of a total income from the state
OF S1,795.021.31, if the report be true.
How much of the balance was spent
by the highway department in can
vassing the state for the S75,000000
bond issue does not appear
The public press is usually accurate,
and for the last several months we
have seen news items that officials and
employees of the highway department
have been making speeches Tor the
SIS. 10000 bond issue, and soliciting
and obtaining tax money illegally
from county commissioners to pay the
salaries and expenses Of the bond adj
vocates.