Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-06-20
JUDGE MAX T. LAND
ADVOCATES REFORMS
IN STATE JUDICIARY
Close Friends of Prominent
CordeIe Jurist Believe He
Shortly viii Announce for
Governor

Sweeping reforms in the judiciary
system and sweeping retrenchment
in the states finances are advocated
by Judge Max E. Land, of Cordele,
in a tentative platform for governor
given out Saturday.
Judge Land does not positively an
nounce himself a candidate, but
those closest to him believe he will
be. The platform, he states, is the
one on which, he will make the race
if he does become a candidate.
Judge Land is one Of the leading
lawyers of south Georgia, a former
solicitor general Of his circuit, and q
former mayor of Cordele. Reports.
that he might run for governor have
been coming from Cordele for sew.
eral weeks.
With regard. to judicial procedure,
Judge Land declares that there are
two classes under the law" and
that everybody knows it, and the is
sue should be faced, and the evil cor
rected. The administration of justice
is supposed to be impartial, he says,
but in point of fact there are two
classes before the law-the rich and
the poor, the strong and the weak.
"Our courts are in politics and
should be taken out" his statement
continues. He advocates rotation OF
judges; a law prohibiting candidates
for judgeships to make any canvass
at all; a law requiring a motion for
new trial to be heard and disposed of
at the term of court when the case
is tried; a law allowing two-thirds of
a jury to make verdict; and a law
subjecting the defendant in a trial
to ross-eXeamination.
Drastic economy is urged by
Judge Land in all state finances.
Georgia is spending too much, he
declares, and appropriations should
be checked at once. He opposes any
new form of taxation, and favors a
reduction of existing taxes one-third.
He favors a law requiring solicitors
general to pay to the state all fees
in excess of $4,000 a year, and re-
curing all county officers to pay to
their counties all fees in excess of
$4,000 a year. He favors the sale
Of the state prison farm, and the
purchase of a prison farm that will
sustain itself. If that cannot be
had, he favors working all .convicts
in county chaingangs. He favors
abolition Of the state highway de-
partment, distribution of the motor
vehicle fees and gasoline tax among
tf1er~counties IN proportion toassEaaas
they collect, and opposes the high.
way bond issue and the purchase
of the Atlanta, Birmingham and At
lantic railroad.
AS to cutting appropriations, he
favors cutting all of them one-third,
except the appropriations for COM
mon schools, Confederate veterans
and the state sanitarium for in
sane. He would keep the common
school appropriation where it is, he
declares, even to the point Of with.
drawing all appropriations from
higher education, if necessary.
He is opposed to building a new
governors mansion, in Atlanta or
elsewhere. A modest cottage for
the governor would be more suitable
to the states financial condition, he
believes.
He favors full participation by
women in governmental affairs, es'
pecially schools. He would have a
law requiring all boards of educa-
ton, whether state, county or mu-
nicipal. to have at least so per cent
of women members.