Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-08-31
HARDN|CK STRESSES
ECONOMY PROGRAM

LAFAYETTE, Ga, Aug. 29.-Con.
trasting what he terms his plan for
a business-like administration Of the
achievements so far along that line
with what he described as Clifford
Walkers unbusiness-like and ruinous
financial policy, Governor Hardwick
addressing a courthouse full of Wal
ker county citizens here today, de-
clared. he had put the state upon a
pay-aS-you-go basis and that he was
sticking by economy and good bust
ness management to hold it's eX
penses within it's income.
The governor said that when he
took office the state had a deficit
Of three million dollars, most OF
which was due for Confederate pen
sions and school teachers salaries
He said he had paid these obliga
tions, had arranged so that the state
institutions would get only one
twelfth of their appropriations each
month, except in case of an emer.
gency, and was bending his efforts
to have the legislature pass budget
and audit law so that a proper check
and balance could be kept upon the
states finances. He declared that
he was doing all he could to elimi.
nate waste, extravaganza and steal,
age. He also said he had paid all
current year pensions, amounting
to a million dollars, and that the
teachers were being paid promptly.
Pensions
The governor made it clear that
tho hill NV oc+
legislature, which he vetoed, carried
a million and quarter dollars for
an entire new class of pensioners
such as Confederate veterans who
had moved into Georgia from other
states and widows of veterans who
married after 1870. He declared he
vetoed this bill because there was
no money with which to pay these
new pensions and none was in sight.
The governor reminded his hearers
that the bill he vetoed did not af-
feet the 10000 pensioners of TIE old
classes ,all of whom will continue to
draw their 500 a wear.
He strongly condemned the 1egis-
lature for passing appropriations
when it knew there would be no
revenue with which to pay them, lie
said the state had laws which would
send an individual to Jail for giving
a bad check when his account at the
bank had been exhausted, and he
declared that the state could not in
conscience and right do something
Which it forbids it's Individual citi-
zens doing.
Ridicules Walkers Policy
Governor Hardwick asserted that
Mr.. Walker had announced himself
in favor Of new appropriations
amounting to eight and one-half mil
lion dollars, which, added to the
states present appropriation of
about eleven million dollars, would
raise the states aggregate annual
expenses to approximately twenty
million dollars. "And," said the
governor, "Mr. Walker not only does
not offer any plan to raise additional
revenue to meet his proposed new
appropriations, but he says he is in
favor of repeating the present tax
raising system and that ne is op-
posed to any new tax laws. Now,
isn't that ridiculous? Even a weak
minded man would know he could
not add on millions of dollars of ex-
pense, cut out the taxes and still
be able to keep the state out of
bankruptcy"
Governor Hardwick was intro
duced here by. Colonel James Rosser,
a prominent young lawyer, Judge
Moses Wright, Of the Rome circuit,
adjourned court for him to speak.