Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-07-29
ACTION POSTPONED
ON FEE SYSTEM BILL

The constitutional amendments
committee Of the house of represen-
tatives on Wednesday afternoon
postponed action on the bill to abol-
ish the fee system in Georgia and
put county officials on a salary
basis. The committee will meet
again Thursday afternoon at $3.50
o'clock. Representative Davis, Of
Floyd, asked the postponement, stat
ing that he expected a delegation
Of his constituents here Thursday
to fight the measure. The bill was
introduced in the house by the Full
ton delegation.
The postponement of this measure;
the postponement of action on the
Augusta water power bill, which
carries with it $1,5O0,O0O bond is
sue; the return of favorable reports
on Senator Golucke's "anti pistol
toting" bill and Representative
Parks bill to purge the pension list
of the new class of pensioners and
place a property restriction on all
pensioners, and the return of an un-
favorable report on Representative
Johnson's tax exemption bill, fea-
tured the committee hearing We'd
nesday afternoon.
The Parks pension bill virtually
repeats the pension law passed few
years ago, which removed all prop
erty qualification from pensioners
and made widows Of Confederate vet
Grams eligible for pensions If they
had married prior to 1881.
The Parks bill provides for a prop
erty qualification of $4,000 for all
classes of pensioners, and makes
veterans widows eligible if they
were married prior to 1871. The
author of the measure claims that
it's passage would result in a clear
saving to the state Of around ST.
100000 annually.
Il consider this the most dangerous,
the most unfair measure that has
been introduced at this session."
said Representative Henderson,
speaking against it. cit is the duty
of this legislature to find some way
to pay these widows not to cut the
pension list. We don't consider the
veterans as paupers but are pay
| ing them for their services to the
SOUTH
Representative Parks at this point
asked Representative Henderson if,
in his opinion, the state was now
paying the veterans what they de-
served.
Il do not" replied Mr.. Hender-
| son, ''but we should not cut off the
little memento of their services that
we are paying them now"
Representative Culpepper, of
Fayette, declared that the state
would either have to reduce the pen
sion list or enact some taxation
measure that would be adequate to
meet the demands being made on
the state.
PAY the veterans what you will,
he said. "I won't oppose it. But
When you give it to them behind
some taxation measure that will
enable the state, to raise sufficient
funds to pay them.
II have worried myself almost
gray-headed over the financial af-
fairs of this state. We are already
in debt to the veterans to the ex-
tent of about 100000 and the
debt is growing. We have got to
pay it.
Il believe the way to pay it is to
vote for an income tax. I believe
the business of the state is now
ready to accept such a tax. Only
today I was approached by a rep
resentative of one of the largest
concerns in Georgia who asked me
to work for the income tax and to
call on the legislature to quit pass.
ing pernicious little peanut tax
measures and get down to bust
ness"
Representative Parks claimed in
support of his bill that the state is
now paying pension money to many
men and women in the state whose
incomes run into hundreds of thou.
sands of dollars and who do not
need it.
L know of four people in my
county" he declared, "who are
worth more than $4,000 each, who
are drawing pension money from
the state. I know of one woman
who gives it to her grandchildren
for spending money. The object OF
this, measure is to take the money
from the people who do not need it
thus enabling the state to pay those
EVeteranS and their widouyS x.,bo o..
IN actual need of funds"
Representative Moore, of AppIing
cited one instance where a pensioner
is worth more than $4,000 but is
still drawing money from the state
lie said he knew of other similar
instances
Following the discussion the com
mlttee returned a favorable report
on the measure by vote of 13 to II
xx -.