Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1922-06-29
FOR BIENNIAL SESSIONS
AND ONE COLLEGE BOARD;
PROPOSES INCOME TAX
Governor Says If We Are To Educate Children,
Build Highways and Maintain Proud Position,
the Wealth, Not Poverty, of State Must Foot
Bill For Quarterly Tax Payment.

year. The auditing system. he says,
should be applied to the states col
lections as well as to It's purchases
and payments, and he likewise Il ges
that every cen collected Cor the state
from any source or By any agen7 be
turned into the state treasury cou-
pied with a reformation of the man
mr. o. making I'D appropriation bills
and the operation Of an effective
budget commission.
The only political question with
which the governor deals is in his
recommendation urging 'the enact
ment Of real and rigid Australian
ballot law to be applicable to pri-
mary and general election alike, and
to be installed at every precint in
Georgia" and that this session of the
general assembly submit to the peo-
pie a constitutional amendment pro-
Vidiing for biennial sessions of the
assembly, the latter being both mat
ter of economy and an alienation
from the annual multiplicity of
changes and amendment to laws
which are necessary; ''in other words,
too much legislation"
Explains Tax Ills.
In scope, the greater part of his
message is devoted to an explanation
Of the ills under the present system
OF taxation, and the imperative need
for reformation of that system,
system which has made it possible
for appropriations to increase grad
ually until they exceed the revenues.
He Is, he says, not SO much concern
ed with the raising at this time Of
more revenue, as he is with ''sccu1~
ing just and equal distributl
the present burdens of taxation, o.
gether with the practice of 81
economy by drastic retrenchment
and in his proposed taxing system.
he provides for the collection of tax
es quarterly instead of annually, as
at present, at the time doing away
with the argumentative question Of
valuation" and placing the matter of
taxes on the sound basis of income,
which reaches the Income on in
tangible and invisible property and
its principal value.
On this subject matter he presents
not only his own views, but sven
views as have been advanced to him
and, thereby, he "feels that am on
ly discharging my constitutional duty
to you and the public" He charges
the legislature, though, that, "if the
present taxing system Of Gee fgia is
to be abolished, then it is your duty
to provide an efficient and aae-
quate substitute.
For Equal distribution.
He defines such a substitution
thus: "One that win distribute the
burden Of taxation justly and equ,v-
ably among all citizens and among
all classes of property And, in the
effort to do 50, | earnestly urge upon
your consideration all of the forego-
ing plans, and every other reasonable
and practicable plan that may be
suggested, and urge that you devote
your best thought to the entire ques-
tion from every angle.
IF we are to educate our chill
dren, improve our highways, maintain
our charitable and humanitarian insti-
tutions, and sustain the proud posi-
tion of Georgia as the Empire State
of the South, the wealth of the state
must foot the bill, and not its pov-
erty. The taxing system of the state
should be revised with wisdom and
justice to all persons and to all eiass,
es Of property"
Reverting to the matter of finan-
ces, the governor says, after COM
plete review Of the present prospec-
tive status: In come and outgo must
be carefully and accurately balanc-
ed against each other. However
worthy the appropriation may be. It
cannot and must not be made un-
less We have the money to pay it
with. "Pay as you GO" is the only
motto for either an individual or the
state, and the present legislature, for
the first time in many years, has had
the cofrage to apply this doctrine to
Continued on Page 50