The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1922-02-14
SAYS BONDS WOULD
STARVE Institutions
CHAIRMAN OF APPRoPRIA-
TIoNS COMMITTEE OF LEG
ISLATURE GIVES VIEWS.
STATES FINANCIAL CONDITION

Hon. Toombs DuBose Says It's Not
Time for New $75,0O0,eOo Debt.
Would Increase Georgia's Bonded
Indebtedness 1900 Per Cent.
ATHENS, Ga.-Hon. Toombs Du-
Bose chairman of the appropriations
committee of the Legislature and for
mer chairman of the committee on
public highways has written a COM
munication to the press relative to the
proposed $75,000,000 bond issue for
highways in which he says:
THE propaganda being sent out
over the state to bring the people in
line to vote for a S75,000,000 bond Isl
sue for good roads only emphasizes
the fact that many men only have one
viewpoint.
The, writer was chairman of the
committee on public highways when
most of the present road legislation
passed the house. 1t was not what we
wished, but it was the best possible
at that time Everyone who is at all
familiar with the legislation that has
passed and the work that has been
done by the highway commission must
realize the great value of this work.
Nobody with any sense would for one
moment dispute the value OF good
roads or of the splendid work done by
the commission; but when it is propos-
led to put upon Georgia a $75,O00,000
bond issue that is a very different
proposition. One which will meet with
great opposition, and deservedly so.
when the people once understand what
/ it really means.
What It Means.
at means increasing the bonded
debt of the state nearly l,500 per cent.
Think of it!
1T means taking money from the
common schools and the higher IN
situations of learning.
at means neglect OF the insane, the
blind, the deaf and dumb, the feeble
minded.
1T means that we turn deaf ear
to the thousands of those all over
Georgia who are suffering and dying
from tuberculosis and daily spreading
that fearful disease among our loved
lones.
1t means curtailing the income OF
the state by a million or more dollars.
1T means that we have lost our
love for our fellow man and stif1ed ed
lucation of every kind.
The States Financial Condition.
Last summer we had to discount
the rent notes of the state ROAD
fearful thing to do, but absolutely nee
lessary. We were three million dollars
behind. The states credit was at stake,
land its needs could only be met by the
funding of this rent. By this legislation
the income of the state was decreased
lS540,000 per annum plus the discount.
"The legislature in an effort to pro-
vide for this deficiency and to add
lmuch-needed revenue passed the gas
Ioline tax act. which will bring in APP
Iproximately one million dollars this
wear and possibly little more later.
The advocates of this bond move
Iment propose to take this million doll
lars from u.s. Have they forgotten or
do they not know that one-half OF this
money (being a part OF the revenue
Iof the state) goes to the common
schools Of Georgia by statute? How
are they going to get our million dol
liars?
"All this talk about these bonds not
costing the people anything is falla-
cious. The gas tax plus the tag tax
will not, in the writer's opinion, pay
the interest and provide sinking fund
the these bonds.
Suppose they can't get the gas tax
then what?
The States Urgent Needs.
"As chairman of the appropriations
and ways and means committee OF
the present house the writer naturally
has some little knowledge of the states
needs. We need at least a half million
dollars to meet the immediate demands
Iof the sanitarium at Milledgeville. This
is urgent, almost imperative.
THE tubercular sanitarium at Alto
is in every way inadequate. 1t would
Itake at least a quarter Of a million
Ito give us the proper protection
against this dread disease and to do
our duty by those suffering from con-
sumption.
THE various educational institu-
Itions throughout the state have not
1.-THE accommodations for one-half OF
those who desire to enter them, and /
all are suffering from inadequate main
Itenance They are almost starved to
death.
The writer believes in good roads,
nc man more so, but he also believes
in some other things-viz: education
from top to bottom, and applied
Christianity as outlined above,
"TOOMBS DUBOSE.
Athens, Ga.
In W. nL