Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-05-29
SPIRITED SESSIONS
FORECAST FOR MEET
Of STATE ASSEMBLY

Present indications are that the
session of the general assembly of
Georgia, which will begin on Wed
nesday, June 81, will be marked by
some of the most spirited floor bat
ties in Georgia's history.
There have been two recent de-
velopments that promise to grow
into full-fledged issues for the legis-
lature. One concerns the Georgia
public service commission and the
other the prison commission.
Commissioner James A. Perry de-
clined to sign the letter Of transmit
tai and review of the fiftieth annual
report of the public service commits
SION to Governor Hardwick. Com
missioner Perry gave as his reason
for. not signing the report, dis
agreement with his colleagues as to
the amount of work that is now be-
ing done by the commission referred
to in the letter of transmittal. The
report stated that the demands upon
the commission are increasing con-
sanity, and the commissioners are
kept very busy.
1t is an open secret in state CAPT.
toll circles that friction has arisen
between members of the commission
over the fact that some of the mem.
bers do not give their entire time
to their public duties. At the mi
tial session of the commission this
year, when Commissioner Paul
Trammell was elected chairman to
succeed C. M. Gambler, retired, Com
missioner Perry introduced a reso-
luton calling for daily sessions of
the commission. This resolution as
defeated by a vote of four to one.
Salary Increase
There are members of the legis-
| lature who take the view that the
! increase in salary granted the rail-
road commissioners a few years ago
was passed by the legislature with
the understanding that the commits
sioners would devote their entire
time to their public duties. Legis-
| lators who take this view of the
matter have said that they will ask
for an iron-clad regulation for Full
time service of railroad commission
ers at the coming session of the as
| sembly.
! In this same connection, Cover
nor Hardwick has announced that
he will renew his fight made last
year for a reduction in the mem
bership of the public service COM
mission, believing that one com.
missioner might be able to do the
work the commission is now doing,
and certainly no more than three
members are required. The present
membership is five.
The house of representatives was
closely divided last year on the
plan of Governor Hardwick to re-
duce the railroad commission to
three members, and a similar divi-
sion is predicted for the coming ses-
sion. The effect of an apparent dis
agreement in the ranks of the COM
missioners themselves is difficult to
forecast.
A request contained in the an
nual report of the Georgia prison
commission for a special appropria-
ton of $500 to repair buildings at
the state farm will get the affairs
of that body before the legislature
for consideration. Representatives A.
]. Perryman, Jr., of Talbot county,
has announced that he will call for
numerous reforms in the present
Georgia penal system. Representa-
tive Perryman made fight for
prison reforms in the last legisla-
ture, seeking to abolish the present
commission and substitute another
body, but his bill was not passed.
He is claiming more support in the
next session.
Parole Amendment
The prison commission has asked
the legislature to amend the pres
ent parole law so a prisoner serv-
ing a life term will not be eligible
to parole until he has completed a
service of ten years. At present he
may be paroled at the expiration of
three years, and in many instances
life termers have gotten out of
prison before men serving four or
five year sentences for much less
serious crimes, the prison officials
state.
Representative E. H. McMichael.
Of Marion county, has already start
ed newspaper campaign against
the state highway department, and
has stated that he will introduce
resolution on the opening day of the
coming session, providing for leg
tslative investigation of that depart
nent, and review Of all its accom-
plishments and expenditures.
Former Senator L. C. Brown, of