Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1923-08-04
PACE REPLIES FOR
SUMTER DELEGATION
TO OBJECTIONS MADE
Constructive Suggestions of Two
Citizens to Be Incorporated
in Revised Bill
SURPRISED AT COUNCIL
Claim No Law on Subject Ex-
cept Ordinance and No Bond
Commission Under That
SURPRISED AT COUNCIL

the members of the Sumter delega-
ton in Atlanta, has directed a
sharp reply to the objection OF
council to certain provisions in
corporated in the debt-school bill
publication of which is authorized
today. The letter deals with the
letter in its several phases and pre-
sents accurately and concisely the
position of the Sumter delegation
toward increasing the tax rate here
and the throwing of safeguard;
about the added revenue to be
raised. Speaking for himself, Sen
ator PAGES directly tells the mayor
and council that unless eve can be
assured that the money is going
to be handled in any better manner
than it has been for the last five
years" * 81 am not going to
do any such thing" meaning he
will not pass any added taxation
measure under existing conditions
The text of the letter reads as
follows:
Mayor and City Council of Ameri-
Gus, Georgia.
Gentlemen:
We (Mr. Riley, Mr.. Hines anG
the writer) desire to acknowledge
receipt of your letter of July 81
signed by the entire mayor anG
council with the exception Of Mr.
Mize, with reference to the propos.
ed substitute bill for the City OF
Americus, and beg to make reply
thereto.
In the first place, gentlemen, we
are all surprised at the nature ot
your objections to the proposed bill
We were disappointed to hear that
you had unanimously disapproved
of the bill, but we were more dis
appointed when we learned what
your objections were; for the rea-
son that, prior to the convening OF
the general assembly, at a Joint
meeting of council and the board of
education, the writer outlined to
you in detail the plan carried out
in this bill, stating to you at the
time, that we would not, under any
condition, vote to continue a special
levy for the payment Of the float
ing Indebtedness and the outstand-
ing bonds unless the act providing
for such set up sufficient machin-
cry oinsure that the money deriv-
ed from such levy was applied to
the exact purposes for which it was
collected, and I then and there out
lined the proposed commission plan
and not one living human being
raised the slightest objection, but
a majority of the council person
ally assured me after the meeting
that they fully approved of my
plan.
Now, in your letter, you have
the following to say: GA bond
commission is not necessary, a law
on this subject is already in ex-
istence, and under this law a bond
commission for the City of Ameri-
Gus has functioned for many years"
Such a statement is startling, for
two reason; first, because there is
no law on this subject in existence
so far as I have ever been able to
find; the only provision for such
a commission is an ordinance, pass
ed years ago, naming certain men
as bond commission, several OF
whom have long since been dead,
and which ordinance makes no pro-
vision for election to fill vacancy
nor for the protection of the bond
money; and, secondly, your state
ment is the first l have heard in
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