Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-06-30
NEED Of ECONOMY
STRESSED IN FINAL!
HARDWICK ADDRESS
Governor Outlines Survey Of
Various Departments In
dicating Where Savings
Might Be Effected by State

Recommendation that the state
prison commission and department.
Of archives and history be abol-
ished; that the public service come
mission be reduced from five meme
bers to three, and that the number
of employees in the department Of
agriculture be reduced, especially in
the oil inspection branch, featured
the farewell address of Governor
Thomas w. Hardwick delivered to
the legislature Thursday. A policy
of general economy and retrench-
ment was urged, with a survey to
indicate where savings may best be
effected.
AS a step toward the enforce-
ment of the law, Governor Hard
wick recommended that state pc.
lice organization be formed, under
the supervision of the governor, and
that the chief executive be given
the power to remove or suspend
sheriffs who are guilty of dereliction
Invisible Government
Governor Hardwick reiterated his
declaration that there is no room in
Georgia for invisible government.
and declared that the legislature
should pass an act making it unlawr
full for either men or women to wear
ma che j., ,o,,l,1io op1,uyboro j.. Ella
confines of the state. He also de-
clared in favor of a law compelling
all secret organizations to file lists
of their membership with the coun.
ty authorities.
The governor recommended the
repeal of the law giving the schools
one-half of any excess above this
established appropriations for a giv-
en- year; the installation Of an aud
iting system for the state; the dis
count of u sufficient number OF
mansion rental warrants to erect
suitable home for the governor OF
the state; that arrangements be
made to pay the families of con-
victs during their confinement in
state institutions, and a law requir-
ing all secret orders to make public
the names of their members.
AS he had previously announced
that he would do, Governor Hard
wick recommended that all state Of
ficials be elected for four-year terms
including the legislators, and that
the sessions of the legislature be
held every two years, starting on
the fourth Wednesday in January
instead of the fourth Wednesday In
June.
Governor Hardwicl was escorted
to the speakers stand by a special
commit ,e consisting of Senators
Morgan, of the Fifth district, King,
of the Eleventh district, and Repre-
sentatives Mayo, of Mitchell county
Clarke, OF Laurens county, and Hoi.
den, of Clarke county. He was intro
duced briefly by President George
Carswell, of the state senate.
DeflatiOn Period Reviewed
In opening his address, Governor
Hardwick reviewed the period OF
deflation that has affected the en-
tire country since the war; and de-
clared that the Georgia farmer has
suffered more than most any other
class, because of the combination OF
def1ation and boil weevils.
The governor reviewed the fiscal
affairs of the state during his, term.
He declared that when he was In
augmented, the state faced a deficit
of more than 100000, which was,
met by discounting rental warrants
on the w. & A. railroad. 1t was
necessary to make cuts wherever
they were possible to keep the out
go within the income, the governor
declared, but by heroic efforts the
1922 budget was left with a balance
of from $1,000 to $4,000.
Governor HardWick discussed the
Confederate pension situation at
length in his message, with the fol-
lowing conclusion:
what the situation is with respect to
this pension matter: In round fig
ures, there are about 10000 names
of veterans and widows Of the ole,
classes on the pension rolls, and
about 1000 in the new classes. To
pay what the law authorized to old
and new classes alike would require,
in round figures, $2,500,000 for the
year 1922, instead of $1,250,000, or
an increase of $1,250,000 for 1922.
In like manner. to pay all classes
$175 per annum for the year 1929
would require, in round figures,
So, 100000 instead of $1,250,00O, or
an increase of $1,750,000. And in
like manner, to pay all classes, old
and new alike, 5000 per annum for
the year 1924 will require .$3,400,000,
Or an increase of $2,150,000 for the
year 1924
Economy Need Stressed
I'm other words to proceed on
the theory that if the legislature is
either legally or morally bound to
appropriate this money simply be-
cause it has authority of law to do
so, and to pay to all classes, old
and new alike, pensions according
to the ascending scale fixed in the
act of 1918, and to appropriate for
arrears as well as for the future.
means that over 100000 addi-
-ional must be found to meet our
pension bill up to and including the
year 1924, at the new rates, in adj
lition to the $1,250.000 that we have
oeen annually appropriating for this
purpose. [ submit to you, in all
andor and sincerity, that this is
financially imDOSSih1e I1n5ar the
resent fiscal system of the state.
"You cannot, in my Judgment,
nd the money, under the cOnstitu-