The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1923-05-29
MANY VITAL ISSUES TO
ENL|VEN THE ASSEMBLY
MEMBERS EXPECT A NUMBER
OF WARM BATTLES DURING
SESSION OF LEGISLATURE.
SESSION WILL CONVENE SOON
Hardwick Will Urge Drastic Cuts in
Number of Railroad Commission
ers and Employees of Agricultural
Departments. Fights Win Rage.

ATLANTA, Ga.-With the 1928
session Of the Georgia legislature on
ly four weeks off the main issues that
will confront the members are begin
ming to take definite form. A renewed
effort to abolish the tax equalization
law, attempts to raise more revenue
without increasing taxes. proposed
changes in the highway laws and
fight on the personnel of that depart
ment, more determined battle for
| biennial sessions and an effort to
straighten out the tangle in the school
appropriation laws promise to be the
outstanding matters up for immediate
attention.
The recent suggestion of Comp
troller William A. Wright that linz
it be placed upon county tax rates
has attracted attention all over Geor-
gia and brought support from many
quarters. Governor Hardwick has Civ
ell his unqualified Endorsement to the
plan, and is expected to urge its
adoption in his final message.
! The theory of General Wright is
| that as long as counties are permit
ted to make the sky their limit they
will keep on increasing their local tax
rates, while the state of Georgia, with
its five mill limit, gets the same
amount each year, although the re-
quirements of the state are also con-
stant1y increasing.
County Rates Grow.
| In his annual report Comptroller
General Wright showed that the
average county tax rate in Georgia
has grown from sos mills in 1900
to IA mills in 1922 Gambler and ire
utlen counties led the procession last
year with county tax rates of rs
mills, while there are number OF
counties with rates of about 20 mills
| The Fulton county rate is ten mills,
compared to $40 in 1900, while the
DeKalb rate is 1880 mills, compared
to FIVE mills in 1900 White county is
the only county in the state that re-
| duced its tax rate between 1000 and
! 1922. the rate being cut from IL mills
to $50 mills
Along revenue lines Governor
/ Hardwick will reiterate his recon-
mendation that a graduated income
| tax be adopted, and that the tax
equalization law be let alone until
an income tax can become effective,
which would not be before January
| /, 1925.
Would Abolish Offices.
Governor Hardwick will also re-
new his recommendation that nem-
her of Offices be abolished He says
that he will tell the legislature that
/ railroad commission composed OF FIVE
members is absolutely useless and
that the work now being done by
! five public service commissioners
could list as we'll be handled by one
commissioner, or certainly not more
than three. The surplus membership
should be done away with as matter
Of facility, as we'll as economy, he
! declared.
4 shall also tell the legislature
| that there are a number OF unneces-
sary employees in the department OF
agriculture and several other depart
ments," the governor said. In some
! instances | believe that two-thirds OF
/ the employees are unnecessary and
could be done away with without les
sening the results obtained.
Change Inauguration.
Governor Hardwick and Governor
elect Walker are agreed upon a change
| in the time of inaugurating state Of
fcials. and both will recommend that
new state administrations take office
in January following their election in
| November, instead of waiting until
the legislature convenes in June. They
disagree on the length of the legisla-
tive session necessary in January to
inaugurate the new administration.
! Governor-elect Walker has declared
in favor of ten-day session to in
augurate the governor and other state
officials and appoint legislative COM
mittees, while Governor Hardw1ck
favors converting the legislature in
| January for its entire session.
Advocates of biennial sessions are
prepared to renew their fight Tor the
passage of this measure. They insist
that meetings every two years, In ac-
cordance with the custom in most
other states, would be just as etfec-
tive as the present system of annual
sessions, and result in great saving
to the taxpayers. There will again be
strong opposition to this measure,
i which passed the house last year but
was lost in the senate.
Highway Department.
Chairman John N. Holder OF the
state highway commission, has adj
vanced a plan to put a tax OF three
per SdiOIl OiA SeioCtiAAN -
more money for carrying out the
highway program in Georgia. A bill
providing for this will be offered IN
the next legislature, and is certain to
provoke a spirited fight. Automobile
owners and oil companies are already
organizing for battle on this revenue
plan.
The highway department, as wei
as enemies Of that department., VIII
advocate changes in the present high
way law The department insists that
it should receive the revenue, derived
from the present tax on gasoline,
which goes into the general fund. The
department also wants more rigid
laws governing the purchase of auto
mobile license tags, from which it
gets the revenue. It will also seek an
amendment to the present law requir--
ing tractors and trailers to be licensed
and provisions limiting the load on.
public bridges.
OnnonerfS of the rresenf commits