Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-10-30
WALKER To DENY
APPEALS FOR NEW
|SSUESAT SESSION

With the extra session of the GeOr-
gia legislature to consider tax re-
form and free school books scheduled
to open one week from next Wed
nesday, political interest centers in
the plans of Governor Walker as to
amendments to the call. Since it be-
came known that the governor was
considering such amendments, his
office has been flooded with requests
to get this issue and that one be.
fore the general assembly. Many of
the calls are of a constitutional con-
vention, but there have even been
requests for the inclusion of purely
local measures.
Governor Walker stated Saturday
that he has never considered adding
anything to the call except the law
covering contracts for public school
books, and will not add any other
issue under any consideration. He
specifically mentioned the Atlanta
viaduct bill as one of the issues that
he feels unable to put into the call,
despite the request of Mayor Sims
and other Atlantians.
The state school board has re-
duested the governor to add the con-
tract law to the matters that may
be considered at the extra session,
with a view to eliminating a clause
requiring forty per cent exchange
value for school books. 1t is claim
ed that this exchange price is the
highest demanded anywhere in the
country, and prevents the state Sc
curing acceptable bids from publish
ers for q. renewal of the five-year
contract which expires January 1.
Seeks Other Methods
Governor Walker has expressed a
desire to aid the school board in it's
dilemma, but he prefers to let the
call for the extra session stand as it
is at present. With this idea in mind,
he is now investigating the possibil-
ity of remedying the book contract
situation by means of joint resolu-
ton putting both houses of the gen
eral assembly on record as favoring
the elimination of the nigh exchange
price for the books, which might be
brought up during consideration of
free school books, included in the
original call.
The governor has mailed copies or
his call to all members of the gen.
eral assembly, but he still has the
opportunity to amend this call, up to
few days before the session actu-
ally convenes, under the ruling Of
Gnnnyo1 CnnYc M No TioH
Governor Walker also announced
Saturday that he has mailed copies
of the report of a subcommittee to
the members of the state tax COM
mission, and is expecting indorse-
ment of the report early this week.
The report was submitted to the gov
ernor by DR.. J. H. T. Mcpherson, of
Athens; Representative r. G. Ellis
of Triton, and Judge y. V. Whlpple,
of Cordele.
The governor is not decided as to
the practicability of making this re-
port public as soon as it is approVeu
by the entire commission, or holding
it until it is submitted to the legisla.
ture. The report is in reality a COM
munication to the legislature, but e
governor realizes that there is some
argument for it's release to afford
the people of the state an opportu-
nifty to discuss the provisions with
| their representatives before they
come to Atlanta.
Constitutional Convention Asked
Representative Folks HuXford, OF
Clinch county, joined other lawmak-
ers Saturday in requesting the gov
ernor to amend the call so that a
constitutional convention might be
| considered.
81 have been thinking for several
years that we ought to have a new
constitution-not that our present
one is faulty drawn, but because =
has been amended so much that it is
practically another constitution from!
the one it originally was" Repre-
sentative Huxford wrote the COVER
nor. 81 have the highest regard for
the trainers of the constitution of
1877, but it is time that we had a
rev one, especially since taxation
problems have presented themselves.
If We are to revise our taxation Sys-
tenn we might as well do it, and
probably had better doit by a con-
stitutional convention"
Similar suggestions have been
made by Representative III. Fl. Ed
ers, of Tatnall county; Representa-
tive A. S. Bussey, of Crisp county,
and others.
1t is the opinion of many observ.
ers of the legislature that an amend
ment to the call for the extra session
will not be necessary in the event
q constitutional convention is con-
sidered for the primary purpose of
amending the tax laws, as any legis
lation affecting the subject of taxa
ton would be included in the original
call.
d. Despite announcement that efforts
will be made to recess the legisla-
ture or adjourn sine die on the first
day of the extra session, members
who have been in Atlanta recently
do not believe such movements will
succeed. They predict a session last
ing two or three weeks.