Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1924-06-19

THE cost of government in
Georgia is already excessive and
unless We check the trend of po-
litical movements it is going to
grow greater. Speaking to men,
bers of the legislature last sum-
ner during the noon recess, Mrs.
w. H. FELTON, said: Boys, let
grandmother appeal to you not
to create any more offices but
on the contrary, to reduce pres
ent official forces and increase
efficiency. Why in my own
county | can not stand in my
tracks and throw a stick twice
without hitting an office holder
"Of course, we must have
public employees and We must
pay taxes, but when there are
too many officials. and more
taxes paid than are needed to
run the government efficiently,
it is we who bear the burden
and our children and our chart
ties are the ones penalized.
II am not criticising any Of
ficeholder in Georgia, for we
have singularly clean set of Of
fcials, so far as they are per-
sonally concerned; it is the sys-
tenn that is blamabl,. There
can be a lot of wedding out,
elimination of duplication and
overlapping in departments with
out impairing the service, but
which will tend to increase eff
ficiency and reduce expenses.
Essential to any substantial
change of system that will af-
ford relief if legislation provid-
ing for:
First-Election of all State
officers for four-year terms,
with the governor ineligible to
succeed himself. This will elm
mate the tremendous waste Of
money spent in useless political
campaigns and election. 1t will
abate political strife, friction and
confusion. Sound and econom-
lcal government is impossible as
long as voters are continually
swayed by passions and swept off
their feet and their judgment
marred by the excitement of po-
litical campaigns and the persua-
sive appeal of candidates. Few
pie realize the money cost of
campaigns and elections to say
nothing of the resultant evils.
Some who oppose this plan
say that the candidates and their
friends pay these expenses and
that if they want to spend their
money that way it's nobody's
bushes but theirs. This is not
true. It does not work that way.
Every dollar spent and wasted in
campaigns and elections comes
directly out Of the taxpayers
pockets. Politicians live and
support their families off of the
money earned and paid by the
voters.
"This system will largely free
State officials from the sinister
influences Of politics. The few
er elections held the fewer po-
litical debts must be paid. 1t will
give them an opportunity to for
mulate and put into practice con-
structive policies and programs
free from the constant fear that
any courageous act in defiance
of political demands will defeat
them for reelection. This APP
plies to every department of our
government.
An eminent and able Geor-
gian made this statement in my
presence sometime ago: The
game and fish department. has
been an expense instead of prof
liable to the State, for the rea-
son that no man has been al
lowed to head it long enough
to work out and put into OPP
Grafton a practical and progress
sive policy to govern it. Good
men have headed the department
but they did not remain long
enough to do anything with it.
This branch of our government
has tremendous possibilities. I'M
der it the sea and food indus
tries of the Georgia coast ought
to be promoted and protected,
and if this was done it would de-
develop into one of the great
money-making enterprises of the
State. The same thing may
truthfully be said of other
branches of the State govern
ment.
Second: Biennial sessions of
the legislature. Annual legisla-
tive sessions are unnecessary and
the money spent thereon is one
half waste. / have said, and now
say, that. every law required for
the conduct of business and the
regulation of society in Georgia
could be written into 500 statues
of reasonable length. William
Jennings Bryan, approving and
commenting on this statement,
suggested that cite the Ten
Commandments in support of my
contention.
Under the existing system, we
have thousands of statutes, hum
dreds of volumes of laws and
from 600 to 1000 new laws pro-
posed every year. The appellate
courts are unable to construe
statutes as fast as we make
them and decide between legisla-
tive sessions whether our acts are
laws or not. The absurdity of
this situation must appeal to any
intelligent mind. 1t is enough
to shame Georgia.
Third: Reduction of general
assembly membership. The Geor-
gia legislature is too large and