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

I useless and often detrimental
laws, but next to impossible to
get through an important and
constructive piece of legislation.
What has been said Of commit
tee conditions applies to the full
membership on the floor of the
house. There is but one remedy
and that is reduction of the
membership of the house to about
100 members and the senate to
about 35 members.
"New York with a population
of approximately II, 100000 peo-
pie, has $50 members in the
house. Georgia has about 200.
Georgia has more counties than
any State in the Union except
Texas and Teas has an area of
265,000 square miles and a pop
ulation Of 4,663,229 against
Georgia's area of 59,266 square
miles and a population of g.
895,832. We have foolishly Gre
ated too many counties in Geor-
gia and since we can't uncreate
them there is only one way to
minimize the evil consequences,
and that is to readjust legislative
representation by a zoning sys-
TEN
1.-THE way to do this is to
create 100 assembly districts with
as nearly equal population as it
can be worked out. Also courts
that are not ao3o utely necessary
for the prompt and efficient adj
ministration of justice ought to
be abolished and such officers
as tax collector and tax receiver
consolidated. We can never re-
duce our tax burdens and educate
our children in Georgia until we
reduce political activities and
conduct our government with due
economy and in a business-like
and efficient manner.
Georgia cannot longer stand
this legislation and administra-
ton.
Fourth; A civil service sys-
tenn for State employees. We
can never purify Georgia po-
litically or enforce economy and
efficiency in public service UNI
til We eliminate paying political
debts with appointments to Of
flee and the trading and traffick-
ing in public offices. Only a civil
service system can accomplish
this. The bill | propose to intro
duce on this subject will pro-
vide for reasonable civil service
regulations and rules. 1t will per-
nit the governor to appoint his
private secretary, and perhaps
one or two other employees oc-
cupying strictly confidential re-
lations with his office. This pol
icy will apply to the heads of
other departments, but the bulk
of the employees of the various
branches of the government will
be put under civil service gov
erned by reasonable rules.
zone good result of these re-
forms will be to remove from
political life destructive and OBJ
structive blocs and Factions. Or
ganizations of blocks and fac
tions are becoming a Getriment
and a danger to Georgia. l will
illustrate this by reciting a re-
cent personal experience. / was
in South Georgia when field
agents were being selected for
the new. revenue department Gre
ated by the extra session of the
legislature. A South Georgia
citizen, highly credited and quail
fed for one of these positions re-
quested me to say word in his
favor when | passed through At
lanta. oil
81 approached a gentleman on
the subject who was close to and
in the confidence of the appoint
ing powers and here is what he
said to me, / know your man and
he is a good nan. | would like
to see him get one of the places
bat making these appointments
is proving a difficult and embar-
RAISING Job. The Ku Klux Khan
is demanding two of the places
for members of its orders; labor
is demanding two for its mem
bers; the farming interest in
sists on two for its ranks and the
author Of the bill creating the
department demands that he be
allowed to name two of the six
field workers as his right.
''These demands so far have
not taken in consideration, quail
fications and competency and in
addition to them there are
large number of applicants who
stand only on their merit
Good government is impossible
under these conditions and the
remedy is to be found in the re-
form measures l propose to in
troduce.
81 am seriously considering
trying to pass bill tn. ugh the
next session of the legislature
penalizing all qualified voters
who fail to vote. My idea is to
require every registered voter
who fails to vote to file with the
secretary of the county execu-
tive committee a legal excuse
within thirty days after the cleo
ton upon penalty of being de-
MED the right to vote at the next
regular election; that, is that he
be suspended from the voting
privilege for the next intervening
regular election.
If the legislature has cour-
age enough to pass this sort of