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6
THE ATL ANTI AN
September, 1922
menace. Under Government ownership or operation or
both, rates could be made uniform all over the country
and simplified. The great host of parasites now used to
“get business” for the roads would be abolished, the army
of lawyers now used, some of them all the time and many
part time, would disappear. Untold millions could and
would be saved by the elimination of the waste of which
we have given a sample above.
The mere fact that the whole people had taken over the
railroad system would end strikes for once and all time.'
The financial question could be handled without diffi
culty, but presuming that the country did not want the
ownership of the roads nor the operation, then there is
yet another way. All the roads of the country to be placed
absolutely under the control of the Interstate Commerce
Commission which might be slightly increased in num
ber, and its present powers enlarged.
The Commission would have absolute control over
rates and wages without appeal from their action to any
other body. Operation, maintenance of way, rates, wages,
extensions, furnishing of rolling stock—all to be under
the Commission’s control. It would be required by the law
reorganizing it that equal and just treatment be accorded
to all parties at interest, owners, workers, and the pub
lic, which has to carry the whole load as the game is now
played.
Of course, big money would howl, and rend the Heavens
with raucous cries about vested rights, but in the end some
solution of this sort must come, and for all of us to re
member one great truth and never forget it for a moment
will be greatly profitable: “The rights of all the people
must take precedence over the rights of any part of the?
people or the Republic will be destroyed by the greed of
minorities.”
Still Dazed Over McCum-
ber’s Defeat, and “the
Worst Is Yet to Come.”
Republican reactionaries are still
feeling their heads and rubbing their
eyes following the awful jolt they got
in the North Dakota primaries. Sena-
ator McCumber’s defeat for renomina
tion was the plainest and most em
phatic repudiation of the Harding ad
ministration yet given. This is shown
by a comparison of the results in the
case of Governor Nestos, who was op
posed by the Non-Partisan League and
won and in the case, of Senator Mc-
Cumber, who was opposed by a Non-
Partisan League candidate and lost.
On State issues the Republican candi
date won a victory; on national issues
the Republican candidate went down
to defeat. It was a repudiation also in
a Republican primary of the Republi
can Profiteers' Tariff bill.
The defeat of Senator McCumber is
made more complete and instructive
by the facts that he had served twen-
ty-four years in the Congress, had
JohnIY. Smith
Gives Out Announcement
Basing his platform principally on
his opposition to the repeal of the
tax equalization law and to the pas
sage of an income tax law, John Y.
Smith, well-known Atlanta attorney,
who, prior to the 1921-22 session,
had served six terms in the gen
eral assembly as a Fulton county
representative, on Saturday an
nounced his candidacy for the house
of representatives.
His platform follows:
“To the People of Fulton County:
"I have waited until the adjourn
ment of the legislature before mak
ing any announcement as one of the
legislative candidates from this
county.
"Fortunately for the people of
Atlanta and Fulton county, the at
tempt to repeal the tax equalization
law has been defeated. The income
tax bill likewise has been defeated.
Both these bills passed the house of
representatives, meeting defeat in
the senate. The repeal of the tax
equalization law, the only measure
ever enacted that required the coun
try counties of the state to pay
their just proportion of the govern
ment's expenses, would have been a
terrible blow to Atlanta and other
cities of the state. The passage of
thd income tax bill would make ev
ery citizen, firm and corporation
pay a double income tax and the
resultant heavy burden falling up
on the business interests of Atlanta
would cripple our industries and
cause many of them to remove to
states having no income tax law.
“My friends may announce their
candidacies for the legislature upon
this platform and upon that plat
form; but I say to the people of
Fulton county that the most vital
question to be presented to the next
legislature will be that of taxation.
We are burdened with taxation as
never before, and relief must be had
and not further taxation.
“I served in the legislature for six
years, and with all my power 1
fought income tax bills and other
tax bills which were drawn with the
sole purpose of making the cities
pay all of the taxes to support the
state government. For years it has
been the policy of the country coun
ties of the state to relieve themselves
of all taxation in so far as it is pos
sible to do so, and to frame their tax
bills to make the cities pay. This
policy will continue.
“I believe that my experience and
my knowledge gained through six
years of service in the general as
sembly fits me to represent this
county, and also qualifies me to pro
tect the business interests of our
growing city and county.
“I respectfully solicit your sup
port. f
“JOHN Y. SMITH.”
All classes of City and Suburban Real Estate
Farms a Specialty
LOANS ON REAL ESTATE
S. W. CARSON
414 Atlanta Trust Co. Bldg.
Ivy 2023
♦ ♦♦♦t ♦»♦♦♦♦♦♦ H ♦♦♦♦+++++ ++♦++ + + + ♦♦♦♦♦•+♦+ + + ♦♦♦+•♦+♦+++++?
risen to be chairman of its greatest
committee where he was the spokes
man of the reactionary Harding ad
ministration, and successor of the late
Boise Penrose. Moreover, it is report
ed, his primary campaign was back
ed by ample funds and a special effort
was made by the reactionaries to ‘‘put
him over.” The result was anticipat
ed by the Democrats and the leading
newspapers of the country. They real
ize that the country is losing confi
dence in the Harding administration
and is disgusted with the Do-Nothing
Congress. The North Dakota result
was another repetition of the hand
writing on the wall whenever the re
actionary Republicans sit down to a
political Belshazzar’s feast: “Mene,
mene, tekel upharsin.” which being
freely translated means: “This is a
Democratic year.”
Senator David I. Walsh (Dem., Mass.),
who obtained'them from the Federal
Tariff Commission. According to the
Tariff Commission the public treasury
will gain about $33,000,000 a year,
while the domestic wool-growers,
headed by Senator Gooding (Rep.,
Idaho), will gain about $40,000,000 a
year.
According to the Carded Wool
Growers Manufacturers’ Association
the 33 cent tariff tax will amount to
$1 a pound on the finished garment
after passing through the hands of
the middlemen. This means a tax on
consumers of $200,000,000 a year. If
no other form of profiteering is in
jected into the transaction, this will
mean an increase of #2.50 on an or
dinary suit of cloth; $3.60 on an over
coat and $6.60 on an ulster.
LET “PAT DO IT”
510 Courtland St.
$40,000,000 For the Wool
Growers, $33,000,000 for
Treasury.
Here are some figures concerning
the 33 cents a pound tariff tax on
clean wool, worth' knowing and re
membering. They are supplied by
Democrats Endorsed; Re-
p ublicans Repudiated
While Senate leaders like New and
McCumber, and House leaders like
Campbell and Copley are being over
thrown, Democratic leaders like Sen
ators Pomerene, McKellar, Reed and
Swanson have received the emphatic
endorsement of their constituents. But
then this is a Democratic year.