Newspaper Page Text
THE JEFFERSONIAN
Vol. 111. No. 9.
Legislature to Look Into Cost of Nelv
Commission,
That the annual cost to the state of the new
railroad commission will be a subject of eom
metit and consideration at the coming session
of the legislature, there does not appear to be
any question. The prospect of such inquiry
is already the subject of current gossip at the
capitol.
The annual expense to the state of the pres
ent railroad commission is approximately $35,-
000, or more than three times as much as the
cost of the old commission which involved an
annual expense of SII,OOO. Under the old
regime there were three commissioners at sal
aries of $2,500 each, one secretary at SI,BOO,
a printing fund of SI,OOO and a contingent
fund, for porter and stenographer, of SBOO,
making the total stated.
The new railroad commission spends more
than double that amount in permanent sala
ries alone, jiot to speak of printing, contingent,
track-walking and other funds. Here are most
of the items of present expense:
One chairman, $4,000; four commissioners
at $2,500 each, $10,000; one special attorney,
$2,500; one special auditor, $3,000; one secre
tary, $2,000; one stenographer, $1,200; one
stenographer, $900; three track walkers at
$2,400 each, $7,200; printing fund, $3,000; one
porter and contingencies, SBOO, making a total
of $34,600.
May Get Rate Experts.
It is stated, however, that the services of
one of the track walkers have recently been
dispensed with and that another will probably
soon be laid off, leaving only one on the reg
ular pay roll of the commission. While ex
pense will be reduced in this way, there is
another item, not yet brought into play, which
will practically make up for it. The commis
sion is authorized under the law to employ
rate experts to assist it in its investigations,
at an expense not to exceed $4,000 a year, an
office or offices "which will come into commis
sion later on.
Although all of the expenses as stated were
provided for in one new railroad commission
act, because of the fact that it was not finally
passed until the last night of the session, pro
vision for meeting them was not made in the
general appropriations bill. Certain of the
commission’s expenses, it is understood, have
been paid from the contingent fund b£ the
governor because there were no other funds
available, and for salaries or portions of some
salaries, there will be a little waiting until
the appropriations can be secured.
The general appropriations bill provides,
without specifying any number, that each of
the railroad commissioners shall be paid
$2,500 a year. Hence each one of the five may
A Weekly Paper Edited by THOS. E. WATSON and J. D. WATSON.
Atlanta, Ga., Thursday, February 27, 1908.
draw that amount, but Chairman McLendon
will possibly have to wait until an appropria
tion can be made to get his additional $1,500.
Judge James K. Hines, sper'al attorney, may
also wait for a part, at h e his salary;
and so with others. p
It is generally undersf
of the special auditor am.
have been paid out of the co.. J
The track walkers were paid S2OO . os°
each, and the special auditor’s salary is
a month and expenses when he is away.
Following a three months’ visit to Savan
nah, where he went for the purpose of examin
ing the books and accounts of the Central of
Georgia Railway Company, the special audi
tor put in a bill for $1,250, approximately, for
salary and expenses, an average of more than
S4OO a month or at the rate of about $5,000 a
year.
To Be Heard from in Legislature.
When the legislature meets next summer it
will be asked for appropriations to make good
all these unpaid salaries and other expenses,
as well as for others to provide for similar
expenses during the coming year.
‘‘When these requests for appropriations
come,” remarked a member of the legislature
who has already looked into the matter to some
extent, “I think it is going to open the eyes
of members of both houses as to this addi
tional burden of expense put upon the state.
It will be recalled that one of the chief ob
jections made to the bill at the last session
was the expense involved, and the addition
of two new members to the board, making, with
the increased salary for the chairman, an
additional expense of $6,500. went through on
the last night of the session by the narrow
margin of one vote. The increase in the tax
rate and the status of financial conditions are
not going to make the members any too will
ing or speedy in the matter of making appro
priations.
“The question will naturally arise as to
whether the new comhrission is worth three
times as much as the old one; has it been of
that value to the state; has it done any more
than could or would have been done by the
commission as formerly constituted had it been
given increased powers?
“We know that the old commission with
out increased powers brought about both
freight and passenger reductions; the new
commission has done neither but, as I am in
formed, will probably soon authorize an in
crease in passenger rates in certain lines which
were put by the old commission below the 2 1-2
cent basis.
“You can - count on it, all these things will
furnish wide field for discussion, and some
pretty pointed discussion at that, when the
subject of the railroad commission occupies the
attention of the legislature at its coming ses
sion.”—Atlanta Constitution.
BROWN IS URGED TO ENTER RACE.
Former Railroad Commissioner Joseph M.
Brown yesterday gave out a statement relative
to the frequently repeated rumors that he
would enter the race this year either for gov
ernor or railroad commissioner.
While Mr. Brown says nothing definite in
’this statement beyond the fact that he has re
ceived numerous letters urging him to make
the race for one or the other of these posi
tions, he promises to make a definite state
ment to the people of the state within a short
time, and the belief is that if he decides upon
either course, it will be, as The Constitution
recently stated, an announcement of his can
didacy for railroad commissioner, for one of
the places held either by Commissioner Hill
yer or Commissioner Calioway. Both of these
will be candidates for re-election, as will also
Commissioner H. Warner Hill, former chair
man of the commission.
Mr. Brown’s ambition, as he states, does
not thru to politics, and it is recent condi
tions which may prompt in him the desire to
ask election as railroad commissioner. His
candidacy tor this position, therefore, may be
considered the most likely supposition.
In speaking of the recent discussion of his
rumored candidacy, Mr. Brown said:
Mr. Brown’s Statement.
“Following my letter to the people of
Georgia some weeks ago, wherein I showed
that instead of the leading railroads of this
state being owned almost exclusively by capi
talists living outside of Georgia, they were,
on the contrary, owned in great measure by
thousands of Georgia ladies and orphans,
and by educational, charitable and religious
organizations, I received a number of letters
asking me to run for railroad commissioner or
for governor of Georgia. To these I made
answer that the establishment of correct infor
mation in the minds of the people was more
my desire and aim than was the holding of
any political office.
“Since the publication last Sunday of my
last letter, wherein I showed that if Gov
ernor Smith had succeeded in his attempt to
make effective the port rates which he ad
vocated, he would have ruined the manufac
turers and disastrously damaged the jobbers
of Georgia, I have received a multitude of
letters from every quarter of the state urging
me to run for governor.
“No one of responsibility could fail to feel
profoundly grateful for such expressions as
have come to me from old Confederate sol
diers, and from labor organizations, farmers,
(Continued on Page Four.)
Price five Cents.