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By Quimby Melton
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Weekend Notes:
The Georgia General Assem
bly, called in special session by
, Governor Maddox met Thurs
day, heard the Governor speak
at noon, got down to business
with the House Ways and Means
Committee voting to refer one
feature of the governor’s pro
gram —a one cent increase in
the sales tax — to the entire
House, which would act as a
committee on the whole. Friday
morning the House began con
sidering the tax proposal, discus
sion was limited to members of
* the House and to heads of state
agencies. An effort to delay ac
tion until Monday was defeat
ed, by afternoon many who
• were still scheduled to speak
surrendered their time and a
motion to adjourn sine die car
ried and the session ended.
, The governor blamed Atlanta
newspapers, and radio, Mayor
Ivan Allen, and others for fail
ure of the House to pass his pro
t gram.
One Atlanta newspaper com
mentator checked with the Sec
retary of State’s office and found
that short sessions of Geor
gia’s legislative body date back
to provencial days. On Feb.
19, 1756, Governor John Rey
nolds, who lived in England and
• came to Georgia only now and
then to hold sessions of “the leg
islature” became angered with
the body and dissolved it minu
• tes after it had been called to or
der.
— * —
• President Nixon has announ
ced the first units of American
troops that will be withdrawn
from Vietnam. Declaring their
* withdrawal, to be replaced by
South Vietnam troops, “opens
the door wide for peace”, he
however said a lot depended on
« what follows.
Nationally it was also predic
ted the 10 percent surtax would
be continued in time to prevent
confusion as to amounts to be
withheld from pay and salaries.
It was also predicted that
Apollo II would take off July
16th and four days later would
* put a man on the moon.
The nation celebrated Flag
Day on Saturday and Father’s
Day on Sunday; and Governor
• Rockefeller, whose good will
trips to South American were
halted resumed his tour today,
going first to Brazil.
• In France Georges Pompidou
was swept into the presidents of
fice by a landslide. His victory
would indicate that the Fren
, ch people, who voted, still liked
the deGaulle program but want
ed a new pilot at the wheel. (In
cidentally the total turnout was
, not as large as had been expec
ted.) Wonder how familiar are
the French with “The voice is
Jacob’s, but the hands are the
hands of Esau.” (Genesis 27:
22).
A three-day old restaurant in
Spain in which more than 5 0 0
people were gathered collap
' sed killing 51 and badly in
juring 175.
Here at home Summer School
opened; the city bought land
on which to locate a “lift sta
tion” that would pump sewage
* “over the hump” to disposal pl
ants; Grady McCalmon, head of
the city recreation department
since 1964, resigned to accept a
• similar position at Rome. Larry
Neill, who has been assistant
director for several years was
named his acting successor.
• Saturday, Flag Day, the Free
dom Flame light was dedicated
at the park on Memorial Drive.
This is an American Legion pro
ject and similar Freedom Flam
es were dedicated throughout
the nation.
News from far away Thailand
told of the tragic death of a for
mer Griffin couple and two of
their three children. Dr. and
Mrs. Joe Amick, who for sever
al years were here at the Geor
* gia Experiment Station and who
were most active in civic and
church work, and two of their
young sons were killed in an au
• tomobile collision Thuesday. The
four were instantly killed burn
ed “beyond recognition.” The
third small boy was not killed
• and his uncle and aunt are on
their way to Thailand to bring
him home. Dr. and Mrs. Amick
were in Thailand on a “misslon
« ary-like” program sponsored by
the University of Kentucky. A
memorial service for them was
held Sunday afternoon at the
. First United Methodist Church,
where both were most active
when living in Griffin.
Repair Courthouse Or Build
New One, Judge Whalen Says
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Court Rules Congress
Wrong In Powell Case
WASHINGTON (UPI) —The
Supreme Court ruled today that
the House of Representatives
improperly excluded Rep.
Adam Clayton Powell, D-N.Y.
from the 90th Congress on
March 1, 1967.
341 Register
For Title One
A total of 341 students regis
tered today for the Title One
Pre-School program headquar
tered at Atkinson elementary sc
hool.
Only a few more students may
register, according to Joe Akin,
coordinator. He said the reme
dial reading program was al
most full and could take only a
few more students.
Mr. Akin said the registration
was “very satisfactory.”
We’ll Be Back, Cities Say
By TOM GREENE
JEKYLL ISLAND, Ga. (UPI)
— The outgoing president of the
Georgia Municipal Association,
taking note that cities did not
fare well in the 1969 legislature,
warned today, “We will be back
another day.”
Mayor Richard Ray of Perry,
who will be succeeded as GMA
president by Marietta Mayor
Howard Atherton, said the legis
lators this year “failed to rec
ognize the tragic situation
(cities) find ourselves in to
day.”
Instead of contributing more
to urban areas, Ray said, the
General Assembly cut city
grants by $1.25 million which
went to the fire ant control pro
gram.
But Ray said there was a
"turning tide” In the legislature
with the growing strength of ur
ban areas.
Ray also took note that sev
eral potential statewide candi
dates will address the GMA’s
annual convention here, and
they “might bring commitments
GRIFFIN
DAILY NEWS
Daily Since 1872
Repair it or build a new one, Judge Whalen says.
In a 62-page opinion, Chief
Justice Earl Warren said:
“Since Adam Clayton Powell
Jr. was duly elected by the
voters of the 18th Congressional
District of New York and was
not ineligible to serve under
any provision of the Constitu
tion, the House was without
power to exclude him from its
membership.”
Warren said Powell’s demand
of back pay for the session
should be considered first by
lower courts.
The flamboyant Negro
preacher-politician from Har
lem was seated in the 91st
Congress after being elected
again last fall but was stripped
of his seniority and fined
$25,000.
Powell pursued his appeal of
his 1967 ouster on the ground
that the House owed him back
pay and restoration of his
seniority.
and promises of need which we
are anxious to hear and record.
He urged the city fathers to lis
ten intently to these promises
because “It shall be our lot to
work for or against them in the
future.” ,
The potential gubernatorial
candidates speaking include
Comp. Gen. James L. Bentley,
former Gov. Carl Sanders,
former State Sen. Jimmy Car
ter and Congressman Willi
am S. Stuckey.
Bentley, sounding more and
more like an announced candi
date, told the convention that
city goverments have too long
been treated like stepchildren.
“No other group of elected of
ficers,” he told the city offi
cials, “has consistently pro
posed more Imaginative ideas,
recommended more progressive
programs, yet sustained more
setbacks, suffered more rever
sals or endured more dis
appointments at the state gov
ernment level than you, the city
officials of our state.”
Bentley said the traditional
Griffin, Ga., 30223, Monday, June 16, 1969
He also claimed the 91st
Congress continued the illegal
action of the 90th by fining him.
Powell’s ouster was based on
findings of a special House
committee that the congress
man had been contemptuous of
New York state courts, had
misused public funds and had
refused to cooperate with House
committees investigating his
activities when he was chair
man of the Labor and
Education Committee.
A federal district court here
dismissed his lawsuit, initially
filed to regain his seat, on the
ground that it had no jurisdic
tion over the controversy.
The U.S. Court of Appeals
subsequently held the courts
had jurisdiction but declined to
exercise it for a variety of
reasons. The lower court cited
the possibility of an unhappy
confrontation between two coe
qual branches of government.
“cleavage” between city and
county governments in Georgia
has been nurtured by some of
our state leaders who profit by
the gap.”
He cited the fact that city of
ficials have to go with hat in
hand to their county commis
sioners to get state road work
done in their cities. But, he
said, “some day, working to
gether, we will remove that al
batross from the neck of our
growing urban areas and we
will start building roads where
roads are needed, where the
people are, where the teeming
masses of our cities are strang
ling in day-long traffic jams.”
Bentley, a long-time Demo
crat who switched to the Re
publican Party during the 1968
presidential campaign, is ex
pected to be a candidate for
governor next year.
He did not announce his can
didacy here but made his in
tentions clear.
Bentley said "I do not pro
fess to be a miracle worker
(but) I have some definite
Today’s decisJon, in effect,
overruled the court’s new chief
justice-to-be, Warren E. Bur
ger. Burger wrote the appeals
court opinion which denied
Powell’s appeal.
Today’s vote was 7 to 1, with
Justice Potter Stewart the lone
dissenter. Stewart said the case
was dead as far as legal issues
were concerned because Powell
was readmitted to Congress
this year.
Wealher:
FORECAST FOR GRIFFIN
AREA — Fair and cooler to
night. Tuesday fair and warm.
LOCAL WEATHER — Esti
mated high today 85, low today
63, high yesterday 87, low yes
terday 68, rainfall .25 of an
inch; sunrise tomorrow 6:29,
sunset 8:50.
ideas on the subject of produc
tive government and effective
leadership.”
For example, he said, he
would propose the next gover
nor hire a full time professional
advisor on local government to
maintain a direct line of com
munication between the gover
nor and local governing au
thorities. He also suggested the
governor have "expert advi
sors” in the fields of education,
transportation, finance planning
and in other areas.
The GMA named Dr. George
L. Simpson, chancellor of the
University System, as Georgia’s
key citizen. Mayor Henry Bish
op, 26, of Alma, the state’s
youngest mayor, 1 received the
GMA progressive community
award.
Mayors Curtis Lewis of Sa
vannah and Paul Ellis of Ross
ville were presented community
leadership awards, and Reps.
J. Roy McCracken of Avera
and Joe Mack Wilson of Mariet
ta received public service
awards.
Vol. 96 No. 141
Suggests Permanent Committee
Be Formed To Handle Matter
Judge Andrew Whalen Jr. to
day called for the construction
of a new Spalding County court
house or the complete renova
tion of the old one.
He said surrounding counties
had left Spalding behind in pro
viding adequate courthouse facil
ities.
The judge'pointed out that
Spalding County’s population
has doubled since the courthou
se was constructed in 1910 and
that there is less usuable space
now than there was 59 years
ago.
He noted that the third floor
is not usuable now because of
its poor condition.
In his charge to the June Su
perior Court Grand Jury, Jud
ge Whalen said:
“There are three floors to this
courthouse building. You may
not be aware of that, but there
is a floor above you which in
past ears has been in use.
There is a great deal of space
up there.
“But presently it is in no con
dition to be used. In 1910 we had
more courthouse and just half
the number of people we now
have. We are feeling the strain
of it.
“This building is undoubtably
structurely sound. It’s not going
structurely sound. It’s not going
to fall down. I think it’s a good
building as far as its strength
is concerned.
“But the interior is in a deplo
rable condition. You know that
in recent years we’ve started
having more and more ladies
on the juries.
“And I imagine that in the
future we’ll continue to have
more. There is not a lady in Sp
alding County who would as k
company to come into her home
if her home were in the con
dition that this courthouse
buildiing is in.
“I’m embarrassed, really, to
ask a lady to go to the jury
room. You have been in these
jury rooms and you’ve been in
your grand jury rooms. You
know what we are confronted
with.
“We have a serious problem
with the roof. It’s leaking. Ev
erytime it rains, Mrs. (Beulah
Carter has to put a trash can in
her office to catch the rain wa-
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(United Press International Photo}
Georgia Peaches
The new Miss Georgia is Marilyn Louise Olley (r), who represented Cobb County
in the annual state pageant held at Columbus. She succeeds Burma Ann Davia
(1) of Warner Robins who was Miss Georgia during 1968-69. Miss Olley is sched
uled to visit Griffin and be in the Fourth of July Day parade and other festivities
this year. Miss Davis appeared here last year.
ter coming through the ceiling.
They have newspapers spread
out all over the floor. Records
are being ruined. Plaster is fall
ing down. There’s a hole in the
ceiling.
“The plaster is coming out of
this courtroom. It has been pat
ched several times. They’re still
coming loose.
“The building is getting to the
place that it’s almost impossi
ble to keep clean.
“The space that is available
for county offices is inadequate.
We have a great deal of wast
ed space in this building. This
rotunda is not good for anyth
ing except to walk through.
“We have space on all f ou r
sides of the courthouse. If it was
necessary and proper, the buil
ding could be expanded to the
sidewalks.
“Some thought should be giv
en to what is going to be done
concerning this courthouse pro
perty.
“The county commissioners
have done an admirable job
maintaining this property at a
minimum of cost. They are to
be commended for the job that
they have done with what they
have to do with.
“I commend them for their ef
forts on our behalf to maintain
the facility in its best possible
condition.
“But the time has come when
we either must think about com
pletely renovating this building,
or if that is not practical, some
thought should be given to at
taining a new site and contsruc
ting a new county facility.
“Tills is not something that
can be done in a day, week or
month. It is not something that
you gentlemen can determine in
your present term.
“But you can lay the founda
tion. You can initiate some plan
ning. You can give it some
thought. You can establish com
mittees to continue to look into
the matter. And it will be a time
consuming thing. It is something
that a lot of people are going to
have to put a lot of thought in
to, a lot of effort into, a lot of
planning into. It’s a thing that’s
going to take some convincing
to get it off the ground.
“If you should establish a per
manent committee to report
back, possibly to other g rand
juries or however you see fit to
act, you would certainly have
the right, and you should, to in
clude anyone on your committee
that you think might be of assis
tance in the matter.
“Personally, I feel that com
missioners should ba included
because they are directly
concerned. They are concerned
with your feelings. They are con
cerned with what is best for this
community and how they may
best serve you.
“Every consideration should
be given them for they are, of
course, more conversant with
county matters than you or I.
“As I said, I realize that this
is something that can’t be done
overnight. But it is something
that we must give some thou
ght too. We have got to come
face to face with this problem
sooner or later.
“We can go on for years like
we are going. But we aren’t go
ing in the best way. We aren’t
going in the way in which I think
the people of this county would
like to go as far as the court
house is concerned.
“If the government is to best
serve the people, the facility
must be adequate. It must be cl
ean. It must be decent and its
image should be such as to ge
nerate respect for the functions
that are carried out in this
courthouse.
“Spalding County Is a proud
Continued on page two
Country Parson
Al
If
"Our society will never get
as bad as some folks expect
—nor as good as some hope.”
Copyright 1969, by Frank A. Clark