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COTTON:
12 1*2 Cents
THE ATHENS BANNER
WEATHER:
Fair; Warmer
ESTABLISHED 1832.
ATHENS, GA., TUESDAY MORNING, JUNE 24, 1913.
ESTABLISHED 1SU.
Tax Committee of the Chamber of Com
merce of Athens, Composed of Some
of the Best Men in City, Submit
Report on Taxation Question.
There will be a most important call
ed meeting of the chamber of com
merce tonight—Tuesday—at the coun
cil room of the city hall—to assemble
promptly at 8:30 o'clock.
The purpose of the meeting Is to
receive, consider and act upon the re
port of the special taxation commit
tee recently appointed from the body
to make a study of tax conditions and
crystalize their findings in a report.
The matter of taxation and its vari
ous problems being uppermost with
city and state officials, with students
and statesmen alike, with councils
and executives and law-makers, the
chamber of commerce of Athens to
begin a study which may be far-reach
ing as well as locally Important,
named the following committee to
study taxation—locally and over the
state and in other states and cities—
and that committee has been at work:
Mr. C. D. Flanlgen, chairman; Mr.
C. B. Griffith, Mr. A. W. Brooks, Dr.
J. H. T. McPherson. Dr. R. E. Curtis,
Judge A. J. Cobb, Mr. W. H. Shelton,
Prof. E. C. Branson, Mr. H. H. Lin
ton.
This committee Is composed of col
lege professors, experts In commerce
and accounting, students of econom
ics, urban and rural, bankers, eminent
Jurists, former supreme court Judges,
cotton and manufacturing men, the
tax collector of this county, and elec
tric company officials. This body,
representing In Its various lines, com
posed of the best men who could take
the time and serve In this careful
. and digesting ot
aurvdy of conditions, and digesting ot
carefully compiled, cautiously ex-
*)*- carefully
Tgsassed, accurate and comprehensive.
The report as finally agreed upon
by the tax committee at an Informal
meeting yesterday Is presented below
—and It Is printed In advance of the
meeting called for tonight In order
and that the results of such under
valuation are an increase in the nomi
nal rate of taxation, and a marked in
equality in the assessment of differ
ent classes of property, and of differ
ent pieces of property of the same
kind owned by different persons.
(2) The most serious inequilaties
arise in the assessment and taxation
of intangible personal property such
tis moneys and credits, mortgages,
bonds and stocks. If such property
were returned and taxed on the same
basis as realty, the tax at the rates
now levied would amount to an unjust
confiscation of from one fourth to
one half or more of the income. It
Is not surprising therefore that such
classes of property largely escape tax
ation.
(3) The result of the present sys
tem is a most unjust inequality in the
distribution of the burden of taxation;
an inadequate revenue to the State;
and a notorious evasion of the tax
laws, whose terms are, as a matter of
fact, unjust in principle and unenforc-
ible in practice.
Our study of the systems of other
states shows clearly that other meth
ods of taxation than the general prop
erty tax are more equitable and more
successful in raising revenue.
(4) The administration of the tai
laws In Georgia is also defective In
many respects. - Self assessment,
whiohis a general rule In Georgia, is a
fundamental error. Some local board
should review and equalize the work
of local tax officers. And a State
Tax Commission,—a small, perma
nent, appointive body of capable men
with «mple salary and long tann;-
should bave large powers in the cen
tral administration of tax affairs.
Recommendations.
(1) Constitutional Amendment. Ar-
tide VII Section II. Clause 1 of the
Constitution of Georgia provides, '‘All
that every member of the chamber of
commerce (which may commit itself
at the meeting tonight to some de
finite endorsement of the report) may
have an opportunity to read It leisure
ly and carefully, digest it and con
sider it for himself—before the meet
ing tonight.
Following is the report In full:
Report to Chamber of Commerce.
Gentlemen: Your committee ap
pointed to investigate the existing tax
laws and their operation, and to sug
gest improvements in the system, has
reached the following conclusions as
to the principal defects of the present
revenue system and its administra
tion:
(1) That the valuation of property
for purposes of taxation is a very
small part of the true value ot the
tangible taxable property of the state,
and a much smaller fraction of the
true value of the intangible property;
taxation shall be uniform upon the
CONTRACT
For Building Four
Additional Rooms
to College Ave
nue School.
TO MEET IS AF-
Of the State Normal
School Has Been
A meeting of the mayor and council
ras held yesterday morning for the
purpose of receiving bids for addi
tions to be made to the College ave
nue school building. Quite a number
of bids had been received and after
considering them all, the contract
was awarded to the L. C. Smith Con
struction Co., of this city.
The bid was for 37,244, and calls
for the building of four rooms to the
present building.
The contract was let conditionally,
—the work not to commence until so
ordered by the mayor and council.
"PANIC-BREAKERS”
PLEASED GOOD
IENCE
Last night in "A Bogus Bishop,”
a really clever, funny, enjoyable and
unobjectionable comedy, with the ac
cent on the “musical,” the “Panic
Breakers” began a week’s engagement
at the Colonial.
There was a rather small house—
owing to tlhe bad weather. The com
edy runnlDg through was above the
average; the songs were catcby and
several new ones will make distinct
hits; there were several dlightful spe
cialties—worth the “ten and twenty”
charged. E. P. Holland^ the “mimic
yodler" was worth the* price
same class of subjects, and ad valo
rem on all property subject to be
taxed within the territorial limits of
the authority levying the tax, and
shall be levied and collected under
general laws.”
This apparently allows the classifi
cation of property for taxation at dif
ferent rates, and similar clauses in
the Constitutions of other states have
been so construed; but in Georgia, the
Supreme Court in the case of Ver-
dery vs. The Village of Summerville,
(82 Ga. 138) has interpreted It to
mean that a uniform rate must be lev
ied on all classes and kinds of proper
ty. This construction commits us to
the discredited General Property Tax,
and bars the door to all real progress
In tax reform.
The National Tax Association at Its
conference held in Columbus, Ohio in
tlbe country boy making a speech to
the bartender making a gin-fiz, from
a mocking bird 4o a mule. He’s good.
The whole show's worth while.
The “Bogus Bishop” will be seen
today at matinee, 4:30, and tonight.
A complete change of hill will be put
on tomorrow. Ten and twenty cents
are the prices.
The regular monthly meeting of the
board of education will be held this
afternoon in the office of the superin
tendent, at the city hall—at 4 o’clock.
A number of matters are to be
brought before the board in addition
to the regular order of business.
LOF
KATHERINE ERWIN
Continued on Page Six.
Watkinsville Wants Closer Access
to Athens; and Athens Certainly
Reciprocates the Good Proposition
In this issue of the Banner will be
found the advertisement of S. O. Mas
sey & Co., gents’ furnishing and a
full line of hoys’ and children’s cloth
ing. The sale is put on at prices to
attract all. Every garment in the store
has the price cut away down and
puts in reach of the most modest pur
chaser clothing, hats, shirts and a full
line of furnishings. It will pay you
to visit the store of this well known
firm at 475 Clayton street. You can
save dollars by making your purchas
es during this sale.
Mr. J. Warren Smith, cashier of the
Oconeo Countk Bank, of Watkinsville,
Ga., as a consequence of an extended
correspondence, called on Secretary
Callaway of the Chamber of Com
merce this morning for a conference
regarding a matter of vital Interest
both to Athens and to Watkinsville.
Mr. Smith stated that Watkinsville
peoplo are interested In making Wat
kinsville an Ideal suburban residence
town; that yiey aro very much inter
ested In making Watkinsville more
easily accessible to Athens and Ath-
ons more easily accessible to Wat
kinsvllle.
The matter regarding which ho
wished to confer with Mr. Callaway
was that of a united effort on the
part of Watkinsville and Athens in
the direction of trying to Improve the
service on the Central of Georgia rail
way between Athens and Watkins
ville, and the result of this morning’s
conference was a suggestion on the
t>art of Secretary Callaway that Mr.
Smith bring over a delegation of Wat-
kinsville's business men for a con
ference here this afternoon with a
number of Athens’ business men with
a view of trying to arrive at some
plan whereby the desired end could
be arrived at. Secretary Callaway
assured Mr. Smith that he and his
organization would be extremely
pleased to do everything in their pow
er in any movement which would
bring the two communities together.
He stated that Athens realized that
Watkinsville was one of her strongest
friends, and he spoke for every man
In Athens in saying that it would be
a pleasure to make every effort to
establish closer relations.
The suggestion was offered yester
day morning's conference that better
service might be gotten between Ath
ens and Watkinsville by appealing
to the Central of Georgia Railway to
put on a gasoline car to make fre
quent trips to and from the points in
question, and it is for a full discus
sion of this matter that today's con
ference will be held.
Secretary Callaway, during the Ban
ner's interview with him stated that
bo felt reasonably sure that some bet
ter service could be secured between
the two cities, and he also stated that
It would he his purpose to give this
matter his earnest attention, and en
deavor to bring whatever action was
taken to a successful conclusion.
S. 0. MASSEY &
CO 'S BIG SALE
Yesterday evening at six o’clock
from the residence, corner of Hill and
Milledge, occurred the funeral ser
vices of Miss Katherine Erwin,
daughter of the late Col. Alexander S.
Erwin, whose death occurred Sunday
morning about 9 o’clock, after an ill
ness of six weeks from a complication
of troubles.
Rev. E. L. Hill, pastor of the First
Presbyterian church, assisted by Rev.
Troy Beatty, of Emmanual church,
conducted the services; the songs
were ones the deceased loved well;
the floral tributes attested the depth
of devotion of her friends and mutely
expressed the sorrow they felt at her
departure and their faith in the fact
of her going to a better world beyond
the resurrection.
The pall-bearers were Messrs. Ful
ton E. Varner. DuPree Hunnicutt
Marion DuBose. Harvey Stpvall, Harry
Hull, H. P .Hinton, James Barrow,
and Olin A. Dozier. The interment
was in Oconee cemetery.
Miss Erwin was about twenty-one
years of age. She leaves her mother,
one sister. Miss Mary Erwin, and five
brothers, Messrs. Howell Erwin, Stan-
hope Er.wln, Andrew Erwin, William
Erpdn, and Julian Erwin. There are
Wanf (bther relatives.-
A sweeter spirit never moved In
the family circle, a truer friend never
claimed others as her friends than
Miss Erwin. In the home she was
the comfort and the companion of her
mother, her sister, her brothers; In
the circle which she chose In friend
ships she knew no greater pleas
ure than giving pleasure to others.
Her life was one of real beauty; her
service to those to whom she was sent
was a blessing; her memory will be a
benediction.
E TO
BROAD STREET
A WRECK
Accusation Is Made by One
of Athens’ Interested
Citizens.
Why are not those grim charges
made to our efficient chief of police,
and his aid-de-camp, who so carefully
guard our city. Their duty is to stop
any disgrace and the undersigned if
necessary 'will assist If help is needed,
to remove this beneficial act, so called
a disgrace by a supposed competitor.
We are selling our goods so low,
and this constitutes the ground, for
their charges of disgrace, and yet we
announce still another cut in prices
for Tuesday, June 24, beginning at 8
o'clock a. m. This might bring the
militia of the state at our doors to
prevent a still lower cut In price, how
ever we will make a test of it.
Witness the sensation Tuesday
morning.
JAY H. EPTING CO.
“Under the Blazing Light.”
Caused a stampede, however, in
Athens only a few suffered, while
thousands enjoyed such a crash
Those hurt were the ones who dared
to attempt to compete 'With our crash'
Ing prices. So greatly are we encour
aged of having made captives of our
so-called competitor that Jay H. Ep-
ting Co., will re-open another great
10 day sale, with even greater values
than those which astonished the pub
lic in the last few days.
Tuesday, June 24th, at 8 o’clock In
the morning the doors will gain be
thrown open.
And this Is what you will get:
A ten-yard dress pattern of beau
tiful sheer figured lawn or batiste 29c
for the full pattern.
Men’s Lisle thread half liose all col
ors at pair, 5c.
The biggest towel in Athens for dou
ble the price today. 10c.
Best table oil cloth, yard, 10c.
35 cent Jap Silkoline, yard, 12c.
25c grade under lawn, yard, 10c.
Good gingham and chambray, yard
2i cents.
Extra good grade white check dim
ity. yard, 5c.
Sticerie Braid, the regular 25c
bunches at 10c.
Men’s short sleeve underwear, the
regular 50c kind at 23c.
JAY H. EPTING CO.
“Under the Blazing Light.”
CLOTHING AT HALF PRICE AT
MASSEY’S.
FACULTY
Completed for
Next Year.
The faculty of the State Normal
School for the coming year—which
as left with two or three unfilled
places at the meeting of the board
of trustees in annual session a few
weeks ago, is now complete.
The position of “lady principal” was
created at the meeting of the board,
but tlie place was left to be filled by
the president and prudential commit
tee. Miss Moena MichaeJ has been
elected to that position—being well
qualified for this place requiring tact,
judgment, patience, and energy.
The department of oratory, created
by the hoard, was filled by the the
*;lectlon of Miss Augusta Center. Miss
(V uter is no stranger here—having
been several years ago on the faculty
of Lucy Cobb Institute.
Miss Baird has been elected to the
place vacant on the crops of teach
ers in tae practice school—which has
Miss Randall for its principal. Miss
Baird was educated at the same train
ing school as Miss Randall and comes
with the best of recommendations.
The school received at the hands
of the Atlanta Constitution a splendid
page story, mostly illustrations of
scenes of life from life—given the in
stitution on its merits alone and not
as an advertisement. The Constitu
tion is giving a page each Sunday to
one of the state Institutions and the
State Normal School's story appeared
Sunday last.
TO
LEGISLATURE TO VISIT
THEIR EARLIEST
AT
ENCE
By this evening there will be In At- do at once—the. first day the house:-
lanta three members of the general assemble for business, tomorrow—
assembly of Georgia—from Athens.
Messrs. Frank Lipscomb and J.
Frank Rhodes go down today as rep
resentatives from Clarke county iD
the lower house—the first time since
tlie county was created back in the
early part of the last century that
Clarke has had more than one repre
sentative in that branch of the legis
lature.
Mr. Robert Toombs DuBose goes to
represent this state senatorial district
in the upper houes of the general as
sembly—bfcing an Athenian and a
Clarke county man, and last year the
sole representative of this county in
the other house ot the law-making
body in Georgia.
There are a number of things the
members of the house propose to try
to accomplish. Some of the measures
which they will introduce of their
own motion or at the request of some
of their constituents have already
And that will be to invite the entlr--
legislative body to come to Athens a:
as early a date in their term as is
possible to arrange.
Invitations have already been pr<
pared by the mayor and council of tb
c'ly of Alliens, by the president, se-
rotary and officers of the Ather.
chamber of commerce, by the count
board of commissioners, and the?
Invitations are in the hands ot th
representatives with the request tha
the cordial invitation be tendered or.
the first ddy of the session.
The state has large holdings here-
the University of Georgia, the Stat
College of Agriculture, the State No.
mal School, and the people of Athen
the officials of the. city, the couni
officers, the enterprising chamber <
commerce wants the legislators, a<
of them, to come ouce to see thei
various properties for themselves. It
will not only be a pleasure for Athens
been mentioned—some advertised as to entertain the legislature In a bod >
the law directs in the case of local j in the fashioned Athens way, but t
legislation. will be the- duty the legislators ow j
One thing the representives in ! their constituents to come and loot
both branches of the house will all personally after the institutions her
BOB PORTER RETURNS TO CITY AND
IS SENT TO THE STOCKADE AT
E
MATTING RUGS ARE
BY ME MOST
SANITARY YET
Why not fix up your front porch
and make out of it a cool comfortable
bitting room. We have a beautiful
line of Japanese matting art squares,
size 9 by 12 feet at the very low price
o' $2.49.
A'so the smaller rugs to match
ihese at 15 cents each.
You will find in this assortment of
art squares and rugs patterns suitable
for parlors, bed rooms, dining rooms,
halls and porches.
These art squares at $2.49 cannot
be duplicated elsewhere for less than
1G00.
Come to our store today and see
some of the wonderful values we are
offering in every department.
JAY H. EPTING CO.
“Under the Blazing Light.”
378 Broad St.
Robert L. Porter, well known fot
many years in Athens, returned to the
city yesterday evening and was last
night found on the streets by the po
lice, arrested, was carried to
the city prison and there ‘ held
held for a short time, and on order
of the mayor he was sent direcUy to
the stokade where he.-will begin, this
morning a term of six months for vio
lation of the anti-liquor law of the
city.
It is said that since leaving Athens
he has been -in Chattanooga, employed
by a whiskey concern. He stated to
the officers that he came back on
“court business.”
The case attracted wide attention.
After paying two fines to the city for
selling whiskey, he was found guilty
the third time and 'sentenced—as is
usually the case for the third offense
to a term of six months in the stock
ade straight without alternative of
Mr. R. W. Mathews
Died Yesterday
fine. He appealed to council and the
certiorari to the superior court and
Judge Brand sustained the city gov
ernment; he filed an appeal to the
verdict of the council .was for the
stockade sentence; he appealed by
court of appeals but withdraw that
appeal when an agreement was reach
ed by which he agreed to leave the ’***i
state for good under penalty of being
at once arrested and made to serve
hi? six months’ term it he came back
to Athens. A large number of cases
by -Indictment for selling liquor and
other alleged violations were pending
in the superior court and the under
standing was that these cases were to
be 'held over him—till he should come
back to the state.
As soon as he was seen by officers
last night he was arrested and his
sentence, automatically 'went into op
eration. He was carried to the stock
ade last night.
More Veniremen Drawn for
Service on Juries in Court Con
vening in This County Tomorrow
Sunday night about 11 o’clock oc
curred the death of Mr. R. H. Math
ews, a well known young farmer and
citizen of Madison county. He had
been ill at his home in that county
lor several days with fever. While
known to be quite ill his family did
not apprehend the danger of his con
dition till Sunday, when they per
ceived a change for the worse. He
was thirty-six years of age and 'fairly
beginning a life of usefulness which
was hearing visible fruits of success.
He leaves four brothers and three
sisters besides a host of close and de
voted friends to mourn his departure.
The funeral and burial occurred at
Pleasant Grove church in Madison
county yesterday afternoon at four
o’clock, the Rev. Willie M. Saye. of
Athens, performing the last sad rites
over the body.
Yesterday morning twenty-five
more names were drawn from the
jury box by the judge of the superior
court to be summoned to serve at
the special, called term of court which
will sit beginning tomorrow morning
at 9 o’clock—for the purpose of hear
ing the criminal cases of State vs.
J. W. Griffin, State vs. R. H. McCrary,
H. L. McCrary. John Carl Booth, and
ether business to be legally and prop
erly brought befotre the court.
Some time ago the special term was
called and the date fixed for the 23rd
DR. AND MRS. SUMMERLIN
BACK FROM SO. GEORGIA
Dr. and Mrs. M. T. Summerlin are
back home after several days spent
in South Georgia. Dr. Summerlin, ac
companied by his wife attended the
state dental convention at Columbus
and then they -went to Sparks, Ga.,
to stay for a week or ten days.
Let Chas. W. Parr do your paper
hanging. Work only done by expert
hanger. All work guaranteed. Phone
793.
CROPS REPORTED FINE
ALL OVER SOUTH GEORGIA
Mr. and Mrs. M. W. Carithers, of
Pavo, Ga., are in Athens as guests of
Mr. and Mrs. George Bolton,
Springdale street. Mrs. Carithers will
spend the greater part of the next
two months here. Mr. Carithers states
-that in his section of the state—
Souh Georgia—tho prospects for
a fine crop of corn, cotton, and cane
are unsurpassed.
—later being by order postponed till
tomorrow, the 25th. Some time ago
the jury was drawn—a larger nun tier
than usual. One hundred namc.i of
good men and true were taken from
one box and deposited in the oth< r by
Judge Brand while the clerk and
the sheriff took them down. Yester
day twenty-five more were drawn.
There has been so much said and so
much discussion has been ha4 rela
tive to the now notorious cases that
It was certain that a larger number
would be necessary to secure a jury
of twelve who could serve.
Wanted: The Spot Where the Light
ning Struck Yesterday Evening
Matinee, Colonial, Today, 4:30.
Sam Jones used to say that “the
lightning never hit twice in the same
place because the same place wasn’t
there the second time.”
By tihe same token or by the sign
of the original proposition that the
lightning just “doesn’t hit twice in
the same place,” there are any old
number of spots in Athens that are
now immune from the ravages of this
particular (or sometimes none too par
ticular) brand of element on the ram
page.
That is: IF
All the places that the bolt which
was in our midst so sonorously yes
terday evening between seven and
eight o’clock is said to have hit were
actually hit.
In the time mentioned there was a
flash that was blinding almost simul
taneously there was an explosion like
I 1 to the going off of a big pistol; and
then following immediately but not
quite simultaneously, was the heavy
crash and roll of the thunder.
One little fellow who heard it said
that “It sounded like, It sounded like
—oh, it sounded like—thunder!”
One person observing the heivens
declared that the flash hit the Hal-
man building; another who was
watching said that the bolt fell
straight down upon the little woiden
building beside the new struoture: an
other said that it hit the Elite theater;
Still a fourth was positive that the
campus—corner towards the sunset
was Ihe identical place where t! e bolt
from the skies went into-the ground;
still another yet was sure that it hit
a house down on Lumpkin street.
And so it went. The reports have
not all come in from Tuckston and
Whitehall and Princeton Factory.
Meantime—if anybody finds a spot
that looks like it had been hit by
lightning
It may be interesting scientifically
to watoh the spot and see if any other
bolt ever hits it.
k.