Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

ATHENS DAILY HERALD, TUESDAY, JULY 1, ISIS. jwm The Athens Daily Herald Published overy afternoon during the week by THE HERALD PUBLISHING COMPANY. iNo Sunday Issue.) WM. G. GREDIG, Managing Editor. E. W. CARROLL, Business Manager. Entered at the postoffice at Athens, Ga., for transmission through the mails as matter of the second class. NO. 269. TELEPHONES: Business Office 12161 (Editorial Room 1216 Society Editor 120i||City Editor 1216 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Daily, one year |5.00||Daily, *hree months $1-25 Daily, six months 2.60|| Jaily, one month TEN CENTS A WEEK. PAY THE CARRIER. THE HERALD invites communications upon all questions, but will fuse to publish anonymous letters Communications intended for publics, tion matt bear the writer’s name and address. ATHENS. GA^ FRIDAY, APRIL 25. 1913. WEATHER FORECAST Washington, D. C., July 1—Forecast for Georgia: Local showers to night orWednesday. WOODROW WILSON AND THE SHORT BALLOT Woodrow Wilson THE POPULAR GOVERNMENT Down in Augusta, on last Saturday, a primary election was held on the commission form of government, and the result was 2,094 votes in favor of the plan to adopt the commission form and only 40 against. In consequence the advocates in Augusta of this equitable form of government are jubilant. These believe that this form of government means much to the peace and prosperity and progress of Augusta. Many cities are finding that the commission form of govern ment fills a long-felt want. It supplies the business administra tion which so many citizens in dlTerent cities clamor for. The Herald b lieves that the commission form of government would be a good thing for Athens. Here is what commission government means in the manage ment of municipal affairs: City business should be transacted with the same financial insight as that required in the conduct of a private corporation. Contracts for supplies should be awarded on the lowest bids for the best material without favor or recognition or political “pull.” Merit must rule in the appointment of chiefs of departments —the best man for the job to get the place. Petty animosities are to be discouraged and complete har mony demanded between departments. Reports of finances and recommendations should be submit td lo an auditing committee every month. Better salaries should be paid city employes, there should be more public improvements and greater school facilities. Economy must rule in everything so that the tax rate may be lowered and the property values increased by reason of muni cipal development. Athens needs a better sanitary department. The equipment af the department is manifestly inadequate to the needs of the city. Garbage is not removed from residential premises often enough, and in some cases not at all. This is no idle talk, but can be substantiated. Residents have been heard complaining about this for some time. Citizens should not be expected to dispose of their own garbage. The city is large enough and wealthy enough to provide sufficient wagons and men to attend to the necessary duty in the interest of the health of our people. On Washington street between Lumpkin and College avenue the odors arising from dead matter is very nauseating. It has been so for many weeks. Such a condition of affairs is intolera ble. The taxpayers should not permit it to exist. We might cite other instances of needed reforms and im provements, but the people probably know them, and if they are opposed to such conditions they will in all probability seek to remedy the evil. A bill will be introduced during the present session of the Legislature to amend the Act of 1872 chartering the city of Athens, and the various acts amendatory thereof, so as to pro vide for a commission form of government for Athens. That there is a strong sentiment in this city favorable to the commission form is evident. It is desired that the people have the opportunity of expressing -heir wishes in the matter. If they do not favor the change well and good, but they should have the chance of expressing their preference. Augusta chooses the commission form by 2,094 to 40. Ath ens may make a similar showing if given the opportunity. Thos< people who are advocating a business administration for the city’s affairs have the chance to see it put into operation. The hit dogs sre howling in Washington. Evidently President Wilson was working on a straight tip. Phophecy is precarious business, hut we venture to assert that Augusta will never be sorry that sha adopted commission government, says the Columbia State. The Progress of (he Short Ballof Movement One of the earlier articles in this series told botfr quickly the people caught up with Woodrow Wilson’s doctrine that real democracy in America is Just a ques tion of getting simple and workable Instruments. Of course, the really difficult task is to get this Idea enacted Into laws. This phase of the movement Is retarded by two great obstructions; cast Iron State constitutions, an<| those politicians who are quite contented with the pres ent arrangements. The lightning struck first In California, where the bi-partisan railroad machine bad just been overthrown. In 1911 the progressive members of both parties, who were now in control, looked around for the best means of making the results of the election of 1910 permanent, that is, of keeping the existing machine out of politics and forestalling any similar organization. The leaders at once took up the Short Ballot idea and made It the first specific plank in their plat form. Governor Johnson emphasized It in his message and put his Influence behind several Legislative Short Ballot measures. Four of these were without great difficulty. Three of these respectively removed from the ballot the State Printer, tho Clerk of the Supreme Court and the members of the Railroad Commission. This latter board bad been made elective years before so that the people could control it. Result:—The commissioners were hidden away among forty to fifty other officers on the ballot and for a generation devoted tbemielre# exclusively to the neglect of their duties and the drawing o' their salaries. The fourth of these California measures gave the people power to apply the Short Ballot principle In the counties by adopting local charters suited to their local needs. Within less than a year under thiB new right the county of Los Angeles adopted an instrument under which there were cut ofT, at a stroke, thirteen of these petty clerical offices, which had been the center of so much ill-directed party activity and inefficiency. It was provided that in future they should be appointed on the basis of merit and not for party serv ice. The county supervisors were given real control over the machinery of organization just as In the commission plan cities. Another State which has made progress toward the Short Ballot Is Ohio. In preparation for the constitutional convention which met In that State last year, the Municipal Association of Cleveland prepared a most careful analysis of the State government and proposed a measure which would remove from the State ticket the minor executives, including the Secretary of State, Treasurer, Auditcr, Attorney General and Dairy, and Food Commis sioner. The favorable wey in which the measure was received led its friends to suppose that it would be submitted to the people, along with the forty other progressive proposals. When, however, It was brought to a vote, it was found that forty-seven of the one hundred and twenty delegates were opposed to submitting this proposition to the people. Their ory was, "It will give the Governor too much power." (They were not opposed to giving exactly the iame amount of power to the Irresponsible party "boss" who bad actually made the appointments to minor State offices under the long ballot system.) The defeat of the measure disappointed the people and last fall all three political parties in Ohio went on reoord In favor of the Short Ballot in their platforms. In the spring of 1913 the friends of the measure made It more complete by adding amendments to make it iiosslble for tbe people of the several counties to a'’opt a Short Ballot form of county government and providing that repre sentatives to the Legislature should be selected singly by districts instead of In big bunches by counties. When the Legislators assembled this spring and the proposition was put up to them In concrete form, many of them repudiated'both the party promises and their personal written pledges. And the movement was checked again. The Short Ballot bills will now be put before the people by Initiative. Michigan went through a similar experience last March. There the Senate voted unanimously to submit to the people a proposition to apply the princi ple to the he&dB of departments tn the State. The State House of Represent*- tlvee, however, defeated it. The opposition In every State la the same:—On tbe surface the contention that it would "centralize" power too much; deeper down, the petty officials, both those in office and those who hope to be, have a passion for "letting the people fill the offices." Well, the cure for that is more light. (THE END.) II, S, BLUE BOOKS OF 1816 IN01905 IRE COMPARED IN IL B00I Every day is pay day with the Georigia Legislator, and yet the state’ school teachers are lucky to get theirs at the end of six or eight months. Our solons take care of number one all right! President Wilson says "Tut tut!** when he makes a poor drive, accord ing to his caddy. Woodrow should be careful. These dynamic epithets, these incandescent outbursts might have a demoralising effect upon the youth of the land, says the Columbia State. SAVING By Dick Dick if 'The fellow that spends and lends oft ends in the poorhouse on the hill, while the fellow that slaves but saves, behaves like the owner of a milL So watch the pennies and nickles and dimes, in good, hard, bad, and indifferent times and you’ll toon have a pile that will make you smile and let you live in luxurious style, for the biggest wad you ever saw had to start with one cents—ten mills—no more. So work and glavn, don’t shirk, but save. Just k i l»d save and. SAYJ& gY SCHOOL TEACHERS MAY HAVE PAY DAY VERY UNEXPECTEDLY (Special to The Herald.) Atlanta, Ga., July 1—Pay for school teachers when pay is due has sudden ly bloomed out within the past twenty- four hours as an issue of "now 1 stead of next year. Borrow a half million dollars right this minute and pay our teacher, what we owe them for this year’s work, and then talk about legislation for next year," is the suggestion which has been made in bouse senate. MEDICAL PBACTICE BILL WILL DEVELOP LONG, BITTEB FIGHT (Special to The Herald.) Atlanta, Ga., July 1.—The medical practice bill, just introduced in the house is going to precipitate a long and bitter fight. It has already gendered a good deal of ill feeling because it seeks to identity quacks and advertising physicians as one and the same class In all cases. There are numbers of ' legislators who believe that a physician may be "eptly reputable and'-efficient and still be an advertiser, and they re- No better instance of the growth of the government of the United States is afforded than is given a comparison of the Blue Books of -the United States government pub lished in 1816 and 1905. The on. published in 1816 is not much larger than a child’s reader, and has but 176 pages. The one for 1905 is in two volumes, and has 4,219 pages. The one for 1S16 weighed less than a pound, while the one for 1905 tipped the beam at more than twen ty-five pounds. The publication of the one for 1816 cost less than $2,- 000; the publication for the one of 1905 cost $70,000. The Blue Book is a roster of thfe people in the employ of Uncle Sam. The government service has many attractive features to the person out side. The government clerk is enti tled to an annual vacation of a full month, he has frequent holidays, half holidays every Saturday during the heated term, and is entitled to all the sick leave he needs up to thirty days. He goes to work at 9 o’clock in the morning and quits at 4:30 o’clock in the afternoon, and has a half hour for lunch. To the young man on the farm and in the rural town this seems to be an ideal career; yet there are few who take it up and lemain satisfied with their loit. Comparatively few people Uncle Sam’s service in Washington are able to save anything out of their salaries, especially those who have families. Many young people come to Washington and take cours es in it®. universities while holding Federal positions. Many a lawyer has graduated in law from the uni versity night schools while holding a government position. Some of them leave the service and begin to prac tice law. More of them, however, seem to regard a $1,200 government job in hand as better than a $5,000 law practice in prospect; therefore they continue to work their lives away for Uncle Sam. 1 The story of the Civil Service as told in the new book, “The Ameri can Government,” by Frederic J. Haskin, was endorsed both before and after publication by President John C- Black, of the Civil Service Commission. He regards it as a most accurate portrayal of the Civil Service. Just now when the Presi dent is asking Congress to place all postmasters, internal revenue collec tors, United States marshals and others in the classified service, this chapter alone is worth to every stu dent the price of the book as sup plied by The Heraild. See the pon on another page. If such action is taken it will come sent the idea that the legislature in the form of a resolution requesting Governor Slaton to make the loan. If it is passed, it means that Georgia school teachers will not have to apply to the loan sharks to tide them over the summer. Another interesting feature in con nection with the subject of pay for teachers is a measure, introduced in the house, providing pensions for women teachers. The measure pro vides an annuity of $100 for all teach ers who have served thirty years and who are not worth over $1,500. The compulsory arbitration bill, the passage of which was so strongly recommended by Governor Brown and which was so thoroughly resented by union labor, has been introduced in the house. It is m many respects similar to the national Erdman act. Probably the most interesting now bill in the senate is the measure which seeks to prohibit the apperance of liquor advertisements in Georgia newspapers. A measure has also been introduced in the senate to create commission to consider the ad visability of establishing a state in, stitution for inebriates and drug fiends. [ Another house measure of general should make a crime out of whal they say is merely a frank refusal to subscribe to the so-called “ethics” of a medical society which are of very doubtful ethical value. The bill is backed by the allopathic practioneers of the state. The chief objection which has been raised to it is that it seeks too broadly to con demn advertising physicians as £ class. RARE SPECIMENS AT EXPO. Washington, July 1.—The gov ernment experts who are introducing novelties in useful and ornamental plants into the United States, will contribute some rare and interesting specimens to the unique and re markable display at the San Diego Exposition in 1915. SPECIAL NOTICES NOTICE. There will be a general meeting of the Athens Mfg. Co. Burial Associa tion held at the office of the company on July 1st, 1913, at 8:30 o’clock. It is hoped that as many as can will come, as there is business of impor tance to be transacted, election of of ficers and other business. W. N. TEAT, President. CHAS. McKINNON, Secty. J30p SOME LIVING AZTECS. Washington, July 1—Scientists tell us that, contrary to the belief of many persons, the Aztecs whose civ ilization left monuments in Mexico that still fascinate and amaze the world did not all perish.. About 1,000 of the pure stock still exist and some of them will be at the San Diego Exposition in 1916 wi^h their own peculiar arts and crafts*; Phone 1216 and say: “8end me the Herald.” interest proposes to authorize the ag riculture department to take more specific means for the prevention of the spread of hog dholora, LEGAL NOTICES NOTICE. Notice is hereby given that there will be a bill introduced during the next session of the General Assem bly of the State of Georgia, to amend the Act of 1872 chartering the City of Athens, in Clarke county, Geor gia, and the various acts amendato ry thereof, so ks to provide for a commission form of government for the said City of Athens, in lieu of the mayor and council, to prescribe their term of office, their election or appointment and their own powers and authority and for other purpos es therein contained. ftDROPSY* m soon removed, often enf’—" “ ' l TrUu D <bL SSdsys. Trial treatment sent FREE. Write fie DAVIS, ADKINS & CO. General Contractors and Builders Office 108 Shackelford Bldg, Athena, Ga. PHONES 427 and 696-L J. K. DAVIS R. C. ADKINS TNAJltl A7S33 TALK IT OVER AT LUNCH The delicious flavor of our cooking and the excellent variety that gives life a new spice for you are things J you will appreciate here. Everything is fresh, wholesome and clean. For the unusual things served unusually well—drop in and see us. You will find our bill-c-fare good any time. THE ATHENAEUM CAFE Chris. Jones, Proprietor. CENTRAL ELECTRIC CO., ESTIMATES FURNISHED ON EVERYTHING ELECT R1 C A L Phone 333 Office over Elite Theatre Launderen and Dry Cleaner* Phone yw 217 Service LITTLE’S PHARMACY Soda Fount, Drug*, Tobaccos, Toilet Articles, etc. College Ave., - - - ATHENS, GA. Near S. A, L. Depot. Use Herald Want Ads —nnrl: —= ■*, Read Herald Want Ads