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Jeckson Prcgress-Argus
PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY
J. DOYLE JONES
Editor and Publisher
Entered as second-class matter at
the Post Office at Jackson, Ga.
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OFFICIAL ORGAN BUTTS COUN
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Every governmental official or
iboard whose duties include the han
dling of public funds should pub
lish at regular intervals an account
ing of it, showing where and how
•each dollar was spent. This is be
lieved to be a fundamental princi
ple of Democratic government.
Are you doing anything to help
fche recreational project in Jackson?
Georgia and the entire country
did a splendid part in raising funds
tor the fight on infantile paralysis.
The legislature has the taxation
bear by the tail but don’t know
■whether to hold on or turn loose.
Still it’s their job. They asked for
it.
Georgia will have several fat
stock shows this spring. That will
l>e an incentive for more and better
livestock, a thing Georgia greatly
needs.
It strikes one as peculiar that
heads of state departments had not
thougnt of economy until the legis
lature began to bore in and ask
questions.
When the country has all the
homes it needs much of the unem
ployment will be wiped out. Thou
sands of homes are needed and oth
er thousands need repairing.
First unemployment checks are be
ing: mailed to beneficiaries over the
istate- This will help break the shock
of unemployment and should prove
stimulating to business in general.
Senators George and Russell both
voted against an increase in relief
expenditures. The people of Geor
gia applaud that stand. It’s in line
with common sense and good gov
ernment.
A gross income tax will have the
tendency to drive business out of
the state. If the state must have
more revenue a general sales. tax
vrill be more acceptable than a gross
income tax.
When the Romans wanted a man
to save the country they went to
■Cineinnatus and he dropped his
plow. That was a long time ago.
Now Cincinnatus could be found in
town on relief.
With January behind us the coun
try will soon move into brighter
days. First months of the year are
always the most trying, and spring
and better weather will bring a
-sharp upturn in business.
Georgia school teachers are in a
jam. The school term may have to
be cut short unless funds are raised
at once. This is one of the largest
and best organized groups in the
state and the legislature will hear
from the teachers and school offi
cials in no uncertain terms.
What seems never to have pene
trated tlie craniums of experts in
Washington is the fact that the re
lief problem will never grow less as
long as funds are provided for re
lief. Farm areas are being drained
of labor and the fcities are crowded
xrith people looking for an easy liv
ing at public expense.
TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT
By J. D. JONES
Since last November when the
grand jury began an investigation
of past due taxes, $20,000 has peen
collected in Spalding county, it is
revealed in the grand jury report
made last week. There remains un
collected, the report showed, some
$20,000 and steps will be taken to
collect that amount. More attention
is being given to the collection of
taxes. Representative Coogler, of
Clayton county, has a plan he claims
will result in the collection of two
or three million dollars extra for the
state. There really isn’t much use
for the legislature to add new taxes
until the taxes already levied are
collected. If the Butts county grand
jury wants to perform a service for
the county it might well look into
the tax situation and see how col
lections stand here.
When does an emergency cease to
be an emergency? That is one of
the questions that needs answering.
It would help to clarify a lot of
things now in the public mind. The
government is continuing to spend
for relief and other causes just as
if a real emergency existed. Most
people have an opinion that the
emergency is over and that it is time
for sober thinking and constructive
planning. Nobody is unmindful of
the situation that existed in 1933
when the present administration took
office. One of the best things the
administration ever did was to
straighten out the banks and make
the people’s money safe. Another
constructive piece of work was es
tablishment of CCC camps to train
young boys to become useful citi
zens. Still another was a law to
regulate the exchange and securi
ty market and prevent speculation.
Other good things have been done.
In the meantime billions of dollars
have been spent and the country
ought to be well on the road to re
covery. Certain it is that there is
now no national emergency in the
sense that one existed in 1933. Busi
ness is ready and willing to move
forward when there is assurance
there will not be dictation and regu
lation and strangulation from gov
ernment agencies.
Under a plan proposed by the
State Department of Public Health
each county may have the full-time
services of a health nurse at a cost
(hat is not prohibitive. Butts coun
ty, for instance, may have a full
time nurse at a cost of twenty cents
per capita or a total of SI,BBO.
Smaller counties may form a district
and have a health officer. This plan
is simple and practical and one that
can be put into effect. There is
nothing that concerns the people of
Georgia more vitally than that of
health. It is estimated that disease
costs Georgia $155,302,763 annual
ly Much of this is unavoidable, yet
with the application of known pre
ventive measures, a tremendous re
duction can be made. Great prog
ress in public health is being made
in Georgia. Butts county ought to
become a leader in this great work.
With its health resorts and recrea
tion facilities the county can move
forward by employing a public
health nurse, and later join with
other counties in having a health of
ficer.
People of Georgia will profit ma
terially if they make it a habit to
visit the state college of agriculture
and the Georgia Experiment Station
and study methods used and learn
the best ways of doing things. Almost
any problem connected with farm
ing can be answered at these institu
tions—the best type of fertilizer for
certain soils, the best rate of seed
ing grains, cotton, etc., improved va
rieties of plants and so on. These
institutions all have capable direc
tors and a staff of trained workers.
They are supported at public ex
pense for the benefit of all the peo
ple. It is really startling when one
thinks how little the scientific knowl
edge collected at these stations and
farms is used by the public. Every
county should sponsor a motorcade
THE JACKSON PROGRESS-ARCUS, JACK DN, IGIA
annually to these stations. It would
be a trip that wouid pay handsome
returns. Never was there a time
when farmers need to know more
about scientific farming and approv
ed methods. Most farmers are grop
ing in the. dark, when light is avail
able at the nearby experiment sta
tions and college farms. Knowledge
is power. Use that power. It is
free for the asking.
When things begin to get dull in
the legislature some fellow, usually
from an urban center, springs the
old hobby of saving expenses by re
ducing the number of counties. The
number of counties is not the main
trouble in Georgia. It may be true
the state has too many counties, but
if any of them want to consolidate
the way is open. To force consoli
dation by legislative action will not
get anywhere. The people will not
stand for that. While the legisla
ture is in a “consolidating” mood
it might try the plan of plowing un
der about half of the representatives
and senators and have a general as
sembly less umvieldly and less ex
pensive. Neither will that get any
where and it is likely we will have
to worry along with the present
set-up.
When the history of the present
era is written, as it will be some
years in the future, it will no doubt
be found that there was a good deal
of graft and corruption in public
spending. That was true in the
World War. While most people were
patriotic and were doing an unself
ish part and while soldiers were wal
lowing in trenches and facing bul
lets and gas and disease, many un
principled rascals were growing fat
and doing it in the name of patriot
ism. It was the era when million
aires multiplied over night. With
public spending reaching the tre
mendous total that it now does, it
would be contrary to human nature
and human experience if there was
not some graft and corruption. This,
too, is being done in the name of
humanity and the higher good.
THROUGH ARGIS EYES
BY DOYLE JONES JR.
Adolf Hitler Monday pledged
German support for Italy in any war
against her, demanded return of
Germany’s pre-war colonies, and
warned the “war mongers” of the
democratic nations not to interfere
with “matters of interest only to
Germany.”
The above policies constituted the
highlights of Hitler’s address to an
enlarged Reichstag on the occasion
of the sixth anniversary of his rise
to power. Yet after two hours and
fifteen minutes of impassioned ora
tory the German Chancellor said
nothing not already definitely
known.
Hitler has repeatedly asserted his
country as an ally of Italy so that
statement should have caused little
surprise.
Germany does not expect her colo
nial possessions to be returned and
least of all does she intend fighting
for them. Her demand is simply in
nature of a bluff, a game with which
Germany has met with remarkable
success of late. However, sterner
measures than mere threats will
have to be resorted to if Germany
is to inveigle any territorial gains
from Britain or France. And Ger
many can not successfully w r age a
war now or in the immediate future.
And yet if war must come what
cHance would .. coalition of Germany
and Italy have against virtually the
rest of the world? I’m afraid their
efforts would be foredoomed from
the start. The might of the British
Empire could conceivably conquer
them alone eventually. Yet England
would not be called on to face them
singly, for springing to her side
would be France, Russia, the Latin
and South American countries, the
United States, if emergencies arose,
and China. Japan, no doubt, would
suuport Germany and Italy. one
wins a war but the semblance oi vie
tory would surely go to France an i
England.
Must there be war, and if so.
when? A thousand Solomons nor
the wise men of all ages could not
answer that question with any de
gree of reliability. It deals with
opinions, not facts, with intangibles,
not concrete things.
People speak and write of the “in
evitableness” of war with iflich
emotional fervor that I find myself
startled and almost convinced. But
few things, very few indeed, are
inevitable. Death, they say, and
taxes, with the latter reference fa
cetious. But war isn’t inevitable.
It can be avoided. Whether it will
is another issue.
No sane people desire war. An
other war will destroy every vestige
of Western civilization and revert
the few survivors into conditions
akin to those of the Dark and Mid
dle Ages. It would necessitate not
years, but decades, to reconstruct
and rehabilitate civilization to even
a remote resemblance of pre-war
days.
\
But I believe the war which many
feel approaching will agin be post
poned. Germany and Italy, conced
ing they want war, which I do not
believe either of them do, could not
exist through a war of a long dura
tion, so would eventually lose. I
definitely believe that 1939 will see
no opening of hostilities. 1940?
Your guess is much better than mine.
Georgia’s cotton crop was off
nearly fifty per cent last year. This
decrease in income can be made up
in large part by increasing livestock
production. This is Georgia’s best
bet for the immediate future.
Senator Richard B. Russell has
proposed a bill to pay pensions of
sls a month to the aged. If pen
sions are ever paid they will have
to come from federal funds. The
states are too poor to do much in
that regard.
Farm borrowing is now getting
under way, both the production
credit associations and seed loan of
fices taking applications. Cotton
and soil conservation checks are
soon to be paid and this will brighten
up the farm picture.
While the legislature is fussing
and fuming over taxes it is pretty
safe to predict that a good many
political fences are being built for
1940. Federal patronage is one of
the tempting baits and this will have
much to do with shaping politics in
next year’s elections.
Representative Coogler of Clayton
county has a bill to change the
method of collecting taxes. This is
one of the vital needs just now.
Millions of dollars in taxes are go
ing unpaid, tax collecting has be
come involved in politics, is a big
racket and something should be done
to collect the taxes already levied
before putting additional taxes on
the people. Some of these days
those who are now paying will stage
a sit-down strike and that will open
the eyes of public officials.
The 'gislature is a place for pop
ping off a lot of steam and airing
foolish plans. Some member comes
forward with a plan to pay all Con
federate pensioners fifty dollars a
month. Confederate pensioners do
not need that sum, as they can live
comfortably on the present S3O a
month. And besides thousands of
perfectly good and loyal men and
wr’iir i who served the Confederacy
diet, without getting anything. If
the state has money to waste—which
it has not—it could be applied to
better use than paying SSO to Con
federate pensions *
REDUCING RELIEF
For the first time in six years
the Cos .->g ess of the United States
has reduced a relief appropriation
requested by the President. The
47-to-46 vote of the Senate, com
pleting the revolt begun in the House
of Representatives, may prove a
aur.ng point of historic importance.
Reasserting its control of relief,
Congress also reasserts control of
public finance. That is far more
ir t> rtant than the saving of $150,-
000,000. It mcars that Government
is to become again something more
What Is A Bank?
NOT STRONG DOORS, MARBLE
FLOORS AND GLUM FACES
Nobody invented the bank. It just grew. Like
the home, the school and other institutions, the bank
came along to supply a community need.
This bank provides a safe place to invest sur
plus funds and protect valuables. It is a Gibraltar
of financial strength for the community
Those in need of ready cash come to this insti
tution for assistance. Banking is a vital community
sc , ice and we enjoy conducting this service for
Butts County and surrounding territory.
“You’ll Find Us Friendly”
JACKSON NATIONAL BANK
JACKSON, GEORGIA.
Member Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
than a channel for spending pres
sures which have produced a decade
of deficits.
The narrow margin in the Senate
leaves no room for easy assumptions
that spending has ended. Congress
has often spent more than the Pres
ident desired. And no man with a
heart can turn away from the very
real needs of people who cannot find
jobs. Until there is work no major
reductions in relief can be expected.
But more clearly than at any time
since 1933 Congress is displaying
financial responsibility. It appears
aware that pressures for spending,
however heart-touching, must be ex
amined and controlled. This is good
in a negative way. The. greater pos
itive good will await such co-opera
tive recovery as will make most un
employment relief unnecessary and
real economy possible. Confidence
in Congress may promote such re
covery.—Christian Science Monitor.
WITH THE EXCHANGES
Mountaineers Good Payers
One thing that is putting Geor
gia in the hole is the failure of the
officials in some of the counties to
collect the taxes. Recently one of
our South Georgia exchanges car
ried advertisements of land to be
sold for taxes, and some of the fi
fas dated back as far as 1932. In
some of the Middle Georgia coun
ties it is nearly as bad. You do not
find this condition in the mountain
countie , where local officials have
insisted on payment each year. They
often sneeringly ask, “How a moun
taineer makes a living,” but we are
not only making a living, but soxne
how manage to pay our taxes al o.
—Pickens County Progress.
Would Add Few Million
President Roosevelt urges con
gress to make all private income
from all government salaries and all
future government securities sub
ject to the general income tax laws
of the federal and state govern
ments. He estimates that the new
measure will produce $300,000,000
annually. With a $45,000,000,000
deficit, or, as the president calls it,
“an investment-of-prosperity,” dan
gling before the eyes of American
taxpayers and casting an ominous
shadow for the unborn generations,
it is apparent that new sources of
revenue must be forthcoming if Un
cle Sam ever gets out of the red.—
Dawson News.
First Things First
The Georgia legislature might
very well devote much of its time
to the promotion of such movements
as make for the better education,
health and safety of the people of
the state. Without these important
assets, wealth and prosperity of
whatever degree are deprived of
most of their value to the individual
and the world.—Monroe Advertiser.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1939
Time For Caution
Congress has before it a propos
al to impeach the first woman cab
inet officer, Commissioner of La
bor Perkins, and the Georgia leg
islature has before it a proposition
to impeach a superior court judge.
Political conditions probably give
rise to the one, and infringement
.of individual rights the other. Im
peachment is a bold, and sometimes
a bad stroke, and at any and all
times should not be hastily consid
ered. But where the public is af
fetced there should be no hesitancy.
A legislature, like the courts, should
be slow to uproot what the people
have done.—Elberton Star.
SCRAPINGS FROM
HARD SCRABBLE
dear editor,
I went over to see some of our
po nabors the other day. We ac
tually got some whut is porer than
we is. Old Mrs. Mercy Mullit of
Podunk is her name. She said she
had er plenty to eat but that her
house wuz leeking mighty bad. Said
she had to git all her dishpans and
spittoons to ketch the water ir. )
every time it rained. Sometimes it
would rain so long she would be
sadly in need of her spittoon before
the rain wuz over. She’s a constant
snuff dipper, ye know. Mrs. Mullit
caught a ride to Chattanoogie the
other day when she hit on a bright
idea to raise some money to help
patch up her roof.
She passed by a parn shop on
some of them back streets she was
shopping on, and she suddenly
thought of her false teeth. In a
flash she had ’em out of her mouth
and walked right up to the parn
keeper and asked him what he’d give
her for ’em. He said he had lot uf
calls for teeth, and that being the
case, he would erlow her 50 cts for
the set. In no time she told him
he wuz a fool and thought she wuz
if she’d take 50 cets fer her per
fectly good china teeth. She went
back home fully decided she’d keep
on puttin the buckets under the
leaks and swallow perfectly chawed
up vittuals. She says she made a
wise decishun.
Jest to break the after Xmas dull
ness we are thinking bout givin a
tater roasting and invite all the
young folk. It dont make much
differince whut’s the reason fer
givin whether its a cane grinding,
corn shucking, candy pullin or quilt
ing, just so it gits the crowd togeth
er. You know companie is whut the
world is after these days, and I
reckin we country folk aint no ex
ceptshun. We’ll send the count o 0
it to your valerable paper if we has
it.
So long.
SUSIE STUCKEY'.