Newspaper Page Text
By Holder & Williamson
Providing More Revenue
In his call for the special session
0 f the legislature, the Governor
named a number of subjects eligible
for legislation, but the one matter
of real vital concern is that of rais
ing more revenue. Had it not been
for this one tremendously important
subject, there would have been no j
impelling necessity at this time for i
the convening of the general as- 1
sembly. At the regular session a |
program was enacted, but not suf- j
fieent funds are available under 1
present laws to defray the expenses 1
of these new laws. The Governor
felt that because certain planks were
in his platform as a candidate for
governor, and he was overwhelming
ly elected, that this was a mandate
from the suffragist of Georgia
for the transformation of his plat
form into legislation. It is laudable
in His Excellency to desire to carry
out the expressed will of the people
at the ballot box. After election
some candidates forget their plat
form.
But he was, however, chosen to
be the Chief Magistrate of this grand
old commonwealth of Georgia on
two very distinct propositions. First,
because he was unconditionally and
unceasingly for Franklin D. Roose
velt and his administration; and,
second, because he was an outspok
en and militant political foe of Eu
gine Talmadge. To transpose this
thought into briefer phraseology, he
was for Roosevelt and against Tal
madge. Old age pensions played
some part .in the election, but this
was only a corollary to the main
proposition, “For Roosevelt.” Some
of the other parts of his platform
are salutary and healthful legisla
tive proposals, but they played a
minor part in the campaign for gov
ernor last yea*, and had very little
to do with the election of a gover
nor.
Since, however, he is persuaded
in his own mind and heart that he
has promised the people free school
books, longer term schools, better
health laws, homstead exemptions,
child welfare, state highway patrol
and other social security laws, he is
vehement in his statement that his
plighted pledge must be fulfilled.
Either at the regular session in the
spring, or at the election in June, acts
were passed, or amendments to the
Constitution ratified, providing for
these things above mentioned. For
their successful execution, some eight
millions more money will be requir-
ed. To put into effect old age pen
sions and other social security laws
just as the people during the cam
paign interpreted the political plat
form, will require several more mil
lions. Here is what voters really be
lieved in the contest for Governor,
United States Senator, State House
Officers and members of the General
Assembly, and that is that each per
son more than sixty-five years whose
income is not sufficient to provide
that individual with the necessary
comforts of life, would receive a
pension—the amount of thirty dol
lars per month.
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The people convinced themselves
that as Roosevelt administration
would provide fifteen dollars per
month, that the State would match
it with an equal amount. They mis
interpreted the situation, as the
amount received by pensioners
varies from six to fourteen dollars
per month. In this county, the
amounts just mentioned prevail, and
no one is the beneficiary of thirty
dollars per month. On the legisla
ture rests the responsibility of pro
viding pension and other funds. To
provide the minimum of eight to
ten millions means someone or
something must be taxed. The only
way to get the tax money is to take
it from someone. Taxes mean
taking. Spending money is a blessing
to those who receive it. Appropri
ations carry so much joy and so
many blessings. We are told that
every one called on to supply
the money should do it cheerfully
and gladly. The Good Book says,
‘‘lt is more blessed to give than to
receive.” That pre supposes a per
son has the ability to give. Suppose
he is already paying every dollar of
taxes that his business will stand,
then how can he* pay more without
greatly impairing or totally destroy
ing his business?
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i That reminds us of a storj Sen-
The Jackson Herald
ator Ed Smith, of South Carolina,
told some time ago. He said an old
negro owned a big horse, which was
almost a skeleton. The old negro was
leading his horse along one day, and
as the animal walked along he reeled
and rocked, crossed his legs, stumbled
and almost fell to the ground. A
good white friend said to the old
| negro, “Sam, why don't you put
I more flesh on that horse? He can
hardly travel.” Sam answered,
i “Yas, sir, but dat hoss is got all de
i flesh he can carry. Ef he had any
more load he couldn’t travel.” Just
so with some tax payers—they have
all the tax weight now they can
possibly bear.
Since the legislature is in session
to consider raising revenue, then
there should not be too great haste
about putting bills on their passage.
The thought expressed by the Demo
cratic leader of the United States
Senate, Alben W. Barkley, seems to
be a wise one. When asked if anew
tax bill will be passed this year, his
answer was, “No. This is a matter
of great importance. Congress will
calmly diliberate over it, and not
make a botch of it.” The legisla
ture’s task is to revise the tax laws,
and this should not be hurriedly
done and a botch made of it, which
would necessitate the calling of an
other extra session, or gross injustice
possibly be done someone. Spend
two months or more on this great
matter. Temporary or stop gap
legislation does not settle the tax
matter. This temporary legislation
reminds us of a story told by Rev.
John P. Erwin. During the world
war he said a negro went to his boss
for flour, and was given a very
small quantity. The negro said to
his boss that he just did not see how
he could feed his family on such a
small quantity. The white boss
said, “This curtailment of flour is
only temporary.” “Yes, boss,” said
the old negro, “but I hears dat song
every day, ‘Tis a long, long way to
temporary’.”
Settle this revenue raising matter
permanently, fairly and justly, is
what is necessary for the welfare of
the people. Deliberate calmly, legis
late wisely, and then let business
and agriculture adjust themselves
to new laws. Asa general thing,
when stop gap legislation is repeal
ed, and other temporary legislation
enacted, the latter is usually worse
than the laws twken from the books.
This reminds one of the story of a
man who was sitting down by the
side of the road at his home with
his head bent over and face resting
in the plams of his hands. A friend
came by and said, “What in the
world is the matter, Bill? Why are
you so gloomy?” He lifted his
head, and this answer came from
Bill, “It is awful, awful, awful. This
is terrible. I just don’t see how I
can stand it.” The friend asked,
“And what is this terrible thing that
has happened to you?” Bill said,
“My wife ran away last week with
another man.” Friend said, “That
is bad, but cheer up, and just go
head to work and try to forget it.
Work and time are great healers.”
Bill said, “Yes, hut something worse
than that has happened.” Friend
said, “What could be worse than for
your wife to run away with another
man?” Bill said, “She came back
home this morning.”
Some big concerns hire men to
represent them before committees
and combat any attempted legisla
tive effort inimical to their inter
ests. They cannot be blamed for
this. During those years this writ
er represented the people of this
county in the general assembly the
farmer, small business man, and oth
er tax payers of their class were
seldom seen about the legislature.
They remained on their job at home,
and left to their own elected repre
sentatives to speak for them in com
mittees, hotel lobbies and in the
halls of the legislature. The gener
al assembly, in providing revenue,
should not fail to remember these
plain, honest, unpretentious tax pay
ers. Consideration should be given
them, as well as those who will be
the beneficiaries of more revenue.
In other words, in providing more
revenues, put no greater burden nor
hardship on the tax payers than they
can bear. Of all the people who
have discussed taxation, no one has
given expression to fairer or sound-
SINGLE COPY 5c
JEFFERSON, Jackson County, Georgia.
PACOLET COMPANY
RULING REVERSED
The Georgia Supreme Court re
versed the “informer suit" to re
cover a penalty of $150,000 against
the Pacolet Manufacturing Com
pany, of Gainesville, for allegedly
taking out $1,500,000 insurance from
companies not licensed to do busi
ness in Georgia.
The action developed from the
Gainesville tornado when insurance
companies practically rebuilt the
Pacolet Mills at an expenditure of
approximately SBOO,OOO, it was said.
Sydney Weiss, as informer, alleged
that the Pacolet Manufacturing
Company had taken out policies ag
gregating $1,500,000 with companies
not licensed to do business in this
state, and had not complied with the
requirement of the Georgia law by
notifying the state insurance com
missioner of the issuance of the
policies, so that the state license fee
could be collected.
Weiss contended that the Georgia
law provided for a 10 per cent pen
alty on such policies, of which the
state of Georgia would get half and
the informer half.
In the Hall Superior Court the
facts were submitted on a demurrer
filed by the Pacolet Company, and
Judge B. P. Gailliard overruled the
demurrer, deciding the case for the
informer. The Supreme Court, how
ever, held that the general demurrer
should have been sustained and the
suit dismissed, because the policies
were issued outside the state of
Georgia. Chief Justice Richard B.
Russell, Sr., and Justice Frank Jen
kins dissented.
FIFTH GENERATIONS ATTEND
BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION
Sunday, November 28, will remain
as a memorable day to those who
were present to celebrate the nine
ty-third birthday of Mrs. Jane M.
Johnson, at the home of her son and
daughter, Mr. and Mrs. W. P. Perry.
Although Thursday, November 25,
was her birthday, the celebration
took place on Sunday, that all her
children could be present, and all her
living children were present, along
with a few grand and great grand
children, and one great-great-grand
child, five generations being repre
sented.
A feast was enjoyed at the noon
hour, after which all had a happy
time exchanging reminisences of by
gone days, receiving friends and
making pictures.
Mrs. Johnson’s five children pres
ent were Mrs. Genie Johnson Hunt,
Westminster, S. C.; C. E. Johnson,
Atlanta; J. R. Johnson, Winder;
Mrs. Tom Wood, Jefferson; and
Mrs. W. P. Perry, Monroe. Others
present were Mrs. J. R. Johnson, and
Mrs. Robert Harris, Winder; Tom
Wood, Mr. and Mrs. H. S. Fite, Miss
Nannie Kate Fite, Mr. and Mrs.
Frank Sell and Jimmie Sell, Jeffer
son; W. P. Perry, Monroe; Mrs.
Nina Hunt Dickson, J. M. Dickson
and June Marie Dickson, Westminst
er, S. C.; Jim, Annie Maud and Lu
cille Wood, Jefferson; Julia and Mar
tha Sue Harris, Winder; Mrs. Nina
Hunt Dickson,* J. M. Dickson and
June Marie Dickson of Westmister,
S. C.
The members of the five gener
ations present were Mrs. Johnson,
Mrs. Hunt, Mrs. Dickson, J. M.
Dickson and June Marie Dickson.
Mrs. Johnson, the honor guest, is
a native of Jackson county, and is
the widow of the late Jimmie John
son. Before marriage she was a
Miss Lyle.
Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Hendrix are
moving at an early date to Morgan
county. They will be greatly miss
ed here by their many friends.
er philosophy than Dr. H. W. Cald
well, of the University of Georgia.
Not quoting him verbatim, he de
clared that taxes should be so levied
as to enrich, rather than impoverish,
a people. That is the position of a
patriot, as well as a scholar. In
providing more funds, these words
of this able educator should be ever
before those who have the power
and upon whom devolve the respon
sibility of providing more money for
state purposes. Be just to all class
es. Another man has truly said
that every possible expense should
be eliminated that is not absolutely
necessary for the operation of the
state government. This should be
done.
COUNTY AGENT’S
COLUMN
Harold Cheek, member of tho
Maysville 4-H Club, was awarded a
gold watch fob by the B. G. Wilson
Company for submitting the best
record in animal production.
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Perino Boswell, member of the
Maysville 4-H Club, is the county
cotton club champion. Perino pro
duced 3572 pounds of seed cotton on
two acres of land.
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The following cotton club mem
bers received honorable mention
for their club work:
William Jones, Commerce, 1073
pounds on 1 acre.
George Leachman, Commerce,
1100 pounds on 1 acre.
Ford Massey, Brockton Club, 1020
pounds on 1 acre.
Donald Sailers, Apple Valley Club
800 pounds on 1 acre.
G. C. Wilson, Maysville Club,
1380 pounds on 3 acres.
George Whitfield, Jefferson, 728
pounds on 1 acre.
Henry Kesler, Pendergrass, 950
pounds on 1 acre.
John Irvin, Plain View Club,
4890 pounds on 2.9 acres.
Walter Martin, Jefferson 4-H
Club, is county champion in corn
production. Walter produced 85
bushels of corn on 1 acre of land.
Howard Ramsey, member Wilson
Jr. High School Club, came second
with 44 bushels of corn per acre.
Lionel Potts, Apple Valley Club,
produced 40 bu. of corn per acre.
Those receiving honorable mention
were Leroy Hawks, Nicholson; Doyle
Reed, Commerce; Charles E. Whit
lock, Maysville; G. C. Wilson, Nich
olson; and Bennie Loggins of Wil
son Jr. High School.
We have had a very successful
year with 4-H Club work, having 200
boys enrolled. Twenty-one boys at
tended the State 4-H Club Camp at
Athens, and on October 22 a 4-H
Club rally day was held in Jefferson,
bringing together 600 boys and girls
who are members of the 4-H Clubs
in Jackson County.
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We expect to start an enrollment
campaign the first of January and
try to enroll at least 1000 boys and
girls in 4-H Club work in Jackson
County for 1938. Any boy or girl,
between the ages of 10 and 20
years, living on a farm is eligible to
enroll in this great work. Let us
urge every mother and father who
have a boy or girl between these
ages urge that they enroll with 4-H
Club work and join with those \frho
are trying to “make the best better”
for those who live in our rural dis
tricts.
The following is a narrative writ
ten by Walter Martin, county corn
champion member of Jefferson 4-H
Club:
“This is my first year in 4-H Club
work. lam a member of Martin In
stitute 4-H Club. Corn was my
project and the seed used was Hast
ings Prolific. It was a high bottom
that I grew my corn on. When I
planted on the 18th of May I put
275 pounds of 9-3-3 fertilizer under
it. When the corn was 3 weeks old
I put 4 furrows in it with a scooter;
then I put 200 pounds of Natural
Chilean Nitrate of Soda on the
patch. When the corn was 5 weeks
old I plowed it with a scrape; when
the corn was 6 weeks old I put 200
pounds more of Natural Chilean Ni
trate of Soda on, then plowed it for
the last time after this application.
On the 19th of October I gathered
6804 pounds of corn in the shuck.
I weighed out 100 pounds, shucked
and shelled it; it figured 89.25 bush
els of corn on my acre. The profit
on my corn was $77.37.”
The above statements were wit
nessed by R. H. Whitehead and R.
H. Whitehead, Jr., and we offer this
as a concrete example of what can
be done in corn production in Jack
son county.
J. W. Jackson, County Agt.
The Rev. S. B. Wingfield has ac
cepted a call to the pastorate of the
Maysville Baptist church, where he
will preach on the second and fourth
Sundays. He will continue to serve
the Hudson River church; in the
Tugalo Association, where he preach
es on the first Sunday in each
month.
Thursday, December 9, 1937
Georgia Legislature Passes
Bill Doubling Tax on Beer
The Georgia Legislature on Mon
day entered the third week of the
session, and on that day enacted in
to law its first measure—doubling
the tax on wine and beer. The sen
ate vote was 34 to 12, favoring the
measure. The bill had already re
ceived the approval of the house.
On Monday, also, the house adopt
ed, 132 to 39, the treasury stabil
ization fund bill, This will come
before the senate some time this
week.
Both of the above measures are
to provide funds asked by Governor
Rivers to meet current appropria
tions.
The beer bill doubles the tax on
beer, raising the tax to $4.50 per
barrell, and 2 cents per bottle, and
leaders of the administration pre
dict that it will add $1,250,000 an
nually to the revenue from the bev
erage, all of which is allocated to
the school department.
The stabilization bill, if passed by
the senate, will put 10 per cent of
all allocated revenues in a revolving
fund to be used by the governor for
paying current bills.
Asking “more economy” in the
state government, Senator G. Y.
Harrell of Lumpkin piloted through
the senate an amendment to the ad
ministration-sponsored civil service
bill, reducing the salary of a per
sonnel director from $5,000 to $3,-
000 annually.
“W r hy should we pay a man a $5,-
000 salary to come up here and
work five hours a day?” he argued.
“What we need is to cut out some
of these commissioners and bureaus
and stop this everlasting taxation.
The house ways and means com
mittee heard State Superintendent of
Banks R. E. Gormley warn
that the administration’s proposed
intangibles tax on bank deposits
would “frighten” money and cause
withdrawal of deposits for safe keep
ing elsewhere.”
Gormley addressed the committee
at a special public hearing.
“We regard a tax on bank de
posits as dangerous and unsound.
It can only serve as a brake on
business,” Gormley said.
The bank superintendent said
only five states in the union levied
a tax on bank deposits as contem
plated in the proposed act.
Practice of Georgia legislators of
accepting lucrative appointments
from other state departments Wed
nesday had the approval of the
House.
That body voted complete confi
dence in 12 legislators whose names
appeared on a report by State Audi
tor Tom Wisdom which showed they
had received approximately $7,000
from other state departments this
year in excess of their regular sal
ary and expenses as members of the
Legislature.
The House, by a vote of 133 to
27, defeated an amendment “con
demning this practice in the past,
present and future” and then, by a
114-to-0 vote, adopted a resolution
by Coleman, of Lowndes, and others,
“expressing confidence of the House
in the integrity, good faith and
patriotism of Representatives Sut
ton and Lanier.”
A blistering attack on state gov
ernmental “‘waste and inefficiency”
was made Thursday afternoon by
Representative J. M. Simmons of
Decatur County in urging the ways
and means committee of the House
to defeat an inheritance tax bill.
The committee, however, voted 35
to 12 to return a favorable report.
Mr. Simmons said:
“If the state was fun efficiently
and without waste, there would be
no need of raising all these addition
al taxes.
“If there were not so many per
sons on the state pay rolls who were
not needed we would have enough to
run the state adequately and oper
ate schools for nine months.”
Mr. Simmons was joined in his
plea against the bill by Representa
tive James V. Carmichael of Cobb
County, who said there are no rich
people left in Georgia, and the few
of those remaining in the state who
are comfortably situated will leave
the state if taxes are increased.
Mr. Carmichael said “everything
that has been done in Georgia has
tended to drive capital and wealth
away from the state.” He urged
Vol. 62. No. 19L
BAPTIST MISSION
FUNDS INCREASE
Atlanta, Dec. I.—The Home
gion Board of the Southern Baptist.
Convention, embracing 18 South*™
states, Panama and Cuba, reported,
its total receipts for 10 niaiath*
of 1937 were $426,003 —an 11 per
cent increase over the same periad
of 1936.
The board re-elected its offkwre
and approved a budget approximat
ing $468,000 for 1938. Dr. J. B.
Lawrence, executive secretary-treaa
urer, said $233,000 would be otd
for interest and debt retirement.
Appointments of 322 limiate
workers —241 in the Southern state**.
78 in Cuba, 8 in Panama —were ap
proved for 1938. During 1937, 41
workers were added.
Re-elected officers, all of Atlanta*
are:
Dr. Ellis A. Fuller, president; G-
Frank Garrison, recording
the Rev. S. F. Lowe, vice pesident*
and Dr. Lawrence.
The board approved a proposal to
transfer the property of the South
ern Baptist sanatorium at El
Texas, to the Southern Baptist
Foreign Mission Board for use as &
seminary for Mexican ministers and
as a publishing house.
A balance of $134,800 was in the
board’s building loan fund on hZav.
1, Dr. Lawrence reported. Opera
tion of the fund through Oct. 31 in
cluded loans to churches totaling
$100,732 and receipts of $97,Sh
from churches repaying loans.
Loans Reported
B. M. Callaway, chairman of the
loan committee, reported loans <ant
standing to 204 churches now to
talled $1,241,000, and were “90 per
cent collectable.”
A proposal to establish a pension
program for the board’s mission
workers and other employes wa.* re
ferred to the executive committee.
Dr. Lawrence, who mad* the pro
posal, said it should be carried out
because church and mission wwrft
ers were not included in the gcre-
ernment social security programs.
Mr. Lowe was named chairmuxt of
a committee to plan a south-wide
radio program for Baptist missions.
'Total receipts of the board for
ten-month period were derived as
follows: from the Baptist Convention
co-operative program, $160,786; from
general designated funds, $27,646;
from the Hundred Thousand Dollar
Club (allocated to debt retirement),
$50,528; Annie Armstrong offering
of the Women's Missionary Union,
$130,853; the Bottoms Trust Fund,
(established by Mrs. George W.
Bottoms of Texarkana, Ark. ). *46,-
800; and from special designations: ,
$9,388.
The board acquired 17 pieces of
property, of $35,000 total value, this
year.
President Forced To Again
Postpone Gainesville Visit
President Roosevelt has been forc
ed the second time by an infection
caused from the extraction of a
tooth to postpone his visit to Gaines
ville.
The President had planned to be
in Gainesville today, Wednesday,
going there from a vacation trip, in
South Florida; but on account of
trouble with his jaw, was ordered
by his physician to return to Wash
ington.
He reached the Capital City Mon
day, and immediately had X-ray pic
tures taken to determine the extent
of the jaw infection.
That he could not go to Gaines
ville was a great disappointment to
that city and to the entire state.
Thousands of people had planned to
attend the unveiling of the marker
and extend a friendly greeting to
the President of the nation.
The Nation Department of War
has given Gainesville for display or
Roosevelt Square four 4.7 guns
mounted on carriages to be locatedL
at the four corners of the area.
that “we proceed slowly and use
common sense,” and charged that
the Governor, Speaker, Auditor and
Comptroller General cannot agree
on the amount needed to finance the
state’s program, “so how can we be
expected to agree?” He said the
estimates run from 2 to 10 milUp*.
dollars. j|