Newspaper Page Text
By Holder & Williamson
Tax Payers Pleased
In the campaign for governor last
year, Hugh Howell, candidate for
gubernatorial honors, declared in all
his speeches, public statements and
many private letters his opposition
to any new taxes or increase in tax
es under existing law, but favored
rigid economy in State government.
He went further, and declared there
was extravagance in the expenditure
of public funds, and if elected he
would stop this. It is said his head
quarters were in his law offices, his
campaign manager his wife, and she
and stenographers of the law firm
of which he is the senior member
wrote nearly all his letters, mailed
out his literature and carried on his
campaign there while he was out in
the field making speeches. It is
said he had little campaign money,
yet he secured a vote that surprised
many of the people. Since he had
little organization and a small
amount of funds, it must have been
the principles advocated by him that
resulted in his polling such a heavy
vote.
tt t t
His campaign and the vote he re
ceived may have had something to
do with the Legislature appointing
a committee from the House at the
beginning of the session this year,
known as the Economy Committee.
It consisted of five members of the
House, namely, W. D. Lanier from
Richmond, chairman, J. V. Carmich
ael of Cobb, vice-chairman, Cleve
land Rees of Webster, Joseph Black
shear of Hall, and Guy Connell of
Lowndes. Those who are familiar
with the personnel of the House un
hesitatingly state that this commit
tee is composed of able, conscienti
ous and courageous gentlemen who
would perform their duties well, and
if the tax money was not being
spent economically these men would
find it out and so report to the
House. It concluded its labors on
May 31, as its time of service was
extended by the House until that
date, and has made its report. Soon
after its appointment it began hav
ing hearings from people who had
suggestions to offer or complaints
to make. Also, heads of depart
ments and others were summond by
this committee. Among its early
hearings there were some sensation
al developments. It is not the pur
pose of this article to recount these
at this time.
While this committee was at
work, Governor Rivers earnestly
urged the General Assembly to pro
vide more funds with which to com
plete his program, as he was elect
ed on this issue. Several plans were
suggested for providing additional
money—one a gross income tax,
and the other a sales tax. It soon
became manifest that the Legis.a
ture would not levy this gross in
come tax, one of the most unjust
and unfair plans of raising revenue
that has ever -been offered in the
General Assembly of Georgia.
Finally all plans were eliminated ex
cept the sales tax. In his campaign
for Governor in 1936, Governor
Rivers declared against a sales tax.
In 1938 he was silent on the plan,
but declared at all times and every
where that more money must be
provided to carry out the “Little
New Deal,” and that he would ap
prove any bill on this matter which
the Legislature might pass. In the
Legislature, and in particular the
House, there developed a powerful
sentiment against any kind of new
tax or revenue bill until the Eco
nomy Committee had completed its
labors. Such men as W. H. Lanett
of Lowndes, Joe Davison of Peach,
H. B. Edwards of Lowndes, Clarence
T. Guyton of Effingham, and other
legislators, declared, “We do not
know how much money will be need
ed until the committee making in
vestigaton of State money spending
has made its report.
This sentiment was so overwhelm
ing until the sales tax and every
modification of it was defeated, and
the Legislature adjourned without
providing any more funds. The de
feat of all revenue bills was in the
face of most powerful appeals by
the Department of Education and
teachers all over the State, the
State Hospital at Milledgeville for
the better care and treatment of
inmates of that institution, the Wel
fare Department for more pension
money for old people, the Depart
ment of Health in behalf of the
tubercular and others suffering with
The Jackson Herald
different maladies, County Commis
sioners to replace loss to the coun
ties because of tax exemption of
personal property and homesteads,
and the Governor himself, who de
clared the mandate of the people
should be obeyed and his program
completed.
tt t ♦
The Economy Committee did not
advocate any new taxes. The Eco
nomy Committee asserted that Gov
ernor Rivers’ “Little New Deal’’
could be carried out on the basis of
the existing $21,000,000 appropri
ation and without a levy of new
taxes. The general fund income for
1939-40 was estimated at $17,000,-
000, and the committee suggested
State departmental economies of
$1,575,925 and said more rigid en
forcement of existing tax collecting
laws should produce $4,350,000
more. Should the State enact the
committee’s findings and tighten the
tak collection machinery, members
forecast a $1,336,050 balance at the
end of the 1939-40 year. This
“black ink” balance would be possi
ble after all government expenses
had been paid, including public wel
fare benefits and school teachers’
salaries. The committee’s recom
mendations would not affect past
deficits, however.
tt t t
The Economy Committee did its
work well. It worked long hours
each day. It reported how the State
may be operated in the future and
meet all expenses by making certain
economies and changes, without
providing any additional taxes; but
one thing it did not do, and that
was tq suggest how the State can
pay back salaries to teachers, which
it is under contract to do. These
teachers ought to be paid every cent
due them. Every county was not
so fortunate as Jackson, whose
County Board of Education and far
sighted County School Superintend
ent had provided for just such con
tingencies by having an emer
gency fund. All teachers in Jack
son county will be paid in full for
services rendered by them since
schools opened last fall. Not only
their salaries, but every other ex
pense incurred in operating the
schools of this county will be paid
in full. The business sagacity and
good judgment of the county’s
school officials cannot fail to be laud
ed, not only by teachers, but all the
people of the county.
tt t t
While there has been some criti
cism of the Economy Committee’s
report, it has been generally ap
proved by press and people. In an
swer to the criticism about not
working out a plan to pay back
debts, it is said the committee was
not appointed for this purpose, but
to show how and where economy
can be practiced and how to balance
the budget in the future. Some of
the recommendations, however, of
the committee cannot be carried out
until legislaton is provided. Then
the question arises, will the Gover
nor call the Legislature together
for this purpose? If so, will the
call be made to assemble the law
makers at an early date, or will the
session be held in the Fall, or will
it not be called together at all? It
depends much about what the Gov
ernor thinks of the report, which
will determine the question of call
ing the Legislature into extra ses
sion. If he is not pleased with the
report, he may not call the body
together, or he may be favorable to
the report, but declare in addition
to their recommendations that mon
ey must be provided to meet the
present deficit. The Governor has
thus far had little comment to
make of the report. He, his staff
and a number of his friends left
Monday for the World’s Fair in New
York. Just before leaving he indi
cated he may call a revenue raising
session in July, and a general
session in October. If the Leg
islature is not called together by
the Governor to provide funds with
which to meet the State’s obliga
tions, the Governor says he will di
vert three million dollars of highway
funds with which to take care of the
situation. There is one class of
people who are absolutely delighted
with the report of the Economy
Committtee, and that is the people
who pay the bills —the tax payers of
Georgia.
Duke University graduated 812
students last week, 32 of whom
were Georgian*. ■*
SINGLE COPY 5c
JEFFERSON, Jackson County, Georgia.
Salary Schedule For State
Teachers to Remain Same
The State Board of Education an
nounced Saturday that it had taken
steps to carry out the recommenda
tions of the House Economy and Ef
ficiency Committee and to plan for
the next school year.
Developments of the day were:
1. The board adopted the same
salary schedule for teachers that
was in effect last year.
2. The board called upon the
state auditor for a statement as to
the amount of money the schools
may expect next year.
3. President Mark A. Smith of
the Georgia Education Association
declared that Georgia is losing many
of her best teachers because of un
certainty over the future.
4. President E. G. Kirby of the
Association of School Superintend
ents and Board Membeis pointed
out that local school board has bor
rowed money against next year’s
school funds in many cases and can
not start schools this fall.
The request of the school board
for fiscal information from State
Auditor Zach Arnold was in com
pliance with a recommendation of
the economy committee that the
state board notify each county
school superintendent as to the
money that may be expected next
year, under the seven months’ school
term law.
The action of the board in fixing
salaries for next year also was in
compliance with the request of the
economy committee that the esti
mated expenditures be figured out.
The finance committee of the
state board will reconvene Wednes
day and figure out how long the
schools can attempt to operate with
the available funds on the basis of
the state auditor’s report, and
then send out notices to the various
county superintendents.
The county school authorities will
be informed as to the time they
can expect to operate under the
revenues that will be derived from
present revenue laws, it was point
ed out. However, the hope was ex
pressed that the Legislature will
convene in the meantime and pro
vide sufficient revenue for full seven
months* school terms in all future
years.
Amendments All Ratified
The election on June 6 resulted in
the adoption of thirty-three amend
ments to the Constitution, and we
doubt if ten per cent of the voters
know what these amendments are
about.
Thirty of these amendments were
of purely local application. One of
them was of special interest only to
those six counties through which
runs the coastal highway. One
amendment permits the highway
department to issue bonds in an
amount equivalent to the sums
which must he refunded to the
counties over a three-year period to
reimburse them for advances made
years ago. One amendment will
permit judges to hear non-jury cases
in vacation.
G. F. W. C. Institute Set For
July 6-7
Athens, Ga.—The seventeenth an
nual institute of the Georgia Feder
ation of Women’s Clubs will be held
at the University of Georgia July 6-
7, following the general theme of
“Adjusting Democracy for Human
Welfare.”
Mrs. John L. Whitehurst, of
Baltimore, Md., first vice president
of the General Federation of Wo
men’s Clubs, will lead the institute,
and several members of the univer
sity faculty will speak on various
aspects of the general theme.
State Is Eighth In Benefit
Fund
A social security board report dis
closes Georgia ranked eighth at the
end of April in total amount of un
employment compensation benefits
paid out by the 18 states and terri
tories which began payments in Jan
uary.
With disbursements of $845,169,
the state was exceeded by Ohio,
New Jersey, Washington, Kentucky,
Missouri, Colorado and Kansas,
whose payments ranged from almost
seven million dollars in Ohio to over
one million in Kansas.
Arkansas paid $590,752 and Flor
ida $382,097.
COUNTY AGENT S
COLUMN
Compliance—l 939
The county office has begun check
ing compliance on the 1939 farm
program. The field reporters are
using aerial photographs. When
one of these reporters visit a pro
ducer’s farm, it is requested that
someone familiar with the boun
dries of this farm go with the re
porter and point out to him the
land lines, as well as each field in
cultivation. By doing this, we get
a complete picture of this farm,
from which a blue print will be
made and filed in this office. It is to
the advantage of every producer to
co-operate with the field reporters
by being at home when his farm is
checked and assisting in any way
that he can.
We believe that we have a very
efficient group of field reporters,
well trained to do this work. If our
farmers will co-operate with them,
a good job will be done this sum
mer.
Any producer having an idea
that he has overplanted his cotton
acreage allotment should proceed at
once to get his acreage in line with
his allotment. It is our under
standing that any farmer who has
overplanted, and does not destroy
the cotton before the boiling stage
will not receive any benefit pay
ments for the year 1939.
tt t t
Fight 801 l Weevil*
We would like to call our farmers
attention to the fact that unless a
systematic fight against the boll
weevil is carried on this summer we
will make a very short crop of cot
ton.
We notice that practically all of
the stores in the county have a sup
ply of calcium arsenic, molasses op
hand, which can be bought at a very
nominal price. We would like
suggest that every farmer begin at
once to mop his cotton with a solu
tion of 1 gallon water, 1 tb calcium
arsenic, and 1 gallon of molasses.
We have been able to secure a
spraying machine that will spray a
mixture of water, molasses and cal
cium arsenic, on cotton two rows
at a time. This machine is drawn
by one horse or mule. We have been
able to poison approimately 6 to 7
acres of cotton a day with this
machine. It is not very expensive,
and can be had by any farmer who
wishes to purchase one.
We would like to invite any one
interested in this machine to visit
our farm and see it in operation.
We are not agents for this equip
ment, but can supply you with the
name of those who are producing
it.
J. W. Jackson, County Agt.
Young Students Issue
College Publication
“Green and Gold Sketches,’’ a
sixty-five page booklet issued by the
Creative Writing Class of Piedmont
College, is on the editor’s desk, and
we note with pride and pleasure that
Charles Drake, Jr., of Braselton,
and Miss Mary Jane Appleby of
Winder, are members of the staff.
They are members of the Freshman
Class, and the publication contains
many articles from their pens. In
the annual contest for excellence in
Oratory at Piedmont College, young
Mr. Drake was awarded the medal.
He was also an active member of
the Debating and Dramatic Clubs.
After school closed, young Mr.
Drake left with a classmate from
Massachusetts on a trip to New
York to attend the fair. He was in
New York during the visit of the
King and Queen of England, and is
now visiting in Massachusetts.
STATE’S PROBLEM OF HEALTH
CITED
“Georgia has the biggest typhus
fever problem of any state in the
union,” says Roy Boston, sanitary
engineer for the state board of
health.
Although the disease is most pre
valent in Southwest Georgia, Mr.
Boston pointed out, it is rapidly
spreading northward. “It is trans
mitted by fleas from rats,” he ex
plained, “and contracted mostly bj
people in food-handling establish
ments.”
Howell A. McElhannon of Um
tilla, Fla., was a visitor in the city
last week. He was en route to
Chicago.
Thursday, June 15, 1939.
What Kind of Weather
Can You Give, Mr.
Mindling?
Dr. Louie D. Newton, general
chairman of local arrangements for
the Baptist World Alliance which
meets in Atlanta July 22-28, is deep
ly concerned over what the weather
commonly does on those dates, as
several of the sessions are to be
held in Ponce de Leon baseball park,
where thousands of seats are to be
placed in the playing field, in addi
tion to the grandstand and bleacher
seats. Therefore, Dr. Newton has
asked George W. Mindling, head of
the Atlanta office of the Weather
Bureau, what the weather has been
doing in past Julys.
Looking back over findings of the
past 59 years Mr. Mindling learned
the average rainfall in Atlanta for<
July is greater than for any other
summer month and that July has
more rain than any month except
January, February, March and De
cember.
Average rainfall for Atlanta dur
ing the last 59 Julys was 4.60 inch
es, although in July, 1898, it rained
5.56 inches within 24 hours. There
is less sunshine in July than in May
and June. Average for July has
been 275 hours of sunshine, or 61
per cent of the time the sun could
have shone. June’s average is 298
hours, and May’s is 296.
Over the last 59 years, July has
had an average each year of eight
clear days, 12 partly cloudy days,
and 11 cloudy days. Each July, on
an average, has had 13 days in
which .01 or more inches of rain
have fallen, and on 11 days of these
were thunderstorms.
Now the Baptist World Alliance
plans to hold a total of nine meet
ings at the ball park. Two of these
will be in the afternoons, beginning
one day at 2 and the other at 2:30
o’clock. The remaining seven meet
ings will begin at 7:30 o’clock at
night.
Meteorologist Mindling has gone
back over the last 20 years to see
what hours during the day rain falls,
and he finds that on an average for
the 24 hours there is a rain condi
tion during July 6 per cent of the
time.
Highest per cent of rain in July
come between 2 o’clock in the af
ternoon and 8 o’clock at night, he
finds. Between the hours of 2 and
4 p. m. in July there is rain or
threatening conditions 10 per cent
of the time; between 4 and 6 p. m.
he finds it rains on an average of
11 per cent of the time, and be
tween 6 p. m. and 8 p. m. it rains
10 per cent.
Then, from 8 to 10 p. m., rain
drops down to 6 per cent, and from
10 p. m. to midnight it goes on down
to 4 per cent. From midnight un
til 6 a. m., it rains only 3 per cent
of the time. It goes up to 5 per
cent from 6 to 8 a. m., and drops
back to 4 per cent from 8 a. m. un
til noon.
Therefore, Mr. Mindling judges
from the record that the two after
noon meetings, in case they run
for two and a half hours each, would
be due to receive 30 minutes of rain,
that is if the weather record should
hold true.
The seven night meetings, if they
run for two and a half hours each,
if the weather record held true, are
due to receive a total of about 2
hours and 12 minutes of rain.
Of course, the record may not
work out at all when the Alliance
meets. There may not be a drop of
rain to fall, but weather authorities
think this unlikely.
Anyway, Dr. Newton says if it ap
pears rainy before one or two of
the meetings, he believes the crowds
will not be so large, and probably
everybody will be able to get a
seat in the covered grandstand.
At first it was planned to use the
Georgia Tech Stadium for the big
meetings, since there is no audi
torium in the city large enough.
Authorities, however, decided the
heat would be* too intense in the big
concrete bowl, and obtained the ball,
park instead.
Dr. M. L. Brittain, president of
Tech, pointed out that last Septem
ber two women fainted at a foot
ball game, and July is hotter than
September.
Mr. Mindling has records to show
this also. The average maximum
temperature in July here is 87.1 de
grees and the average daily mini
mum is 69.7 degrees. The average
daily temperature in July is 78.4,
which is higher than for any other
month.
Vol. 63. No. SZ.
Governor and Mrs. Rivera
Celebrate Silver Wed
ding Anniversary
Governor and Mrs. E.„ D. R3vitt
celebrated their silver anniver*y
Wednesday by keeping open hew***.-
at an informal reception at the exe
cutive mansion.
They received guests from enreny
parts of the state, incuding fritiawl**
of 25 years ago who knew then* m*
students of Young Harris collegr*.
Mrs. Rivers selected a baby l*lw*
chiffon gown, fashioned simply wsiih
a full, long skirt and shirred
for receiving the guests in the n;**o
sion’s spacious living room.
Martha Lucile Lashley, then 16.
and Eurith Dickinson Rivers, sax
dents at Young Harris, eloped in *
buggy June 7, 1914, to the tof nC
Rabun Gap for a marriage
was not announced until five montfi*
later.
“This proves a woman can kc<~p m.
secret," the first lady of the cat*-
said.
Several assisting in entertafnwir
the guests included Miss Jerry Oliv
ers, a daughter who will receive *
degree in domestic science from tihx
University of Georgia Tuesday.
John S. Wood Receives
3,500 Insert Vote*.
Atlanta.—John S. Wood of
ton, candidate for attorney gcn-*imf
to succeed the late M. J. Yeomens,
received more than 3,500 write in
votes in the June 6 general electr m,
consolidated returns 152 countie*, in
dicated.
Wood, a former representative in
congress and unsuccessful opponent
of the late attorney general in
1938 Democratic primary, quafi:
as a candidate with Secretary if
State John B. Wilson prior to in*
general election. Governor Riwrn.
however—acting on an opinion by
Yeomans—omitted Wood’s a ■. nc'
from the ballot on contention h*>
could not legally seek office. Vbe
governor’* appointee, Attorney l*s"xv
eral Ellis Arnall of Ni wnun, d:<f act
announce candidacy.
The virtually complete rettifw*
gave Wood 3,503 write-in *tmt
against seven for Arnall. Of
counties reporting write-ins, At’iaH
carried one, and the pair was tie, in
another. Bleckley reported tli sir
write-ins for Arnall and non, fm
Wood, while in Thomas each i.san
obtained a single vote.
Wood’s home county—Chen ifiser
—reported 296 write-in tin
the former congressman, while.
Dodge counted 164, Fannin f*M,
Forsyth 141, Gilmer 185, H a bars t non
127, Pickens 154, and White f? 5.
There was no indication fi sanr
Wood whether he would earry an aft
peal to the courts, but sources close
to Attorney General Arnall saiii fie
anticipated Wood would bring cjuo
warranto proceedings to obtain 'Jv?
office. Such action would pave the
way for ultimate ruling by the su
preme court.
These sources, so id if W
brought suit, Arnall would eon<*d
all persons casting ballots win, did
not write in Wood’s name must be
construed as voting against hiox.
TRUCK, EIGHTEEN BALES
OF COITON STOLEN IN
ATHENS FRIDAY NIGHT
A truck loaded with eighteen
bales of cotton was stolen fron* fik*
H. P. Williams warehouse in Atb'W
Friday night.
Mr. Williams reported the tf*t
early Saturday morning.
The truck was parked in htsr
warehouse late Friday afternoon af
ter bringing 27 bales of cotton fron
Jeffersonville, Ga. The thieve*
threw off nine bales before leav ne
the warehouse.
Mr. Williams said the stolen track
was a GMC model, and the Georv!**t
tag number on it is 274-A. He slid
he was of the opinion the track
went in the direction of Crawford-.
Fishing Legal Again
The fishing season has returned
Georgia. Closed since April 15 ft~
the spawning season,
streams and lakes have beerr *-
opened.
Six bass, ten bream or the age**-
gate of eight are the legal linrsit
catches. Licenses, which cost
are required by every one partici
pating.