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REVISION OF JAX LAWS
Urged By Comptroller General
Wright in His Annual Report
FAVORS INHERITANCE TAX
Future Appropriations Must Be Held
' Down Until Revenue is Increased From
Other Than Present Sources.
Atlanta, G-a. Comptroller General
William A. Wright’s annual report to
the legislature, transmitted through
Governor Smith, contains some in
teresting statemens with reference to
financial and other affairs of the
state.
That the appropriations of the state
should be held down in future until
the revenue of the state is increased
from other than present sources; that
the laws governing the conduct of
insurance companies should be more
stringent and that the laws govern
ing the taxation of insurance compa
nies in general should be slightly
modified so as to encourage their op
eration in this state, are among the
principal recommendations made by
Comptroller General Wright.
Using the same figures embodies by
State Treasurer Park in his recent
report, the comptroller general shows
that the finances of the state are in
practically the same condition they
were in this time last year, notwith
standing the loss of $240,000 In reve
nue from the whisky tax.
He shows that the state has been
able to meet all appropriations up
to date, which was made possibly
only by the abnormal increase in the
taxable values of the state in 1907
and 1908, as well as an increase uf
revenue from special or occupation
taxes _and from the collection of $69,-
000 through a suit brought by the
comptroller general’s department
against the Georgia Railroad for back
taxes on 15,000 shares of Western
Railway of Alabama stock.
The comptroller general shows that
the unparalleled increase in the val
ue of the taxable property of the
state can not be reasonably expected
to continue and for that reason he
urges that appropriations in future be
held down until other sources of reve
nue are found.
As a means for increasing the rev
enue he suggests extending the laws
taxing occupations and the .taxation
of inheritance, as is done in many
states.
The comptroller general recom
mends a thorough revision of the rev
enue system and declares that the de
fective and disjointed machinery for
assessing property for taxation not
only encourages but permits much
taxable property of the state escap
ing taxation. He says that some
method should be adopted whereby
the return of invisible personal prop
erty such as notes, mortgages, stocks,
bonds, etc., should be enforced.
The insurance Jaws should also he
revised ,says General Wright, and
that the jurisdiction of the comptrol
ler general as insurance commission
er should be extended to all classes
of insurance companies for the pro
tection of the policyholders.
The comptroller general shows that
in 1908 the total business written
by all companies in this state amount
ed to $676,452,981.24 and the premiums
collected amounted to $14,409,578.16.
In view of the enormous amount of
business done by them, he suggests
that they should be encouraged to op
erate in this state and that just and
equitable taxation laws should be en
acted for the reason that in the end
the burden of taxation is borne by
the policyholder.
An interesting feature of the comp
troller's report is a tabulated state
ment showing the increase of proper
ty owned by negroes in this state
from 1880 to the present year. In
1880 the total amount of property re
turned by negroes for taxation
amounted to $5,764,293. In 1908 it
amounted to $27,042,672.
SULLY’S PLAN IMPKAtTiCABLE.
Member Cotton Exchange Sees Noth
ing in It.
Savannah, Ga—Statements of local
•cotton factors and from reports re
ceived fi-om other cities in Georgia,
indicate that the plan of Daniel J.
Sully, to throw a chain of cotton
warehouses across the south capable
of holding one-third of a year’s cot
ton crop, will be strongly opposed if
it ever threatens to become a fact,
and that it will have very slight if
any support at all in this section.
A member of the Savannah cotton
-exchange states that the plan, in the
first place, is impracticable; that had
the south wanted it, the plan of the
Farmers’ Union would long ago have
secured support, instead of Mr. Sul
ly’s plan, and that cotton factors see
in it nothing to commend itself to
them or to the planters.
He indicated that no improvement
upon the present conditions can be
expected fro mthis new course, and
that locally efforts along that line
would meet with probably more than
passive ressitance.
SERUM FOR DIPHTHERIA.
Board of Health Ready to Furnish
Antitoxin.
Atlanta, Ga.—A sufficient amount of
anti-toxin for diphtheria to supply the
w-ants of the entire state, is now on
hand in the laboratories of the state
board of health. The antitoxin has
been made in the laboratories of the
board, and has been carefully and ac
curately prepared in every way. Phy
sicians may secure any amount, free
of cost, by writing or telegraphing to
the secretary of the board, in care
of the laboratories in the state cap
itol.
STATE GLEANINGS.
The prison commission has Issued
an order prohibiting the use in fu
ture of chains or shackles of any
Kind upon female convicts, either in
tne state penitentiary or on county
chaingangs. The order grew out of a
case in Clarke county in which shack
les were placed upon a white woman,
recently convicted of a misdemeanor,
ihe commission’s attention was at
tracted to the matter through the
newspaper reports. The commission’s
order on the subject follows: “It Is
ordered by the prison commission
that the following rule be, and the
fame is hereafter adopted, subject to
’he approval of the governor: No.
14. No chains or shackles shall be
placed upon any female in the peni
tentiary or chaingang. A sufficient
guard and other necessary means
must be provided to prevent escape.”
Governor Smith promptly signified
his approval of the order. Under
the new law the prison commission
has jurisdiction over county chain
gangs, and the new rule will be en
forced both as to these and the state
penitentiary.
It has been decided to make a per
manent annual event of the great
Southern Musical Festival that is to
open in Atlanta next May the 4th,
sih and 6th. The interest which the
festival has already aroused through
out the state proves that the people
of Georgia and the south are eager
to support such an undertaking, and
that the opportunity is ripe to make
this section one of the big musical
centers of the United States. Here
after it will not be necessary to go
to New York to hear famous singers
and performers. In fact, many of
them, Caru-so being included, will be
heard at the festival next May.
Complete rural delivery service
has been ordered established in Mur
ray county, Georgia, effective May 1,
1909. The number of rural routes in
the county is ten, seven of which are
new and originate from offices within
the county, as follows: Carters, one;
Chatsworth, one; Cisco, one; Cran
dall, one; Eton, one; Fairy one; Ram
hurst, one; Spring Place, three.
A monument to the Georgia sol
diers who participated in the seige of
Vicksburg is being looked forward to
by the Vicksburg Park commission,
which is said to be actively interest
ed in furthering the project for the
monument. The monument is in con
templation now. The raising of funds
will soon be undertaken, and it is
possible that the state of Georgia
may be asked to share in the expense.
The park is a national military res
ervation and is rapidly filling up with
monuments to the memory of the
brave men who fought over its terri
tory.
The Georgia branch of the Ananias
club is being rapidly promoted by
Governor Hoke Smith, who replies fo
Commissioner Wiley Williams on
that state farm proposition and says,
among other things, that “the state
ment that the commission was ready
to report to me *wo weeks before
March 11 can not be true.’’ The
(governor ioesn’t mince words in re
plying to Mr. Williams’ published
statement. He says the selection of
the old Milledgeville farm was one
blunder and he wishes to save the
state from another. He says the
prison commission had plenty of time
to select a farm and there has been
“no excuse for delay.” He says the
Wimberly farm, the choice of the
commission, is partly swamp land,
unhealthy and subject to overflow,
and he doesn’t understand how the
commissioners ever picked it out,
nor why they can not choose from
a list of better tracts. In conclusion,
he takes up the expressed intention
of the commissioners to work tne
white convicts on the public roads,
and intimates strongly that such a
plan is calculated to render the abo
lition of the lease system unpopular.
“Surely this can not be the desire of
the commission?” he concludes. “It
certainly is not my desire.”
An advance of 10 per cent of the
1909 school fund will be distributed
among the teachers of the state im
mediately, notwithstanding the heavy
drains made upon the treasury by the
prepayment of pensions and other
matters since the first of the year.
Governor Smith authorized State
School Commissioner Pound to pre
pare for the distribution of $225,000.
This advance on the school fund will
relieve conditions that have lately
been growing somewhat strained. Pay
is unexpectedly coming to teachers
who had begun to reconcile them
selves to doing without till the end
of the year. Theoretically the school
fund is not available for distribution
till the general taxes are in along to
ward the last of each year.
Assistant State Commissioner of
Agriculture R. F. Wright is in Haber
sham county on a tour of inspection
of the dread “cattle tick.” Mr. Wright
will visit a number of counties, where
the cattle disease has appeared.
Now that it has been determined
that the white convicts of the state
must go temporarily on the public
roads, becausee of the failure of
agreement between Smith
and the prison commission relative
to the purchase of a farm, the ques
tion is being asked, why should they
not slay there and save the state the
expense of purchasing a righ-priced
farm? This view of the matter was
in considerable favor in the discus
sion at the capitol following the gov
ernor’s action in disapproving the
commission’s recommendation. “The
good people of Georgia are tired of
this maudlin sentimentality which is
trying to force the view' that the
white convicts are too good to wora
on the public roads,” said a promi
nent south Georgian, and a former
judge of the superior court, while on
a visit to the capitol.
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Rooting, Electric Wiring, Fixtures, Plumbing and Supplies, and in fact
“Everything Used in Building”
Our facilities enables us to till orders tor any class ot building complete on short notice
but we pay particular attention to details and prompt service in small orders.
We also do a large amount of Contract Work and are prepared to turnish Plans and
Estimates complete on any class of Buildings, Residences, Store Houses, Factories, Schools
or Churches, this department being well equipped with a complete organization, including
Draughtsmen, Electrical Engineers, Plumbers and other competent mechanics.
We also operate an up-to-date Foundry, turnishing all kinds ot Machinery and other
Castings. N. B.—We buy all old scrap iron and brass.
Telephone, write or call on us for prices.
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A Comparison.
Adam and Eve were not, I’m sure,
Like Pittsburg snow at all;
Yet they, like it, were very pure
And white —before the fall.
—Lippincott’s.
The Best Fertilizers for Corn
That the yield of corn from the average farm can be greatly in
creased by intelligent and liberal fertilization has been repeatedly
demonstrated. Large crops of good corn result from preparing the
land well, using the right kind and quantity of fertilizer, good seed
and proper cultivation.
Virginia-Carolina
Fertilizers
will greatly “ increase your yield per acre ” of com or any other crop.
In some cases remarkable results have been obtained.
Mr. C. W. Caruthers of Sumpter County, Fla., writes: “Words
cannot express the value of your fertilizer. It is really so far ahead
of other companies’ goods, that it would not pay anyone to use other
brands, were they given free and put in the field. 1 can prove what
I say to be a fact. 1 made a test on five acres. I used on cne half
the land your fertilizer and on the other half another company’s fertil
izer, same grade; the land received the same cultivation every time.
I kept a correct account of the amount of money I got off each half
and I got S3OO more from the land on which I used Virginia Carolina
Fertilizer than I did off the other half. I got four times as much
corn from the land on which I used your fertilizer .”
Write today to nearest office of the Virginia-Carolina Chemical
Company for a free copy of the new 1909 Farmers’ Year-Book or
Almanac, full of the most valuable and unprejudiced information for
planters and farmers; or ask your fertilizer dealer fora copy.
Virginia-Carolina Chemical Co.
Sales Offices
Richmond. Va.
Norfolk, Va.
Columbia, S. C.
Atlanta. Ga.
Savannah, Ga.
Memphis, Tenn.
Sales Offices
Durham. N.C.
Charleston, S C.
Baltimore, Md.
Columbus, Ga.
Montgomery, Ala.
Shreveport, L.a.
