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GEORGIA REWS
Epitomized Items of Interest
' ‘Gathered at Random., ‘
Minister Jailed for Bigamy.
fif Rev. J. D. Woodard, a Baptist min‘-l
lst‘cr of Commerce, has been 10dg0d in
Jail at Jefferson on a serious en¥rge
"hc grand jury of the cmms& found
true blil againzt him fos bigamy.
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. Wireless Station for Brunswick.,
%At a recent mesting of the Bruns-
Wwick city council, a petition was re
ecived from the Atlantic DeForest
xg':;“!’vireless Telegrah Company, asking
permiscion to erect necessary poles in
%)he city for the.establishment of a
(Wwireless telegraph station.
* * Y
’ Homicide at Tallulah Falis.
P .T. Shore, a prominent and well
to-do citizen of Tallulah Falls,was shot
four times: Saturday night by Colonel
W. S. Parrig, a prominent lawyer of
Clayton, Ga. Mr. Shore died Sunday.
He leaves.a son, daughter and several
brothers to mourn his loss. Parris gave
himself up to the sheriff. The cause
of the tragedy is not given out,
* W ¥
Brown Assumes Duties.
Joseph M. Brown, of Marietta, be
came a memhber of the state railroad
commission Monday last, succeeding
Hon. G. Gunby Jordan, of Columbus,
whose resignation went into effect on
that day.
Though Mr. Jordan resigned in May,
Lis reszignation to take effect August
15, the fact did not become known
wutil a few days ago, when Governo?
Terrell made the appointment of Mr
Brown as his successor.
*® * *®
Scalpers Barred From Georgia.
The state of Georgia'is now free
from ticket scalpers and is the only
state in the union that enjoys this
distinction, with the exception of
Pennsylvania. What is more, the Geor:
oin legisiallire Just before the end
of the present session passed a bill,
fntroduced by Senator Howell, of Ful
ton, entitied “An act to prohibit traf
fic in non-transferable signature tick
etg issted by common carriers and to
require common carriers to redeem
unused or partly used tickets,” which
sounds the death knell of all scalpers
in this state for all time {o come.
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Dr. Mumford Passes Away.
After an illness of nearly three
months, Rev. Dr. W. E. Mumford
died at the home of his daughter in
Macon, a few days ago. Than Dr. Mum
ford, few ministgrs of the gospel in the
scuth were better known. About eight
years ago he took charge of the Meth
odist Orphans’ Home in Vineville, then
a suburb of, Macon, and five vears ago
Le severed this connection with that
institution and founded the Georgia
Industrial Home. An orphan himself at
an early age, Dr. Mumford knew well
the care that should be given to chil
dren left to shift for themseives, and
since he founded the institution hun
drecds of children have been cared
for and placed on the road to becom
ing good citizens.
* * *
Increase Will Break Records.
The increase in the total tax re
turns of the state for this year, aside
from the public utility corporations,
will be about $23,000,000, with the
exception of last year’s; the largest
increase ever known in the siate in
a single year.
All the counties have not yet sent
in their digests, but with the exact of
ficial information already received at
the office of the comptroller general
and the estimates from the counties
whose digests are not yet in, Captain
Harrison, chief clerk in the comptral
ler's office, has been able to maike
an estimate of the total increase. This
estimate fixes the net additions to
the taxable wealth of the state all
about $23,000 600 even, |
The railroadssand public utility cor-|
porations have faisn shown a; good!yl
increage and given evidege that they.
itoo, have been enjoying their share‘
of the general prosperity, the increase
in the railroads, for. instance, bemgl
$1,500,060. This, with the~individual
increases, will amount to $24,500,000,
in round numbers.
This ingrease taxed at 5 mills will
turh into the state coffeps the sum of
$107,500, or when the agfit’o! collzetion
is deducted, about $100,600.
* * __n-“‘
‘ Tax Rate May Be Lower.
Within the next few dafs Governor|
Terrell and Comptroller Generall
‘Wright will fix the <jate tax rate for|
1904, v . |
l While no definite conclusion on the}
imatter has bheen reached ,it is learned
that the tax rate for 1904 will be less;
than 5 mills,. The governor and theJ
‘mmptroller general have not finishe-'li
ifiguring on the matter yet, and will|
;not do so until all the returns have,
{ been received. |
i However, the governor is satisfied
that they will be aple to make thel
‘rato less than 5 mills, though just how
much lesg it is imnossible to predict
lat present. |
The fact, howeven, that there will
be a reduction in the state tax rate|
‘this year will be welcome news to
every section of the state. This tax!
lr:xte is to secure funds for expensecs|
'for 1904. The appropriations bills just
! passed by the general assembly were
i for 1905, and the tax rate under which
Ilhe money appropriated for next year'
i will be raised, will not be made until
'about September 1, 1905. l
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Populist State Convention. I
The populicts of Georgia will meet
in state convention at the state capi
tol on September Ist for the purpose
of ratifying the nomination of Thomas
E. Watson and Tibbles for president
and vice president. State Chairman
Hollaway, who issues the call, says
he Jdoes not know whether there wiil;
he a state ticket. The following is the!
call:
' Notice is hereby given that 2 state
‘convention of the people’s party of
‘Georgia is hereby called to meet in the
‘state capitol at Atlanta, Ga., on Tues
day, September 1, 1904, at 10 o’clock
‘a. m.,, for the purposes of ratifying
‘the nomination of Watson and Tibblesl
for president and vice president of
‘t.he United States, for putting out an
‘clectoral ticket and for such purposes
as the convention may decide upon.
i Each county will be entitled to twice
as many votes as it has representalives |
in the genecral assembly, and to as
many delegales as may be chosen by
the party in each county in such man
ner as shall be determined by the ex
ecutive committee of each county.
J. 3. BOLLAWAY, |
State Chairman, Clem, Georgia.
' J. D. WOODALL,
Secretary, Barnesville, Ga.
£& % |
No Money Proevided for Judges.
An interesting oversight on the part
lof the general assembly is general
‘I_V commented on at the capitol. While
the legisiature passed a bill increas
ing the salaries of judges of the su
preme and superior courts to $4,000
and $3 000, respectively, and the sal
ary of the governor to $5,000, it failed
to appropriate any money to pay the
increases given.
This makes it neccessary for the judg
es to wait until after the legislature of
1905 appropriates the money to pay
the back salary increases, to which
they will be entitlel under this bili,
before they can get the money.
The bill provides that the increases
shall not apply to any judgas who were
|i:l commission at the time of its pass
age, but ‘it will apply to all judges
who are to be elected at the coming
clection in October. Assoeiate Justices
| Evans and Lamar, of the supreme
gcourz, will get their new commissions
as soon as the election is over, and
the result declared, hecause they are |
serving unexpired terms, and the in- |
cxezse for them will then beginm. The i
increaze for Chief Justice Simmwons
and. Associate Justice Fish will begin l
January 1, 1905, but all of theze must
wait for the money until after the next
legislatire has appropriated it. It[
is the same with the judges of the
superior coiurts, whose new terms.
practically all begin on January 1 next,
that is ,for all those who are elected |
at thHe coming election. W g %l
Strangely enough, however, the blL,'
operates to the deeided (lisadvafitag€l
of Associate Justices Andrew J. Cobb
and John S. Candler. Justice Cobh will |
'not get the advantage of the increased
Isalal’y until January 1, 1909, when
'his new tergn will begin, if he i 8
!e}ected in 1908. Notwithstanding the
ifact that they must wait for threec
iand five years to get the increased
Isalaries, they must, in common with
'all other judges, give up any free
| railroad passes and franks, which
lcour!esics may have Lecen extended
| to then.
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Educational Conference Re:oclutions
~ The Georgia Educational Conference
‘at its session at the summer school
iin Athens passed some important res
io!utions, a condenszed report of whizh
we give below:
’ Education is the right of every
‘child born into a civilized common
%wcalth, a right that is independent of
circumstances of life or conditions of
!fortune. To guarantee and secure te
!the children of the state the opport
}tunity for such development is the
prime duty of organized society.
~ We rejoice in the fact that Georgio
‘was the earliest in the Union to rec
ognize these fundamental truths oy
providing in its constitution for Lthe
Ifirst system of public schools; was the
first to grant a charter conferring
upen a_woman’s college the right te
beztow academic degrees; the firs:
to recognize agricultural education in
the. gift of Dr. William Terrell for a
chair of agricultural chemistry; ani
‘the first bequest for strictly nermal ed
!ucation in the will of Governar Gil
mer,
We note with unbounded gratifica
tion the evidences of cordial and pra=-
tically unanimous support given ir
all the counties of the state to the
pending constitutional amendmen®,
permitting local taxation for public‘
|schoo]s. |
We deplore the agitation for tak
ing away from the negro schools the
support they have for thirty years past |
had in Georgia, and limiting their
support to negro taxes alone. It wouii
'be an unspeakable calamity to strike
down this policy which has been ouri
proud boast and the complete cindi
cation of our jusiice and kindnes.&%
to the negro. As soon let us say thal
the poor counties of the state shouli
receive for education only the taxes!
paid in by them; or that in any com
munity the monies derived from thcj
wealthy he expended upon the wealthy
—and only those of the poor upon the
poeor. Such a measure against negre
schools would be a violation of that
high obligation which the superinm
race by virtue of its power owes i¢
|irhe weak and disadvantaged race. The¢
| existing educational policy has be=n
lconflned in its administration to the
whiteg alone, enabling boards of edu
cation in each county to adjust the re
lation of the funds for the separa:e
schools as is €quitable and proper lo
cally. ;
We appeal to the women of Geor
gia to organize themselves into scho !
improvement societies and thus t»
bring to bear in beha!f of educationa’
intere:ts and of school buildings those
fine qualities and powers of womar
hood which make them so indispen
sable to the churches of the land.— ‘
1..5. STEWART, of State University
The longest railroad in this country l
| is the Chicago Burlington & Quincy,
which owns 7794 milcs and operates
l 7.971 miles.
CURBES MONEY LENDERS.
Georgla Legislature, at Last Moment,
Passes the “Anti-Shark” Bill.
The “money shark” billi was favora
dly acted upon by the Georgia legis
lature at the closing session and will
now become a law. . :
D<spite the strenuous and determin
ed opposition of Mr, Hall, of Bibb, who
fought it at every turn, and left no
stone unturned to accomplish its de
feat, the house adopted the substituie
reported by the general judiciary com
mittee by a vote of 108 to 34, ag
then passed the bill on rising vote,
82 to 1. :
Thus has the house put itself on rec
ord along with the senate in favor of
protecting the poor and ignorant bor
rower, and warnings almost amoun:-
ing to threats had no avail to stop the
tide of votes in the measure’s favor.
The main provisions of the houae
substitute, which wiil now become 4
law, are:
The kinds of security dealt with by
the bill, as enumerated in section 1,
are: :
‘Household or kitchen furniturs,
houschold goods, wearing apparel, sew
ing machines, musical instruments and
wages.
Section 6 provides for the keeping
of books showing facts concerning ev
ery loan made, the name of the bor
rower, amount, date of maturity, ete.
Section 8 provides that these books
shall be open to the inspection of the
ordinary or grand jury of the county
wherein the business is located.
Section 10 provides that fees for
investigating the security or title may
be charged as follows:
Fifty cents for amounts of $5 or
less; seventy cents for amounts be
tween $5 and $10; one dollar for
amounts between $lO and $2O; one dol
lar and a half for amounts between
$2O and $35; two dollars for amounts
between $35 and $6O. No fees shall
be charged for reversals and one loan
of practically the same amount follow
ing closely on another shall be con
strued, under this section, as a renew
al. No original loans shall be split
into smaller loans for renewal pur
poses. On loans of more than $6O the
fee charges are left to be settted on a
fair basis between borrower and lend
er, provided such charges do not ex
ceed 6 per cent of the amount of the
loan.
- Section 11 provides that all pay
‘ments aggregating more than 8§ per
~cent interest and fees permitted shall.
' be construed as payments on the prin
‘ cipal.
~ Section 12 forbids charges for fire
insurance on property mortgaged.
- Sections 14 andyls, provides for for
feitures of licens§®gacr violationg of
the act. F’lfl
- Section 16 provites that before any
criminal demand shall be issued om
any transaction growing out of tha
business dealt with by the bill the
lender shall make oath that he has not
violated the terms of the bill.
Section 17 voids assignments of un
earned wages.
Section 18 excepts banks, bankers
and pawnbrokers.
Black Cats’ Island.
- There is.an island in Puget Sournd,
pot more than half a mile across,
which is so thickly populated with
cats that they may be seen cover
ing the rocks on a sunny day, from
the riggings of passing vessels.
The cats number many thousands,
and the strangest thing is that they
are all black. Every evening a boat
load of fishermen land oa the island
and lay out & seine a quarter of a mile
long. They pull it in with never less
than a ton of fish, but next morning
these fish are gone. The cats devour
them all.
These cats have been placed here
by men wko are supplying the mar
ket with women's muffs. Once a year
there is a great round-up, and several
thcusand pussies lose their lives.