Newspaper Page Text
die Georgia Peach and
Melon Belt.
Volume XXX11. Number 53.
HOUSTON CO. CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE
INSULTS INTELLIGENCE OF VOTERS
Argument Against New County
Worthy Only of Those So Biind
They Will Not See Truths
Proven By Statistics.
Statistical Data From Every
County Created in Past Fifteen
Years Published Below Dispel
Bogey of Opponents -
The Houston County Campaign
Committee opposed to the
of Peach County'has issued a
to the voters of the County which is
an insult to the intelligence of men
who read and think. It assumes
the voters are babes in intelligence
and that they will swallow a “bug¬
aboo” story that all statistics and
facts of history disprove.
The letter opens with reference to
the centenary anniversary of Hous¬
ton County next year and with an
appeal to the voters “to prevent the
division and destruction of your
grand old county. IP
That it is a “grand old county w*
will all admit and being “grand” and
. * old” is it not high time it were per¬
petuating its greatness and counter¬
acting the decay that is inevitable
to age by becoming the father of a
new offspring with youth and “pep”
to “carry on” where it has left off?
That it is a great county, a large
county, and an old county is one of
the strongest arguments in favor of
its division.
They say it is a “perfectly good
county. M From the standpoint of
what nature has done for it that is
notably true, but from the stand¬
point of what man has done for it
that is far from true. Nature has
blessed it with a splendid location,
climate and soil; man has blasted it
with bickering and friction and
jealousy and mutual antagonism
so that it has fallen behind other
counties in progress apd is deeply in
debt. Compared with the man-made
progress of other counties it is far
from being “a perfectly good coun¬
ty.” But it can be made one if those
opposed to the progress that will
come from division will wak[e up
from their nightmare and put their
shoulders to the wheel and push for¬
ward instead of backward.
They say “a large business can be
conducted proportionately cheaper
than a small one, the larger the or¬
ganization, the cheaper the cost pro¬
portionately of administration.
That is'feenerally true of a privately
conducted business, but everybody
knows it is not true in the matter of
popular government-—-a business con¬
ducted by all the people. In private
business the leaks are watched and
stopped—efficiency is the watch¬
word. Who watches or trie? to stop
the leaks in the administration of the
public’s business? In the public’s
business the bigger the organization
the more leaks and the greater the
extravagance of administration. Gov
ernmenc operation of public utilities
p.-oves this. The business of a small
county can be and the data proves
that it is—more economically admin¬
istered than that of a large county—
especially of an . . old” county where
business routine has fallen into a
rut of traditional carelessness. We
need a reorganization of busines-;
methods in Houston county—and a
new county new business organiza
tion will give them a model and an
inspiration.
They say taxes will be increased
in both old and new county sections'.
The statistical data of every new
county created within the past 15
years and of the old counties from
This issue consists of Two Thousand Copies, Are YOU a Subscriber ?
TTI "I E L EADLR" 1 RIBUNE
AND PEACHLAND JOURNAL
FORT VALLEY, HOUSTON COUNTY, GEORGIA, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER, 3, 1920. TEN PAGES.
which they were created, published
below, prove this is not true except
where the people wanted public
provements and conveniences they
did not have under the old tax rate.
And even if Houston county were
not divided taxes would have to be
increased to get the county out of
debt and give it the improvements
needed.
They say “the old county will be
left with the bag (the debt) to
hold.” That is not true. Every bill for
the creation of the new county which
has been drawn and that which will
be introduced in the next legislature
pledges the new county to assume its
proportion of the debt of the old
county.
They say the new county citizens
will be taxed to pay the cost of ad
ministration, salaries of officers, etc.
Will they tell us, pray, what county
officers draw salaries, and what
other cost of administration there is
not based on the fee system?
is a palpable attempt to “pull the
wool” over the eyes of the voter.
Does not every voter know that a U
county officers—treasurer, tax col¬
lector, tax receiver, clerk, ordinary,
sheriff, coroner—draw their entire
compensation from fees, and are
therefore paid only for what they do,
and that this pay comes not from
the people’s tax money but from the
people who have business with these
officers direct; and that it will cost
such people no more to do business
with these officers in a new county
than in an old one? New counties,
so far as officers are concerned do
not cost the people a penny in taxes.
They .say we will have to be taxed to
build a new court house and jail and
for the installation of a chaingang.
The new county won’t need any such
penal institutions—till our prosperi¬
ty attracts a lot of bad folks from
elsewhere, and then we will be plenty
able to issue bonds to provide such
institutions. The smaller the coun¬
ty, the fewer the law-breakers, the
lower the cost of penal institutions.
Furthermore we don’t even hope to
escape taxes or death.
They say the capital assets (prop¬
erty subject to taxation) in the old
county would be reduced by division.
Poor pessimists! Poor blind men;who
cannot read, or will not see what
they read! It is written in statistics
so that he who runs may read that in
every new county created in the
past 15 years and in every
county from which they were
property values have increased
new population, new business,
proved facilities, so that a
property was worth more,
sell for more, and rent for
than under the old regime, and
enhancement has always more than
offset the taxable property taken
away from the old county. If
property is worth more, brings
more, can’t you afford and
you willing to pay taxes on its
creased value for the sake of
_
fits you could not otherwise
Does your property under the
hanced value, not bring you more
vantages derived from the taxes
pays as well as more net
over and above these taxes and
' lYIARSHALLVILLE BESTS
LOCALS SIX 10 FIVE
The cohorts of baseballdom were
again in evidence Tuesday afternoon,
when Marshallville met the Peach
County boys from Fort Valley on
the local diamond in the second game
of the series, the locals going' down
in defeat by the score of 6to 5. The
score does not tell the whole story,
however, for it was one of the best,
! if not the best, game of the season.
| There were approximately from
I^LfunTwa,t«^
*.
!£ST
j pastime, giving up only six hits dur¬
ing the whole game. He was well
supported on the bases and in the
0 ^’ l° ca ^ ^oys showed need
of more batting practice.
Frederick, who pitched five and
half innings for Marshallville, scat
tered his hits up to the time he went
U P in the air > whun through errors
all< l bunched hits, he gave up» the
mound to J. Jones and took center
field, Lyle playing 3rd. M. Haslam
covered himself with glory when he
lined out a three base hit to left
field,
For umpires, Mr. A. J. Evans saw
to that each man on each side re
ceived his rights when the pitcher
was in action, while if the circuits
0 f +j,e bases made by Mr. Holt
Skellie as field umpire could be
counted for Fort Valley, we would
have J more than tripled the com
bined scores of each team.
TWO DISTRICTS TO HOLD
B. Y. P. U. RALLY HERE SOON
The first and second districts will
hold a B. Y. P. U. Rally at the Bap
tist church on September twelfth,
About 50 delegates are expected
an( l be entertained by members
of the local B. Y. P. U. Several
State workers are expected and a
full and interesting program will be
announced later.
VOTE FOR “PEACH” AND PRO
CRESS, AGAINST PESSIMISM
and PETRIFACTION!
suing advantages? The history of
ALL new counties and of their pa
rent counties say?, “YES!”
They say the creation of the
| new county is merely to gratify the
ambition of a certain locality and
coterie of men? We do not deny
that we are ambitious. We are am¬
bitious. We want advantages for
ourselves and our children that we
have not enjoyed and cannot obtain
under the present regime. Have the
opponents of the new county no am¬
bition? They prate about ■. our
grand old county”—the same old
County their grand-dads bequeathed
them—but what have they done for
it? advancement? What are they do
ing for it? What do they propose to
do for it? Nothing! They promise
nothing. They hold out no hope for
its improvement. They want to keep
the “grand old county” just like it
1S- in debt— a pauper county, if
you please—yet a “grand old Coun¬
ty!” Do the opponents of the new
county really love the “grand old
county? Or is it merely love of
their 30 cent dollars that actuates
them in wanting to keep the “grand
old county” just as it is? Action
‘peaks louder than words. The intel¬
ligent voter can read between the
lines that selfishness, not love of the
“grand old county,” actuates the op¬
position— the selfishness of the mi¬
ser, who would hoard what he has,
withholding it from investment for
future and greater gains.
If you love Houston County, you
will vote for its advancement; for the
new county candidates, whose sup¬
porters propose to set an example
for the old county worthy of emu¬
lation.
A
TWO SILL FIRES CAUSE
EXGlTEWiENT WEDNESDAY
Fire about 9:30 o’clock Wednes¬
day morning badly damaged the
combination barn and garage of Mr.
C. T. Eberhardt in the rear of his
residence on Person street, attract
ing quite a crowd. The pluck of Miss
Marie Eberhardt saved the family’s
automobile, which was in the ga¬
rage at the time. The plucky young
lady entered the burning building de
spite the presence of a tank of* gas¬
oline therein and drove the car out
to a place of safety.
The city fire truck arrived in
time to save the building from total
destruction, a portion only of the
roof being burned.
The course of the fire could not
be ascertained, but it is thought to
have originated in some oily waste in
the building.
Wednesday afternoon the home of
Sherman labor, colored, on Vine
; ville street, was threatened by fire
in the roof originated from
kitchen flue. The blaze was extin
guished, however, before the fire de
partment arrived, little damage re
suiting,
O
I PRESBYTERIAN SERVICES
R ev. J. W. Stokes Returns To Take
Up His Work.
I
!
This Sunday is “Go to Church
Sunday” for the Presbyterian Con
gregation of Fort Valley, Their
pastor returned today from his
cation prepared to lead his people in
large endeavors.
The Sabbath-School meets at 9:45
and will study “The Building of the
Temple.” Mr. Stokee will speak a
brief word about Rally Day which is
set for all Presbyterian schools for
the first Sunday in October.
At the 11 o’clock hour Mr.
will preach. He will have as his text
God’s command concerning the Law
of the Lord. “These words which 1
command thee this day shall be on
thine heart and thou shalt teach
them diligently to thy children.” At
the evening service his subject will
be the 51st. Psalm.
Eevery member is urged to be
present at these two church ser
vices as well as at the Sabbath
j School. A cordial invitation is ex
tended to the public generally to at¬
tend. A hearty welcome awaits all
wb o do attend.
o
SCHOOL NOTICE
Public school; open Monday, Sept.
13th. Children entering first grade
must enter within two weeks after
Sept. 13th or wait until Sept. 1921
unless up with grade in their work.
No child may enter unless he is
six years old on or before Sept.
27th.
All pupils above first grade
obtain books before opening day.
j Book room will be open for that
purpose on Thursday, Friday and
Saturday of next week.
Ralph Newton,
Adv.— Supt.
o
Let’s settle the new county issue
at the polls Wednesday and end the
strife. Your vote for the Peach
County candidates will settle it. Un¬
less they are elected the strife will
be indefinitely prolonged.
o
| FORX VALLEY’S NEW COTTON
WAREHOUSE OPENS MONDAY
_
The new cotton warehouse being
built here on Macon st 2 'eet just op¬
posite the Fort Valley Oil Compa
ny’s office and plant will be ready
for business Monday morning.
The warehouse was built by
.1 half dozen public spirited
of Fort Valley who put up the mon
ey, and it has been rented and will
be’under the management of Mr. W.
F. Andrews of Roberta.
It is of ample capacity to take
care of the needs of the
tributary to Fort Valley.
Statistical Data From Fifteen New
County Areas Effectually Re¬
fute Argument of Croakers
As to New County Cost.
1
j
Letters From New County Officials
Show Tax Rates Not Increased
But Property Values Greater
and Other Benefits.
To effectually nail the spurious
argument of the opponents of county
i division as to the largely increased
j expense to citizens involved, the
| Peach County Publicity 'Committee
j i sent the following questionnaire to
officials of new counties throughout
ttle state.
August 19th, 1920.
My dear Sir:—
As you may be aware, we are in
the midst of a strenuous fight for the
election of a ticket in the approach
| j i n g primary committed to the ere-
5 ation of a New County with Fort
Valley the County Site:
1 Our adversaries are making a
great many prejudicial statements
with reference to a largely increased
tax rate in the New County territo
ry; and) in order to meet these as
j sertions, we desire to obtain a brief
; summary of the facts as to the con
j ditions obtaining' in your County.
We, therefore, request that you
(immediately furnish us the informa
: tion indicated by the following ques
tions:
1. What was the tax rate of the
J 0 ] d County before the creation of
the Ni? w County?
2. What is your present tax rate?
3. If there is any increase in the
rate is it attributable to the creation .
0 f the New County, or is it the nor-'
ma j increase due to the general ad
vance in cost of labor and all com
modities?
4. What increase, if any, has
there been in your tax values since
the creation of your County?
5. What arrangements did you
make as to Court House and Jail
and for what period following the
creation of the New County?
0. Has the creation of your Coun
ty resulted beneficially to the old
County from which taken? If so, in
what way?
7. Please make any additional
statement that may occur to you
showing the results of "the creation
of the New County as applies to old
territory and new County area.
If pressed for time, kindly answer
upon this sheet, Self addressed
stamped envelope is enclosed for
your convenience.
Again thanking you to let me have
a prompt reply, I am
Yours very truly,
"Ralph Newton,
Chairman Peach County Publicity
Committee. *
Replies were received from fif¬
teen new counties arid the data con¬
tained in these replies is publish¬
ed below.
It should be noted that in the
j puestiennairt the committee failed
to provide information regarding the
; age of the new county from
the information was sought,
that, therefore, the answer to
1 first question in each case would not
show the year to which the old
( tax rate would apply, it being the
rate in effect before the new
ty was created. We have supplied
this information ourselves as to
to which the previous old county rate
' j applies." In comparing this rate
the present rate in the new
given in answer to question
two, the period of time
(should be taken into
The only newip»p»r
published in the heart
of the largest Peach
growing section of the
world.
$2.50 Per Year In Advance
and the present rate in each new
county should be cai-efully compared
with the present tax rate in Hous
ton county, which is 14 mills for
County tax alone, 4 mills for school
tax, and 5 mills for State tax. Some
of the answers to question two se¬
gregate these different taxes, but
in some of the answers they are
combined, and where they are com
bined they should be compared with
the combined county, school and
state tax in Houston, which is 23
if.ids. Comparisons should also be
made with the increase in the tax in
Houston County from 14 mills nine
years ago to 19 mills last year, both
exclusive of school tax. i\nd it should
be remembered that notwithstanding
this increase of 5 mills in nine years
and that despite the present rate of
23 mills state, county and school
tax, Houston county will be $100,
000.00 in debt by the end of the
year, without bonds for public im¬
provements and without any other
extraordinary expenses to which
this enormous deficit can be attri
buted.
i
Crisp County
1. *01d County Tax rate (15 years
ago) was 6 mills.
2. Present tax rate 11 mills
3. Increase due to high cost of
living, building first-class highways
and steel bridges all over county to
replace old wooden bridges.
4. Tax values in old county in¬
creased from $2,428,000.00 to $9,
000,000.00; in new county from $2,-
291,000.00 to $9,000,000.00.
5. Voted $80,000.00 bonds for
court house and jail twelve months
a ft er cre ation of new county,
6. Both counties admit division
has resulted beneficially in every
way to the old county.
7. Fifty to fifty-five million dol¬
lars increase in property values in
territory affected.
Tift County
1. Old County tax rates 15 years
ago were: Berrien, 10 mills; Worth,
11.50 mills; Irwin, 12 mills.
2. Present tax rate 15 mills for
county alone, 5 mills school tax.
3. Increase due to all items men
tioned.
4. Tax values increased from $2,-
500,000.00 to $6,500,000.00.
5. Rented hall for six years, then
bonded for twenty years and built.
6. Values in old counties three
times as much as before new county
was formed. New cuunty ten years
ahead of what it would have been if
left in old.
• Ben Hill County
1. Old County tax rate (15 years
ago) was 12.5 mills,
2 . Present rate 17.50 mills,
^ Increase due to all conditions
mentioned _
^ bab]y doubled if
no mo,e ^ '
5. Rented quarters tor twelve
months, then issued bonds.
6. Better schools and roads and
(Cont’d on last page, Col. 1.)