The Augusta herald. (Augusta, Ga.) 1914-current, July 27, 1914, Home Edition, Image 86

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SPECIAL NUMBER Good City Government A ‘/Go and He Goeth'’ Spirit in Day ton Since the Advent of a Manager. (From the Review of Reviews). SLnee January 1 of this year the government of Dayton, O, a city of over 135,000 people, • has bee n admin istered by a city manager, an innova tion inspired tartly by the experi ences following the Dayton flood of a year ago. Only an exceptional city administrtion could- itve met. the ur gent needs of that time. The exist ing administration was not exception al-~in fact, it was inadequate for the requirements of a progressive city under normal conditions. Under such circumstances th<;, control of public as airs not unnaturally passed to the strongest men of the community. A great manufacturer and philanthropist assumed the burden of feeding and oaring for 100.000 people. Under his direction competent men took charge of public works, sanitation, and pro visioning, with the. result that the — i ■> A* ' i ■ «■ r> . < m m * m f*? : - w # >< >•. Mayor L. C Hayne An era. of development, progress and prosperity suet) as haa never been known in tlie h story of t lie city has been ex peri otic eel \y Augusta during the present regime of Mayor L. C. Hayne, whose term of office expiies December 31. 1915. The unprece dented advance i real estate values and building activity and the advent to office of the city's chief executive were simultaneous. In many of the more important city improvements nade dur ing this- time Mayor Hayne has assisted in financing or has taken an active part in its construction. Among these various improvements, in which Augusta’s mayor has been prominently identified, is the present levee improvement which is being done at an approximate cost of 52,000,000; improvements to the Med ical College at a cost of nearly $600,000; acquiring of the new Federal Building, which cost $300,000, and the construction of the hydro-electric power plant at Stevens Creel., which has just been completed. Mayor Hayne was born and reared on a plantation in Burke County, coming to Aagusta when a young man a quarter of a century ago. For seventeen years he was president of the Na tional Bank of Augusta, duiing which time the institution experi enced the greatest prosperity in its existence. He has been pres ident of the Planters' Savings Bank for twenty years and is said to be one of its 'argest stock holders. At the time of the reor ganization of the Albion Kaolin Com; any, three years ago, he became connected with the concern and has since served as vice president of tne company For the past ten or twelve year* Mayor Hayne has held the offio of vice-president of the Georgia Chemical Works, a large fertilizing manufactory. Mayor Hayne was elected mayor of Augusta tn December, 1912, Tor a term of three years. Hon. ISAAC S. PEEBLES, Jr., the People’s Candidate lor Judge. Unanimously Endorsed by the Augusta Federation of Trades. Hon. Isaac S. Peebles, Jr., who has bsen unanimously endorsed by the Augusta Federation of Trades, and wtoo is extremely popular with the people generally, has announced his candidacy for the judgeship of the Superior Courts of the Augusta Cir cuit. The Columbia Sentinel, comment ing upon Mr. Peebles’ candidacy, said in part: “Mr. Peebles is recognized as one of the leading members of the Augus ta Bar. While in point of years he is the junior of many and able lawyers throughout this section of Georgia, yet in ripe experience, acquire! through many years of an active prac tice of the law and handling of im portant and intricate legal matters, he stands among the leaders of his profession. “Mr. Peebles was determined to pet an education. So he entered the freshman class of the University of Georgia. But as his funds were soon exhausted; he was compelled to drop out of school at. the close of his first year. He taught school at Gibson, his home town, the next year, and k«e.; t I community regained a working condi tion witr remarkable rapidity. It is not astonishing that after this experi ence the public ex. ; ressed its approval of a charter making such a type of government permanent. Though in operation only l months, the advantages of unifying authority and responsibility in one man ara manifesting themselves, through promt, decisive and direct action, a quality usually conspicuously absent in public as airs. A "go and he goeth" spirit has superseded the “checks and balances" and dulled in itiative of a more complicated gov ernment. Two days after taking of fice the city manager instituted the practice of periodically flushing the streets which (during previous admin istrations) had become filthy becaus the fire, water and public works de partments did not cooperate. This co-ordination of the city’s needs has been notable in large as well r. 3 small matters. up with his classmates who were back in college doing sophomore work. He returned to the Univerity after having been out a year, and finished the junior class, tie was forced again, at the conclusion of bis junior year, be cause of exhausted funds, to earn money with which to return to col lege. Accordingly, he worked during the summer and tall, and .he follow ing January he was back at the Uni versity taking junior law half advanc ed. He finished the two year law course in a year and a half, making the highest class average, though some of his competitors were lioaor men from the literary department ofj the University and other high stand ing colleges, and who have since made enviable reputations at tHe bar. Mr. Peebles also wrote the winning essay in the Van Epps Essay Prize contest. “After his admission to the bar, Air.l Peebles went back to Gibson, Ga., for| •he practice of his professoin. He was eiected mayor of his home town,! Gibson, twice, but shortly after his second election he resigned the of fice and removed to Augusta, where he has since built up a large and lu crative practice, “In 11*08 lie was elected presidential elector from the Tenth Congressional District. In 1012 he entered the race for solicitor general of the Augusta Circuit, and carried all three of tae Dayton Under City Manager What Progress Has Been Made and Results Shown Since January. (Front the Review of Reviews.- Since January Ist of this year the affairs of Dayton have been admin istered by a city manager, co operat ing with five elected commissioners Among the results are these: The advantages of unifying author ity and responsibility in one man are manifesting themselves through prompt, decisive and direct action — a quality usually conspicuously absent in public affairs. A "go-and-be goeth” spirit has superseded the "checks and balances’’ and dulled in itialiye of a more complicated gov ernment. Two days after taking office the city manager instituted the practice of periodically flushing streets, which (during previous administrations) had become filthy because the fire, water and public works departments did not co-operate. This co-ordinance of the city’s needs has been notable in large as well as small matters. There no longer exists a govern ment in which the several depart- Fire Chief Frank G. Reynolds • ~ fSB| *llll JW ffflW IHH f-■ , ' ,w f :^^i^, ®jb * PjllPl JSs«;*k/JR.'? 311 :■• %MKS’iA > «lll’''' "li ..a With over a quarter of a century us a member of the Augusta paid fire department, ten . years of which he lias served as chief, Frank G. Rey nolds stands today as one of the most popular and efficient head of a de partment in the country. Starting as a call man September 15, 1887, he soon won recognition in the service, and the following January he was appointed a regular member of the department. His first assign ment was with the old Number 2 Company, later being transferred to the truck, with which company he re mained until elected assistant caief of the department under the Phinizy administration. His duties included the loremanship of the hook and lad der previous to the advent of the Phinizy administration, but at the lat ter period the office of assistant was made separate. He was promoted to chief of the department in 1904. The Augusta Fire Department, over which Chief Reynolds presides, is one of the most modernlv equipped in the United States, Augusta being the first city in tile South to adopt the use ot the auto truck. Few of the larger cities of the country can boast of more up-to-date or complete housing than that of this city's department. A majority of the stations have either been rebuilt or built entirely new within the last decade. The central station on West Broad Street has a large ball room covering the • entire upper floor of the building, a com modious gymnasium and a libary sup i lied with the best class of literature. Chief Reynolds is one of the three directors of the International Associa tion of Fire Engineers, who will hold their annual convention for 1914 later in the year at New Orleans. [country counties with a pluralty or , oGS votes, and was defeated only by ,|a close margin after the vote of Rich mond County was counted. And al though having been a very popular young man, yet Mr. Peebles, since his race for solicitorgeneral two years ago, seems to be more popular with the people, and before deciding to make the race for the judgeship, much enthusiasm was manifested in sup port of his candidacy in the event he should make the race. “Mr. Peebles is a man of varied ex perience. And in the event of his election, from the farm, from behind the counter, from the school-room, and from the law office, lie will take with hint upon the bench a knowledge of human life that will enable hint to grasp clearly situations and condi tions arising from every walk in life. "This young man who began his ca reer with a common school education, |who earned the money to pay his way ■through college, who did five years] [college work in three years and a half, who finished at the head of ills class, and who at Uie age of 25 has come to be recognized and regarded as among the leaders of his profes sion, is an example of what will power and determination can do. And front one who seems to possess such a rare genius to accomplish things, the peo ple of Augusta Circuit will more than) likely expect in hint a winner.’’ THE AUGUSTA HERALD, AUGUSTA, GA. IN CITY, STATE and NATIONAL AFFAIRS ments work as independent units In the prosecution of their duties. On each afternoon at 4 o clock the de partment heads meet with the mana ger to discuss problems of common interest, and minor activities which call for co-operation—activities which formerly would noa have been under taken. By rapidly adopting the efficiency systems of great private commercial organizations Dayton aims to make its government a model in the admin istration of public business. In the management of its finances it is put ting into 0/ eration the latest methods of fiscal control. The budget of 1914 is based upon a clearly defined inan cial program supported by facts uni formly classified according to the character of the expenditures. Every effort is being made to re duce a death rate which has stood still for 10 years. Milk regulations have been made more strict and are more rigidly enforced. Three baby clinics anil pure milk stations have wmm war ? Alex . W. Stephens The suggestion of Mr. Alexander W. Stephens’ friends that he enter the field for an appellate court Judgeship Is considered by leading lawyers and citizens generally a peculiarly appro priate one not only because of Mr. Stephens' Individual high qualifica tions for the office, but because of the honorable position which his family and his name hold on the pages of Georgia's history. Alexander W. Shephens is a nephew of the great Alexander 11. Stephens, also nephew of Judge Unton Stephens of the Supreme Court of Georgia. His father was John Alex Stephens, a prominent attorney of Crawfordville. and a law partner of Alex H. Stephens, who at one time was Adjt. General of Georgia. »On his father's side, there fore, Alexander W. Stephens is a member of the Taliaferro county Stephens family, which has produced many noted lawyers and jurists. Alex ander W. Stephens Is today the only member of that family practicing at; the bar. .’Jn his library are the law and political books of Alexander H. i Stephens. On his mother’s side Alexander AY,! Stephens is a grandson of the late William Wingfield Simpson, Hancock county planter and merchant, who won fame because of his development of the special variety of cotton which bears his name. On this side, M”. Stephens Is a descendant of the Wing field family which is and has been for generations prominent in the de veloprnent and progress of the stats.! Alexander W. Stephens has been practicing law in Atlanta for 17 years. He came from Washington, Ga., his boyhood home. He formerly lived in Crawfordville. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia, and after finishing at the University he studied j law at the Harvard Daw School. In addition to being active at the bar, j he is a regular contributor to ths ■ leading magazines of the country. Mr, Stephens is forty years of age. The voters of this section of ths state will no doubt rally to his sup- j port. ..... | The Crawfordville Advocate-Demo cate of November 14, 1913, had the following to say. “When the politicians of this sec tion congregate for the purpose of di viding amo.’g themselves the spoils of office, there is becoming a disturb ing factor to them—as to what Ike Peebles, as lie is familiarly known, o! Augusta, is going to do. "He has a way of ignoring slates and going direct to the people. The politicians last year decided among themselves as to who should be Joe Reynolds’ successor as solicitor-gen eral of tlie Augusta Circuit. Peebles got into the race and carried three counties with the aggregate plurality o approximately 400, but was defeated by a small plurality when the returns of the Fourth and Fifth Wards of Au gusta came in. , He is perhaps better and more fa* • vorably known over the Tenth Dis trict than any of its public men, ijutiier than Tom Watson and Tom ■ Hardwick He is immensely ,popular i ill Richmond. In his threecornered race for solicitor-general his showing was phenomenal, in view of the fact that the political leaders of both fac tions in Richmond County politics were then practically all lined up against him. And just as coming [events cast their shadows before jtliem, the remarkable strength o: been established, and the visiting nurse activities have been centraliz ed. Five district physicians have been appointed to administer to those who cannot afford the services of a private physician. Free legal advice is given to those unable to employ an attorney. HON. WM. J. HARRIS = OF CEDARTOWN ====== Who is a Candidate for Governor, Has a Platform Which Stands for Something in Georgia He believes that the moat impor tant question which will come before the people of Georgia for the next quarter of a century will be the re leasing of the state’s railroad proper ty. He thinks the railroad proper should be leased as a separate propo sition, but the splendid terminal prop erties in Atlanta, Chattanooga and along the line should be handled sep arately from the railroad, and rent ed on long term leases so as to bring practically a million dollars income annually to the public schools of Georgia. The rental from this lease goes to the public school fund, and Mr. Harris, who desires longer school terms for the public schools and cheaper schoolbooks for the chil dren of Georgia, thinkß the salaries of the public school teachers should be paid promptly every month from this fund. Mr. Harris contends that as the next governor of Georgia will aid in the leasing of Che state’s property to the railroads, a railroad lawyer should not be elected governor at this time. The next governor should be free from every possible connection or affiliation with the railroads which may bid for this valuable property. The governor should represent the people of the state on one side, while dealing with the railroads and their representatives on the other. Two of his distinguished opponents —Judge N. E. Harris, of Macon, and Hon. Randolph Anderson, of Savan nah—are railroad attorneys and have been for years These gentlemen, who have been in the employ of these big corporations, are but human, and, like others, are influenced by their environments and affiliations. Judge N. E. Harris was attorney for the Souther: Railway when that sys tem owned the Central of Georgia in open and llagrant violation of both state and national laws, and he has only recently resigned as attorney Tor that road, While his sons, who consti tute the other members of his law firm in Macon, remain counsel for the Southern Railway. Mr. Wm. J. Harris does not believe Chat either Judge N. E. Harris, Hon. Randolph Anderson, or any other rail read attorney should be elected gov ernor to lease the state’s property to the railroads by which they have been employed for years. this country lad forewarned the ring politicians that he was a poliical fac or to be reckoned with. “Knowing his ability as a lawyer, as evidenced by his most remarkable success at the bar, many of his friends and admirers are urging him to offer for the judgeship of the Au gusta Circuit, while many others be lieving in his capacity* as a lawmaker, are urging horn to make the race for congress. In view of the fact, how ever, that his law practice is one of the most lucrative of the younger members of the Georgia Bar. it is understood that he is inclined to turn a deaf ear to the call of politics. In the event, however, he should enter either race, it may be salely predict ed that it will be mighty interesting for somebody. “Mr. Peebles is about 35 years of age, and was reared in Gibson, Ga., where he practiced law for a short while before moving to Augusta. He has forged his own way to the front, having educated himself at the Uni |Versity of Georgia. “The country counties look upon him as .one of their most favorite sons, and irrespective of whether or not he enters the political arena next year, those who know him and know the stuff he i 3 made of. ; redid that it will be but short while before he will represent the Tenth Congres sional District at Washington. An earnest attempt has been made to make people happy as well as healthy. Notable attention has been given to public recreation and amuse ment; there has been a re-organiza tion of the recreational agencies of the city government. Commercial recrea tion has been placed under ahe wel- ;>. mfef w / . xfr '^T'WTOi ’ •• ’rffiWlßy ftff’Jjfv*wi 1 Ewßafy\^aifflpE! v :• «.■&&yfiiSi|L^jgWjE^aß TWW^i^pPSl^FUßjH^pßl^lP^wWW^WpHUW^wVT^lp;<vv? T l ' v**ffi*Vy^- > ? a - -*^ r. ■ LSrKrM'T-vHi HON. ISAAC S PEEBLES Candidate for Judge of the Superior Court tare department rather than the d sion of police. The correctional policy of the i nicipality is undergoing a compl transformation, insuring numi treatment of the inmates of public stitutions and development of the role system. Mr. Wm. J. Harris is bitterly oppos ed for governor by Thos. E. Watson, who is actively supporting Judge N. E. Harris, of Macon. Judge Harris writes "Watson friendly letters, ex pressing his appreciation of the lat ter’s support, while Editor Watson in his paper every week is denounc ing the National Democratic adminis tration, the Democratic Cabinet and other public Democratic o ficials at Washington, the Member of Congress from his district, and active Demo crats generally in the state of Geor gia, Tom Watson is opposing Wm. J Harris, the friend of the laboring people, whom he hopes to defeat for governor, and is supporting Judge N. IT. Harris, oT Macon, the corporation attorney tvhom he hopes to make gov ernor of Georgia. Judge N. E. Harris, of Macon, threat ened openly to bolt the Democratic party and vote against the nominee, if Woodrow Wilson was nominated on a platform which did not suit Judge Harris. Tom Watson, after participating in the Democratic primary in Georgia and promising to support its nominee, boiled the nomination of Woodrow Wilson and supported openly the Bull Moose candidate for president— Theodore Roosevelt. Watson—the arch enemy of the Democratic party in state and nation —actually seeks to dictate to the Democrats of Georgia, their governor and other state officers. The loyai Democrats of Georgia resent this and the people will not elect Watson’s candidate, who is a railroad attor ney, to manage their affairs when the principal official business of the next governor will be the important trans action of leasing the state s ’•oad. Wm. J. Harris is the friend of labor. His record in the State Senate shows his loyalty and friendship to the lab oring people of Georgia. He' nelped defeat the repeal of the headlight law, which protects both the em ployes of the railroads and the pub lic. While a member, of the senate of Georgia, he was the champion of the laboring people of the state in all Just measures. Wm. J. Harris pledges himself, if elected, to give the people of Georgia a t business administration. He believes the education of our children D the most important duty our state owes its citizens, and it the state’s railroad property can be rented so that the revenue received from this source will keep open the public schools of the state two months longer each yea;- than here tofore, he will feel proud of the op portunity to serve his state in the education of her youth who hold the future destiny of the great state of Georgia. ••AUGUSTA IN 1914”