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STATE TAX RETURNS
ON INE DECLINE
OVER ONE MILLION DOLLARS'
LOSS FEARED IN TAX
RETURNS.
BIG DEFICIT IS INDICATED
Decrease of $750,000 Shown by 35 Out
of 39 Counties—Governor
Keeping Tab.
—Atlanta.
With county tax returns showing a
loss of approximately $750,000 in 35
out of 59 counties reported to date,
the state treasurer faced the proba
bility of the first decrease in tax re
turns since 1899.
Comptroller General Wright declar
ed that unless the larger counties —
Fulton, Bibb, Chatham and Richmond
—which have not been reported, show
exceptionally large increases, the
state treasury would show a big de
crease in tax returns when the books
are closed.
To date 59 counties have been re
ported, and out of this number 35
show decreases over last year. 'Of
the eleven reported in one day seven
showed losses and only four increases.
Just as soon as the reports are re
ceived by the Comptroller General
they are prepared and submitted to
the governor, w ho is keeping close tab
on the situation.
If ♦ Z* <4 z-. • V « — ...
it the decreases continue to be re
ported from tiie counties, it is very
likely that the deficit over last year’s
returns will be something over one
million dollars.
Noted Newspaper Man.
John Vavasour Noel, the American
newspaper man and traveler, who for
the past four years, has been identi
fied with the wonderful economic ad
vancement of Peru, stopped over in
Atlanta en route from New' York to
New Orleans, and visited the state
capitol.
Mr. Noel, who has probably heard
every parliamentary body in the
world in session, was very much im
pressed with the eloquent and aggres
sive power of speech of the Georgia
legislators.
“Why, they seem to be all speak
ers,’’ he said. “Every man whom I
heard rise to comment on a bill or mo
ttion talked straight from the shoul
der. I think the gift of speaking in
public is more general in the South
than in any of the Northern states
with which I am acquainted.”
Mr. Noel was amassed at the growth
of Atlanta and the development of the
agricultural resources of,Georgia and
the South during the past few years.
He said that the Atlanta spirit com
pared with the spirit which was mak
ing Peru the greatest and most pro
gressive republic in South America.
Mr. Noel is now a resident of Lima,
Peru. He is the editor of the month
ly magazine, Peru Today, and also of
two weekly publications, “The West
Coast Leader,” and “Noticias.”
One of the biggest projects now
under way in Peru, Mr. Noel said,
was the construction of a huge break
water that will provide Calloa with
a superb harbor and make it as it
was in colonial times, the leading
port of the west coast. He says that
the building of this breakwater will
not only place the port in a premier
position for coast traffic, but will also
make it a point of collecting for ships
in the North Atlantic Australian trade
through the Panama canal. President
W. E. Billingham of the Peruvian re
public is making every effort to push
this huge project to a successful ter
mination.
Mr. Noel talked while here with
most of the state house officers who
were intensely interested in his com
ments on Georgia anti his description
of the wonderful growth in South
America.
Senator Smith Protested.
In the light of Senator Hoke Smith’s
well known position on the negro
question, there was something ex
tremely peculiar in the way rumors
gained circulation a short time ago
that the senator had urged the con
firmation of a negro who was appoint
ed register of the treasury is Wash
ington. It is suspected here by the
senator's friends that the story was
originally sent out with full knowl
edge of its falsity in an effort to hurt
Senator Smith.
As a matter of fact, the senator
has been making a vigorous protest
against the confirmation of the negro,
and even before the story in question
was published, he had stated to Pres
ident Wilson that he would oppose the
confirmation on the floor of the sen
ate.
The position of register of the
treasury Is one that has long been
set aside to be held by a negro, but
several weeks ago Senator Smith ex
pressed his opposition to the appoint
ment of a negro and declared point
blank that the administration ought to
appoint a white man.
Hillyer Is Appointed.
Georgia has been honored by the
appointment of a well known repre
, sentative of an equally well known
family as representative director on
the board of directors of the American
, Peace Society, in the person of Wil
liam Hurd Hillyer of Atlanta.
The announcement of this appoint
’ ment was made by J. J. Hall, resident
director of the society for the South
Atlantic states.
The American Peace Society is
world-wide in its scope, and numbers
among its directors men prominent in
all the American cities. John D.
Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie and
other philanthropists and men of
public note are identified with it.
The Georgian upon whom this
honor has been conferred is an in
vestment banker and one of the most
prominent young financiers in the
South. He is also known |n the liter
ary world and contributes to leading
magazines.
Swims Australian Crawl.
People who have visited Lakewood
during the summer, especially in the
morning have noticed a strange rip
ple which runs the whole length of
the circumference around the big lake,
leaving a frothy train behind it. Peo
ple are first inclined to think it is
some big animal swimming, but the
speed is too great for any animal,
and others have imagined it a huge
fish. As a matter of fact, it is a
man named Schlomberg swimming an
Australian crawl stroke with his head
most of the time under water and only
part of his back showing except when
he comes up to breathe. Schlomberg
is practicing by swimming ten miles
every day and sometimes more, with
the hope of performing the great feat
of swimming the English channel late
in the fall.
He has been a native of Atlanta for
a number of years, and is said to be
the most powerful long distance swim
mer in this part of the country.
The Financial Situation.
It has begun to be evident, that
about the only thing for which the
1913 Georgia legislature will go down
in history has been its effort in con
junction with Gov. John M. Slaton to
set the state’s finances on a more sat
isfactory basis. The legislature is do
ing its best to straighten out the tan
gled financial situation of the state
and make the outgo from the treasury
commensurate with the income. But
outside of this and measures that re
late to it, very little of note has been
accomplished.
Several measures have been pass
ed, however, that will tend to modern
ize and make more efficient the crim
inal court procedure and the handling
of convicts in Georgia.
Preparing for 801 l Weevil.
Georgia is preparing to do what oth
er Southern states already have done,
prepare to do battle with the boll wee
vil. The state is making plans to
work with the national government by
quarantining cotton from infested
counties, appropriating funds for pre
vention work and making every possi
ble effort to keep the pest out of the
state.
Uncle Sam is getting ready for the
fight in Georgia. The total fund t®
be spent by the government in this
state this year will be $50,000, the in
crease depending upon proper co-oper-
ation by Georgia officials.
Corn clubs and canning clubs, farm
demonstration agents and a bureau of
information for farmers will be among
the means employed to spread infer
mation as to methods of combatting
the weevil. Diversification of crops
is urged as the greatest weapon
against the pest, for it can literally
be starved out .in the absence of
its favorite food.
Dog Days Are Here.
Georgia has entered into the trying
period of the dog days, and the ill
omened star is again blazing in the
sky. Swimming has ceased to be a
very popular sport in the lakes around
Atlanta, owing to the belief that has
existed from time immemorial that
dangerous vapors rise from even the ;
purest streams during this period of
the year. According to the belief of
negro “mammies” and others versed
in southern folklore, the snakes go
blind during this time, and are all !
the more dangerous because in a state
of madness which causes them to
strike blindly at anything that comes
near them.
In a locality like Georgia where j
the evil influences of the dog days
is generally believed in, it may be
interesting to note that the idea con
necting the star Sirdus with insup
portable heat and prevalent disease
has descended from remote antiquity.
Homer called it “the evil star,” and
the Romans had the same idea. The
“dies canicular,” which is plain Latin
for dog days, were regarded as the
unhealthiest time of the year in Rome,
and it was considered deadly to walk
in the sun at that time of year. This
belief has persisted to modern times
in Italy, and there is today a proverb
among the lower classes at Naples
that “only dog days and Englishmen
walk in the sun.” It is related of
Ovid that when he fell ill during the
dog days, he sacrified a dog to pro
pitiate the wrath of the star, and was
cured.
WHEELER COUNTY EAGLE, ALAMO, GEORGIA
PROCEEDINGS Os
THE LEGISLATURE
TWO PRISON REFORM BILLS.
With the concurrence of the state
prison board and of superior court
judges all over the state, the senate
has passed two measures which seem
destined to revolutionize the methods
of dealing with convicts in Georgia.
They do not interfere with the sys
tem of putting convicts on the road.
In fact Chairman Davidson of the pris
on board believes that the changes
will increase the efficiency of the con
victs in road building; but they do
change entirely the attitude of the
state toward the convict, and give the
convict a chance to work out his own
salvation.
The first of the two measures legal
ize the right of the judge to suspend
sentence and provides that an adult
for whom sentence has been suspend
ed may be freed on probation. The
second measure provides for the inde
terminate sentence of convicts instead
of sentencing them to a fixed term of
years.
TO REGULATE INSURANCE
COMPANIES.
The two bills now pending in the
Georgia legislature, one Introduced by
W. D. McNeil of the senate and the
other introduced by A. W. Meadors
of the house are backed, it is stated,
by all of the fire insurance companies
of the state of Georgia and practically
all of the life insurance companies.
The bill regulates the investments of
■ insurance companies in Georgia, and
is copied largely after the New York
law, which state has built up the most
prominent insurance companies in this
country.
The bill first prescribes the man
ner in which the minimum capital re
quired by law shall be invested. This
is to protect the state and the policy
holders. In addition to this protec
tion the companies have their rein
surance reserves. After the state and
policyholders have been protected the
companies seek to have the right by
statute to invest the residue of their
capital and surplus in stocks and
bonds of corporations estimated at
not exceeding their cash market value
and in loans on real estate worth dou
ble the amount of the loan.
MAY CALL EXTRA SESSION.
If Governor Slaton calls an extra
session of the legislature this year,
it will be immediately after the regu
lar session adjourns the middle of this
month—-and if the predictions of state
house officials are true there is go
ing to be an extra session unless this
financial problem is worked out with
in the next two weeks.
Tax equalization, income tax, inher
itance tax, extra levy and all those
things are details which may be ar
ranged in one way and another. The
one thing that is vital in the estima
tion of the governor to have the ap
propriations and the prospective in
come of the state about equal.
Eitiier raise more money or spend
less is the thing he will insist on not
IX-Otj bl LllC VV XI I ISIOIUU Vil
only to the end of the present legis
lature, but which will be pnt before
them at a special session if neces
sary.
The question of issuing new bonds
to retire part of the state's bonded
indebtedness is one that must also
be figured on either within the next
fourteen days or at an extra ses
sion.
SENATE BILLS PASSED IN THE
HOUSE.
By Mr. Sweat of the Fisth —To in
crease number of members of the
board of commissioners of roads and
revenues of Ware county and other
wise change said board.
By Mr. Richardson of Thirteenth —•
To amend act creating a system of
public schools for city of Oglethorpe.
Senate substitute concurred in, ex
tending the time allowed the Tennes
see copper mines to complete tests
and make remedies of damages to the
farmers.
By Mr. Rushin of the Fourteenth —
j To repeal act establishing city court
! of i Venn a.
RECOMMEND CHANGE IN THE
DIVORCE LAW.
The general judiciary commtitee of
the house recommended for passage a
bill which seeks to wipe from the
code the old barbaric law denying a
mother the custody of her minor chil
dren and making the father their natu
ral guardian when a divorce is grant
ed. The proposed bill simply changes
things around and -makes the mother
the natural custodian, when the chil
dren are under fourteen years of age,
and puts it up to the husband to prove
that the mother is not a fit person to
care for them.
The recommended measure is also
amended and is extremely conserva-|
tlve compared with the one which |
Judge Henry C. Hammond of Augus
ta favored
THREE RESOLUTIONS ASK THE
SALE OF MANSION.
Three resolutions providing for the
■ exchange, sale or lease of the present
1 governor's mansion are pending before
। the committee on public proprerty of
the state senate.
The resolution of Senator Peyton of
the Thirty-first creating a commis
sion of five members, two from the
senate and three from the house, to
' negotiate for a suitable sale or ex
change of the mansion, which was re
* ported unfavorably by the public
J property committee several days ago,
’ has been recommitted and Senator
Peyton moved that the report of the
committee be disagreed to.
Senator B. S. Miller spoke in favor
of the Peyton resolution on the* plea
’ that it was the only one of the three
’ which incorporated in it a section
1 which required the commission to re
‘ port to the legislature and receive its
sanction before final consummation of
and deal that might take place.
BLUE SKY LAW IS PASSED.
While the house is still in the
midst of a heated debate over the tax
equalization measure, the senate has
passed two general bills that will be
of interest to all classes in every
; section of the state.
One is the blue sky law, designed
to protect Georgians from all sorts
of fraud agents and dealers in wild
cat stocks and bonds and "gold
bricks” of similar nature.
The other is the indeterminate sen
tence law which was formally endors
ed by the prison board, and which
gives judges the power to sentence
convicts to an Indeterminate number
of years instead of the present rigid
inflexible sentence. For instance, a
judge can now sentence a convicted
f burglar to not less than three or not
I more than ten years. It then remains
: entirely with the prisoner himself as
to whether he will earn his release at
; the end of the shortest period, by
model deportment and by working
. hard. He is given a chance
i SMITH DID NOT URGE APPOINT
MENT OF A NEGRO.
Senator Hoke Smith has sent a fur
. ther communication to his Atlanta
friends, denouncing as utterly false
the report published in an Atlanta pa
per that he had urged the confirma
■ tion of a negro as register of the
treasury at Washington.
In view of Senator Smith’s well
known position on the negro question,
it is singular that such a mistake
could have been made. As a matter
of fact, the senator has been making
a vigorous protest against the con
firmation of the negro, and has stated
to President Wilson that he will op
pose the confirmation on the floor of
the senate.
The position of register of the
treasury is one that has long been
set aside to be held by a negro. Sev
eral weeks ago, however, Senator
Smith expressed his opposition to the
appointment of a negro and remark
ed that if the administration could not
appoint a white man, he would not
vote to confirm a negro.
About two months ago a negro pa
per in Atlanta commented on a state
ment alleged to have been made by
Senator Smith that he did not favor
negroes for jobs above that of spit
toon washer. There is now a strong
’ movement in Washington to segregate
, the races, so that negroes will not
’ be in positions above white men and
women and have direction of their
, work.
' BILL TO EXTEND W. &A. TO
THE SEA.
A bill has been introduced in the
house to give the Atlantic, Waycross
and Northern railroad entrance into
; Atlanta by granting it authority to
condemn and take possession of the
Fort Valley branch of the Southern
, railway and to enable it to amend its
charter so as to connect with the At
lantic ocean at St. Mary’s. The bill
further provides that the state may
then take over all the property thus ,
- acquired, making full compensation
therefor, and thus extend the West
ern and Atlantic to the sea.
Another bill of general interest pro
poses to increase the fees for jurors
in justice courts from $1.25 to $2.50.
BILL TO NAME TOWN “RENO.”
The poet who asked “What’s in a
name,” might speculate on the future
of the Georgia community in Grady
county, which will be named Reno if
a bill just introduced in the legisla
ture is passed.
Up until now Atlanta has had the
reputation of being the "Georgia
Reno,” but with a town really named
Reno, some other name will have to ’
be chosen to designate the Capital 1
City as a divorce center.
Henceforth “I’m on my way to 1
Reno” will not mean the same thing I
in Georgia that it does in other ।
states, for Georgia will have a Reno .
of her own.
NEW INTERNA^" REVENUE COL- |
LECTOR TAKES CHARGE. |
Hon. A. O. Blalock of Fayetteville, ।
■ former state senator, is being put in
charge of the office of internal rev
enue inspector, to which he was ap- I
pointed by the Wilson administration,
Conversation is a bore when you
have to make it.
Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup for Children
teething, softens the gums, reduces tnflammiv
' tiou,allays pain, cures wind co lie,2sc a bottle44v
Misunderstood.
“Is your dog a coon dog?”
“No, he’s a white dog."
For wire cuts use Hanford’s Balsam.
Adv.
Compensation.
“Any chickens in that new show?”
“No, but it has plenty of lame
ducks.”
For lame back use Hanford’s Bal
sam. applied thoroughly and well rub
bed in. Adv.
Her Methods.
“Does your daughter study her
geography with avidity.”
“No; she studies it with maps.”
Newspaper stereotypers use Han
ford's Balsam of Myrrh for relief from
splashing metal burns. Adv.
Land of Careless Attire.
"A writer says Bohemia Is a state of
mind."
“I’ve always thought It was a state
of deshabille."
For the big and little burns in cook
ing and baking, keep Hanford's Bal
sam of Myrrh near for quick relief.
Adv.
Good Supply.
“Why does it seem so easy to bor
row trouble?"
“I suppose because It is something
everybody has got plenty of to lend.”
AROUSES THE I.IVER AND I’URmES
THE HI.OOD.
The Old Standard general strengthening ton 10,
GROVES TASTELESS chill TONIO, arouses the
liver to action, drives Malaria out of the blood and
builds up the system. A true tonic. For Adults and
children. 60c.
Impressionist School.
Patience —The artist says he put a
lot of thought in that picture.
Patrice —SeemS to me that he's put
a good deal more paint than thought.
For SUMMER. HEAD ACHES
Hicks' CAPUDINE Is ths best remedy
no mutter what causes them —whether
from the heat, sitting In draughts, fever
ish condition, etc. 10c., 25c and 50c per
bottle at medicine stores. Adv.
Unalterably Opposed.
Mike —Do yez believe in the recall
of judges, Pat?
Pat —That I do not. The last time
I was up before his honor he sez:
“I recall that face. Sixty days." Am
agin the recall of judges.—Life.
In Far-off India.
In some unknown manner a little
sample of Hanford’s Balsam of Myrrh
found its way into an interior village
of India. It was its own agent, and
from that small beginning a steady
trade has developed and each succeed
ing shipment has beenjarger. Adv. (
Didn’t Affect Him.
Horrified Old Lady—Oh, kind sir,
think of your mother! Think of your
mother!
Burglar (sternly)-—No uso, lady! I
wuz brought up in a incubator. —Puck.
RUB-NIY-TISM
Will cure your Rheumatism and all
kinds of aches and pains—Neuralgia,
Cramps, Colic, Sprains, Bruises, Cuts,
Old Sores, Burns, etc. Antiseptic
Anodyne. Price 25c. —Adv.
Would Know Soon.
Mistress —Would you like to come
on trial for a week?
Prospective Cook —Sure, O1 can tell
whether 01 will loike yez in twenty
four hours. —Life.
Unique Laboratory Planned.
John D. Rockefeller, Jr., is planning
the erection of a psychological labora
tory, which will be one of the most re
markable in the world. The purpose
is to save girls from crime.
• Cholera I •
fl Hog Cholera, Chicken £
m Cholera, and other diseases *
[ of stock and poultry, make *
[ you lose money. Can this J
• loss be avoided? The •
® answer is: YES! Give *
Bee Dee
STOCK & POULTRY MEDICINE
£ promptly, when the first fl
* symptoms appear. It acts *
2 on the liver, and gets it to £
• working freely. A disor- J
® dered liver causes these J
fl (and most other) troubles V
fl of stock and poultry. fi
£ Price 25c, 50c and SI.OO per can. £
• “Bee Dee Stock & Poultry Medicine Jfc
Is a splendid cure for liver trouble, roup, W"
• chicken cholera and other diseases."-- *
F. J. Stowe, Purcell. Okla. P. A. 15 W
