Outline of accomplishments of the present administration, 1949 December 23

GA G600 .M1
1949
3
GEORGIA. GOVERIWR (HEPJ-1A.N E. TALMADGE) . OUTLINE OF ACCONPLISHMENTS OF THE PRESENT ADMINISTRATION

Atlanta, Georgia December 23, 1949

Dear Friend:

Enclosed you will find a short
tsutsta:ntrrng ae aompn~n e!' (Jf'

:rwe outline listing some of the more c e!t'e"" ~ !MIIft't1"'!'M:0~'0$

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it took office, November 17, 1948.

We will appreciate it if you will read this through when you have the time. It has a lot of facts and figures about the operation of your State government that you may want to keep for permanent reference.

You will note that my administration has placed the needs and wishes of the people it serves above all other considerations.

We have made great strides in every governmental function. I am particularly proud of what we have been able to do thus far in the fields of health, education, public welfare and highways.

Any comment you may have to make on this outline will be helpful to us. If, from time to time, you have any ideas as to how we can improve our administrative efforts or inaugurate new services that will advance our State, I will appreciate hearing from you.

With all good wishes to you for the New Year, I am,

"'Most sincerely,.
~~~rr

HET:gc Enclosure - 1

IDOU.L.L:f \I,Ut::i:Jit::= .1."-J..I:;;;.;J lo.IV ""'U'-"'"" - - - - - - - - - - - - -



benefits could be extended to a greater number of de-

serving old people in more s1tbstantial amounts.

2. PAYMENTS INCREASED: old-age assistance payments ~ Novembe:t' 1949 vTent to 95,925reeipients as compar:d w~th
only 83 357 on rolls in June, 1948. November checks
averaged 022.74 for substa.ntial increase over ~/19.12
average paid in -June 3:948.---' --

(

I. HOSPITAL CONSTRUCTION
1. YEARLY OUTLAY: 03 1 0001 000.00 for 48-49 to catch
up slack in program; like amount for this year; making possible 30 health centers and 43 new hospitals or additions.

2. TOTAL PROGR.:11: Program will run 7 years for a total State-Federal and Local expenditure of over 70
.l. iillion

3. FEDERAL Pj\.RTICIPATION: Federal government raised .

appropriation recently Old participation plan

from was l

150 Hil /3 from

l

ion t each

o 300
leve~;

Hnielvlii.o.

n...

-

percentage participation is: State 20%, Federal 60%

and Local 20~~.

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4. OUTSTANDING RECORD: Georgia was chosen for first in a series of nationwide conferences on hospital opening and management because its program"is recognized as the leader in exemplary administration.

II. DEPOT PURCHASE FOR STATE P0'RT

1. PURCHASE: Bought in November 1948 for 0808,100.00

from l1ar Assets; worth between 6 and 8 Million.



G~ant warehouses have 21 000,000 feet of storage space.

2. INCOlrE: 7.50;000 square feet under lease to private concerns, ~)82,436.00; 13.5,000 bales Commodity Credit Corporation cotton CD 30 per bale per month, ::;;4861 00000 annually; plus .50 per bale for-uriloa:ding and storing, giving total annual income of C63.5,936.00; quite a r~turn on C8o8,100.oo.

3. FUTURE DEVELOPliENT: Pay as you go. ~:;4,.5oo,ooo.oo
loan from R. F. c. Applied for; money vdll build: -
2,130 feet of docks and transit sheds"to berth four modern cargo vessels; grain elevators. .-re have already bought and are installing a modern cotton
compress to process cotton for storage. Large acreage (200)"is available adjacent to Depot for industrial sites.

III. PUBLIC ASSISTANCE

1. OLD RULES LIBERALIZED: Old rules barred many from receiving pension due to owning little modest dwelling
or having few dollars saved back in fruit jar. Uentioned this in campaign. Glad we have been able to modify these rules so that substantial assistance
benefits could be extended to a greater number"of deserving old people in more s'tbstantial amounts.

2. PADIENTS INCREASED: old-age assistance payments in Novembe:r 1949 went to 9.51 92.5 reeipients as compared with only 83,3.57 on rolls in June, 1948. November checks averaged 022.74 for substantial increase over (/19.12
average paid in -Jun~ 1948-.---' --

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3. TOTAL BENEFITS UP: Total welfare benefit payments for old-age assistance, aid to dependent children; aid to blind will amount to approximately (;33,ooo,ooo.oo during fiscal year 49-'50 as compared with 020,437,031.50 f?r fiscal year '47-'48.
4. APPROPRIATIOHS: Present appropriation tomatch Federal f~~ds for welfare benef~ts is'Bl0,700,000.00. for 49- 150 as compared to (;6,567,681.63 for 47- 148. Participation percentage ratio is about 25% State, 5% Gounty and 70% Federal. Certainly Georgia'should strive to take full advantage of this program.
IV liiiLLEDGEVILLE HOSPITAL
le NEW HOSPITAL BUILDING: Contract already let for 1,000-bed psychiatric hospital to cost C49o,.ooo.oo to be most modern of its kind in nation. Single story patio type construction makes handling of patients easier.
2. CURRENT PLANS: Call for construction of Central Supply Depot to handle all supplies, groceries and meats for huge institution. Money will be saved through accurate perpetual inventory and greater security. Al~o slated"for construction this year is 10-c~ir dental clinic; All part of long-range program of improvement. During next fiscal year when more funds are available another 1,000-bed hospital'will be built which will solve all housing
p~oblems.
3. OTHER II.iP!lOVEI'OO.TTS at Uilledgevill~ under Talmadge include: rrenovatifig 3'dbrmitories and constructing fi-re escapes, ~.122,000.00; ne"t"rboiler plant addition, ~;263,000.00; laundry expansion, ~25,ooo.oo; equipment '" for la'tlndry, ~~28,ooo,oo; fire fighting equipment;
05,ooo.oo; building 5 homesfordoctors, C3o,ooo.oo;
repairs to water system, ~:.7 ,ooo.oo, and numerous other lesser items.
4. APPROPRIATION: For '49-'50, ~5,000,000.00 for operationsandC8oo,ooo.oo for building purposes. This is 02,ooo,ooo.oo more than amount provided during last fiscal year of preceding administration.
5 ADDITIONAL CARE: "\'Je now have 19 full-time doctors as compared with 11 when I took office; 38 graduate nurses as compared to 18; and, 931 nurses and attendants as compared with 7Sl on duty in October 1948. Dental staff has been increased from 2 to 5. State Board of Nurs~ Examiners has recently approved Milledgeville S~ate Hospital for training student nurses.
6. tlERIT SYSTEI.I, DIET, ETC.: Extension of merit system and substantial pay increases for employees has had a decidedly good effect on morale of workers. Especial attention being paid to diet of patients for first time in history Thanksgiving and Christmas dinnerswill include turkey and trimmings. Recreational therapy, including useful occupations, barbecues, and other outings have been inaugurated. Bed linen now being changed tvrice weekly instead of once every two weeks as was case under previous administrations. NO LONGER DO PATIEHTS DIE !JURING THE NIGHT UNATTEIJDED.

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V._ BLIND FACTORY
1. CREATION: 1937 Legislature passed legislation authorizing creation of such a factory, but it was not financed until January 1949, under Talmadge.
2. LOCATION: Located at old Bainbridge Army Air Base. Buildings excellent for purpose. Apartments available for married workers.
3. MANUFACTURES: Products sold in competitive trade and to State Purchas-
ing Department include brooms, mops and fine innerspring mattresses.
4. PIONEER EFFORT: Georgia pioneered this rehabilitation effort and many
blind persons have already been made self-supporting and removed from assistance rolls.
VI. PUBLIC HEALTH
1. CAPACITY UTILIZATION OF BATTEY: $1,100,000 extra money to Battey TB Hospital to provide for expansion from 1,400 beds to approximately 2,000 beds. Aim is to add one patient per day over a period of a year and a half. Formerly sufferers could not get in or had to wait several weeks before admission. Precious treatment days are being saved now by expansion program. Adequate funds are available to buy the wonder drug Streptocymin. The hat is not having to be passed for this purpose now. Contract has already been let for a white nurses home costing $112,224.00; a new milking barn, costing ~:~28,000.00; and five 3-bedroom brick homes for doctors and their families. Two negro wards accomodating over one hundred patients will be thrown open in the next few weeks. Architects are working on plans now for a negro nurses home Hhich will be built with Hill-Burton participation, the Federal Government paying 60% of the cost. A modern up-to-date laboratory is also being planned for the Hospital which will cost ~100,000.00. This, too, will be financed through HillBurton aid. Patient load at Battey Hospital, as of December 7, was 1,441, compared with 1,324 on December 7, 1948$ Operation of Battey Hospital at capacity for ten years will materially reduce incidence of TB, Georgia health authorities contend. Battey runs TB tests in their laboratory for entire State. New laboratory will make possible quicker, better and more efficient results.
2. HOSPITAL BUILDING PROGRAM: Refer to Hospital Construction Program above.
3. HEALTH INVESTIGATORS: Mass surveys of Georgians for TB through chest X-rays and VD through blood tests underway. Healthmobile goes into one county at a time, with a tie-in with radio stations, newspapers, civic clubs, farm and veterans organizations. In many counties, as much as 90 per cent of the population has been tested~ We now have 26 health investigators taking this program to people as against only 11 in previous a d m i n i s t r a t i o n ..
VIL._ COMMON SCHOOlS_
1. MOST IN HISTORY: The present State Administration has done more for the cause of public education than any other administration the State's history.
2. APPROPRIATION: '47- 148, $37,2501000.00 compared with $50,?00,000.00, a $13,450,000.00 increase. Where did it go?
3. EMERGENCY EQJALIZATION: Funds have been provided for our County School
Board this year before opening of term for first time in history. Termed a "Life-saveru by officials all over State. Carrying out theme of localself-government. Money has gone to retire pressing debt; repairs to school buildings; school buses; salary supplements to teachers.
4. PAY RAISE: 10% pay raise for teachers.

5. BUS DRIVERS:
drivers.

$11 2001 000.00 rAise for bus

6. EFFICIENCY: Operating at fullest possible efficiency with resources availableJ local newspapers report best facUlties in nistory.
VIII. HIGH\'!AYS

1. ROAD OUTLAY: Roads completed!! roads now under construction and roads for which contr~cts have been let during the period from November 18, '1948,
through november 4; 1949, amount to ~22,206,320.00.
Of this sum C2 712,742.00 was allotted to rural post roads and Cl9,493,578.oo waa allotted to construction ~ State and Federal routes. The program includes 660 miles of State and Federal routes and 300 miles o~ rural post roads.
2. CONSTRUCTION I:ILEAGE: Out of the 660 miles of construction on State routes much of this provides the connecting linl{s of important highways which bear heavy traffic. The 330 miles of post roads in the program are located in counties where such roads were imperatively needed. The present Administration is building a larger percentage of rural roads out of its total program tfian any other administration in the State's history.
3. MAI~TTENANCE NEGLECTED: Road maintenance was neglected during the war and the years which followed, while accumulated money was dissipated on "negotiated" contract frauds where the taxpayers dollar bought 5~ worth or less.
4. G.B.EATEST HAINTENANCE PROGRAM: Repair crews are now at work carrying out the greatest and most farreaching maintenance program in the history of the State. We are using concrete to repair concrete instead of smearing asphalt over the holes as was the custom in the past; center lines are being repainted; bridges are being repaired and widened; shoulders are being smoothed up and drainage is being provided to keep the rain ~~ter and ice in winter from ~ging the roads.
5. HIG;TI7AY SIGNS: New highway signs and markers
are being manufactured by the Department at a great savings. Old signs are being repainted and used again instead of being discarded as in the past.
IX. FORESTRY PROTECTION

1. PROTECTION: Statewide program inaugurated under the Talmadge Administration f:tom 38 counties under protection in 1948 with 1,3001 000 acres, to a statewide protection and reforestration programnowWith 79 coUnties under protection, totalling 13,300,000 acres.
2. FL~E SPOTTING: 87 galvanized lookout towers have been bought for use tt~oughout the State to spot fires in their incipient state.

3. SEEDLING PRODUCTION: Three nurseries are being OI>~ra:t.ed. for the production of seedling pines.

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X. ~ riLDLIFE RESOUUCES

l. NOST IN HISTORY: The present Adr.linistration is doing more than ever before in history to replenish ~d conserve our vrildlife resources in Georgia.

2. ENFORCElfENT OF GAME LA":IS: Vle have increased our
rangers from 74. to 1201 and for the first time are
making a concerted effort to enforce our game laws in Georgia.

3. FISH HATCHERIES: Fiv:e fish hatcheries are being mai.11.tained at n high stnte of efticiency by the
Department at Summerville, in Chattooga County:
Rutledge in :"!alton County; Richmond Hill, in Bryan County; Lake Burton, i.11. .Raymond County; and Bovfen' s Mill in Ben Hill and wucox Counties, the latter
having been. destroyed by noods some three years ago. It has been c~lotely rebuilt by this Administration at a cost of ~12,500.00 aft~r having gone neglected for two years until the present Admi.11istration rebuilt it. It will.be in full operation next season.

4. TIICREASED PRODUCTION AT HATCHEF.IES: The ~1alton
County hatchery is being enlarged so that the production of our hatcheries 'v.ill be doubled next season. Plans are also underway for tile development of a new fish hatchery to be located near Uacon. The S~erville hatchery has also been greatly im.proved.
5. SHRTiiP INDUSTRY: Our shrimp industry alone on
the Georgia coast gives employment to more than 3,000 people and the ~vestmentinshrimp boats and packing
p~ants exceeds 05,ooo,ooo.oo.

6. COASTAL FIS~IES DIVISION: The Coastal Fisheries

Division,charged with protecting our coastal fish

resources, operates five patrol boats a11.d one patrol

plane, with one: boat being used by the Federal Aid

Division in carrying out scientific researcl~ A

contract has already been let by the present

Administration for construction o! an office and shop

building witn docking facilitie~ at Brunmvick to

co.. st

~35,ooo.oo. ;

7 BENEFIT OF FORESTRY PROGRJ\!1 TO WILDLIFE: The statewide forestry protection program being carried
out in GeorGia will also be of great benefit in conserving our wildlife resoUrces "because it will
act as a refuge for small game.

B. QUAIL HATCHERIES AND PRODUCTION: The Department is also operating an excellent quail hatchery in
DeKalb County Eggs and oaby birds are distributed
through Georgia 4-H Clubs. Boys and girls over
Georgia are making quail raising one of their farm projects under the supervision of county agents.

Neither the fieh hatcheries nor the quail .hatcheries
are able to supply the overwhelming demand !or fish and quail. All funds available from the sale of hunting and fishing licenses go towards expanding these
wildlife facilities, and for further protection, such as establisbme~t of preserves and enforeement of game laws.

9 EX!PLARY PROGRA1I: The Department is carrying out an exemplary program of information and education ~ch brings the value of"conservation forcibly to the attention of our people,
XI, HIGID7AY SAFETY

1, SAF:STY DIVISION: Georgia's program is attracting favorable nationwide comment, We nmv have ten competent men working full-time carrying out safety promotion work while heretofore no more than two men had been assigned to this task in airY preceding
.admi.Ylistration,
2. DRrn~ TRAINnlG: Safety Education Division held eleven summer driver training institutes for high
achool teachers from which 233 were graduated, These
teachers are now back in their class roo:ms all over Georgia instructing approximately 10,000 of our young (leorgia boys and Cirls in the rules of tne road, and how to operate motor vehicles safely. This is a program we hope to further expand next summer.

3, .SCHOOL SAFETY PATROLS: We are also going all out in developing school safety patrols and have increased the strength of the uniformed division in an effort to reduce the terrific toll of h\mlan life due to automobile"accidents which take place each year in our State.
XII, FARUERS W\RKETS

1. APPROPRIATION: ~5oo,ooo.oo has been appropriated this year for use in the establishment and"development of farmers markets throughout Georgia, The amount provided for this purpose is greater than ever before
~ the history of the State,

2, CONSTRUCTION: Construction of new markets and

additions to existingmarkets already contracted for

out of this ~;5oo;ooo,oo ~ppropriati-on are as follows:

Atlant-a; C;i48,589.47; Co:rdele; 076,265.48; J6sup,

031,88600; Thomasville, ~17,938.90; Tifton, $32,207.00;

Vidalia,-~291 762,00. Other market improvements at Columbus, llacon, Savannah and Augusta are in the

p~ing state,

...

3. DIAGNOSTIC LABORATORY: Allocation of 0501 000.00
!rom State Emergency Fund to the Board of Regents for building a new diagnostic laboratory at Coastal Plains Experiment Station at Tifton to be used for diagnoois
of animal diseases.

4. SOIL CONSERVATION: Another allocation to the Board
of Regents for use in buying cattle fo:r the School of
Animal HusbandrY. and allocation of C25,ooo.oo to be
used on soil conservation.

XIII, VETERANS BENEFITS

1. POLICY: Present Administration believes Georgia veterans should be honored in both word and in deed. Present Administration has pra.c+Jieed t.his precept.

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2. CAUPAIGN PlrolJ!SES FtJLli'!LLED: ~~e and

'

on-the-farm training h~ been elrried to Q&orgia

veterans throughout the state as promised in the

campaign last summer, From haphazard basis in a

few counties there are today 120 counties that have

a~ult academic and on-the-farm training programs.

3. ACADEUIC TRAINING.:: Academic program helps

Gth.ouIs. ansdswh(1o0n1 0e0v0e

at the present time) r hadan opportunity

t

o o

f former go to o

r

finish their schooling. 'l'hey are now studying

on a part-time basis and are receiving partial

s~sistence.

4. ONTHE-F.ARH TRAINnto: Enrollment in on-the-nirm
training.has increased fram 12,000 in July 1948 to 1~,972. on October 31, 1949.

5. BIG RETURNS: stepped up programs for V(Jterans
in Georgia are bringing in approximately $2,50o,ooo.oo per month in subsistence payments. This money would have been lost to many Georgia veterans had the Talmadge Administration not bestirred itself to provide these training facilities where veterans might
go tG school and draw these subsistence payments.

6. FREE DRIVERS LICEUSES: Another .fine thing is
free honorar.y driver licenses for Georgia veterans or their widows. This will amount to a substantial saving over a period of several years, and will .free ~~from_having to_ s~and in l~ne in order to renew om- ~..Jt& ~~~- .. . ~
!IVf riORY.llE!J 1S COMPENSATION

1. INCREASED BENEFITS: The Talmadge Administration has materially increased benefits to the working man under these Laws. Substantial increases in the amounts paid for total incapacity, partial incapacity, last sickness and funeral expenses, as well as medical treatment Will be a big help to the working
~ and his family.

2. EXAMPLES: In case of total incapacity, tne
maximum has been increased from $20.00 to 024.00 per week, and the minimum from $4.00 to ~;7 .oo per
week. In case of partial incapacity, the maximum has been increased fram $12.00 to $1$.00 a week. For
last sickness and funeral expenses; we have increased compensation from $100.00 to $225.oo. Tie have ~so amended the Law to authorize additional medical treatment in the amount or~25o.oo, or a total now of (.;?So.oo instead of 05oo.oo as heretofore the limit~

XV DEPARTI.:ENT OF C01J1!ERCE

1. CREATION: Created by the Talmadge Administration to stimulate and coordinate industrial and commercial
efforts on the part of our local communities.

2. TOURIST PROGRAM: Agressive program for development of tourist attractions has received universal approval.

3. INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPUE'NT: The Department is compiling an up-to-date industrial survey, city by city and county
by county, for the first time in history in order that
ready information might be furnished prospective ousi-
nesses desiring to locate in Georgia or the South.