Message [Nathaniel E. Harris], Nov. 13, 1915 , Nov. 13, 1915

MESSAGE

STATE OF GEORGIA.

EXECUTIVE DEPAHTME~'l'.

ATLAN"TA.

Nov. 13, 1Dl5.

To the Ge11eral Assembly:
A resolution was adopted at the summer sess1011 appointing a special committee to visit tlw Georgia School for the Deaf, located i1t Cave Spring, Georgia, during vacation, to make a report concerning certain matters set out in that resolution.
There were submitted to the joint committee appointed under this resolution eertain matters, which when investigated it was found were not within tho :;.;cope of the enquiry that had been authorized by the General Assembl.v.
The Governor, therefore, under Seetion 1420 of the Code of HllO, was aske<l to appoint this legislative committee a Board of Visitor:;.;, with the powers and rights set forth in the law applicable thereto. Certain matters had been called to the attention of the joint committee touching the internal managenient of the institution, and it was deemed of great importance that this matter should be looked into, so that a report might he mad<~ both fo the GoYernor and the Geijeral Assemhl.Y on the subject. The following gentlemen who were on this special committee were therefore appointed a Board of Visitors:
Hon. J. R. ::\fcFarland, Hon. A. A. Lawrence, Hon.

,T. F. Hol<len, Hon. K H. Griffin, Hon. 1\f. ,T. Yeomans, Hon. G. 2\f. .Tones, Ron. L . .J. Steele, Hon. T.
R. A>er, Hon. L. r. Brown, Hon. L. Roberts, Hon.
,T. P. KnigM and Hon. T. D. "\Valker, Sr. These gentlemen md at the scl10ol and looke<l full>
into the matters submitted to them touching the management of the superintendent and a report was ma<le thereon, whicl1, in ohe<lience to tl1e law, I now Jay hefore yonr hody. Yon wi11 :c:ee that the hoard found that the charges were not sustained touching the rni,;management alleged, an<l, as I understand the report, fully exonerate the superintendent.
I have also thought it well to call to your attention anoth0r matfor which may re(]uire some action at v011r liandR, viz.: Section 147 of the Code of Geor~rn, 1s as follows:
"The Governor shall keep insured, at onel1a1f their value, all of the puhlic huildings of the State an<l library, except the State arsenals at Milleilgeyi110 and Savannah, the Penitentiar>r at Milledgeville, an<l the buildings of tl10 Western & Atlnntic R.R."
Fnder this Section it was not helieved that the Governor was rc(]nire<l to insure the rienitentiary at :\fi11cdgevi110. This insurance lrns heretofore heen kept up h>r the Prison Commission under the construction put upon tl1e law h~r t1ie Executive Department. The Prison 0ommission, howevn, 1rns recentl>r secnred an opinion from the Attorncy-Genera] to the effef't that the words "1wnitentiary at MilledgeYille," as u,;ed in thP statute, did not include
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the buildings on the present State Farm, and have therefore asked the Governor to insure the same.
'rhis will require an expenditure of some two thousand dollars, I am informed, and the money has not been appropriated. If you desire this insurance carried with the other insurance of the State, and agree with the Attomey-General that the law re(]Uires the Governor to insure these buildings, then I respectfully ask that you appropriate the necessary funds to continue the insurance, which is about to be cancelled; otherwise it will not be practicable for the same to be continued by this Department.
Respectfully submitted,
Govenwr.
( ('opy.) 0ARl,ANl1 ~J. ,TONER.
J\TTORN l\Y A'I' LAW. NmvNAN, 01m1w1A.
Sept. 8, 1913.
To His Excelle11cy, Gocernor N. E. !Tarris,
.A tlamtu, Oeorgia.
DEAR GOVERNOR:
The Board of ViRiton, appointed hy rou to visit the Sel1ool for tlw l)paf at Cave Spring and investigate the cliargf's against the managf'ment and tliP Nn1wrintPnde11t \\'Pslt'Y 0. Connor, visitP(1 Cmc~ 8prin; on fiept<'mhPr 1th, 1D1.i, and instrudPd me,

as their chairman, to make the fo11owing report to you:

"Resolved that the chairman be qnd he is hereby instrudecl to report to the Governor that the Board of Visitors appointed to investigate the School for the Deaf at Cave Spring, after investigating the same find that the affairs of the school are administered in an effieient, useful and businesslike manner, arnl that after hearing all available testimony, the Board of Visitors are of the opinion that the charges against Professor \V. 0. Connor and the institution are without foundation.
"vVe have not felt ourselYes capable of distinguishing between the merits of the Labial or Lip System and the ::\Ianual System, we therefore make no revort as to this, but recommend that the Board of Trustees investigate this question and report the same to His Excellency, the Governor.''

As instructed above, I herewith transmit this re-

port to yon.

Yours respectfully,

(Signed) .J. R. -:\foFAnLAND,

0 .l\LT./e

Chairman, Board of Visitors

r

School for the Deaf.

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(Copy.) Rossville, Ga., Sept. 11, 1915. To His Bxcelleucy, Orn-ernor N. E. Jlarris, Atlanta, Georgia.
DEAR GOVERNOR:
~~s Chairman of the Committee appointed by your
Excellenc,\' to visit the School for the Deaf, at Cave
Spring, Ga., beg to report we have discharged our duties as best we could. F)ight of our committee -were present. \Ve also examined the property under House Resolution No. 52, but only charged our expenses for one committee, this saving the State some expense. Please find enclosed the report.
Hoping you will soon fully recover from your hard summer's work, I remain,
Your very obedient friend, (Signed) J. H. McFARLAND.
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