Message of Governor Nat E. Harris to the General Assembly of Georgia, June 27, 1917

MESSAGE
OF
GOVERNOR NAl"' E. HARRIS
TO THE
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
OF
GEORGIA
JUNE 27, 1917
1917 INDEX PRINTING CO., State Printers
ATLANTA, GA.

MESSAGE
OF
GOVERNOR NATE. HARRIS
TO THE
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
OF
GEORGIA
JUNE 27, 1917
1917 INDEX PRINTING CO., State Printers
ATLANTA, GA.

MESSAGE
F,xEcuTrvg DEPARTJ\IENT, STATE OF GEORGIA.
ATLANTA, GA., Jmm 27, 1917.
To the G()nernl Assenibly:
It is not to he expected that the words of a retiring Governor would have much influence with an incoming General Assembly. Nevertheless vve have
been taught to give great weight to last words
simply because they are '' last words.'' The two years just passed have been momentous
as well to this State as to the world. The most terif-
fic contest ever known among men has been going on in Europe. :Millions of people have been slain and many millions more ,rnnnded and put in the list of the maimed and ruined for life.
On the 6th of April of this year the President of the United States issued a proclamation, in obed-
ience to a resolution of Congress, declaring that a
state of war existed between the United States and the Imperial German Government. The result has been that our whole country is being fast turned into a military camp. The sound of arming is heard everywhere in the land and our boys are being pre-
pared for Pntering into the rontest to defend the
honor of the nation and insur0 thP safety of the State for the future.
The preparation for the recent registration re-
3

quired an expenditure of a considerable sum of money. The Secretary of \\Tar asked that the State
of Georgia volunteer to cany this expense. I called
together the Attorney-Genna}, the Treasurer and the Comptroller-Ge110n:l on J\fa_\T 5th and after ample investigation ,ve decidrd that there was no money suhjert to the warrant of the Governor which could be used for this purpose. It was then agreed that the Governor should submit the question to the Legislature in order that it might be settled by that body at its approaching session.
rl1he Secretary, in urging us to do this as a matter of patriotic interest, said that 32 States of the TTnion had agTee<l to do so, adding that they could wrll afford to undertake the matter frer of charge to thr genrrnl Govrrnnwnt on account of the nature of the service. Tlw :-;nm expended will not rxceed $10,000, perhnps. which lrns lwPn or will he furnished by thr United Rtatrs GovPrnment and I lwg you to investigate the q1wstion and (kcide whether or not
in your wi:-;dorn .\-on de:-;ire to ndvance the same, so
that Georgia shall he put in the list of those that have cani(~d this 0xpeJ1se for the Nation at Large.
N OTARIBS PUBLIC.
The last Legislature passed a law authorizing the appointrn0llt of Notaries Public for the State at Large by the State Librarian, Mrs. Cobb. The only record of such appointments is kept in her office and there is no provision for a seal or for certifying extracts from her min ntes showing the same. It is t; lieved that there ought to be a record of these appointments kept in the office of the Secretary o:t'.
4

State, so that the 11ecessary certificates might be made in that office which is most concerned in the landed interests of tlw commonwealth. I recommend that yon look i11to the whole matter and make such changes in the law as will render more efficient these appointm<~nts. They ought to be of very great assistance to the public at large inasmuch as their jurisdictiou extends over the whole State and access to them is easier than in other cases. The Librarian is deserving of this.
PAIWLES.
A large munber of eases have come l>efore the .B}xecutivc in -which a 1mrolc -was recommended by the Pri:-;011 Commis:-;ion. Under the law the commission i:-; autl10ried to recommend such parole after au exa111i11atio11 ol' the history of tlle pri:-;011er before the eommission of the crime aml the prison record rna(lc lJy him si11ec his co1diueme11t in the penitentiary. If these arc fonu<l safo;fadory the law authori11cs the reeommernlatiou to the Governor to be made. _No matter how heinous the crime, it is not necessarily taken iuto eo11siderntio11. 'l'hese paroles lead alrno:-;t inevitably to pardons at the end of 12 months. 'l'he Governor i:c:: required to pass on them and if he approves the reeomme11datiou he may grant the parole.
lt is not the belier of this J1Jxce11tive that a parole ought to lie gnrnted to a prisoner -without a fnll examination ii1to the facts developed on the trial, the charader of the crime as well as the prev10us and suhsequent history of the pnsouer. The law eertajnly never contemplated that the pnsoner
5

should be pardoned simply because he had a good prison reeord and no serious charge was brought against him before the commission of the crime of ,vhich he was convicted.
In all cases I have made it a rule to examine the record on the trial of the prisoner and have refused large numbers of paroles when the crime itself was of such a character as to demand the further continuance of the defendant's imprisonment.
It would he well if the Legislature would require an examination of the ,,,hole record by the Prison Commissioll, aecounting for the ,Judge and Solicitor General, so that all the facts might be ascertained and a proper finding made on the question as to whether the prisoner deserves parole.
RENT OF BAIHD PROPERTY.
After the election and irnlnction into office of the additional members of the Court of Appeals it ,vas found that them ,ms not room in the Capitol for the new Judges. Under the circumstances I was compelled to rent property outside the Capitol building. It beeame important then to decide what one of the Departments should find offices in the new quarters. In this emergency the Adjutant-General, at the head of the ~[ilitary Department, generously agreed to take the new offices for the purposes of his Department and move out of the Capitol.
I contracted to pay Dr. Baird, the owner of the property, the sum of $133.33 per month until the Legislature meets, after which time the arrangement can be examirwd into and if it is desired to continue the occupancy of the property that body can so de-
6

cide. The property is situated very near to the Capitol and has been put in shape for the use of the Military Department. It is agreed that the rent shall be reduced to $100 per month, this rate to date back to January 1st, 1917, if the property is leased for five ;vears. I earnestly rerommend that this be done.
INST:ItANCE O_F PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
All of the insurance policies, -with a fe-w exceptions, upon the State's property expired during the past year.
The General Assembly made an appropriation of $150,000, during the two years, to meet the cost of the rene,rnJ of this insurance. I am glad to say that the policies W(~re renewed at a cost of $79,837.03, thus saving a very large part of the former appropriation.
This matter ,vas conducted by my private secre. tary under my direction and I am glad to say with very good success.
\\'ESTERX ARD ATLANTIC RAILROAD LEASE.
'l1he lease of the \\~estern & Atlantic Railroad was authorized hy an Aet of the General Assembly, apprnvecl Xo,Temher 30, EH3. This lease was completed 011 the !)th day of )lia~T of the present year, the X. C. & St. L. Raihrn~T heeoming the lessee. A full report of this lease, with the copy of the same and the facts that led up to it, will be laid before your body by the Chairman, Hon. C. ?llurphy Candler, who ha:-- heen eharged l1y the Commis:--ion with this clut~T-

The lease lm;ts for 50 years, begim1ing on December 27th, 1919, and ending on December 27th, 1969. The rental is $45,000 per month, -which is an excess of $10,000 over the present lease. In addition to this, the property not nseful for railroad purposes in Chattanooga ,ms left out of the lease, which it is believed will easily bring in a renta] amounting to $13,000 per year.
The lessee agreed also to pay the taxes on the rolling stock, and this, it is be]ieved will add a considerable sum per year.
I feel like congratulating the State of Georgia on the completion of this lease. A great deal of good ,vork was d011e and the Commissioll, composed of Hon. C. l\L Candler, Chairman, N. K Harris, Governor, G. (hrnby ,Jordan, .T. L. Haml sncceedecl by St. Elmo l\Jassengale, and K A. Copelan, gave faithful service to the work and to the overcoming of diffi. culties in the ,my of bringing the matter to a satisfactory conclusion. There was onl_v one bidder and this made the lease more difficult for lack of competition.
The appropriation for the expenses of the eommission is exhansted. It will he neeessar.'' for the commission to remain in office till the road is turned over to the lessee in 1919. The ]aw requires the commission to superintend the removal of the eneroachmeuts on the property and a secretary will probably be neeessary to keep up with the work, and preserve the records. The report of the ehairman will give in detail the amount of money desired, and the objects to which it is to be applied.
8

I have recommended to previous Legislatures very earnestly the establishment of a State Auditor's Department. Georgia is one of the few States that has uo one charged with the duty of preparing a budget or looking after the payments that are made in behalf of the State on claims that are presented against it. No business as large as ours can be successfully run without some one to take care
of the expenditures. I earnestly urge you to look
into this question and if you deem it advisable, to present a measure that will provide for the selection of such an officer.
A commission was appointed to draw up an Act proYiding means for ascertaining the validity of land titles in the State and also for the recording of the same. This commission presented to the first session of the las~ Legislature the result of their labors and a bill was introduced by Mr. Barfield, of Bibb, to carry into effect the result of the commission's suggestions. In vie,v of the importance of
clearing off all defects in titles owing to the estab-
lishment of the Farm Loan Banks for lending money to farmers it would be well that this Act should be put into effect at the earliest practicable moment. It has been recommended in the report of the Com~ missioner of Agriculture based on the same grounds herein referred to.
ELECTIOK OF GovERNOR AND Col\IM:rssroNER OF
AGRICULTURE.
As the law sta11ds the Governor is elected some nine months lwfore he can he s,Yorn in and enter
9

upon the duties of the office. This is a serious mistake in our law. The Governor ought to be inaugurated at the beginning of the year following his election.
The Commissioner of Agriculture, who is elected at the same time -with the Governor, and who goes into office with him, ought to be allO\rnd likewise to take office on the first of the year.
The difficulty concerning the Governor's term grew out of the Act changing the time of the meeting of the Legislature, passed in 1902. This legislation fixed the time for the convening of the Legislature on the 4-th \Yednesday in June, and necessarily carried with it a change in the term of the Governor. If there could be a meeting of the new Legislature for say three days during the first ,Yeek in J anuar~', or better still, if a commission could be established with proper powers and authority to meet in January and canvass the votes, the Governor could he inaugurated and take office at a time which wonld coincide more nearly with the fiscal year of the State.
Georgia is the only State in the rnion that inaugurates h0r Governor in the micl(lle of the year. I would be glad to see a change here in the interest of the State. ~o effort has be011 rnarle to remedy the difficulty sirn( th0 change in the time of the meeting of the Legislatnre. so far as I am advised.
r:I1 he pay of the Gon'rnor is far lwlow what the duties and the dignity of the office demand. He commissions tlw Congrrssmen and Senators of the Statr and each of these receives $7,500 in salary. The multiplicati011 of his c1nties. the high cost of
10

living and other considerations, ought to be sufficient to compel the Legislature to change the salary and :fix it at least as high as the officers mentioned whom he commissions. I am suggesting this because I believe the salarr of the Governor paid now is a reflection on the State.
The clerical force allowed the Governor is much too small when the amount of business in the Executive Offices is taken into consideration. 'J1his allowance was fixed in 1877 when stenographers and typewriters ,Yere verr little known. 'J1he multiplication of pardon applications, the increase in funds that the Governor must pay through his warrants, the increase in the nnmber of commissions, the everwidening range of correspondence, all these make it imperative that the Governor should have an additional force in the clerical department.
PuRLic ScnooL \YARUANTS.
There has been no difficulty experienced m negotiating the wanants that are intended to raise the mo11e> necessary to pay the teachers in the public sehoo]s. The system has worked well during the time it ha:,; lwen in op0ratio11 and the reproach that Georgia had labored under for man> years, of unpaid teachers in the schools of our own children, has b0en tak('ll a,Ya> The warrants have heen discounted at the rate of 31/2 per eent. The amount issued the first year, 1915, reached $1,375,081.75; in 191G the waTrants issued amount0d to $1,602,132.15; in 1917, up to the pres0nt time, there have been issued and negotiated $1,375,081.75 of the warrants.
I call attention to two rnatt0rs that ought to be
11

nuwdied e0Hcerni11g the disbursement of the fuuds for the commo11 school:,; of the State. Though the
discount 011 the -wanants is 3\~ ver cellt.-much less
than the differ0Ht cmrnties had hee11 paying before
the passage of th0 hY,,-, >-ct sornc ol' the counties still
refuse to take the m0110y. rl'lw_\- make other arrmigenwnts arnl do 110t conform their business to tlw ti11w 1dwn the State nli:-:cs tlte 111011(_\- 011 the sd10ol wannnts. Desiclcs this, i11 sLveral counties the apportimrnwnt for the year is not dra\\-n and m1<lcr the law the appropriation goes over to he dnnn1 the snbsec1ueut year. These counties dernand the money in the iirst five months of the year. This course on the riart of the county school authorities disarranges the \Yhole financial system and takes away some of the advantages that result to tlte Tr0asnry from the negotiation of the ,nnnmts. [ cidl attention to this matter so that_ those of' you \Ylw are inter0sted may look i11to it arnl see if a
rcme<l_\- ean not he ay1plied. The disemmt of ;31/~
p0r e0nt. is rnnch lwitn thml to kv_\- an additional tax eV<'ll lry tll() elin11g(' of tl:e Constitntinn, hecause the mom'.;;- wonld be tnken out of the pockets of the
people and brought into tlte Treasury to pay sehool
teachers at a mneh earlier c1ate than that on -d1ich its tax payers are 11Ow compelled to pa_\-.
ATTOJ:NEY-GExEnAL's OFFICE.
'rhe report of the _.:-\_Horney-General, which "-il1 be handed to yon during the session, will give yon an outline of the -work that has been do1w in his offiee. 'l'here are several matters which -will be left over that have been in his charge: notably, the
12

claims of the State against the First National Bank of Toccoa, and the bank at Baxley, a state bank. Doth these ballks -were state clepositaries, and the Hauk at Toccoa failed on the 8th day of November, HH.\ owing the State $584.12. The bank at Baxley failed 011 the 24th clay of March, 1916, owing $854.56.
I mention these t,,o banks because the amount clue to the State has appeared in every statement of the Treasurer showing the condition of the State's fiuances made since the banks failed.
1rhe Attorney-General in his report does not shm, why the amom1ts clue by the depositories have not been collected. I suggested to him at one time to put them in the hands of the Solicitors-General of the respedive cireuits, 01 even to retain a lawyer for the purpose of securing the same. I have no doubt there have 1wen serious difficulties in the way of the eollectiou ,d1ich delayed it although it would seem tliat the State, having a bond with a lien of the highest dignity upon all the assets, could find som(~ means to realize on the claim.
rrhe bonds of these depositories were all personal bonds and possibly this -will explain the obstacles that have been in the way of the efficient and energetic Attorney-General in endeavoring to collect. It woulcl he best for the State tl1at only imrety bonds lie taken from depositories.
The Attorney-General is now by the Act of August 8, 191 G, made Supervisor of County Records. rrhis is a very important function of the office, one that deserves dose attention. You will find from his report that he has been carefully attending to this.

He is also under the same Act appointed to take charge of the collection of the inheritance taxes of the State. In the early part of 1916 after diligent inquiry the J..;xecutive became advised of the fact that there ,n1s no one directly charged with the collection of these taxes. Reports came into the office of considerable loss due to this fact. Estates were wound up and no attention given to the payment of those taxes due the State. After consultation with the Comptroller-General and others cognizant of the situation, the Governor thought fit to ask Judge J olrn C. 1lart, tlw State Tax Commissioner, to take char;r of thPse matters and look after the collection of tho clain1s. lt 1Yas no part of Judge Hart's duty to do this. Ko eompornmtion ,,--as agroPd on
at tlw time, but it was to lJe left to the Legislatme.
fn the matter of the estate of ,James J\l. Smith, I had appointed him to represPnt tho State in the litigation ,d1ich grnw out of tho construction of the Inherita11('(' Tax La\\-- and other matters. Tt will he fC'llH'llllwred that this case gave rise to a great deal of liti;atio11 1Yhi<'h it still going 011. .Judge Hart, hoW('H'l', snc-eePdPCl in obtaiJJing a judgment for tlw State, taxes a111om1ting to $106,000, and for this servir'.C', nquiri11g appearanre in spn_,ral of the courts of thP State and in tho United States Conrt, I allowed him five pPr cent. of the recoYPry. --While he was engaged in looking after thPse inhPritanee taxes he colleetPd outside of the Smith estate about $48,000, for which no compensation has enff been paid. 'l1he amount of payment was discussed bdween Judge Hart, the Attorney-General and the GoYernor at one time and it was agrPed that fiye pPr eent.
14

,rnulcl be a reaso11able charge. ~othillg has been paid, limYen'r, an<l the matter is submitted to the L(_gislature with the re<o1m1Hmdation that the body look i11to the subject arnl allow such compensation as ma> seem proper.
.Judge JIart gave both his time and labor to the work of eoll0di11g th('se faxes, and the State has enjoyerl t1w benefit of the same; a11cl it seems to the Gon'rnm that it would he hut fair to have some remuneration paid to him for these sr>rviees. He defoll(led the law \\hen attarkecl for unconstitutionalit> am1 sawd it to the State.
The said Ad of August 8, 1Dl6, devolves upon U1(' ~l ttornp>-Geuera1 th0 business of looking after and taking eare of these taxes. In the nport of the Attorne_\-Ge11eral it appears that he has appointed atton10ys for 0ach comit:v of the State to whom he has delegated a portion of his authority looking to the eolleetion of these elairns. It has been suggested that the Act of the Legislature under \\Thich the Attorney-G0neral was operating might not authorize the appointment of these attorneys and their payrnent out of the monies eollected by them, unless legislation was secured to that end.
r:l'he poliey followPd b>T the Atforney-Ge11eral was eallc,d to the Gowrnor's attention on J\fay 5, 1917. DonMleRs the ..:\ttorne>-Gen0ral beli0ved he had full authorit_,T over snrh matters and eould appoint whom he p1Pasec1. As the la\\ elltnrnte<1 him with .the col]eetion of these taxes he adopted the method of appoiriting attorne_\s for the eonnties as the best way to carry ont the duty. It was e0rtainly not practicable for the Attorney-General to give his personal attention to eaeh of the eounties.
15

The matter is refoned to the General ),._ssembly and if any legislatiou is necessary i11 the premises, this should be had at the present session.
ExPEHL\IENT ST.\.TIOK.
Considerable conespo11dc11ce has takeu place between the Secretary of Agriculture and the Goveruor's Office concerning the present status of the Experiment Station at Griffin. --without going into the matter the Secretary has practically issued an ultimatum concerning it and demands that the Experiment Station be brought into closer relation with the Agricultural College at Athens. The United States law under ,d1ich these J,~xperiment Stations were established requires that they shall be under the control of the Agricultural Colleges. 'l'he Secretary has taken the position that the Experiment Station as now controlled is not under the direction of the Agricultural College. Some of the trustees are from that college, but the majority are independent, appointed by the Governor from each Congressional District.
Unless some legislation is secured to remedy the present defect in the government of the Experiment Station the appropriation made by the l;nited States will be greatly endangered and probably withheld.
I can see two ways that may remedy this trouble: First: To remove the Experiment Station to Athens and put it under the control of the Agricultural College: or: Second: enlarge or change the Board of l\fanagement and provide that enough of the trustees of the Agricultural College shall be mernbers of the Board to rontrol the Experiment Station.
16

[ earnestly ask your attention to this matter as it would be a great misfortune to the farmers of the State to lose the appropriation which the United States Government is making for their benefit.
PmsoN BoA1rn OVER-CROPPED.
The very efficient Prison Board now in office has beeu seriously overworked during most of my administration. All applications for clemency must first go before this Board and be passed on by it before the Goven10r cau act on the same. The cases which have been brought before it have been more numerous than at any other period in the history of the Board. The evidence in each case is gathered up and put in form for the Governor's attention.
In addition to this duty the Board is charged directly with the supervision and management of the convict forces of the State. A part of this duty is the keeping up of the prison farm, of the reformatory, and looking after the chaingangs of the several counties.
In addition to all this the Board is made the Highway Commissi.on of the State and as such it must receive and expend the monies coming to the State through the United States Government, must direct the work of the roads, supervise and lay out the same and determine the value of the counties' work so as to obtain the ratio between this and the amounts furnished hy the General Government.
I have suggested to the Legislature in previous years that it might lw well to relieve the Prison Commission b> appointing a pardon hoard,-possibly three good men "ho might be given the power to
17

determine and pass on ever.v applicatiou for elemeney that is pn'se11ted in behalf of the criminals of the State.
'l'he panlcm busi11ess is the most diffieult and exham,ti11g portio11 of the ,rnrk belonging to the Goyen10l' 's Office. It eoutinuously fries the patience of the Gon'rnor, cfo:tressc's his heart and disturbs his rest at l1ome.
I earnest]_\ recommend that some relic>f be granted in some ,my so as to take this burden from tlw shoulders of your future Governors.
COUNCIL 01<' DEFENSE.
At the suggestion of the Secretary of war and m order to fonuulate and harmonize the work of thP State all(l .:--Jation in our military matters, I appointed a State Couneil of Defense consisting of somP 21 rwrsons, whose duty it will be to advise the Govc~nwr concerning the various matters that arise during the continuance of the present war. 'l1he Governor is the head of this council.
Following this, at the instance of the Secretary of Agriculture, I appointed also a Council on Food Conservation in the State. The business of these conncils is to k1:.ep in touch with the ,rnrk of the ~ational Gonrnment, aid in carrying it out in the State a11d ad as decentralizing agents for the Kational Govprrnm11t, to arouse intPrest in the State and seeme harmonious aetion in all matters involved. At the head of the Food Council I placed the C01mnissio11er of Ag,i.enlture.
I have heen very much pleased with the work of both of these eonneils. rrl1ey have been a great help
18

to the Governor and so long as the United States departments act -\\'ith them it will 1Jreve11t duplication of \\ork, confu:c;io11 i11 effort nml unnecessary jealousiPs all(l disseusiom,. '.!'he departrnents of the National Gover111ne11t rQlatin to these councils havo am10m1ee(l that they ,,ill opernk in tlrn State through them.
l haw lwt111 Pspecially gratified L~- the ,York of the Food Couneil. It is believed that the interest in agriculture has 1Hver been so great as at the present time \\'ithin the borders of the State. The able head of this council has sought to bring tog(~ther a1l agencies in the State, to ,vork for tl1e good of the Naticm, ai1d h~, his earnest efforts he has brought abont a state of affairs in Georgia that bids fair to nvolntioni;i;e the methods of agricnltnre and to dired the Pnergies of the people into channels that will make the farmer as necessary and efficient in the Gm'ernrnent hereafter as the soldier himself.
lt has heen suggested by tho National Council, of which the Seeretary of ,Var is Chairman, that some aetion ought to he taken by the Legislature (lRt) to provide for the expenses of the Conllcil and (2nd) to pnJYide for the payment of a Seerc>tary whose dut_\' it should be to keep the rniuntes aml records. As ,Ye al'(' in a :c;tate of war aml mo11er is uecessary to calT_\' it on, I submit to you the qmstion whether or not it \rnnld be well to follow the advice of the National authorities.
LYNCHfXG.
It has lwen no small sul)jed of rejoiejng that the cri111< r,f l;:1whi11Q," ]ins so g-rcntl_Y drcnased \\'ithin

our limits. At the encl of 1916 I caused an application to be made to the Ordinaries of each of the counties of the State for a report of the number of lynchings that had occmTecl in their respective cou11ties during the year and it was found that there had only been St!Y(~n insta11ccs in 1\hich lynchings had taken plac<_!, three of these for the ultimate crime. During the present year l have known of no instmHc \\ithin tlw State. I may say, therefore, that this crime which has brought so great criticism on Georgia has almost completely disappeared from our midst. Forbmutely for us there have been none of the capital causes which drive the people to the commission of this crime and it is to be hoped we will learn from the lessons of the past to look to the laws for vindication of the wrongs both to individuals and to communities.
'Che leading educational institutions of the State have done vel'_I' well during tlw cun(~nt year. The catalogues show a hcav:, inercase in attendance in almost ever~ i1rntance. The ap1Hopriations for maintenance for the first time since the war approxi-
mated the needs of the institutions, and it is to be
hopc(l that the good work done in this respeet will not fall short at the hands of the present Legislahue.
The report on the work of the University at Athens 1Yill he laid before yon and will disclose a state of great prosperit~, the roll of students reaching a higher figure than ever before.
The Agricultural College under Dr. Soule still
20

makes the same splendid showing to the people. Its advame has been marked and decided. '['he work it is doing for the State, the wonderful resources in its hands, all being applied to the welfare of the people in these days of excitement and distress, ,vill make its success as certain as the changes of the seasons .
..:\Jl these schools have been called on for contributions to the military needs of the nation. The Uni,Tersity at _..-\thens has sent some 75 to 80 young rneu into the service. This includes those from the Agricultmal College. The Technological School has 33 from the present senior class already enlisted while doubtless others of the institution are preparing to enlist. The whole senior class volunteered, but only 53 we1e accepted.
THE GEonurA NOR'\L\L AND IxnusTRIAL COLLEGE.
This institution has been a favorite of our Legislatures ever sinee its founding. Under the leadership of its able and euergetic President, Dr. ~I. ~L Parks, the school has been growing in popularity and achieving the most wonderful success of any like institution in the nation. It deserves all that the State can give it. The attemlance during the year rearhed ~)4G students. The summer srhool had 1,069 additional, making an aggregate of 2,015 students in attendance.
It has heen suggested that in the present charter there is no authority to confer degrees. As the women are knocking at the doors of all our institutions established for men, I suggest that authority he given to the Trustees of the Georgia Normal and
21

Industrial College to confer degrees and to do everythill0b iliat mtf.f he nc->cessan- to carrv the education of "omPn to the high<st degT('e allo,n'd to me11 in the State. If this is dmie there) "-ill be 110 11ced to allow \\0111cn to cuter the par<_ut institution at
Athells, or to 01w11 additional hran<'lws for them in th(' State. I do not think well of c-o-edncatio11 in our
highest i11stitutio11s.
Tim ~T.\TE 'l1 1w1rNOLomcAL ScuooL.
This sehool s0e1ns to lmrn lost its hold in some rcsp()(t upo11 om Legislators. It has been many yearn sin('.(' a spt>C'ial appropriati011 ,\as rnade to m<et its wa11ts. 1\'liile the mainternrnce fund has hpt pa('<' \\'ith that of our other educational insti-
tutions, :-pt tlJP school has been compelled to appeal
to the g<'ne1osity of its friends in order to make any
additions to tlH college buildings or to the equip-
rnc11t of its dC'part11Hnts. At the same time the att0m1mH'<' has in<nascd Pvery ;n~ar for the last ten yet\l's until now it 11nrnhcred elcv011 lnmdn,d and fift;.-11inP :,omig nwn \\ho \\'('}'(' taught in its halls last :-,<'ssion.
lt is ndrnittedl_\ tl1<' hest rl'erlmologieal or l~11gi11eeri,1g :,wliool in the f;outh. Jn fad its faenlt_\- recognize hut Oll<' lwttnr in thP F11io11. The corps of prof<~ssors is second to 11011P in the sonth0rn states. The euniculnm is adjnstecl to meet the pradieal wants of .the people, and its standard is higher than that of any similar school srffe perhaps one or two, in tlw .Am0rican Union.
Tt is qoing work for Georgia thnt ean not he estimated, sending ont educated enginPers to aid in the
2:l

progress ancl devplopnwnt of the country, contributing e(lucated skill to all the industrial -work of the State, and promising a future supreme in the deYelopment of_ the variou:,; interests of the commonwealth. And yet it could not get au appropriation for a little OH)l' $:3,000 at thr- last legislature to make shelves for the books \Yhich were' given to it in the legacy oI J nlius L. Brmn1, arnl these hooks remain packed in the ha:c;e11w11t, iuaccr-ssihle to any one! It has not lJC<'ll able to get m011ey to house the maehi11ery ,d1ieh 110rthr-rn rnaunfacturers have donated to it. Its studenb; are deprived of the use of the finest equirmwnt in the South, equipment whieh did not cost thr- Ntatc> a dollar. The great power plant c011cen1ing "-hich so much has hePH said and done, is silent on the campus. lts rnae11i11es are rusting daily, simpl_\- lier-ans(' thr- Statr- \Yill not give the school some $30,000 to install the machinery and to complete the work neeessar:- to set in operation the plant.
,Yh0n tlw t-:-nikcl States authorities liegan to look for an institution i11 which to plae0 an aviation sehool to educatP roung men in that lmsi11ess for the mu, the:- :-PleetP<1 this school as on0 of eight for that pnrpos0 in tlw ~\merican Fnion. ThP Govenmw11t pays the Pxpr-nse:,; of can_\-ing on thi:- ,York in com1eetion with tlw otlHr <lPpartnwnts of thi:-; t<elrnological institution.
The Gonrmneut of the Cnited States apprPe:i.ak:- thP sehoo1, and I hope that this Legislature will vi:-;it it, look upon its gTPat d0padrnPnts, its ,,-onderfnl rnaehinr-s for ]ightening labor and saving ex-pensc and tlwn eoneludP with the Governor that it
2:{

does credit to Georgia and deserves to be honored by an appropriation sufficient at least to house th& machinery that has been donated to it.
y THE Sl\IITH-HUGHES OCATIO~AL APPTIOPUIATlOX.
At the session of Congress which ended }larch 4, 1917, a bill was passed making a Federal appropriation to aid the State in carrying on vocational education. It was drawn and introduced by Hon. D. M. Hughes and Senator Hoke Smith, so that the legislation bears their names.
rrhe State must assent to the provisions of the Act if it is desired to profit by the same. An appropriation also is asked equal in amount to that of the ]1 ederal appropriation,-some $41,000. In this respect the ~~et resembles the Smith-Lenr provision which the last Legislature met by au appropriation.
The Act in question applies to the common schools, the schools of education and the industrial schools.
It is believed that the counties under the amended constitution may make appropriations to secure the benefit of the Act, and it is not at all certain that the legislature may not divert a portion of the common school fund to this purpose, also. A State board must be provided, ,,hich I trust will not consist of more than five persons.
I sulnnit the matter to you for action.
The time has come to recognize the work which our educational institutions not under State control are doing for the people throughout the State. For
24

several years efforts lrnve been made to exempt the endowments of these institutions from taxation and put them more nearly on an equal footing with the State schools with -which they compete.
It is impossible for the State to make any provision for endo,vment in their behalf and the legislation they ask only exempts them from the burden of taxation, ,vhich exemption the State institutions enjoy.
It is to be hoped that the present Legislature will examine into the question anew and pass the necessary legislation giving to these institutions the exemption which they have so long asked at the hands of the State.
GOVERNOR'S MANSION.
I called attention of the previous Legislature to the condition of the Governor's Mansion and urged that some action be taken touching the same. It would be well if the Mansion could be sold, or exchanged for some better place for the Governor and his family. Located at the intersection of two great business streets, the noise is so terrible that nothing can be heard at night that takes place within the house. The loudest alarm w011ld have no effect inside the building. A chDd might be sick through the night and if alone no alarm could reach the parents. The cause of this is the unceasing roar of the streets.
The dust and smoke, too, accumulate so fast that it is impracticable to keep the Mansion clean longer than 24 hours at a time. This causes a heavy expense to the State.
25

'l'he J\Iam;io11 also is so situated that there are munberless odors that fill it at tiuws, possibly from opell se,n'rs in tJw streets or from defective plmnbing on the. lot.
Jlm1_\- repairs should be made and all the plumbi11g gone (ffer to make it safe arnl eomfortablc for the ineomiug (foye n1or.
I most ea rnestl: n<h-ise the Legislature to endern-or to di spo:-:P of the lffOJwrt_\ as soon as p ractica hle so as to sPclffP a better home i11 the city for the GoV('l'llor arnl those depe11<lent up011 him. The locatioll alld sizP of the lot ought to give it a v0ry good Yahw, ,d1ich might be utilized for the benefit of the State.
FrNANCES or THE STATE.
The ad nrncP sheets of the Comptroller-General's report eontaiu the information that the Legislature at its last regular session made appropriations in execss of the rev0nues amounting to some $432,000. rrhese over-appropriations consisted mainly of amounts donated for building purposes to the followillg institutions:
rrhe Sanitarinm at ~lilledgeYille ... $200,000; Gc'orgia Normal and Industrial
School, in the same eit_\-. . . . . . . . . 50,000; Xonnal School at Athens. . . . . . . . . 100,000; South Georgia State Normal Col-
lege at Yaldosta. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50,000;
"J1rniniug Seliool for Girls, at Atlanta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,500:
For pa_,:m('nt of pension fees to Ordinaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17,500.
rrhis estimak of the Comptroller-General, how-
26

ever, dicl not take into aeeount, as he did not then know the fact, that the Goveri10r had saved from the -insunmee ap11rnpriation som(tlti11g over $70,000.
'l'hese sp(~eial appropriations would have been vPt(wd b_\ the GovPnJOr but for tlH' fact that a proviso \Yas pln(Pd up011 each om of them postponing pay11wnt m1til after the rnaintLnance funds aud appropriations for the se,ernl ypars had been paicl and Ps1wciall> the appropriations for the public schools and p<>nsi(ms.
There has 1weu paid upon these appropriations the following :
Sa11itarium ....................... $30,000 GL~orgia Normal and Industrial Col-
kge ............................ 30,000 State N ornrnl School. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50,000 South Ch-orgia 8tate Normal Colleg<:c~ 30,000
The> appropriatio11s are ver_': important and necessar> and it is to be hoped that the funds -will be in hand at an earl> date to pay them in full.
'11he deficienc: in the revemws may be made up by an i11nease in tlw inheritaiwe taxes, arnl h> other mis('(llarn~ons it(ms coming in from various sources. ThC' tn-'aSlH_\. is like> a hrnk. It rnnst k<>ep on hand ('nongh fnll(1s to pa> all just demam1s. If nm in m1> othC'r manner t}w State wonlcl lie nthrl: ba11krnpt 111 a yntr. It iR not possil)k to forecast the amount of the State's incorn<> for th(_ year because of the war that is now npon us mid the conseque11t breakinp: up or demoralization of business throughout the land.
It would lw ,,ell for the LegiRlatnre at the preRent Ression C'ither to add to the genurnl account other
27

objects of taxation or to raise the special ta:x:es in some sort so as to assure a revenue sufficient to meet the State's obligations and carry on its business. It i::, hardly probable that there -will be any substantial increa::,c in the value of taxable properties that may be placed upon the digest owing to the unsettled _conclitim1::, cmrned by the ,var, as aforcstated. There will certainly be a vast slump if the present equalization law is repealed unless something better is enacted.
The Governor has borrowed $200,000 on the present year. This money does not become due until September 15th, at which time the railroad taxes will come i11, amounting to some $800,000, so that there is no danger of a default.
The reports of the Treasurer and ComptrollerGeneral will be before you.
In administering your finances during my term of office I have some times gone near to the bottom of the Treasury. Major Speer ha::, been more than generous in keepi11g me advised of the real condition of the State'::, finmtces and while I have been forced at times to delay the pa;nnent of some of the appropriations until the money came in, yet I did the host I could with the resources in hand and can say with trntli that 110 matured obligation of the State has remained a moment unpaid after presentation. rrhere is no State in the Union with better credit than Georgia.
AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT.
The very efficient head of this Department will doubtless submit to you a report of his transactions
28

since he went into office in the forepart of the present year. A great deal has been done in the way of stining np interest in the food problem throughout the State and encouraging the planting of grain and raising of foodstuffs to supply the needs of the people of our State, and the army.
A :Market Bureau has been inaugurated under a very intelligent director who is trying to insure to our people making efforts to raise foodstuffs, a market for their products, by means of which they may obtain the highest reasonable prices for the same. This is something which has been sadly needed in the State for many years. -we talk of diversification in farming, but onr farmers have never yet enjoyed any market for the products of their farms
except for cotton. It is to be hoped that the machin-
ery being put into operation may bring about a state of affairs that -will completely revolutionize our methods in this respect throughout the state.
ELEE1IOSYXARY INSTITUTIONS.
The report from the Board of Trustees of the State Sanitarium at Milledgeville will be before you. There is a constant influx of patients into this insti-
tution. It is sadly in need of room. It is seeking
to utilize the appropriation recently made to it, and needs all the money that the State can spare for its great work of charity.
It is said tlw fa1Ji11g off of patients for the year ma: hear on the prohibition question somewhat.
The Deaf and Dumb Academy at Cave Springs and the Academy for the Blind at Macon have been well and properly carried on during the year. Their reports will doubtless be before you.
~9

Soldien;' Home, and the other illstitntions ol' tlie State have all ::-d10"wn some adnuwe in the efficiency of tlie work whid1 tlwy are doing.
Bo,\1rn OF HK\LTH.
'L'lw .Board of Health has labored umler great diflicuH ies during the year, lrnt has not been uufruitful of good resnlts.
The collediou of vital statistics by the Board has been re1Hlen'd irnpossihle for lack of funds, al-tlwngli the la\\- requires th(_'Se statistiC's to be gathe1wl and lH'(_'servcd. 'I'he attention of the Legislahue is ealkd to this rnatier.
The first efforts made 1Yith the opium addicts were 1l0t c11tirel)- ::-n<eessfol. ln the llliddle of th(~ last year, a llP\\' method of treatment \Yas discon,red a11d applied, and it seems has been very successfnl. If it is desind to <'ontinue the effort to cure this sore])- affli<'frd elass a small appropriati011 should be rnade to (nable the Board to do so.
- 'J'lte Board is nr.,- desirnm; of an apprnpriation for tli<> m,uml'adnn~ of typhoid sernlll. rl.'he i1weulatio11s \'.itll S('t'llllt hme e11tire1) banished typhoid frorn t}1(' ap11r, n]l(l mmld do tlw sarnt for tltt' homes of tl1(' ('iti,~(Jls. This is a VPry important matt<~r. In fad t11<' ml!'are of all the i11liahitants of the State is largel)T i11 the hands of the Board.
PENSIONS.
'J'he Commissioner of Pem,ions ,Yill make his report to yon of the lmsirnss attended to during the past year.
It became necessary at the called session to seThe Training School for wn_nrnrd girls, the
31t

cure an additioual appropriation amounting to some $80,000, to bring the payments on the pension

roll up to the allmnrnec made in the law. This grew out of a rnistalrn in estimati11g the death rnte too high.

In his report the Commissioner of Pensions

urges npou the Legi:-:lature sPvernl amencl111c11ts to the present pem,ion laws. -'\._rncmg the:-:e he suggests

a provision givi11g him the power to purge the pension roll himsPlf by subpoe11aing witnesse:s and

aseertaini11g the real truth ahout the pensioners where a ehnllenge has been made.

He says that the amount of rnoney required to

mm pa_\- the pe11:-:iom, for

and UW) "-ill be respee-

tiYely $1,200,000 a11cl $1,238,000, ,d1ieh he asks that

tlw Legislatnre ma> a1iprnpriate. In cliseu:-:si11g ge11<'rally the right to reeeiY0 a

1wnsi011 thc- Com111issio11er beeome:- ven earnest in urgi11g tlw Lc,gislature to grmit a :-c1Tiec' 1wnsion to the remmmt of those old C011frd0rnte soldiers who are yet \Yith us in lifr. The JH'Opert> limitation

on tlw granting of a 1w11sion he lwlien':- is a great injustiee. Pc'11:-i011s are give11 for l-('J'Yie<> in the anny arnl all tho:-:P ,d10 ltrwe sern~d nrnlPr lih eon-
ditimis 01u1;l1t to lw Pntitlecl to :-hare in the lll'ovis-
ion rnacle h~, the State 011 this aeeom1t. 'l1 he fad that a :-ol<1ier ow11s $1,300 ought 11ot to har him from the

bendits \Yhich the oth0rs e11joy. T~spcciaU> is this true after he gro\\'l- olcle1 and reqnires more 111011('_\' to koep him cornfortalile; the snwll property which debars him will not take earn of hirn.
If there shoulc1 he an~" sneh inerease of pensions as the Commissioner suggests, it must he done hy

31

\\ay of a com,titutional amendment upon which the people themselves will be allowed to vote. If in the same provision a percentage of the taxes levied should be set apart for the payment of these claims, then 11011e of onr citizens will be in a position to complain against it.
I most earnestly recommend that you read the Conrn1issioner's rqiort.
Bo,um OJ<' ENTO:'.YIOLOGY.
I ,vish to call your attention to the good ,vork that is being done by the State Board of Entomology in protecting Georgia's crops from the ravages of seriously injurious in sects and diseases. It is just as important for us to protect our crops from insects and diseases as it is to produce them.
The adve1Jt of the boll weevil has multiplied the work of this department. The research work on tlrn cotton plant ancl the development of types of cotton resistant to cfo;ease and possessed of early fruiti11; qualities for ho11 weevil conditions, is of great irnportnnce to those who wish to continue the growing of cotton. The results obtained from the experiments on Sea Island cotton indicate that this important industry can be saved to the State in spite of the boll weevil.
I commend the work of this Department to you and recommend that yon be as liberal in your appropriation as circurnstanres will permit.
RosTER Cnl\DIISSTO:N AXD Cm1PILER OF RECORDS.
'11 he Roster Commission and the Compiler of Records 11eed more money to carry on the work they
32

are engaged in with facility. lt is a great undertaking, keeping the records of the State for future generations. -
DEPAunrnxT OF Col\D1ERCE AND L,\.BOR.
'The efficicnt head of the Department has been carrying on the work of the office energetically and it is reported ,vith great success, duri11g the past year. rrhe work of this office is especially important at this time. Emigrant agents are busy taking away from our State the labor upon which the people depend for cultivating and harvesting the crops whieh they have planted. The head of this department is gathering facts concerning this, which he will doubtless give to the eommittee when it calls on him for information. A bill will he prese11ted by the Department 1Yhich has for its objects the follm,-ing
matters: 1. ri10 place employment agencies directly
umkr the supervision of the Commissioner of Cornm<'l'CE' and Labor, and to tax them.
2. To rec1nire that snicl agE-11CiE's make as frpepwnt rE-ports to said official as nrny be found to he neeessary.
3. To provi<l.E- for frequent inspeetio11s and reqnin' that all employment agencies shall tnk0 out n state license aml give bond for the 1n-oper eondnet of its affairs.
4. To prohibit emigrant agents, or to so safe-guanl their operations as to give protection to e_mployers of labor within the State.
5. To provide for a labor exehange or free emplo~mpnt lnnPnn to bP conducted b~- the Commissioner of Comrneree and Labor, having for its purpose that of registering the
33

11ames of all persons seeking employment and fnn1ishing said information to those who \\ i:-:11 to employ labor, and to list the muulwr of emplo.n'es desired by an_\- given con('ent arnl to umlertnke to suppl: the rn:~eded hc~lp.
'l'HE :.lILlTARY DEPAllT:\IE~T.
The ~\ct of Congress known as "The National Defense Act" of ,June 3, rnlG, gave to the President of the United States the pcrwer to eall or draft into the serYiee of the [-:-uited St,ttes such portion of the National Guard of the several states as he might deem 11eeess:1ry in an em(1gency. rll(ler the anthorit: of that Act, in .Tune, 191G, the President called into Federal service from this State three r0giments of i11fm1fr:, and hrigaclc' }H,adqnarters, a hattalion of fip)d artiller_\-, and five tr-;)nps of eavalr:, including sqnadrnn lwadqnarters. 'l1his left the State with a battalion of infantry arnl fonr ('mrqmnies of coast artil1ery 1\"ith their respectin hattali011 lwa(lqrnnters snlJjPd to the call of the Governor. a\ll the orga11i11ati011s originall: ('alled out are 110,Y in the' federal service. In addition, a company of enginePrs reeent1y formed hi1s been callc,(l into sP1TieP, and 11otiee has been rec0iYed that the rernaiml0r of our forees \yjll be draftecl on or lwfore Augnst 3. 1917.
As Commander-in-Chief of our National Guard, I felt it my dnt_\-, as it vrns my pleasure, to visit the Georgia troops \Yhile in sen-iee on the :Mexican horder, and did so, \\-ith tlw ~\djntant-(hnernl, spending several da:s of the la~t ,nek in ~ovemher, lDlG, lookin,t! oYer their severnl camps in and aronnd Rl
31

Paso, 'l'exas. J formd them ,Yell eared foi_ and displa_\-iHg those '[Ualities that hahitnallr eliarnderize our Georgia sol<1iers. After revie,YiHg all cnu troops at the front ancl hearing; wor(1s of (01rnue11dation from Ge11eral Offieers 111l(ler \\-horn the.'- ,nd sNviug, I l'allte mnl_\' satisfit'cl that onr boy:--: \\Tl'(' doing their dnt_\- aml ,wre entitkcl to the pri<k and appreeiation of the folks ba(k l10me.
It lwhooves the State to make proper provision
for the eare of the armorie:,.; a11cl home eqniprnent of thPse orgm1izati011s \\hik the., are awa;:. This is a rnatkr of ju:,.;ti<e to tlw men who \\-ill <':UT:, the name of our ~tatf' 011 their hannf'rn in far a,Yay lands, and I feel sure it will hP a pleasure to the General Assembl.,- to take prnper steps to this end.
'l'he N atimial Defense Council i:,.; urgi11g all(l the "\Var Department is e11<01uaging the fonnaticm of Home Guard Organizations for local aml ckfollsivc purposes while the )!atio11al Gnard orp;1.rnizati011s arf' in Federal servicP. The National DPfensf' Aet permits the fonnati011 by the States of State- Police or Constabular_\-. T have lwc>n authorizing tlH! formation of Hom( Guard organizations 011 suggestion and rcqrwst of the \\'ar D(rmrtment, lint I would suggest the passage of sneh laws as ,Yill gin~ these organizatjo11s a statc-,Yidc> nsefnl11ess and make them snhjed to he se11t h:- the Governor to an:; part of tlw State. In this eo11nedion I wonlcl suggest that the armories of tlw X ational Gnard in the sPrvieC' of the lTnitecl RtatPs might be ternporari1_\- utilized for heaclqnartPrs of thPse organizations, under proper regnlations.
The Adjntant-Genc>ral 's office will eontimw to
35

have a distinct duty and service to perform, although the National Guard ,Yill all be under the ~ational Government. The policy has been adopted, and will probably be co11tinued, of handling the details of the selective draft of men for our armed forces tli rnngh the State authorities, and the Adjutant-General's office is properly held to be the logical instrumentality through which instructions and details are to be handled to and from the local officials. \\~e have just successfully completed the registration of the young men as provided in the Act of l\Iay 18th, the details being efficiently handled by the AdjutantGeneral and the force in his office, assisted and directed by the Governor and the Executive Secretary.
It is hoped that yonr lrndy "-ill carefnll:- investigate the 11ecessity for the activities above outlined, and let your appropriation for this department be sufficient for tbe work it will have to do. The National Government will probably call for the cooperation of the State officials in many ways not now forseen, and it would he well to arm the E~xecutive with the powers and the necessary appropriations to carry our State's share in the burden of the great world war.
PROHIBITION.
It may he of some interest to this Legislature to learn just how the recent prohibition statutes enacted by the previous General Assembly are being received and enforced within the State. That the facts might be ascertai1wd, I had my private secretar:- write to all the Solicitors-General of the State, together with the Mayors of the principal
26

cities, for a statement on the subject. The result of
this correspondence is shmvn in the following ex-
tracts:
J. 11. Lang, Solicitor-General of the Cherokee
Circuit, writes under date of the 16th inst. as fol-
lows:
'' 111 my opinion the 1mm krnJ\Yll as the prohibi tio11 lmn; which luwe been enacted during your administration have very greatly reduced the commission of crime in our State.
'' The laws which went into effect l\Iay 1,
1mG, had a very marked tendency to abate
the evils of intemperance. Perso11ally I was opposed to any change in them until given further trial. Still I can see that the recent _1_\.ct ,d1ieh went into effect in March of this year has greatly reduced the amount of liquors consumed since last J\Iay.
'De_\-oml a11~- (1uestion the laws which have been passed under your leadership have done more to suppress the liquor traffic in our State than all the other Ja,Ys emnhined. At least this appears to me to be the case in my part of the State.''
B. T. Castellow, Solicitor-General of the Pataula
Circuit, writes as follows under date of Ju11e 15th:
"In reply to your inquiry in reference to the effeet the 11rohihition Aets havP had upon the crimPs usually attrihutahlP to intoxicating liquors, will say that in this cireuit those erimes have very materially decreased. There haYe been few indietments returned, during the last six months, for the illegal sale of liquor, public drunkenness, or unlawfully discharging firearms. Homicides do not seem to have materially decreased, hnt I have hopes that they will.
3T

"Tlw 1irnhihitio11 laws are being rigidly l'11forc('d in this circuit as are, ill fad, all the laws of the ~-Hate. T'hc lm\ as it starnls :-:<em:,; to have fop approval of the puhlie."
Hohe>rt ::\k::\Iillan, ColiC'itor-GP11Pral of tlte Xorth-
eastt>r11 Cinnit, 1\Tites as follows:
"IlPpl:ing, l would say that a makrial dee1pas( in ninw:,; in this circuit was diseernahl( in1111<(1iatel: aftc>r the 1st of ?\Ia:, lDlG, \Yhieli eomlition ohtained until the passage of' thP pn'Sl11t prohibition law, and still another l1<'<"l'C'ase has lwell shown since its pas-
~ah0.
"I think that I am ultra c01rne1Tahve in stati11g that erimes athilmtahk to liquor han' <kereased i11 this eirenit at least hYe>nt:-fin, per cent. since May 1st, l!HG.
'' 'l1 h(' greatest d rawliaek to thl present law, as I see it, is thP ]aek of authorit_v to rnake seareh without wanant. An offietr who sm; ptets a pa rt~- with a 1oad of liquor (Pspeeia11y if h0 is trawling 111 a Ford) docs not have> tinw to go heforp m1 offiepr and S\H'nr ont a seareh \Yarnwt aml eonseqnent1: 11:1 rties ean g('t away.
"T beg to sa~ that thP offieers generally in this sPdion seem disposc>d to enforee the law arnl qnifr n numlwr of sPi111ues have heen rnnde and condemnation proeeedings hep:nn."
R. N. 11'0,. writing from S_dwster, Solieitor-
Grneral of the Tifton Cireuit, states:
"It is rn~, opinion that the eharader of
erimes refen0(1 to in this cirenit were redncerl aliout fift) pPr cent. h> the Ad effective ::\fa> 1, 191 G, and ,Yen reduced fully ninety per eent. by th0 ~\d of 1Iareh, 1917. The
H8

last 111enti011ed Act is being rigidly enforced

iu the counties composing my circuit as to

la,,- whiskeys, beers, etc., though not as to ex-

tracts containing alcohol. The

is en-

forced as to the latter to a very com;iJerable

ext<>nt, though not rigidly.''

Chas. E. Roop, Solicitor-General of the Coweta

Circuit, ,niting under date of the 13th inst. Je-

clares:

'' '11he 1mssage of the Prohibition Law, }lay 1, HlHi, i11 my judg111e11t, reuuced crime at least thirty-three and one-third per cent., and the Done Dry Law of }Iarch 28, 1917, had the effeet of reduci11g crime in this county an additional hYenty-fi.ve per cent., and I lwlir>n' throughout rny ellti re eireuit. In other words, the 1mmbcr of crimes committed 110\\- as compared with the (TinH'S prior to H)JG iR :ibout one-ha]f. Had a talk with the 8olieitors of the City Comts i11 Ccnn,ta Circuit a11d fop~- are of tl10 sai11P opinioll. * * '' *
'' I lwlie-.,-(' tlH' law is !JPi11g- <>nforced as "-Pll as an>- otlwr law on the Ntntnk hooks in this count~- and in the Cowda Circuit."
Doyle Carnp1w11, Solicitor-GP11c'rnl of foe Ocmnl-
gee Circuit, m1s,YerPd the Pnqnir;-- on the 13th inst.
as follows:
"In rpspo11sc to ~--0111 ldtPr of th C' 12th in n'frnnce to t1w pffod thC' prnhihition statutPs hns had T dPsirC' to sar that thP first prnhihition act did not r0dueC' thP amount of crirnim1l lmsiness whieh ,,-pnt hefore the grand juries in thP OemulgeP Cirenit. This was due to th0 fad, howevPr, that t1w grm1d jnriPs spent eonsiderable time i11 cheeking the express records and indicting partieR who violated that section of the ad whieh pC'nal-

39

ized the rece1vmg of more than two quarts

within thirty consecutive days. The ne,v law,

however, is working splendidly, and while the

time is too short to ju<lge it accurately, I be-

lieve that it is having an unusually good ef-

fect. ,x,

*

'' I confidently .expect at the Fall term to

find at least fifty per cent. reduction in the

criminal business, due entirely to the passage

of the 1917 prohibition law.''

\V. 0. Dea11, 8olicitor-General of the \Yestern Circuit, ,note 011 the 12th as follows:

'' The Aet of 191G was one of the best laws ever enaded in Georgia, for the cause of temperance, aml very materially decreased crime, but the Act of Mar<'h 28, l!Jl7, will in m? judgment have the effect to decrease crime in Georgia more than fifty per cent. The tirne e::qie11dc>d hereafter on the criminal doeket of thi:,; cireuit will 11e le:c;s than half the tinw heretofor0 consumed. Tlwre are mil:- a few i11stanees now in which there are pri:,;01rnrs in th0 ;jail:c; of the counties in the "\\'<stern Circnit. The violators of the Act of 1!)17 will he shmrn 110 qnarters in the \\~0:c;tern Circnit h: ,Tndg0 Cobh, a11d everywh0re it is noticeahlc> that there is ]es:c; trouh1P gTowi11p: out of foe us0 of whi:c;ke:-, This fact is ohserv0<l in thi:c; circuit alrea<ly, and we havc> ha<l but one or two courts in the circnit since the law went into effect."
::\1. D. Diekerson, Solicitor-General of the -Way-
cross Cinuit, rep1yi11g to the inquiry on the 13th

inst., stated:

"There are six counties in my circuit and
we have undertak:C'n to enforce the prohibi-
tion 1aw a:c; strictly as possible. and I can

~

safely say that 011 account of these statutes aud the e11fon:ement of the same, since their passage, mime has beeu reduced in my cirwit, at least sixty-iive per cent. aud probably more.
'1t has been my experieuce in the eight years 1 have beeu t,olicitor-Gcmeral and rrosceutiug Attonwy, for the ~uperior Courts of the \Yaycross Judicial Cirrnit, that eighty-five per cCllt. of the crime, originates from the use of intoxicatiug liquors.
'" In other words, eighty-five per cent. of the crime committed is attrilmtable either directl,v or indirectly to the US(' o l' aleol10lic aml spiritons li(tuorn, arnl l beli(,-e that l eau sa_\- without fear of succ0:--sful <'ontradiction, that tlie tmi prnhibiti011 :-:tatuk:-: 11ass0(l in G0or2;ia, dnring- ;-01u adrninisiration, lrnve redm(d C'l'inw at l0ast sixt::-frn }H'r c0nt. or sev0nt_\- p0r cent., and have done more for tl10 1wopl0 of Georg-in than mi;-- two statutes tlrnt hiffP ev0r been pnt upm1 th0 Statute hooks_''
John A. Doyki11, Solicitor-General of the Atlanta
Circuit, says:
"I think the prohibition leg-islntion of 1916 was a forward step in the rip:ht direction, all(1 tlrnt it had enough of prohiliition in it to rnnk0 possible t]w ]egislntion of 1017.
"I think tho present hill th0 more nearly what tlH eonntr:' needs, hecanse it is the more ,,id0-r0achi11g-, the more n0arl_\' absolnte prohibition.
"Crinw unqnestionab]y dirninish0d under the Act of 1~)1 G, lweans0 it got rid of the socinl elnh, \YhPre nwn, 0sp0r'in11;-- the yonng ones, eonld rongT0g-ate and 'treat,' thP most
compldP induc0nwnt to clrink. Compara-
41

ti nly .fe1\' men would do much drinki11g ex. 'l'here has been a great slump, in my
01>iniot1, in those crimes ordinarily attributable to whiskey. 'l'here has resulted a makri:d redudiou iu tl1e cases committed from the ~\layor's Conrt of .Atlauta to the Superior Comt of Fulton County. And this is largely 1\'hat 1 base my judgme11t 011. And the great majority of those now being brought, larcenies excepted, ean Le traced almost always, to 'lilill(l tiger' whiskey.
"1 heartily endorse the legislatio11 enacted on the snhj(~d of prohihitio11 dnri11g your administration.''
J. R. Hutcheson, Solicitor-General of the Talla-
poosa Circnit, states:
'' '!'he effect of the Prohihitio11 ..._\ct that went into effed :Hay l, l!HG, greatly reduced crim('S in my einnit nsunll.'' attributable to intoxieating liquors.
"Tlte Aet of Mareh :28, H>l 7, on same subjed Jins had the pffrd of rednei11,c; to still a greatfr degTee sn<'h <rimes. In fad, in my einuit llO_\\' it is ranl_\' that WP have a ease of 1mblie clrnnkem1eiss.
'' The lm,t named Act a:c; ,ve1l as all other prohihition legislation is lwin: rigidily enforeed in m;v eirenit. ''
George ::\r. Napier, Solicitor-General of the Stone
Mountain Circuit, sa_\'S:
'' The short time whieh lrn:c; been allowed for the observation of the effect of the new prnhihition :c;tatnte whieh went into effect in ::\lanh this year, preelnc1es anv opinion that nm_\' he of really permanent valne. However, the effc>d of this :c;tatnte and of the statute whieh heeame effeetive in l\fay, 1916, in les-

seuing the amount of crime 1s already apparent.
'' '11his seasoll of the ypm is w,:ually the lightest in the rerordcd rourn1issio11 of crimes generally, aml the (\X('itenw11t incident to the war may also havP some <'ffc,d in diminishing c-ri11w, and i11 dinrtinp; nttP11tio11 to its proseentio11, hut still] am surP tliat the a111otmt of crime g'('llerall:- throughout the Ntonc l\lonutain Cirenit has 1Jec11 din1i11isln'd :-;ince the passage of the new prohibition law. It may lw said C('l'tai11l~- that tlic> crimes ordinarily attrilmtab1e to the dfeet of :-;pirituom; li<1nors ha H' 1wP11 rnatPria11y lesse11ed b:- the statute whieh 1W<'HllW d'foetive Afar 1, EnG.
'' rrJ1(' statute \\-hich lwranw e ffeetive .l\Iay l, 191 G, has been ver:- vigorom;ly e11forced in our circuit; also the statute effective in ::\larch of this year. l find that the officers are vigilant and active, and that the Grand ,Juries will indid for violation of these statutes, and as a rule the trial juries will convict.''
,Toseph B. -Wall, Solicitor-General of the Cordele
_Circuit, writing nnder date of the 19th inst., states:
'' After the passage of the Aet ,Yhieh went into eff<>et May l, l!n 6, I was able to discover Yery littlP if a11Y difference in those crimes attrilrntable to drinking liquor. \:either -was there nmch noticeablP difference i11 the nnmher of 'blind tiger' prosecutions.
'' Si11ce the passage of the Aet which became effective March 28H1, 1917, however, there is a ver>- great falling off in those erinws attrilmtah]e to liquor, a11d prosecntiom,: for selling liquor since that time are almost negligible.''
43

R. C. Bell, ~olicitor-Geueral of the Albany Ju-
dicial Circuit, -wrote ou the 18th inst.:
'' ln my opiuiou crime has diminished 50 per cent iu the Albany Judicial Circuit since May 1, HJ16. I believe the prohibition law effective 011 that date is almost solely responsible for this decrease.
'' \re have 110t tested the conditions prevailing under ti1e Aet of :i\Iarch 28th, yet sufficiently to estimate ac:eurately what further diminution of c:rime that Act will bring about; but I uelieve that b-'- the 31st day of December, 1917, it can be shown that violations of the Ia-w in this eircuit during the year 1917 will not exceecl fort_\- per cent. of what they we>re during the> years 1914 and 1915, or for a11y _n_ar prior to the enactment of the law at the extraonJinnry session of 1915.''
,v. A. \\~ooten, Solicitor-General of the Oconee
Circuit, -writing from Eastrnau, says:
'' 'Che Act of l\la_\- l, 1916, had a most notable effect upon the 'crime usually attributable to intoxicating li<1uors.' I do not think it caused man.'- whiskey drinkers to quit drinking entire>]_\-, hut it certainly eliminated very mueh of the excessive drinking, that drinking which causes people to lose their reason and consequently commit crime. I would say that this law reduced crime within my eircnit at ]east 15 per eent. It ,,,as reaso11ah]:-- well 0nforced at first.
":'fow as to the Bone Dry Law, it has been ver:-- mneh eritieis0<l for containing unreasonah]e and too <lrastie proYisions. I thought rn_\-se>1f that it went a little too far in some direetions, that it would have been stronger had it heen less clrastie, hut let its critics

criticise as they may, it prohibits, aud l belime that is the objed of a prnhibitiou measure. 1'hey simply can not get the liquor, aud not beiug able to get it they Jo uot drink it, and not drinking it they do not commit those crimls aitribntal,lP to its use.
"Crirnes attrihuta1Jk to the nsc of liquor in 111.\- cireuit li}ffe lwen rednccd b:- the bo11e dry Act at km;t 73 per cent., and all crimes have been reduced siuee this Aet -went into effect, I would sa)' thirty-three and one-third per cent. I have just had a ,Yec~k of criminal conrt here in Dodge County, and out of a full ,n_c-k's work, there was 11ot one defendant whom the evidence shmYed to have had liquor in him at the time he committed the erirne for which he "as tried, that is where the nirn0 waR committed since the bone dry Aet. I 1Jclieve that the chaingangs within my circuit ln- the end of thiR year will have been reduced fnll:, one-third, and 'bone dry' is doing it. I pronounce the law an undreamed of Ruccess. I know of nmnherR of men who were constant drinkerR before its enactment who are now tee-totalers."
Claude H. Porter, Solicitor-General of the Rome
Circuit, -writing under date of .Tune 21st, says:
'' Tn my judgment thiR enforcement (of these Jaws) has been Yer)- heneficial and crime of all c]aRses greatly reduced.
u--what is known aR the 'two-quart' law was helpful, lmt it was almost imnosRihle to detect violations from the nsc of fictitious 11arnes and of rninorn, whereas under the recent 'hone dry' Act, there is now no difficulty in locating the guilt.\- part). It is ]ike watching the lwes to find the h0e tree. ,Just a simple process of heing on the alert.
45

' The ]my is being e11forC'ed in m:- circuit, aml I an1 of the opinion that the law and its p11fonernent is 111pefr11g the heart_\- approval ol' the gTent nwsses of the peoplP.'' * * * ~,
~\. S. Slnlton, Solicitor-Gernrnl of the Xortlwrn
Cinuit, irns"eri11g 011 .June :21st, sa_\-s:
'' Pnhlie se11timent ap1wars to lw behind tht's( la\':s, nnd tJ1ere iR ver_\ little signs of <lrinking 11mY. Crime is unqmstiomtl)]y on tlw deennse. * * ~, ,;
''The geHPrnl opi11ion is, hased npon the re:c,nlts of tlw past .'-par's operation of these hrws, that our present prohibition Rtatutes ,,-ill reduce intPmperame to a minimum, \Yill -wipe mYay fully seventy-five per cPnt. of the nillH' of the State, and \Yill be a great boon to the financial and moral prop;ress of our pt>ople. '' * * * *
.JndgP .John P. Hoss, Soliritor-General of the
l\Iacon Cireuit, who \\Tote on .Tune 24th, :,;ays:
'' The prohibition statute effective }fay 1, rn16, greatl:- decreased the consumption of intoxicating liquors. Thr RnpplPmental statute of l\larch :28, 1917, has reduced the consnlllption of such liquors to a minimum, compa re(l -with the ctnantity consumed prior to }[ay 1, 191 G. These lmn, have largely increased sohriet.'- amollg the people, and corresponcfo1gl.'' deneaserl the commission of erirnPs foirl_\- eharg(alile to the drinking of intoxicating liquors.
((, * * * They are being e11forced about as \Yell as othPr laws are enforced.''
Ah-in Y. Sellers, Solicitor-GeHernl of the Bruns-
wick Circuit, 011 .Tnue 20th, \\Tote that he had been in office too short a tinw to a11s,,-er the inquiries
46

that were sent to him. He went in to office on Jan-
nary 1, 1917.
E. L. Stephens, Solicitor-General of the Dublin
Circuit, ,note as follows on the 21st inst.:
"Permit me to advise that the 'two-quart' law was an improvement on the liquor law then on the books. rrhis improvem<,nt was slight, however. There was hardly a noticeable decline in crimes attrilmtab]e to whiskey.
'' rl'his law was so easil_\- evaded h.'- the whiskey and tiger elenwnt that it was of little vahw, and in my judgment had it been allowed to stand for just a few years, Georgia would have been a prohibition State in name only.
"'l'he 'bo11e dr_\'' statute that went into effed ::Harc-h 28, 1917, has virtually elirni11ate<l ,d1iskey, and in m.'- judgment will entirely do so if diligent]_\- rnforced by those <'harged ,Yith that duty.
"In Hl_\' circuit there is a "ell defined disposition aml determi11atio11 to e11foree the hrn- both in Jetter a11d spirit. rrhere is 110 open opposition to this law. In fad at ]east ninety-nine per cent. of my people are delig'11t0d ,Yith it, aTLd ,rnu]d i11 110 1Yise for a morne11t tolerate its evasion, or diange, 1111- Jess to .m;1ke stronger, if possible to be str0n_gthened."
walter F. Gray, Solicitor-General of the :Middle
Circuit, ,n-ites on June 21st, as follows:
'' The effed of the first law was good and greatl)' reduced drinki11g and dnrnkenness. I think tltP effed of thr> last la11- has been gen0raJl.'r good so far as r0d11c-ing (lrinki11g and c-rime c-aused by exeessive drinking.
* * * *
"The gc>neral effed so far as rednc-ing the
47

class of crjmes mentioned above is unquestionably good.''
A. L. Franklin, Solicitor-General of the Augusta
Cfrcuit, n11s,reri11g the inquiries 011 ,Jnne 21st, says:
'' .,. * ,;, 'l'he prohibition law has, in my opinion, done a great deal of good on the same prineiple of our tryi11g to keep liquor from the Indians. I understand the average convicts at the City Stockade was about 40 or 50 1Yhe11 li(g10r was sold, and since the prohibition law this average has been redueed to about orn'-half, or more.''
-\Y. F. Slater, Solicitor-Ge1rnral of the Atlantic
Circuit, writi11g 011 Jnne 23rd, said:
'' Crime of all kinds has diminished at least GO per cent. in the Atlantic Judicial Circuit sinee ~fay 1, JD1G. At the May term, 1915, of the Superior Conrt of l\Icfotosh c01mty, I tried 15 ca::;Ps (criminal). At the -:"llay term, 1917, I trie<l hrn criminal cases,-only two indietnwnts found by the grand jury.
'' Th0re has heen on1., 011e 11rnrder corn1nittecl in the ),..tla1ttic Circuit since May 1, 191G.
'' Thu eonditi011s among the laboring people han um1ergone a revolution for the bett0r. Good order and sobriety are 110ticeable. 'I'h<'Y am more irnlustri on s and economical. The crfrne of rape in Georgia has almost ceased since J\fa:, 1/HG."
E. ::\I. Owe11, Solicitor-General of the Flint Cir-
cuit, writing on ,June 23rd, said:
- "I thi11k the law that went into effect May 1, 191G, reduced crimes nsuall: attributable to intoxicating liquors t-\\enty per cent. at least, and that the Act of :i\farch 28, 1917, has
48

reduced the same class of cnmes twentyfive per cent.
'' The prnhibitjon la"' is bejng enforced in this section.''
.Tolrn ""L Fort, Solieitor-Genernl of the South-
western Cirenit, 1nifo1g June 21st, states:
'' Since the passage of these Acts, especiall:' the one ,Yhich went i11to effect ~larch 28, ] Dl7, there has been in thjs circuit a marked deerease in crimes usually attributable to intoxicating liquors. This decrease is very g'("llerally attributed, and I think correctl~', to the two late prohibition ,_-\cts, espeeiall_\ the last one.
'' rrhe prnhihition law is ]wing ven' gene_rall_,, enforced throughout the counties of this Circuit.''
Judge H. A. ~\[athmrn, Judge of the Sn11erior
Courts of tlie ~[aeon Circuit, writing clired to the
Governor 011 the 21st inst., states, amollg other
things:
"The mmil>er of inmates of the Bibb county jail. according to the statement of Sheriff Hicks made to me, is so re(1ncecl as a result of the amenclments in qm::;tion as to make tlw jail, heretofore a source of profit to him, a somce of financial loss.
'' The crjminal dorkets of t11e three counties of this circuit show a falli11g off in business of all kinds, that is remarkable in the last eight months.
"A nnmber of :Macon merchants, formerly anti-prohibitionists, ban voluntarily said to me that the increase of legitimate bm,i11ess within the last year has heen verr marked, and that they were mistaken as to their belief that lmsiness would he injnrecl by extreme
4\J

legislation on the subject of intoxicating liquors.''
In his letter Judge Ross called attention to the
findings of the Bibb County Grand Jury. The fol-
lowing is an extract from their presentments:
'' 'I'he ,rnrk of this Grand ,Tury has not been as heavy as that of former grand juries; especially is this true as to the bills presented by the Solicitor-General. The total number of bills submitted to this Grand .Jury \\-ere 52. Of this, there \Yere only 43 true-bills found. -we attribute this large reduction in the criminal C'ases presented to us to the so-called 'bone dry law,' which \Yent into effect l\farch 28, 1917, and it is conelusiw to the minds of this Grand Jury that this law has had a wholesome effe;t on the number of cases presented to us, proving conclusively to our minds that absolute prohibition reduces crime to a minimum, and this Grand .Jury gives its heart~- all(l unqualified indorsernent to this law, and \H' fe(l that it ,nmld be a mistake to in an.'- wa.'- modify the present la\\', and if there is an.'- change made, it should be in the direction of RtrPngthening it."
R. C. Norman, Solicitor-General of Toombs Cir-
cuit, writing on the 30th inst., says:
"I have no definite statistics, but the effect of the prohibition law has been very fine. I woukl say that violations of the prohibition law have fallen off 75% and other crimes that grow out of the nse of whiskey 50%."
Fondren -:\ritchell, Solicitor-General of the South-
ern Circuit, ealled in person to sa.'' that he aRsnmed the dntie8 of his office J mmar.'- 1, 1917, and is, there-

fore, not in position to make the desired comparisons.
No replies were received from the SolicitorsGeneral of the Blue Ridge, Chattahoochee and Eastern circuits.
RRPOHTS FROM CITIES.
D. ,V. Simmons, First Commissioner of Rome, states:
'l'he liquor cases from l\lay 1, 1915, to 2\Iay 1, l~H6, amounted to .............. 1750 From ?day 1, 1916, to l\fay 1, 1917, .... 1417
Since l\Iarch 28th, when the bone dry law went into operation, only 13 cases have been docketed. Jno. C. Cook, Mayor of Columbus, writes: From April 1, 1915, to May 1, 1916,
Drunk on streets. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,001 Drunk and disorderly. . . . . . . . . 886
2,887 From l\Iay 1, 1916, to .June 1, 1917,
Drunk on streets .............. 1,243 Drunk and disorderl_\. . . . . . . . . 568
1,811 Showing a decrease of 1,076 casrs in that time. S. T. Braton, Mayor of ,Yaycross, makes the following statement: The number of cases on our docket for violation of the rirohibition law for the 12 months from Ma_\ 1, ] 915, to M aY 1, 1916, "ere 37, as eompared with 3l. For the 12 months lwtween l\Ia> 1, 1016, and l\fay 1, 1917. He adds: '' Since tlw passage of the Bone
51

Dry Law, violations have been reduced to a

iui11imum. '' R. 0. Arnold, .i\layor of the City of Athens,

says:

Drunkenness only, 1915, 46 cases

''

'' 1!)16 9 cases

"

" 1917 11 cases

Dr. James R. Littleton, Mayor of Augusta, gives

the following figures :

Number of cases appearing on docket of

Recorder's Court in Augusta, are as follows: lVIay 1, 1!l15, to J\iay 1, 1916 .......... 8,988
May 1, HJlG, to J\Iay 1, lD17. . . . . . . . . . 5,396

Decrease during period. . . . . . . . . . . 3,592 r:l1his decrease says Dr. Littleton, expressing an individual opinion only, has been brought about by the enactme11t of the Bone Dry liquor law. Tho Acting Chief of Police of the City also states that the non-sale of liquor in the city has gTeatl>' reduced the number of crimes against the laws of the city and State. J. "\V. Hammond, Mayor of Griffin, ,vrites:
''"\\Te can not give you the exact figures on the number of whiskey easr-s," yet he adds, ''-the total uumher of cases tried in the RecordPT 's Court from, :i\fay 1, 1!)15, to -:\Iay 1, l916. . . . . . . . . . 1,010 1\fa>, 1, 1916, to ::\Iay l, 1917. . . . . . . . . . 883
l\[a>', l!)l 7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 He adds: '' Sinee th0 Bone Dry Law went
into 0ffect th0 c.ases of drunk and disorderly are almost 0xtinct. ''
Hon. Bridgr-s Smith, Mayor of Macon, says:
The R0eorder's doeket in Maron shows that from 1\Iay, 1915, to Ma>', 1916, there
52

were 1,205 cases of drunk and 4,494 other cases. From :}lay l~H6, to l\Iay 1917, there were 683 dnmks and 3,Drn other cases.
He adds: "The conditions since the Bone Dr.v Lt1,v went into effeet are most favorable nnckr the ci rc1mrntances.''
,V. J. Pierpont, Mayor of Savmmah, makes a
statement 011 .:\In) G, !lll7, sho,Yillg a large deerease in crime iu Stffmmah during the first year of prohibition. There were :3,488 fe-,nn- arrests during that year than during the previous year. He adds: '' There was less crime of every desniption, a decrease of from 20 to 80 per rent. lieillg shown by the figures.''
l\Iayor Pierpont is the only head of a rity in the State who thinks that the Bone Dry Lm,r has been a disadvmitage rather than a hemfit to the city.
Ko report was received from ~\ t]anta.
SPECIAL SESSlOXS.
Two special sessions of the Legislature were necessary to secure the enactment of these laws. The majority of the Legislatme found that under their
own rules it was impossible to enact the statutes in
the far?e of a strong and intelligent minority. At called sessions the subjert of ]egislation is determined hy the Governor beforehand, and inasmuch as there is no limitation on the time of the session, there is little opportunity to defeat a measure which the majorit)T desires to pass. At these called sessions the fililmster does not thrive as a method of obstruction.
It is certain from the communications referred
53

to and from others of the same import, from numerous sections of the State, that these laws have reduced crime ve_ry materially throughout the entire. bounds of the eomrnomYealth. Judges and Solicitors ought to know best about these matters. Reports from the great cities and from individuals but eonfirrn the statements made concerning the marked reduction in crime.
It may be a sacrifice on the part of a large number of our people to give up entirely the use of intoxicating liquors, hut in time of peace as well as in time of ,nn, sacrifiees are demanded. And those who are strong should be willing to forego the pleasures of drinking to insure sobriety on the part of those ,vho are weaker in the ]and. Especially is this true if by so doing the cost of courts, the fees of sheriffs and jailers and the other great expenses eonse(1nent upon the commission of crime, are de-
creased almost fifty per eent. Yre do not take into
considerntiou in this matter the weakness of our neighbors. In this Gonrmnent Pver.'- man is his brother's keeper, and in order to secure the happiness of the greatest number, the minority ought to be "-illing to e011hihnt0 to t]w common good even at a small exrwnse to themselves.
It is a delightful consideration for a Governor at the epd of his tenn to be assured h.'- those who know rnost ahout it, that the ,rnrk which he has done for his emmtry has ('.Ontrilmted to its moral uplift, to tht betterment of its p(~ople, and its progress to a nolller civilization. If, as he is assured, he has decreased crime within its bon11daries to almost onehalf of what it was before he eame into oftiee, he has
54

truly insured the happiness of millions in the future -and as for him, if it is true, he has done better than to have triumphed over a hundred opponents or gained the highest office which a grateful people could ever bestow.
,\THAT THE ADMINISTRATION HAs AccoMPLISHRD.
I came into the office of Governor while war was raging throughout the European countries. I leave it when that ,var has extended itself to our own shores and our own people are engaged in making preparation for the greatest struggle that has ever been known in the annals of ancient or modern times. 1,~very man in Georgia will feel himself called in some sense to the serviee of the country during the prevale1He of this terrific contest. Those of us who must remain at home can encourage those who are called to tlw eolors. Our sons and onr brothers will risk their lives in the C'ause of our great nation, and it is asking but little of us that we should contribute of our substance to help them-to give them comforts-in the terrible ordeals through which they must pass. Our "'omen are organizing to stand by them, and when the trenches shall yield up the wounded and d_\ing, their tender fingers will wipe the death damps from the foreheads and compose the limbs tenderly for the last rites, or in hospitals they will bend over the beds of suffering and agony and relieve and help and bless with their sacred presence the ,voundecl and dying of our heroic armies ahrnad. God bless the women! I hope our men will not fall too far behind them.
66

CONCLUSION.
It may not be amitrn ou my part iu these closing hours to state to you what I think are the three greatest aehieveme11ts of the administration that began two years ago. You will pardon me, especially those of you who were with me in all the work.
l. Pnourn tTroN: I think the people of Georgia are clestine<l to foel most the Acts that were passed to prevent i11temperanee and to prohibit the use and sale of intoxicatiug li4.uors. These Acts are new to our people no", but if their beneficial effects continue they will become more popular as the years go by and I think "ill ue more and more appreciated by those ,d10 crnjoy the benefits of their enforcement. The prn1ishment of crime will grow easier as the State lifts its head higher iu the ways of virtue an<l <'ivi1izatio11.
~- Sc1rno1. \\".\JtTLL\'TS: rl'he 1wxt measure wa:-; the legislatioll wl1id1 1noyideJ for the monthly payment of the tca{'}1p1s of the State engaged in our common sehools. Jt had become almost a scandal to the State that the tea('lters co11ld not get their pay as it accrned. ']'1H extremities to which they were driven, tlie hawking ahont of their little scrip, their i11ahility to pa! evt>11 tl1eir board or to lmy their elotlws, all tlwsc~ tl1iup;s e011stitnted a frarfnl handiea11 on the a<ln1i11istrnti011 of onr pnl>lic S{'hool affairs mid threat(11ecl i11 time to destroy iu large mommre the effedin11ess of the \\hole system. '11lw school warnrnts ltave fnrnishP<l a remed_,, for all this, and tlw Tnasnry ""ill lw a<lvantagP<l greatly in the fntmt> h:' flie fad that this provision has been made.
56

3. STATE RoAD LEASE: The third great achievement of the administration was the lease of the State Road. It was earnestly urged upon the Legislatme in tlw first message presented at the time of the inangurntio11, bnt the final legislation was enacted at the called session of ~ovember, 1915. The road has been well leased as I have stated to you and is J10W ont of the region of politics, and its increased n,ntal will continue to aid ns in the education of the children and in lessening the burdens of taxation upon the people of the State for fifty years of the fntme.
Of course there are a great many other things which were enacted and became la"Ts during the course of the administration, but I seled these three as constituting the principal achievements npon which the administration will depend for the good will of coming generations.
And now I do not bid you farewell, for I expect to see yon again, bnt J hid ~-on one and all God speed in the groat work which yon are caJled npon to d.o for onr h0lond Statr in this most s0rions crisis of her affairs. I pray for yon the g'nid.ance of the Great Ruler of the "Universe in all yonr deliberations.
Respectfully submitted,
Governor.
67