MESSAGE

I

OF

I

I I Governor Clifford Walker

I

I

~

I

I
I

DELIVERED TO

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

OF GEORGIA

JUNE 27, 1924
..,,_.n...,~~(~~~1...a- -~--~

lv1ESSAGE
OF
Governor Clifford Walker
DELIVERED TO
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA
JUNE 27, 1924

Governor's Message
To the Jlembers of the Gc11ernl Assembly:
I have ralled your attention on sen-:'ral oecasions to the fad that this administration is sacredly pledged by the
mandate of the people expressed at the ballot box to:
1. 'l'he exercise of strict economy in the expenses of the state government and-
2. An equitable system of taxation providing a fair distribution of the expenses of the State government.
ECONOMY
To the appeal for the exercise of strict economy, you
have l'l'Sponded by limiting your appropriations to those
uhjects only ,d1ich appeared absolutely necessary. In the name of the people of the State I commend you for surh action. I trust that during this session you will find time to go further by making a survey of all the Pxpe11ses of the State government, cutting off every item of c>xpense which is not necessary for the proper conduet of the business of tla~ State. I have earnestly urged th(~ head of every department to exerrise every possible economy and have been consistent by reducing the expenses of the Executive Department hy eutting out 01w of the <"krks in that DepartmP11t. I liave also urged the iwwly created Department of :\udits to indicate any possible eronomy and I earnestly commend that Department for the suggestion made in its report, to
,d1ieh I call your especial attention. In the interest of
eeonomy, I ask your careful consideration of the sugges-

tions therein made. In an effort to reduce the large sums paid out by the State for rent, I have taken the liberty to have fitted up on the ground floor of the Capitol building rooms sufficient to care for two departments of the State government. I ask that the General Assembly examine these rooms and determine if it ,,-ould not be econornical to make provision for the development of the entire ground floor of the Capitol building, thus providing a saving of large rents now being paid out by the State. I call your attention to the fact that this ground floor is not in fact a basenient. Its physical condition indieates that it was intended for a full story and was left unde,-eloped simply because the room was not needed when the Capitol was built.
I shall he pleased to cooperate with the General Assembly, or any committee thereof, in an effort to reduce the expenses of the government iu any other way eonsistent with the best interests of the people of the State.
Perhaps the greatest contribution to the spirit of economy ,Yhieh the Legislature could make would he the passage of the bill providing for hi-ennial sessions of the General Assembly. This would affect a saving. directly and indirectly, of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Only four other states have annual sessions. Under the Constitution and in cases of real emergency, the Governor can call the General Assembly in extraordinary session to consider only matters of emergency. The vast majority of the people favor this suggestion of economy and I earnestly urge the adoption of this legislation.
In line with the policy of economy pledged by this administration and tending to the wisest of all economies, is the ineorporation of modern husiness methods in the conduct of the affairs of the government. To this end I earnestly direct your attention to an early favorable action upon the suggestions of the State Anclitor. Perhaps the wisest of these I quote here :
4

' \Ye find that we have many different agencies collecting money for the State of Georgia; some of these funds being paid into the State Treasury, other funds being disbursed by tlie difforent departments with very little check and authority onr such departments. The Auditor is firmly convinced that all moneys of every nature, character and kind which is collected under the authority of the State of Georgia, should be paid at frequent inte1Tals into tl10 8fak "I1reas11ry, and tlJc,re be dislmr:wd under the general plan of the State.''
Certainly this State is committed by its Constitution and by its laws as well as by good business principles to such methods and I earnestly urge that legislative provision be made looking to that eml. F~nry clollnr of tlw income of the State should be covered into the 'l'reasury and proper records thereof made. Only thus can we determine what is thP real income of the State and make a proper aceounting and ehecking in the disbursements of the State.
In the interest of further economy and in line ,vith suggestions of business principles, l call your attention to the fact that for a number of years the number of deficiency appropriations has grown alarmingly large until How the State is practically operating upon a system of deficiency appropriations. Indeed, the present Appropriation Committees have operated practically entirely on that basis, lwing governed by the patriotic determination that only such appropriations would be authorized as could be met by the income of the State then in sight. within the limits of this paper I could not discuss the unscientific and unbusiness-like eiement involved in this plan of finaneing the 8tate. It is unspeakahl:, violatiw of every business principle and extremely dangerous in its tendency. There must be a check and a eurh of the expenditures of every institution, no matter how worthy

the cause and however honest and patriotic the officials in charge. If any deficiency is allowed, then there is no limit upon the amount of the deficiency. I do not question the patriotic motives of the present .Appropriation Committees. I know that their action was based upon
the determination to keep down additional appropria-
tions during thi:,; period of depression in the finances of the State. Indeed, this determination met the expressed approval of tlw P:xecutive in personal conferences. I do not know of any material advantages which have been taken of the system up to this tinw. It is tr11e, howevt>r, that such a system providC>s an opening for the grav('st abuse of the pri-vilege of overdrawing aeeonnts. W1ii7t is needed is ecn11uniy in expenditures and a fi11ancial system wl1ich zci!l obviate a11y temptatio11 to cn:crrlrau.
I earnestly urge the General Assembly to give eareful eousideration to the adoption of a plan whieh will abso-
lutely prenmt deficiency appropriations save only in cases of real emC>rgenc?.
Sngge:--tinp; i'nrthlr econorny hy the adopticri of hn:-:iness rndhocls, l also ask leave to eall your attention to that part of the report of the ~\uditor \\hie1i ea1l::; attention to the unscientific- ancl 1mbnsinPss-likc~ hahit ol' making- appropriations in lnrnp :-:urns, ,,ith 110 lmdg0t <11" <letails of expenditures.
~\.s the~\ nclitor points out appropriations an froqnently madu, as, for instarn<', $:-i0,()00.00 for the support of a 1Prtain cle1iadnw11t <Jr institution and tliP Pntin spending- of the $:-i()Jl00.00 i::; left to t}ip disnction of the head of thr> (kpndnwnt or iu.,,titntinn. -:\l:rn:,- states rpquin' in earh instanee :111 iterni:.c<<t ,!et:iil,d rcq11est. sl10\,inp: tl1e m'et1s:e:ih foi r>aeh ite111. ,\ppropriation:-: an mn<lP in this form arnl 1nn11i,s so appropri,dP<1 can lw appli<>cl onl: to the p11rposps antliori1/11l. Tlw wisdom of tl11s ,c::nggestion is so ap11an'nt :1:e: to 11e011110 elaliorate rlisenssion. I commend it to yonr com:iclcration.
6

TAXATION
I would agajn uired tlw attention of the General Assembly to the matter of repeal of the so-called Tax Equalization Law. This qm!sticm has been twice passed upon by the people of the State at the ballot box and it is yet m1disposecl of hy tl1e ]egi;e;latnn~. A hill is pending in one hra11ch of the General A:-:sembly, having been pas:sed by the other. I would earnPsU~- urge that this hill be plaeed
upon tlH' cah,nclar, brongM to a vote and finally dispused
of -withont further d0h1y. H is my judgment that the 1wopk, of tl1P State cxpc)d that adion at the hands of their repreRentativPs and in c-ornpliance with the expressed -will of the peoph, aml consistent with past declarations, I ask that this he don0.
In resp(~et to an equitable srstP111 ol' taxation to take the place of the Tax J,;(llrnlization Law, I -would respectfully again direct yonr attention to messages from the Governor to previous sessio11;e; of tlw pnsPnt General Assembly. It is not my pnrpose to Jiarrass the members
of tlw Legi;e;latur<> h~- thl' (ontimrnus (xpn':-,pionP of my own VH'Ws. This Gerwrnl Assombl,\" is entitled to commPn<lation for eanful (011sickratio11 and a n1on~ P}Hll<:-:t study of ihe prohlPrns hronght about hy Heerl for tax re,iPion tlwJJ lrn el1n rnd,1iz(d -( ]11'. .'J,'<'iit'rnl n:-:H,11lili(S for rna11y years. I trust that tlH' r<>snlt of sueh study may bring allont a !-'olut ion of this prohi em, upon which the fntnn~ pro:re:-:s and pros1wrii_,, of the state f-O vitally depends.
FOUR-YEAR TERM FOR STATE HOUSE OFFICERS
Next to rnattpr;e; of eeonomy and tl1e enactment of an
equitable system of taxation, I am elParly and earnestly of the opinion that legislation providing for a four-year term for Governor and other State House Officers is of
most vital importance to the people of this State.
T

Continuous political agitation and factional bitterness

among the people must stop if Georgia is really to prn-

gress. 'l'he people should be given a rest. It is univer-

sall~- n!cog11ized in eommercial circle's that even the as-

scmhly of the Legislature affects lrnsiness interests.

'l'here is ahn1ys a great unrest when Congress is in ses-

sion. \\-hen added to this umest is the agitation inci-

dent to extended and bitter political campaigns, either

state or national, the effect upon business is most mark-

ed. Fnder conditions peculiar to Georgia, the governor

is elected practieally ten months before he takes office.

He is projeckd inio a eampaign for re-Plection before he

takPs his scat. '1'1w Legislature has already com-ened

\Yhen he is imrngurate(l all(1 he has hac1110 opportunity to

obtain first-hand infonnaticm as to tlw fiscal conditions of

the State. I le has no opportunity to get acquainted with

his official fomil~-- Before he can get well into the op-

eration of the affairs of State, thp first term of the Leg-

islature has hPen concluded and on t]w results of that

term he is forePd to ent<>r into a campaign for an <n-

c1or:-:erncnt term. ] le has had little op1ior1nnity to render

effrdin' or statesmanlike :-:ervicP mid the people of the

State an tlw suf'frnrs. Then a1e othn rnost vitally

important arguments in foyor of a fonr-)ea1 knn hut it

is not 11pce:-:;;ary l1Pre to rnnltipl.'- ,nwds. I trn;;t that

then' ,Yill he 110 sPrions diffcrpnces of opinion 011 this

que:-:tion. It ,Yill lw nm1Pn,tood, of ('Oll r:-w, that thP Pll-

actment of this law emlllot affect, in nn.'- way, the prese11t

Gonrnor. It carn1ot go i11to effed 1rntil ratified hy t1w

people' and prnper miahling nets pmrned, thu:-; preventing

E!V<'ll
\

t1H'

1)0:-:sihilitY.

of

an

(xtention

of"

the

term

of

the

present iHcnmbent. I arn makillg tl1P ;;uggestion onl~ in

the interest of the State. IndPed, I liave indicatc~d a will-

ingness to sacrifice a part of my term, if l should he in

offiee, if the Lcgis]atnre should see fit to provide for the

friaugnration of the Goven1or in ,Jmrnary, a:-; has been

urged with much force.

8

ABSENT VOTERS BILL
A substantial mu11lwr of the eitizens of this State are engaged in oeenpations "-liieh ean,\ tlwm mYay from home. To many of tlwm it is most im011Ye11i011t and oftcn impossil>le to rdnrn 110111<' on r>lec-ticm day. 'l'n1veling rnen, railroad emplO_\'C)r>:-; and othc->rs engagccl in similar husi11Pss sl10nl!l not l)p lH'11a]i7,cd h,\ lwinp: <lqll"ind of tliC' right and privilc->ge ot' exereising the franc-hise. Other staks have ,;uccessfully remedied this situation by the passage of alrnent voters bill. The integrity of the ballot hox ean easily he safeguarded by proper rustrictions and I earnestly ask that such legislation lw enaded as will grant rc->lief to the ,rnrthy class of eiti7,e11,; referred to in this paragraph.
REFORESTATION
I respedfully call your attention to the report of the Georgia Forestry Association and ask your earnest consideration of the qnPstion of reforestation. ..While, of course, tlw interests of the owners of timher land and of the saw mill intere,;b, must he) safeguarded, it is time to wake up to the fad that the forests of the 8tate are in great dangPr from waste, hy fire, imprnper handling by saw mills and other careless methods now in use. '!'he denuding of our forests would be a ealamity unspeakable. I shall not undertake at this time to enter upon a diseussion of this question but ask your earnest consideration ()f th< matters touehing refonstati011 ,Yhieh ,,-ill be hrought to yonr attention.
FREE SCHOOL BOOKS
In as much as this State expends millions of dollars annually furnishing school buildings, supplying school teachers and every other necessary equipment, I cannot ;:-;ee that it is logical to withhold the neeessary tools to be
9

employed in 1,nch schools. Por sevent!~ years man_\ othc'r states, connties and mm1ieipalities han proYed that the fnrnishing of sehool 11ooks is practical, profitali1c ancl safe, and I trnst that this General Assemhly will at least adopt the policy in Georgia proyiding for sneh appropriations in the fnture as the state of the rrreasnry will permit.
ENFORCEMENT OF COLLECTION OF TAXES
I respcdfnlly eall your esrwcial atk11tio11 to tlw report of the h('acl of the X ew Re\'('ll1H' Department. 'l'lH! Pstablishment of this Department has 1wen ampl_\ jnstifiP<l hy the colledion of many tlionsarnls of dollars which would not have been eollectecl, some of ,vhich appears on the books of the J)ppartnwnt while man:~ other thousands have be<?n tnnw<l into the Tn'HS1H,\' throngh the regular channels, through tlw influence of this [)(~partm('nt. For example, the report ol' the Neerehn_\ of State shcr\\'S an increase for less than six rno11ths, of $:32:"i,000.00 in amount of automobile tag taxes <wer the same tinw last year. This 11iagnitice11t sum going direcil,\ to irnproYed roads is la r;el.v a ttrihnterl to the infl 11crnc' of the ('ll fon<'ment laws. '!'he Tax Coll<dor of Ridunon(l Connt: in one' we<k rppork<l th(' eollPdion of $10,00().(l() siweial taxe>s ,Yl1i('lt kl<l es<'apecl tm:ation prior to th<> passnp;l' of this Im\". \\'liile 11rn11: other iJ1stanees in s111,dler ammrnts eould Ii<' <ite><L it is ,dso tnw tlwt h('<nuse of the limit<'d foree at its dispo.-:nl. th<' l)q1nl'tlll<'11t linfl li<'t'll unable to eon:r thc c,ntirc: Stat('. ~\:, a r<'snlt, rnm1y thousand:, ol'. dollars ot' taxps ,HP :otill P:-<'api11p;. The normal diffienlti<s of this D<11art11wnt lian 1Hen ;reatl,\' intensified 1iy litigation inyol\ing- the right of the' Stak to kY,\' eertain eignrPttc arnl eiga r taxes \\ hie-Ii engagec1 the attention of tlie Departme11t at its i11ception. I trust that you will gi,'e cardul att('ntion to the l'C'e01m1wmla-
JO

tion for puttiug teeth into the law looking to the more efficient operation of this Departnwnt.
INHERITANCE TAXES
I rPspeetfully ask yonr Pa l'JH-'st eonsideration of the report of the rt'ax Commissioner as to the collection of in-
lwritance taxes. rrhe Stnte is being deprived of many thousands of dollars anuunlly in income hy subterfuges
intended to defeat thP ('Ollodion of inheritance taxes through gifts made in (ontemplation of death. The Fed-
eral Go,ernment rnakos provision to meet sueh eases ancl
it wonl<l. 1w very easy for this State to do likewise. J earm:,;tly urge an amendment to the law which will pro-
vide for the uniform eollection of inheritanee taxes.
SPECIAL EMERGENCIES
I regret the neees:,,ity to c-all attention to 01w or two cases of real e11wrgP11eies whieh mnst receiYP thE attPn-
tion of the Ge11Prnl Ass<'mlil:,' nt this session. The most vital of these i:,: the IH-'('.rssit_\' to provicfo for the eontinuam0 of what is lrnO\nl a:,: tlie :\lonil Fn11cl to the l~niversit:,0 of Georgia. For 1naI1_\' yearc, thC> govcrmnent of thP Unikel StatPs has nppropriatP<l. .$;i0,000.00 annually to the support of tl10 1.Tni,ersity ol' Oeorgin urnkr that fund, one-third of tl1e amount being d(signat<d to t11(~ Georgia Industrial Colkge for Color0(1 Youths at Snvam1ah. Tlw eonditim1s of thi:c; appropriation nlnti11g to the negro collPge han~ not been complie(l with u1Hl ofii<'ial notieP has bt~en given hy the Federal G0Yernme11t that tht- fund will h( withdrawn unless these condition:,, ar0 nwt promptly. Details will he presented to yom proper committees. rt'his matter is not only urgent but vital and must he given the atfontion of thr L0gislature at this session.
11

Almost as vital is the maintenance fund for the University proper. The attendance has grmvn in the past fe,v years from 40G to 1,720. X eeessarily this growth has called for a large increase in the number of teachers in the l:niversity. For the past three years these have been maintained largely by a fund of $40,000.00 annually appropriated hy th(' Gen0ral Educational Board in K0w York. '11his fund has liePn ,Yithdnl\nt and an Pmergeney appropriation must h0 providP<l or tlw additional t,-.achers must be discharged and the work of the rniwrsity largely suspPmled. J urge eanful consickrati011 of this great emergency.
REPAIRS TO CAPITOL
Your Con1111ith->e 011 Repairs to the Capitol will report to you that eertaiu repairs are neeessary to the pres(rvation of the lrnilding. In this eomwetion I call your atten-
tion to the fact that from time to time frame storage
rooms have hP~n constructed on the gronnd floor of the building without regard to tlw fin hazard, turning a practically fin-prnof huilding iHtP a H'l')' da11g(rons rneuaee from fire. J eam10t too urg(Htly illsist that tlii;,-; menaee lw remond as the lm-.s to lifr a11<l prnpert.-.. Ii) th<::' destruetion of th(' Capitol by fin ,rnuld lw an 1111s1wakable ealamit:,..
I shall ddai11 you hut a rnmllent longPr. }Iy thought is that the tim( has eolll(' when (frorgia must turn from the., lmsiness gloom arnl eummNeial despair of the past four years. I would not for a rnoment rninirni:z;e the suffering undergone h) the farmers and business 111e11 in that period. I would rntlwr pause to pay tribute to the average farmer. ,n1ilc there is room for criticism of his system or rnthc~r laek of systPm, his unseientifie marketing, his failure to dinrsif:,. ancl other unlrnsinesslikP methods, it is just as trup that in all the eeo11omic
12

history of the world no gamer fight was ever -waged than that by this same average farmer as through frugality and economy and sacrifice he has toiled and struggled to retain his credit and maintain his honor by meeting his obligations as and -when they matured. ~[any of them have lived for months on peas and buttermilk, cornbread and syrup. Along with him I, too, have suffered as have all my people; ,Ye have s,Yeated drops of blood as we have seen the limited savings of a life-time dwindle in value by half and more. But while all this is true, we have tarried in the wilderness long enough. I remind you that our fathers of the Sixties suffered as we have suffered. r:I'hey lfred for days on parehed eorn alo11e ! :\'one of us Rnffrn,d sneh privation:,:! TlH'Y had no mo11ey, no seed, their stoek was gone, they had no labor-their slaves were freed-and far worse than all this-they had before them and ahout them th<c) unspeakably dark cloud of negro domination-the danger to white supremacy under the leadership of the scalawag aml tlw carpet-hagger. These gallant fatherR of ours suffered in body as they Ruffo red in pride hut they 11enr failt,(l nor faltered! They fought as we mu:,:t fight and they 1um as we must win! T c011gratnlak lll_\-:,:cl I' as I e011grntnla1P Georgia that I can look for lPadership in thought and sentiment and action to you intrepid sons of tho:c;e glorious fathers, blood of their blood and bone of their bone, as I point to the dawn of a new and brighter day in Georgia, while I hid you turn your eyes to the East. r:I'he hour has struck when we must ld the dead pa:,:t bun- its dead; fight frC'C' from the slough of de8pond of the past four years, join hands as patriots of peacC' in a fight for the progress of our State and the uplift of onr people. Sinee ,ve haYe now passed the darkest hour of industrial and commercial despair, may God grant that we may he embued ,,.-j_th a spirit of patriotism, a spirit of constructive service, that we may lay aside any former misunderstandings or
13

partisanship, as the <'X<~c-utin' and the legit.:latin' hrnnches ,rnrk hand in hand speeding the day whielt I firmly believe is now dawning-a day of unparalldled industrial aetiYity, of great agricultural dewlopment-a day when prosperity and c-ontentrnPnt shall rest on the farm, in the haml<>t, in the village, in the eity-the day of a brighter and a hetkr Georgia!

,June 26, 1924.

Governor.

14