The Augusta Courier

Talmadge Calls Georgians To Help Him Make State Outstanding In Nation

GEORGIA'S FIRST FAMILY
Governor to Submit All Needed Revenue Measures to People For Their Approval

Declaring his major concern to be in the realm of health, welfare and education, Herman Talmadge called upon the people of Georgia to join him in a forward looking program for the State of Georgia in his inaugural address last Wednesday.

He said:

"With the backing of a sturdy and honest people, I enter the office of Governor today buoyed high with a real determination to get things done for the people."

"I join hands with you in wanting to see Georgia recognized as a leader, not only in industry, and agriculture, but a leader in thought and culture as well."

His inaugural address in full follows:

"MR. SPEAKER, LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR GRIFFIN. MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. DISTINGUISHED GUESTS AND MY FELLOW COUNTRYMEN:

"I am deeply grateful for the high honor accorded me by the people of Georgia in electing me as their Governor.

"This marks the first time in the history of our nation that the same General Assembly has twice inaugurated the same Governor for the same term of office.

"Today we are met to inaugurate an administration in tune with the heart beats and wishes of the people of our state. We are entering what I believe the future will record as Georgia's most constructive era.

"New industrial development is coming to our state. Our people look forward with great hope to a high era of peace and prosperity. All of us, young and old alike, have cast aside personal considerations and have placed the welfare and future of our state first and foremost.

"I have great faith in the character and moral fiber that goes to make up our citizenry.

"While serving as your Governor I shall have but one objective and it shall be constantly before me at all times. And that objective is to accomplish as much as possible for the benefit and advancement of the people of Georgia - - - all the people.

"I harbor no malice nor ill will toward any man.

"I have just taken the oath as Governor of all the people of Georgia. I am going to be too busy with affairs of state to engage in narrow, blind, petty, partisan politics. I am going to do what I think the people expect of me and that is to make the best Governor of which I am capable. And in addition to this, I am going to try to prevail upon men who are capable, honest and qualified to help me run your government in Georgia.

"I tell you quite frankly that I have always considered servants of the people as being in somewhat the same status as that of trustees who are charged by law with exercising extreme care and diligence in handling funds and authority entrusted to them. State employees from the Governor right on down owe a duty to the people even higher than they would owe to themselves in the operation of their own businesses. It is not enough to ask "Is it legal?" but as long as I am your Governor the question will also have to be "Is it morally and legally right and will it serve the best interests of the people of Georgia?"

"Thousands and thousands of people

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have written me and requested appointment to a state job. I tell you quite frankly that thousands and thousands of my friends are going to be disappointed in not receiving a state job. The most difficult job a Governor has to do is to say "No" to his friends — his friends who have contributed their time, their money and worked diligently in his behalf. During my campaign I made it clear that my administration would be one of retrenchment and economy and those state employees who receive checks to do little or no work would be dismissed from the service of the state. There are hundreds of useless jobs where employees of the state are receiving checks and making no pretense whatever of performing duties for the state.

These jobs will be abolished and they will not be filled. State employees during my administration will perform their duties just as they would in private business. If they do not devote their full time on the job they will not be retained on the state payroll.

"I am fully aware of the burdensome federal, state and local taxes that our people now have to pay. The power to tax is the power to destroy and excessive taxation will destroy business and job opportunities for all our people. Many worthwhile plans have been suggested to the next General Assembly for improvement of living conditions in Georgia. Virtually everyone of them will require additional revenue. During the course of the campaign, I made it perfectly clear that if additional revenue should be deemed necessary or desirable that the revenue measure providing for it be submitted to the people of our state in a referendum for a final determination by them.

"There are two roads open to any man who assumes the executive authority of the state. He can just sit over there in the Governor's office, directing routine affairs, taking no decisive stand on important public issues, just letting things go along in a slip-shod fashion and somehow muddle through his term of office.

It is not enough to just be Governor without any ambition or foresight for his state or its people who elected him.

"I tell you now - I do not intend to be that kind of Governor.

"On the other hand your Governor can initiate progressive and constructive movements, and can take the lead in fighting for the things that our people believe in and that the state really needs: he can create broad and comprehensive policies and can act in a score of ways to carry them out, he can aid as a leader in mapping our movements and expansion programs designed to further agriculture and industry in the state. He can work with the Legislature toward enactment of forward-looking legislation and with state department heads toward effectuating this legislation into a reality. That is the kind of Governor I want to make.

"I am not one of those who thinks the opportunities in our country and in our state are limited. Today the people of Georgia along with the people of other states in the union, face a great new era of specific progress and a more abundant life.

"The world is gradually but steadily recovering from the devastation wrought by the recent war.

"Peoples of stricken nations are slowly but surely re-establishing themselves.

"From all over the world comes word that new demands are constantly being created for American goods, American farm products and American raw materials. If we can maintain peace in the world, and I believe that we can, these demands will increase. Here in Georgia we must stay wide awake and be sure that we get our just share of world trade.

"We cannot afford to be left behind.

"In this new era there will be more industrial development and a resultant increase in production of items needed for better living.

"As a candidate for Governor, I said that we should make a co-ordinated effort to secure industrial development for some of our smaller counties in Georgia to bring a better balance between industry and agriculture.

"We have the finest people in the world and natural resources in abundance. We welcome capitalists from outside the state who will come to Georgia to make good citizens and to help us develop our human and material resources.

"We do not welcome outside capitalists who come to Georgia with the idea of getting cheap labor and exploiting our human and physical resources.

"I would like to see wide industrial development in our state, disbursing payrolls that provide more opportunities in merchandise, commerce, banking and transportation. Such payrolls would do much toward bringing about a comfortable living for many of our people. At the same time such added payrolls would provide greater markets for our farmers and also opportunities to be employed gainfully during slack seasons on the farm.

"With the constant development of new industry in Georgia, naturally we will become more and more concerned with problems incident to labor/management regulations. Georgians have always recognized labor's right to organize and bargain collectively. We believe that the rights of the working man in Georgia must be protected and preserved. I hope that in the days to come we can look at Georgia's laws concerning the relative rights of labor and management and point to them with pride and cite them as an example for other states to follow.

"Industrial harmony can only be maintained where the rights of all are respected.

"We who derive our living on the farms should be given assurance of ever-expanding markets for our farm products as well as the assurance of a fair return for the labor we have expended in producing them.

"Our country is never prosperous unless the farmer is compensated for the work that he has done. Low farm prices and financial depression go hand in hand.

Farmers do not want any unfair advantage over any other group but we do have every right to insist on fair and just incomes for ourselves and our families.

"As your Governor, I will work diligently in behalf of all programs designed to aid the farmer in securing an income on a parity with other people. We must be ever alert to see that the gains we have made in recent years are protected. I pledge the farmers of Georgia my wholehearted support in all of their efforts on behalf of soil improvement, commodity loans, price support, surplus commodity control, stimulation of exports and all other measures designed to further the interests of our farmers.

"I want to see every child in this state clad in warm comfortable clothing. I want to see every child have a pleasant home where wholesome food and adequate dental and medical care are available. As our future citizens reach maturity I want them to have opportunities to learn self-sustaining trades and professions.

"In Georgia I want to see schools and teachers in the far remote rural regions and in the thickly populated urban centers which will provide our children with educational advantages equal to those found in any state in the union.

"I want to see the back-breaking toil of mule and plow made easier for our farmers. I want to see our farm lands producing an income that is stable and which will allow each farmer a comfortable way of life for himself and his family.

"On the farms in our state I want to see the great blessings of electricity and sanitary advantages the same as found in our cities and towns. I want to see an era of plenty with our barns filled to overflowing.

"For our farmers I want to see hard-surfaced roads which will permit us to take our crops to market, allow us to reach our churches on Sunday and allow the doctor to come when we have sickness in (Continued on page four)
Governor to Submit All Needed Revenue Measures to People For Their Approval

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the family.

"And I would like to see our war veterans have fair job opportunities and a chance to own their own homes and rear a family.

"These are just some of the things I would like to see take place in Georgia in the years to come. The task before us is great. To carry out constructive governmental programs, to bring about the betterment of our state and to bring Georgia into the forefront necessarily requires close cooperation between the legislative and executive branches of your government. And these two branches must have the cooperation, yes, it must have the sympathy and support of the masses of our people.

"It is my solemn intention to cooperate in every way possible with the members elected by you, the people, to represent your interests in the General Assembly. All of us must work together for the advancement of the Georgia that we all love so well.

"It would not be fair if I did not tell you frankly that we in the South face grave danger from oppressive federal legislation as is contained in the so-called "civil rights" proposals.

"Our Senators and Representatives in the 81st Congress will be confronted with force legislation designed to break down our Southern traditions and way of life. I am proud to say that the administration which you are inaugurating today will throw the full force of your state's governmental machinery behind our Senators and Congressmen in their fight against any anti-Southern measures that may be brought before the next session of the Congress. I am glad to tell you that they will have solid backing on the home front.

"I pledge you—I pledge the people of Georgia—every ounce of my strength and energies in defending our ideals and institutions.

"We Georgians believe that unmolested we can work out our problems to the best interests of all our people. Our major concern in Georgia lies squarely in the realm of health, welfare and education.

"Here is where we need to do the most for the greatest number.

"With the backing of a sturdy and honest people, I enter the office of Governor today buoyed high with a real determination to get things done for the people. I share with you a real pride in the state in which we live and I join with you in wanting to see Georgia recognized as a leader, not only in industry and agriculture, but a leader in thought and culture as well.

"A leader that stands high in the sisterhood of states.

"A leader that can win merited commendation and praise from the rest of the world.

"To that end, backed by a great people I am pledged.

"With the help and aid of Almighty God, we will go forward."