The Constitution: Atlanta, GA – Thursday, November 23, 1922
Executive Thought the Limit Had Been Reached by Latest Request.
By Paul Stevenson
Setting aside certain weeks in Georgia as “special weeks,” such as “rub your rheumatism week” and “wash your neck week,” and et cetera, has ceased, as far as official proclamations of the governor is concerned. Governor Thomas W. Hardwick said as much Wednesday when he declined to issue a proclamation setting aside some approaching week as “rat killing week.”
The worm turned up at the capitol Wednesday and slapped the early bird or the perpetual pest or whatever it was right smack dab in the face.
If accurate statistics had been compiled in the office of the governor of Georgia for the last several years the figures on how many “special weeks” are asked and the number of “special week hounds” who want to set aside some week to do some fool thing would prove to be astounding.
Within the last few months the present governor has been assailed, assaulted, bull dozed, threatened, beguiled, implored and begged to “proclamate” on something so many times that the whole business has well nigh become a joke.
“Rat killing week,” which was tabooed by the governor Monday, was the predecessor of a dozen or more, among which were the following: “Wear cotton week,” “eat peaches week,” “eat watermelon week,” “fill coal bin week,” “buy a tire week,” “change your undewear week,” “write a letter to the editor week,” repair the doorbell week,” “trim your corns week,” “wear ear muffs week,” “take a bath week,” “learn the saxaphone week,” “razor week,” “read a book week,” “lawn mower week,” “clean towel week,” “pay the luncheon check week,” “honest golf score week,” “get somebody out of jail week,” “feed a flapper week,” “jazz week,” “vote agin’ sumpin’ week,” “flowers for your mother-in-law week,” “renew your note week,” “return borrowed books week,” don’t eat with your knife week,” “press our pants week,” “don’t flirt week,” “no make-up week,” “shoot after dinner speakers week,” “tea-hound week,” “cheers for Harding week,” “cheers for Wilson week,” “Andy Gump week,” “find your collar button week,” “wear a clean collar week,” “eat an onion week,” and innumerable others.
It has been estimated that no less than 1,250 weeks in the year would be required for the governors of various states to observe the “special week” calls made on them.
“We’re through for a while up here,” the governor said Wednesday.