Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1856-01-23
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that 1t would be improved and lender'
far more efficient, if a greater degree
unity could be impaired to the deliber
lions and actions of these several q
visions. This could easily be effectt
BY requiring the various executive of
GERS 10 meet together once a month,
oftener if desired BY the Governor,
Executive Council, 10 receive and COZ
slider reports from their respective d.
Partmsnts, aid each other with advic,
decide such action as will best ten
TO protect the public interests in cases {
delinquency or suspected malfeasance
This Council might be authorized t
inquire into and personally inspect til
condition Of the Treasury at REASONABLE
periods, and to exercise such discretion
airy powers in relation to the department
generally, as it woull be unwise an,
probably unsafe to entrust 10 q singh
Executive officer. The union of severa
Executive officers into boards of thi
kind, ia not without precedent in thi,
State. The Board of Fund Commits
s~ioners, composed of Auditor, Secretary
of State and Attorney General, has no
only tested the practicability, but the
advantages of such arrangements. The
people of those States who have adopted
Executive Councils in the construction
Of their Governments, regard them, l am
told. as important safeguards in the ad.
ministration of their Executive affairs.
The printing and distribution of pub
Ec documents designed to be laid before
the Legislature, is an object of great in
ierest to the people. The practice hith-
erto pursued, is neither favorable to a
prpper dispatch of the public business,
nor a wide circulation of the informa-
lion they contain. They have usually
been printed very late in the session.
and their distribution confined to a very
few persons. mostly the friends of the
members.
/ would respectfully suggest the pas
cage OF s law, authorizing the Governor
to have printed, by the recognized pub
lie printer, q specified number of the re.
ports made To him by several depart
ments Of the State Government, in time
10 have the same ready for distribution
at the meeting of the General Assembly.
The law should. like that providing for
the distribution Of the laws and journals,
specify certain officers aad institutions
towhom copies of these documents should
be officially transmitted, as soon as de-
GYered to the Legislature, leaving a rea-
sonable number to be distributed by the
members themselves among their con
stituents.
Such q law. instead Of increasing,
would certainly dim nish the expenses
now incurred, as the matter would be
printed but once, and the contractors
have ample time TO make the required
arrangements The information design
ed TO be communicated would then
reach the people much earlier. and ena-
bic them to make such suggestions to
their representatives as they might think
proper.
The initistory measures which have
been adopted BY the Secretary of State,
70 gather the statistics of the agricultu.
raj wealth and Improvements OF the State,
render the report of that officer for the
current year, n Of unusual interest,
and demonStl ate the wisdom Of that pro.
vision Of the Constitution which contem-
plates TIE establishment Of a Bureau of
Statistics in connection with that Office.
There are few persons outside of Ohio
who fully realize the extent and great.
ness of her natural resources.
With the view of developing those re-
sources. and of collecting and preserving
the information Of so much value to the
General Assembly as well as TO the peo-
pie, | respectfully recommend the estab-
lishment, by law, Of a Bureau of Statis-
ticis, as authorized and suggested by
the provision referred to. Il is neither
in conformity with sound policy nor with
the dignity Of the Stale, to rely entirely
upon the decennial reports of the Fede-
raj Government for a knowledge of our
resources and progress.
The State of Ohio is Justly distinguish
ed for a liberal and enlightened system
of public instruction. Contemplated by
the territorial Legislation of Congress, it
WAS undertaken by the people of the
State as soon as the exigencies of a from
tier and the exposures of wal would al
low, and has encountered less obstruc-
ton and mole encouragement from the
public sentiment than has usually been
observed N the progress of simil. r sys-
tens elsewhere. General education is
recognized by the Constitution of 1851,
as a duty of Government no less than a
parental obligation, aud the law of March
IA, 1858, not only furnished ample pro-
vision Tor schools Of every grade, but
will be memorable in our annals for es-
tablishing the principle that they are
open TO all-Free or Common Schools,
In the fullest sense of the term. Instead
of a mixed State and County tax of a
mill and a half for their support. the act
in question directed a State School tax,
and that its proceeds be distributed from
the State Treasury in proportion TO the
enumeration of youth of school age with
in the respective counties. Every town
ship was constituted a district, and en-
trusted 10 a Board Of Education consist
ing of a representative from each SUBJ
district. to assess taxes for the construc-
ton of school houses and extension of
school terms, and to exercise whatever
general SUPERVISION of educational inter-
ests may be consistent with the duties
enjoined upon the local directors in each
sub district. A fund of one tenth of a
mill yearly was appropriated for the pur.
pose Of furnishing school Libraries and
apparatus to all the common schools of
the Stale, and The supervision of The sys
tom was confined IN a State Enmtnieeion-
err elected by the people. In other re
spects the present school law is a digest I
of previous Legislation, and was intended
10 relieve the public mind from the con-
fusion and uncertainty caused by fire..
quent and inconsistent amendments.
eufEsi.nt oorind hoe nom aia1ead