The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1879-01-16
SECOND ANNUAL MESSAGE.

Assembly to the subject of the Public
Works of the State, it will be only neces.
sary to say, on the LIST of December, 1877,
the late lessees abandoned their contract of
lease, and for eleven days the works were
without responsible supervision. By an
arrangement between the 1essees and the
Board of Public Works, suit was COM
menced in the Superior Court of Mont
gomery County land just now decided ad.
versely to the State) to determine certain
legal questions connected wi the aban.
donment of the lease. Under this arrange
ment the Public Works were taken charge
of by Receivers, appointed by said Court,
and remained in their charge, awaiting the
result of said suit, until the 10Th of May
last, at which time the General Assembly
passed joint resolution requiring the
Board of Public Words to take charge of
them in behalf Of the State; under which
resolution they now are being managed.
The management of the works, both un-
der the Receivers and Board of Public
Works, has been satisfactory, and the
works properly cared for, showing them to
be in fair average condition. -.i
The moneys collected by receivers from
December 1871, to May L, 1878, wele... Sc 765 SO
Collected by Board of Public Works,
from May 10 November rs, IS7S........ liz 760 "a
Total. .........-. .... ....... sls2,525 90
To which add amount reported as COL
lected by lessees from Nov. Is to Dec
], 1s77........ . 49,. ..... 1902 so
Shows total eollecte for fiscal year $500 62S 43
The expenditures for all purposes from
revenues have BEEN -z az4 ,
Under receivers, from December /, 1871
Under direction Of Boa Of Public s''-'' %
Works, from May Is, 1878, to Novem- 60 a.
Der Is, ls 95 495 30
Total expenses by Board of Public Works
and receivers from December 1 1875 ar
to November 1o .sl41, ,7si SO
70 which add amount reported as ex- t
pended by lessees, from NOV. Is 10 Dec.
1, 564 "a
Tot expenditures for fiscal year.. s147, 1858 81
Balance 10 credit OF works for fiscal S53 269 46
To which NAV be added for water rents
due on Noyember / 1873, but uncol-
lectsd at that date. 15709 70
Net earnings s6s 97S 5s
As this is an important subject of legisla.
ton, the above statements are made to
show that the works, under present man.
agement, are in safe condition, and to
assure the General Assembly that no haste
is required in determining the final dis
position that may be made of them, but
that full time for deliberation may be taken,
without detriment to the interests of the
State.
The special attention of the General AS.
sembly is called to that portion of the re-
port bearing on the system of paying the
wages of labor other than in lawful money,
and which system at your last session was
sought to be eradicated by the enactment
of laws againt the payment of wages in
! scrip, checks or orders not redeemable in
lawful money.
Any measures tending to prevent strikes
among workmen should receive your
earnest consideration, and the recommends
tions of the Bureau of Labor Statistics thai
legislat on should be had providing for the
creation of Courts of Arbitration and Con-
ciliation, which would, without cost to the
State, be a means of preventing many
strikes, and inaugurate spirit of forbear-
ance and consideration between employer
and employee, deserve attention.
The annual report of the Board of Di-
rectors of the Penitentiary is worthy your
careful consideration. 1t will appear from
this report that the excess of expenditures
over the earnings for the first FIVE months,
during which, the former administration had
control, amounted to $21 .49S "a. Trat for
| the next seven months under the present
management, instead of any excess over the
receipts, a profit was realized of So 934 "a,
by which the sum contracted and lost
during the first five months was reduced to
| $17 $3.50. The total cost for the first five
months for current expenses, say for cloth
ing, provisions, tobacco, etc., was SOL 1865 &c
for the remaining seven months the current
expense for the same articles was S39, ,607. 40
the first five months averaging $10,273.13
per month, and under present management,
the seven months, per month, 1865. 20.
| From the foregoing statement it is easy to
infer the successful financial management
of the Institution. @
The sanitary condition of the prison is
excellent, and the conduct of the prisoners
as shown by the record of discipline, much
improved, there being subjected to PUNISH
ment during the month of November, 1873,
one hundred, as against three hundred and
thirty-fve during the same month in 1877.
The entire number now incarcerated is
one thousand six hundred and thirty-three
A new State prison, eligibly located, is
recommended, and district work-houses for
the punishment of persons convicted oil
minor offenses.
On Education, the Governor says: At Q
number of conventions of the people,
called to consider the present condition
of the schools, and their relation to the
vital cause of popular education, changes
in our school law have been advocated
which shall give unity to the schools of the
Boards of Education, with the same powers
as the Board of Education of village dis
trict, and shall constitute the Presidents o.
the Township Boards in County Board o.
Education, whose duty il shall be to employ
a County Superintendent of Schools. 1t il
doubtless true that any thing which tends
to the improvement of the schools of those
districts where other educational agencies
are so few that shall furnish attraction!
there, and aid in stopping the drift of enter
prising men from 'untry to town, is wortt
our most careful consid ration. | invit,
YOUR attention to a discussion of the gen
eral topic in the report, soon to be laid be
fore you, of the State Commissioner o
Common Schools.
Nv attention has been called by the Trus
tees of the Ohio State University to tn
. fact that the Legislature has at differen
times authorized the payment of the neces
sary and reasonable expenses OF the Boar,
while in the discharge of their official du
ties, but that no appropriations have beel
made for this purpose. 1t would also ap
pear from an estimate of expenses for tn
! ensuing year, which the Board is require
by law to furnish, that the sum of $2S, ,55
is required for additional buildings, in
provements, and equipments of the me
chanical and physiological laboratory.
Allusion is made thereto because, unde
the law of Cong ess making the land grants
: no portion of the funds derived therefor
/, can be ed for such purposes, and if re
quired for the satisfactory and successfu
! management of the University, must, i
that case as in other State institutions, b
supplied from the Treasury of the Statt
: Hitherto no appropriations to the Univel
l sity have been made since its organization
s excepting the sum of 100 to equip
a school of mines and mining engineers; an
t it may be said in support OF what is no'
= asked that, covering in its broad and iibera
y instructions a necessity deeply felt by tn
D people at large in their various industria
! II. IL ,,1s