Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1879-01-16

lity of inquiring into their exact cOndi- |
ion and wants, not only as represented I
n their Individual reports, but through
he direct investigation of the several b
legislative committees appointed for this
purpose. 1t will be seen that the current
expenses of these institutions have been
greatly diminished, and hence a large
amount has been saved to the State dur
ing the year.
In recognizing the Soldiers and Sail
Ors' Orphans Home, at Xenia, during
the last session, your attention was doubt
less directed to a want of discrimination
as to the proper benefieiaries of the insti-
tuition, which worked injustice to many /
children who ought to have shared its /
provisions. The former law placed on |
an equality the children of deceased, in
digent and permanently disabled soldiers |
and sailors. and the practical construction !
given 10 it enabled the eountyin which |
the institution is situated, and few other |
counties to monopolize its benefits to the |
full capacity Of the Institution to the ex-
elasion of deserving children in other
counties. The amendment probably went
too far in the other direction-is TOO re-
strictive and should be promptly changed.
The children of those who died in the
service, or of wounds received or disease
contracted in the service, should un-
.doubtelly be preferred, bat If these do
not fill the institution, then the children
of those who have died from other causes,
or who are permanently disabled, and
even of those who have neither died nor
been disabled, if destitute, may well be
admitted, provided they do not displace
the other class. In all cases destitutlon
should be made test of admission, and
charity should be SO organized and so ad-
ministered as to reach ali parts of the
State.
There is, at this time, in every home
RI, RI itlFo Of
anxiety and solicitude concerning grave
robbery. This feeling of insecurity aud
dread on the part of the community con-
eerning the ruthless disturbance and re-
mOval of dead friends and relatives from
the resting places of their choice, is nat
urGE and to be respected. While, there
fore, some further legislation is needed to
quiet these painful apprehensions in the
public mind, it should not be forgotten
that to maintain the present excellence of
medical science, and develop higher path
illogical skill, such attainments can only
| be reached through familiarity of the
appearance, location and relations of an
atomieal structures, not to be gained by
models and casts, however perfect. 1t
| should also be remembered that physi-
clans are held responsible by the courts
/ for the possession of a certain amount of
skill while treating patients, both In
medicinal and surgical aspect. To make
them amenable to such penalties and for
FIXTURES as the law imposes, and at the
same time to deprive them of the highest
means of attaining proficiency alike de-
/ manded by law and the best interest of
| society, would work great inj ustice and
i wrong There is a law existing on our
statute books allowing tomedical colleges
and societies the use of bodies of 9tSs-
/ claimed dead for anatomical study, previ-
viOus to burial. But it will be seen that
the conditions for the surrender of such
bodies are so limited and hedged In by
provisions as will render compliance with
it utterly nugatory.
The wisdom of your body will doubt
| less discover some additional legislation
| by which an adequate amount of such
medical subjects may be supplied from
recognized and well defined sources, and
thus completely debar the odiOas traffic
now outraging public sentiment, and af-
ford tranquility and protection alike to
the virtuous poor and rich.
l deem it important to call your atten-
tion to the necessity of providing by law
for the protection of forests and timber
The statistics for 1877 show that in 1876
there were 9,749 1888 acres of timber land
lin the State: in 1877 there were 5,117, ,31C
acres Of Der land IN the State. If these
statistics are correct, there was, within
seven years, destruction of over foul
and half million acres of forest, The
Ald4 Is IlOb IdE utSbIIlG w II IhS PICSCll
rate of destruction is continued, the beau.
tiful and valuable forests of our State
will soon disappear.
In many countries in Europe the ad
vantages of forests have been learned II
the school of necessity, and now the study
of forestry is taught with as much thor
oughness and care as is the study of Other
sciences, while the cutting and replant.
ing of trees is regulated and enforced by
systematic and careful legislation.
In Ohio the question is each year be
coming more and more Important, and i
is now time, in my opinion, when tht
preservation of forests should become
subject of legislation, and that carefully
prepared statistics should be annually col
lected, showing the area and condition o
our forests.
The times demand the strictest econom.
and reduction of expenses in the admins
tration of the government. The presen
great depreciation in the value of proper
ty, and the low wages of labor, diminish
ing the ability of the people to pay taxes
require that the salaries and fees of pub
: lie officers should be proportionately re
duced, and not continued at the old wa
rates. According to report of the Audi
tor of State for the year 1874, the fees an
; salaries of county officers amounted. L
81, ,593 ,759 81, being more than fou
timas the aggregate sum paid to, and sal
+ aries received by, the Legislature, judici
+ ary, State officers and department clerks
: An act was passed March %, 1875, reduC
: ing this compensation $285.O0O annually
The next General Assembly, on the Sth
April, 1879, repealed this law, under tn
2 plea that it would work unfairly, and sub
stituted new act in its place, claimin
+ that it would also reduce the compensa
tion of county officials; but the return
: in the Auditors report of 1877 show tn
pay of these officers to be over 81 ,62S ,00(
\ | tDaSr, Cd
what they received bgfDre the passage Q
: the law of 1875, thus adding to the burtl
e ems of the people of the State $3.50, 900 an
a nually.
J.. On the 10th of June last | received
: communication from w. NJ. Eyarts, Sec
Il retary of State ofthe United States, wit
: Enclosure ofIetter from Sir Edward Thorr
: ton, British Minister at Washington,
a MIR. Evarts, and other accompaniment
III regard to claim of Mr.. j. TomlinSar
h a civil engineer in the Canadian service
: for expens' incurred by him in JANUARY
Il 1877, in attending the Coroner's jur
: which passed upon the Ashtabula raj
e road disaster. Mr.. Tomlinson had bee
Y requested by my predecessor, ex-GovernC
: Hayes, to perform this service, and
a would appear, from the correspondent
: herewith submitted, that this claim wa
e received about the time of adjournmel
). of the session in May, 1877, and assurance
e returned by the Governor that the matte
e would be brought before the General Al
[ sembly last session. Of this, however,
: had no knowledge, until the receipt
e the letter of the Secretary of State refe
= red to above. There being no provisio
IS for any claims of this kind, addresse
{ Mr.. Evarts, and desired him to advise tt
: claimant that the claim would be adiuste
e by the necessary appropriation at
1t next session of the General Assembl,
i which would convene in january, 1877
d Ineed hardly suggest the propriety of pr,
: viding for the immediate payment of thi
small claim, already too long delayed.
II In compliance with an act 'sin regaT
d to the boundary monuments on the lir
d between the States of Ohio and Pennsy
5, vania," " passed by your honorable bod