The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1890-01-18

| much better and more humane care could be
| taken of them, and by systematic and intelli-
gent 'enching, they might become partially self
supporting.
| The application OF electricity Is rapidly open
| ing new fields OF legislation. Unless something
be done to prevent the sacrifice OF life daily re-
sulting from defective electric wires the com.
panics which put up and control them will have
grown so rich and powerful that tho passage
| and enforcemonto OF proper laws will be dimcult.
Municipalities have attempted to enforce regu-
| lations for protection from such dangers, but
| without satisfactory result The duty OF inves.
| tigatng tho generation and distribution OF cleo
| trical currents is one which presses upon you.
| The investigation should be prompt and thor
| ough tie result thereof made public, and such
action taken MS may, in your Judgment throttle
this evil in its infancy
DECENNIAL APPRA1sEMENT.
The decennial appraiscment of real estate
will take place during this ycnr. Your attention
is called to the necessity for procuring better
and more uniform valuation upon both real
and personal property. The subject is one
which demands consideration not only ms a
matter OF income to the State, but because of
| injustice done citizens whose property is dis
| proportionately assessed The financial condi'
tion OF the State and common fairness combine
| in demanding careful revision and equaliza-
tion of assessments; and II is hoped you may
devise some legislation which will effect this
| lauduDe result. me necessity lOr suCn uCtlOn
| is too obvious to need comment
CHEAPER SCHOOL BOOKS.
Popular education is tho foundation Of free
dom and prosperity. Knowledge, being power,
should be furnished Mt the lowest possible cost.
| The State builds schooI houses, provides
| teachers and controls every detail OF education
save the furnishing OF books. Is there any
sound reason why 1t should not assume this
| function also? Recent experience in the State
of Indiana shows, ostensibly, that school books,
| equal to those in use here are delivered to the
children of that State ut thtrty-tive to fifty per
cent of their former cost. Other States have
tr ed the experiment with apparent success. II
seems to be an assured fact That school books
can be furnished, either by direct publication
of the State, or by contract on behalf of the
State, at less than present prices. 1t is not
necessary to inveigh against capital for monopo-
lizing this form of publication. II is sufficient
| to ascertain whether books can be furnished
more cheaply by the State, without involving it
in material expenses, or liability. II this can
be proven, then 1t becomes your duty to
cheaper school books
A RAILROAD COMMISSIONER
The ollcc of Commissioner OF Railroads and
Teegraphs seems to be more ornamental than
useful, and IL is difficult to say wherein II has
benefited the community. Unless the place
! be made one OF more efficiency and power it
| might well be abolished. II it were intended to
exercise control over the railroads of the State;
| 10 hold in check their encrouchments upon the
public; to investigate and report the causes Of
| every accident; and in other ways to regulate
them in the interests of the people, such results
could have been much more effectively attained
by Railroad Commission, somewhat similar
to that long since adopted in the State OF iii.
nois a commission composed OF three persons
ought, If judiciously selected constitute u body
of sufficient Importance 10 successfully investi-
gate every question of railroad management eff
fectng life and traffic. Such a plan is in the
line of approved administrative methods, pro-
vidcd there be any necessity for the State SUI
pervision of railroads
AGRICULTURAL.
The State Board of Agricultural is carrying
total debt OF one hundred and thirty thousand
dollars at six per cont. interest This includes
what is called the "Ccnte nnial debt of Ss,0D0.
The bonrd can not pay such rate OF interest,
nor ought IL to DO SO, inasmuch rs tho credit of
the S,ate is ultimately responsible for tho pay
ment OF both principal and interest Either
part of the debt must be paid and the load
which the Board is carrying thereby lightened,
or the debt refunded at a lower rate OF interest
Were this latter alternative taken and tho debt
placed at n rate which comports with the wealth
of the State, the Board could pay the annual
interest charge upon its entire Indebtedness.
Action should be taken to save this burden
some sum. In this connection it might be in.
quircd why the appropriations for agriculture
have been so meager. The contingent fund has
been cut until the Board does not have money
sufficient to pay postage and eXpressage upon
its annual crop reports, and upon other valuable
matter which should be distributed to the peo.
pie. The people asking for these publications
are intelligent taxpayers, whose desire should
have weight with the General Assembly In
the matter OF agricultural institutes the appro.
pration WAS cut down 10 six hundred dollars:
whereas, Indiana appropriated five thousand,
Minnesota seyenty-tve hundred, and Wisconsin
twelve thousand for that purpose. Ohio in
auguratcd this system successfully that IL
travelled into other States, and IT is everywhere
doing effective service for tho education OF the
agricultural classes. 1t is hoped that the iinan-
cial condition of the State will permit, and your
good sense advise tho making of more liberal
appropriations for the encouragement OF agri
culture.
FORESTRY.
The subject OF forestry is one of great inter
est. The State Forestry Bureau, established
in 1855, has done valuable work, but its mission
is practically ended. While commenting IL for
what has been done in the past, dinercnt
method is demanded for the future II is
thought by those best versed in the matter that
the sum heretofore appropriated for the For
estry Bureau might be more tudciously eX-
pended in cndowing Il Chair Of Forestry or
joint Chair of Forestry and Mining, nj the
Athens University, which is located in u sec
tion where forests are needed and mining eX-
tensively carried on. 1t is hardly necessary 10
say that the forests of Ohio have been destroy
ed, during the last few years, at n rate exceed
ing the destruction of forests anywhere in the
world. save in purely lumber-producing regions;
and there is, in many counties, a smaller per-
centage OF forestry lands tran in the most
crowded parts OF Europe. For this reason the
cultivation and preservation of trees is n mat
ter of Importance and Is well worthy your at
tcntion.
MILITIA.
The National Guard is required to 90 into
camp not to exceed eight days OF each year. No
uniform system has heretofore been observed
Sometimes they have gone by companies at
other times by regiments, and NJ others by bri-
g,.dcs. Last year the entire guard oaBped to-
gether. The tlmo occupied in transportation
of troops. and in preparation for forming and
breaking camp, together with the reviews and
parades. deprives the soldiers ofaay consiiera-
BILE opportunity for instruction, and practically
makes their encampment holiday show IN
stead of n military school. The cost OF main
tanning, transporting. and preserving tents and
other camp equipage is large The General
Assembly might advantageously provide for
buying or leasing grounds AT an accessible point
near the center OF the State, and erecting there
on permanent encampm ent with all suitable
convenicnces for Il post of instruction The
entire National Guard could be required to
camp there, either by regiments or brigades,
or as an entire body The saving OF expense
would, in u few years, pay for the land and
buildings. II Is likely that, II the permanent
camp were located near Columbus, or any 9th
cr city, the whole cost would bo raised by pri-
vate subscription.
UNIFORM COMMERCIAL LAW
Merchants manufacturers bankers and bust.
ness men generally are deeply interested in