The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1902-10-21
Provided Through Board
Of Public Safety.
STRONG CRITICISM
OF Code Committees Work
Leads IL to Change on This
Point--What Canton
VIII Get.
rFrom a STAFF Cerrespondent.)

Columbus, Oct. 1.-THE conference
code committee heard SO many criti-
c;sms of its form of circuitous govern
ment that 1t suddenly changed its
mind again. Thursday night. and pro-
vided for a board of public safety to
be appointed by the mayor. This
hoard is to be confirmed by the coun-
Gil and is to administer so-called
merit system.
1t is no more acceptable to the
members of the legislature. who are
not on the committee than the form
Of having the board appointed by an
other board.
Councils and the mayor are sure to
deadlock on the proposition in many
of the cities in the state, and in this
event the governor will come in and
appoint The likelihood OF Repub-
lican governor is stronger in Ohio
than the likelihood of Democratic
governor, so they are banking On
futurities.
WORKS EITHER WAY.
If there is a Republican mayor and
Democratic council. a deadlock will
be provided by the arrogance of the
mayor. If the council is Republican
and the mayor Democrat, the dead
lock will be provided by the stubborn
ness and unreasonableness of tho
council. Then the governor will step
in and appoint Republican board.
The whole plan any way it is look
ot n To tptn "
and is suited only to the form OF gov
ernment that will suit the wishes Of
the Cincinnati crowd. that has been
dominating the legislation 'r from the
outset.
Canton will have, besides. this
board, board of public service. to
take charge OF public works 1t will
be a sort of sliding affair. and may
consist of one or five members. as
the council may direct.
Another act of the committee that
will cost a lot oflmoney is the aboli-
ton of city boards of equaliza-
tion and placing its work in the hands
of a board of review appointed by the
auditor. The loss of the city board of
equalization will not be received
with expressions of profound regret,
but the matter has been made worse
by having the board named by the
: auditor
AN UBIQUITOUS LAW.
1t will be recalled that the board
Cf review law was passed so as to
defeat the operations of Tom John
sons board of equalization in Cleve-
land in listing street railway proper
ties and other public corporations at
something near their true value. The
arA yn1a nst
so as to cut down any figures the city
board might add. Now the board of
review and the auditor are to have it |
all their own way. 1t will be at a
cost of about $4,000 year to each city
that this change is made, as close as
1t can be figured from the old law.
This may be changed but as it is in
the interests of the railroads and the
people are doing the paying there is
little chance OF il being changed
Under the changed form of the code
councils will not go out in body but
part will go out one year and part the
next. No change will be made in the
manner of elceting councilmen.
The reason no police court provi-
eions are in the bill is because the
Democrats of the senate refused to
vote for any features of the bill at all,
so long as it contained the curative
act With its hydrahcaded boards
and other foo lhydraheaded boards
never vote for 1t now so there will
be no police court legislation what
ever. The Democrats figure that the
cities of the state will not suffer by
waiting year. They say they are
willing to take the responsibility.
FORFEITED RESPECT.
II "a. -
while the conference committee has
lost the respect of the members and
they are getting reckless. Such Re
publican lenders as Painter, of Wood,
and Cole, Of Hancock, declare they
will have nothing whatever to do
with TIE measure. Unfortunately
thcrc are few as strong as they and
Nhcn the party whip cracks the bill
will become law.
Ey-County Treasurer Harvey Smith
will be Interested to know that 1t is
becoming whispered out loud that
Speaker McKinnon made deal with
George =. Cox, at Cincinnati, whereby
McK!nnon was to betray the house
code, which was a very acceptable
measure, and see that Cox got the
board plan. whether other cities liked
II or not. The meat of this reference
10 that McKinnon has thus far been
able to deliver his part of the goods
II Cox does likewise, Stark county
may have some difficulty in having a
candidate for state treasurer on the
Republicsn ticket next fall, for the 55
votes Of Hamilton county is said to
have been the price agreed upon.
TWO MARRIAGES. CONSUMMATED.