The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1906-01-19
COLUMBUS LETTER
Columbus, O., Jan. 17-Events o.
the ninth legislative day:
SENATE

tax, making life Imprisonment maxi
mum penalty for burglary OF an innaD-
tied dwelhng and readJusnng legisla-
tors salaries.
Bills to provide county local option.
to rectify statutes. and six others in
troduced.
Two additional por.ers, one stenog-
rapher and one page appointed.
HOUSE.
Louis II. Paino (R), Toledo, whose
election was contested, seated Dy uIe.u-
imous vote.
Resolutions were offered by Lybar-
ger TO investigate bridge combine and
by Frizeil to probe canal manage
ment
Bills on union labor, to regulate
Sunday amusements, dance halls, and
II others were introduced.
Chalk-faced youths who have blown
smIle-shaped rings of smoke and
shrugged their narrow shoulders at the
mention of an Ohio anti-cigaret law
had better awake from their dreams
of security.
"The committee will report the bill
for passage, SAID DR.. DeMuth, chair
man of the medical jurisprudence COM
mittee. II do not Believe any member
of the committee will oppose this
measure. More than that, judging
from the attitude of members with
whom ] have talked. little fight will
be made against it en- the floor"
John Monnott Of Canton, is here
laboring to prevent the passage Of a
county salary bill. He gave particular
attention to the Cuyahoga county del
egation. assuring them that to place
county officers on a salary basis would
drive the good men away from the
Offices.
Monnott is not in public Office at the
present time. Columbus Is not O. win
ter health resort and this lends to the
impression that he is acting as attor-
ney for one of the state associations OIL
county officials
The officials come and go. Each
sees members with whom he has pull
and then glides out OF town and an
other relay gets to work. They are the
same popular citizens that solicited
votes SO they might unselfishly work
for the people. Now they are fighting
to keep their hands and feet in the
trough.
1t Is probable If the Ohio state good
in. boe
its way, that the convicts and work.
house prisoners Of the state will be
given an opportunity to crack stone.
w. II. Moore OF st. Louis, president
Of the national association, spoke in
favor of employing convict labor In
preparing materials for road building
instead Of awarding contracts to pri-
vate individuals. His sentiments were
heartily seconded by G.. ID. Firestone
of the Ohio state board Of commerce
and Michael Goldsmith of Cleveland,
secretary of the Ohio Federation OF
Labor
Mr.. Moore stated that the contract
labor system employed at the Ohio
penitentiary was wrong. He pointed
out that the convict labor of OHIO IS
sold to contractors for from go to 80
cents q man per day, while the state
pays that for the mans keep, and
made the assertion that with 1000 con-
victs and SO guards, 800 miles Of road,
16 feet wide and inches deep could
be built in the state each year.
The Ohio Good Roads association
Wednesday adopted resolutions call
Ing upon the legislature TO appropri-
ate S1,bc0,000 for state aid in
road building during the next two
years.
The Franklin county grand jury, re
porting to Judge Bigger Wednesday
offered violent criticism to wholesale
pardoning and paroling of convicts
during Gov. Herrick's administration.
The jury reported that many of the
cases investigated proved to be those
of ex-cOnvicts, several of whom had
been paroled or pardoned
Senator Howe of Cleveland, will in
troduce bill authorizing city councils
to create a department of taxes and
| abolishing boards Of review, whose
duties shall be performed by this new
department.
1t is to consist OF three members
whose compensation shall be fixed
by council. The department is to be a
purely city affair, and will have nj
county functions In the matter OF prop
erty valuations.
This department is TO be given full
authority under the provisions of tn.
bill to raise, reduce and equalize prop
erty values, personal and real, bu
cannot reduce the valuation below
that fixed by the county auditor
The salary bill has stirred up an In
teresting debate. Representative Wei
ker OF Stark county is quoted as fol
/ H., n NHYo ~