The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-01-09


riod Of its existence, win be laid before
you. II shows the various subjects OF
administration before the commission and
recommends several important amend
ments to the act which II has found by
experience to be necessary in strength
ening the existing law, by placing in its
hands additional power properly to meet
many of the causes and complaints aris-
ing among the shipping and travelling
public.
Commissioner Of Soldiers Claims.
The report Of the commissioner of SOL
diers' claims for the two years ending
tai number of claims granted through
the instrumentality of that department
for the period was 2,O31, as follows: Sol
The total amount Of the claims thus
granted was 1914, 4,171.44.
Fort MeIes Commission.
By joint resolution passed April 25th.
1904, the Seventy-SiX tn general assembly
authorized the appointment of a COM
of erecting a memorial at Fort Meigs, as
the states tribute to the heroism there
shown by American soldiers. The pres
ent general assembly appropriated s25,000
rial
Pursuant to the authority conferred by
the resolution, j. b. Wilson, j. l.. Pray,
and Charles w. Shoemaker were ap-
pointed. They have purchased thirtY-siX
acres cf land for $4,000, which, together
with nine acres owned by the Maumee
Pioneer and Historical association, con-
tains all Of the site of FCrt Meigs and it's
earthworkS, as well as the three burial
places of those who fell in it's defense.
jamestown Exposition Commission.
A joint resolution, adopted March Sth,
1906, provided for the appointment of five
commissioners to the jamestown exposi-
tion. Afterward an appropriation of $75, =
900. 90 was made for buildings mainte-
a n
pointed as such commissioners, Baxter
w. Campbell, John P. Given, Give C.
Hardy, George w, Knight and Ernest
Il. Root, Later Stuart r. Bolin was
made executive commissioner. These
commissioners have made a preliminary
report and promise soon to submit a full
report The Ohio building cost $27, ,621 .55,
with approximately $4,000 additional for
furnishings,
Fish and Game Commission.
During the past year the fish and game
commission has endeavored to place the
department on the highest possible basis.
The commissioners have given the work
the closest possible personal supervision.
In some sections of the state there is a
very satisfactory observance of the law,
while in other sections owing to the lack
of funds for patrol and warden service,
the conditions are not SO satisfactory.
The belief of the commission is that an
income from fair and equitable hunters
license law would give sufficient funds to
carry on the work in every part of the
state and make the department self-sus-
tanning. Many states have such a law
and 1t is very satisfactory. / believe this
plan for raising the necessary revenue
for this department would be well re-
ceiVed by the people OF the state, and l.,
therefore, recommend it for your careful
consideration
Highways.
The commissioner of highways states
in his report that he has never consid =
cred the work of the department, under
ia.
Year, as other than educational; $780,
100000 was appropriated for each of the
fiscal years of 1906 and 1907, for state
nd in read 6uidng The funds SO APP
the eighty-cight counties. Thirty two
counties have received their apportion-
ment for the, biennial period, leaving an
$165, 4SS.41. This fund will not be avail
able after February IS, 1908, and the
commissioner recommends that it be re-
appropriate together with the addition
al sum of $440,000.OO, for state aid in
road building.
Agricultural
The state appropriations the past year
assisted the Ohio agricultural expert
ment station at Wooster materially in
troll reports that its revenue falls far
short of the demands Of the agricultural.
forestry and other allied industries, and
it asks for increased appropriations for
the continuation of its present operations
and for work along additional lines
The station, by testing and showing
increased the yield of wheat in Ohio and
is now ready to improve the quality
without any sacrifice Of productiVeness.
The state associations of millers and
grain dealers ask provision for expert
ments in milling and in baking and for
regular tests in corn breeding. The Ohio
Dairy association request an appropria-
tion for model dairy barn The latter
might render valuable assistance to the
state institutions as well as. to the dairy
interests.
ally to the work in the maintenance of
soil fertility on which the future of ag-
ricutural interests in Ohio depends and
to the fact that this problem cannot be
solved for the entire state by work linn
tied to any one, two more soil forma-
tions; also to the condition that the same
soil is constantly changing in character.
The board calls attention to the diff
ferent purposes served by the farms near
Wooster, Carpenter, Germantown and
Strongsville, The lease Of the Strongs-
refractory land has made siX-year av-
erage of 20 bushels of wheat to the acre
against an average of only bushels on
the untreated land
Frauds In Fertilizers.
The fertilizer law Of Ohio should be
amended so as to give the farmer bet
ter protection from frauds which may be-
and sometimes are, practiced in this
state in the sale of commercial fertil-
izerS.
The farmers not only lose on account
of the low commercial value of the goods
which they may receive, compared with
the goods they buy, but their loss Is
many times greater in the effect on their
crop and the damage to their soil than
the loss in the intrinsic value of the
goods.
suggest that the license for the priv
ilege of selling or offering for sale any
brand of commercial fertilizer in this
the aggregate will make a sufficient fund
in the hands of the secretary of the state
board of agriculture to permit him to
supply a sufficient number of inspectors
to do the work assigned to them in an
efficient and satisfactory manner and to
give the farmers, under reasonable re-
strictions, the privilege of sending
samples of goods purchased by them for
state Board or agriculture to be analyzed
the same as the samples procured by
the inspectors.
Forestry.
The forests OF Ohio. are disappearing
Unless some protection is given, they will
soon pass away. If our state constitution
would permit low valuation or a re-
bate of taxes on woodland dedicated for
a period Of years to reforestry, 1t would
give encouragement. Last year Iowa
provided by law for forest reservation In
private ownership of land, which, was
subject to restrictions in cutting trees
and grazing, and to be assessed at S1.0O
per acre. The Pennsylvania legislature
passed a law rebating for 35 years 95
per cent of the taxes on woodland. Con-
necticut, New Hampshire, Colorado, In
diana, Maine, Rhode Island and Wiscon-
sin have also enacted laws reducing tax
alton to encourage the growing of for
eStS.
1 suggest that article IL, section 2, of
our constitution be amended so the legis-
lature can give encouragement to refor-
esting our denuded lands and protecting
existing forests by reducing or omitting
the taxes thereon.
In many parts of the state, the grow
ing of trees, as the growing of corn and
wheat, would have a commercial value.
The experiment station at Wooster has
commenced the encouragement of plant
ing along this line. Since 1904 1t has sent
out more than a half million seeding
trees to 466 farmers in "a of the counties
of the state. The station has also taken
up the work on lands of the state occu-
pied by the Boys Industrial school near
Lancaster, where it found several hun
dred acres of second growth forest now