The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-12-18
HARMON THINKS
THINGS LIVELY
Talks Of Ohio Affairs to New
York Reporter.
DISCUSSES GRAFT CASES

tSl IIty with scarcely shirt to
Their Backs and In Few Years Set
Up as Bank Presidents - Favors
Reappraisement of Land Every
Year and Calls Evasion Of Personal
Taxes Crying Shame.
New York, Dec. 1S.-Governor Jud.
son Harmon of Ohio came here to
meet his daughter, who arrived on
the Mauretania. Governor Harmon's
daughter, Mrs. George NJ Cassatt,
had some Misunderstanding with
customs inspector on the pier, due,
in the governors opinion, to the fact
that the inspector confused her with
wealthy Pennsylvania family of the
same name Her husband is ihe for
eign director or the Remington Type.
writer company and they have lived
In Europe for five years.
Things are pretty lively out in
Ohio just now" said the governor. az
he seated himself in the lobby of the
Hotel WOlcott. 1--WE are passing
through tie usual amount of mental
incubation that precedes a meeting Of
the general assembly, and this prom.
ises to be an especially lively one.
For one thing, we have uncovered
some graft out there, and it has made
commotion in the state. You know
the only men elected on the Demo
cratic ticket a year ago were the
state treasurer and myself, and we
had made our campaign IN the
ground that the surplus in the treas
ury was being lent TO individual off.
cials that had to do with the collec-
ton of the revenues, and that some
of these gentry had been getting rich
from the use of state funds.
why 1t was getting to be com.
mon thing to have those fellows come
to Columbus with hardly shirt To
their backs and in the course of
few years set up as bank presidents.
Well, when we got in the new treas.
urer proceeded 10 reform things. and
between us we began to look into the
graft business. Finally we got hold
Of the right persons and ! addressed
a communication to the attorney gen.
eral, requesting that he take proper
action, and they are not through talk.
ing about that yet.
Then another thing that Is attract.
ing general interest Is the reappraise-
ment of land. We used to have this
reappraisement every 10 years. Now
we have got 1t down to four years,
but tbs year is the first of the four.
year ToGpDTaisemCnts. | invited the
newly-electtd appraisers to hold a
conference in Columbus, so that they
could take uniform action. They net
the day before | left and | made an
address to them. Many of our vaIues
IN cities have gone up and others
have gone down, and the same thing
Is true In the country districts, but
the greatest inequalities are in the
cities. There really ought to be such
reappraisement every year.
"The evasion of personal taxes, too,
is crying shame, and there ought to
be some remedy against that sort of
thing. We encounter II with us, Just
as you have in New York. strongly
believe that IL we get fair valuations
all around, and that each man is
taxed according to what he really
has, taxes would be tremendously
| cheapened for the honest man who
pays up as it is. ! am sure that II all
the property in Ohio were fairly and
truly valued, taxes would be reduced
to l per cent, and a man who won't
pay that much tax must be a pretty
poor sort OF citizen.
II am not bothering much about ma.
tional matters" said the governor, in
answer to a question 81 have a
pretty good deal to do at home just
now We have passed through the
municipal elections, and you won't
hear much about national politics out
our way until the time gets near for
] the congressional elections.
Out in Ohio they are complaining
! OF the higher cost of living Just as
people are in New York, according to
Governor Harmon. "There is not only
much complaining, but actual suffer.
| and those who work for wages" said
| the governor. 81 think the higher
cost of living is due to the tariff, for
the higher prices do not apply to
farm produce alone. Now, the last
tariff does not suit me. 1t suits no.
| body but those who profit by It,"
Governor Harmon would not dis
cuss the future of the Democratic
party, nor would he say anything
about the things in Washington. 81
am Just tending to things at home"
he said. The governor and his daugh-
| ter left for home this morning.
Gets Bunch Of AIniony.
| Stamford, Conn, Dec, Is. -' Grace
Ethel Tyson, the wife of John II, Ty-
son, the millionaire automobilist of
Riverside, Conn, and New York, was
granted a divorce by Judge l.. f. Bur
pee in the supreme court. The plain
tiff is allowed alimony of $4,000 and
gets further allowance OF $a00 per