The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-01-21
PROBE AND MANY OTHER BILLS
INTRODUCED IN THE BUCKEYE
LEGISLATURE.
Mr.. Woods In the House offered Vol
luminous Measure to Create Public
Utilities Commission.

ment of the legislature before the mid.
die of March was forecast Wednesday
when both the house and senate adopt
ed adjournment resolutions. Both
provided for a recess from Friday un.
til February 10. The house resolution
provided for final adjournment March
s. that of the senate March 12. 1t is
expected that compromise will be
reached on the latter date. A recess
beginning Thursday is regarded as
certain.
In the senate interest centered large.
ly in resolution to resume probing at
Cincinnati and in liquor bills. One OF
the latter, presented by Senator Dean
Of sandusky provides that where
counties vote dry under the Rose bill,
cities voting wet remain wet This is
the most important measure the lib
eral interests will support this session,
unless the plan to license the liquor
traffic is pushed. Another liquor meas.
ure which went into the hopper seeks
the saloon business. Saloonkeepers
who permit gambling, or lettering Of
improper women, or who sell to
minors, are subject to punishment for
misdemeanors with fines ranging from
5000 to 81 1000 and Imprisonment from
six months to two years.
Senator Clevenger Of Clinton coun.
ty introduced a resolution providing
for an investigation of Cincinnati and
Hamilton county by a commission OF
six, three from each house. AS there
was no stipulation relative to the par.
tisan complexion of the commission,
objections to II were made at once.
Senator Huffman OF Butler county will
introduce, in behalf of the Democrats,
a resolution providing for an invest.
cation by bipartisan commission OF
four. This resolution, 1t is said, will
embody the ideas Of Gov. Harmon.
Senator Yount OF Darke county will in.
troduce a resolution for similar in.
vestigation in Cleveland and Cuyahoga
county.
Representative Woods of Medina In.
troduced in the house measure ap.
propriating $4,000 for probe of state
institutions and departments by the
governor at times he sees At. The
house, under a suspension of the rules,
passed a bill making Lincoln's birth.
day a legal holiday
Without expectation of its passage
at this session but in the belief that
public discussion Of II will cause it's
enactment next winter, Representative
Woods of Medina introduced a com.
prehensive bill for the creation of a
commission to control public utilities
and to be called the Ohio tax and pub.
lie utility commission. II differs from
the Shuler bill of last year in that the
proposed commission would have no
power to grant franchises, public ser.
vice grants remaining as now in the
hands Of municipal councils and coun
ty commissioners. The Woods bill
does not apply to steam railroads,
which are left under the control of the
state railroad commission. The com.
mission Is to consist OF three members
to be appointed by the governor, to be
paid salaries of $4,000 Neither the
members nor their wives may hold
stock or be interested In any public
utility within the state. The cor.
poration must keep an adequate
depreciation account, and 1t is made
mandatory that the depreciation
fund must be set aside for construc.
ton and additions. It must furnish
the commission detailed data as to its
earnings and expenditures in accord.
ance with a prescribed schedule by
units. The corporation is forbidden to
issue stock or stock certificates except
in consideration Of money, labor, or
property at its true money value
No issue Of stock or bonds may be
made that is to be payable or redeem.
able more than the year from the date
of issue, except with the consent and
approval OF the commission. Stiff pen.
altles are provided for violations.
Senator Johnson of Cincinnati intro.
duced bill to amend the Longworth
bond law and attempted to put i'll
through under a suspension of the
rules. The motion TO suspend the rules
ives defeated, II TO IL. The bill ex.
empts sewer, park, hospital grade
crossing and street intersection bonds.