The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-03-16
HARMON TO PROBE
Continued from Page One.

In his inaugural address Gov. Har-
mon stated that the canal system was
dhe most valuable asset of the state.
Already there is evidence that the
state has been milked out of mill
lions of dollars. There is evidence al
so that the state has been spending
hundreds of thousands OF dollars up
on portions of the canals the con-
troll of wHich is vested. by lease,
with private corporations.
All OF these matters are to be
probed by Gov. Harmon along with
TIE system whereby privaie concerns
obtain their water supply from the
public bitches for ridiculously
small return to the state in money.
All leases to private concerns will be
the subject of expert scrutiny. For
example, the governor is greatly in
tereated in the suit of the state to
Gust the baltimore & Ohio and the
Terminal & Valley railway COM
panies from control of canal land in
Cleveland
Attorney General Denman got busy
on the various canal leases two
weeks ago at the request of Gov.
Harmon. AS direct result it was
that the board of public
works will today declare forfeited The
lease he'd by the Miami & Erie
Canal transportation Co. for that
portion of the canal running from
Dayton to Toledo. The state law
department. urges this step on the
ground that the corporation failed to
keep its contract. Gov. Harmon
asked the state law department by
what right the transportation COM
)any was not retaining the use OF
he canals and not fulfilling its con-
,ract.
This will bring up the whole ques-
ion OF the old Eiordyce lease OF the
Miami and Erie canal banks. both !
lorth and south of Dayton, in which
cleveland capitalists had a big in
crest. This thirty-year lease was
Tanted Thomas Tordyce May 26s 1901.
)n April 10 the lease was turned
'ver 10 w, II. Lamprecht OF Cleve-
and. The Miami G. Erie Canal
Co at once invaded
he canal banks from Dayton to Gin
innati for "eleutric mule" purposes.
ME company met reverses In the at
emlpt TO construct railway along
he canal banks and these troubles ,
re still being threshed out in the 4
ourts. d
Gov. Harmon devoted the entire T,
ay to the examination OF bills II
assed by the Legislature. With his I
eto clerk he locked himself in his
rivate chambers and denied himself :
adj callers. The governor signed =
he National Guard armory bill of a
ihich Senator Lawyer of AshtabuIa 4
'as the author. 1t was one of the =
W. bils OF general interest enacted 4
v the assembly. The state of Ohio :
now definitely committed to the !
ollcy of building and owning Ma
onal Guard amortes.
f"rhis law will eventually open the
ay for the state to secure Central
mory In Cleveland said Adjutant
eneral Weyibrecht.
Under the new law the state win
ave a military fund OF approxi- :
ately $425,OOO annually. An amount
lual 10 10 cents per capita on the
1pulation of the state will be set
vide for military purposes. This
oney will come from the general
'venne fund OF the state and not
om the counties, rs the bill was Or
iinally drawn About $4,000 an
lally is required for the malnten-
nee of The guard This will leave
ore than 100000 annually for the
iilding Of armories. The new LAW !
'eahes board of National Guard Of
'ers to be named by the governor :
have charge OF the construction
armories The money will not be
'ailable until 1910.
The governor also signed the Grin
~ bill creating general headquar-
RS for 'he Ohio division of the @
r in this city.