The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1909-02-25

from this Legislature was ii e bill
of Senator Wood and though not
coming up to the hope of the Gov
ernor be considerable, he has re-
commended that his friend in the
law making body vote for the bill.
He says that it is better than
nothing on the subject. The bill
provides for tax commission at
So, 900 per year, and their business
will be to take up all tax PROPOSE
tions, and all properties and try to
come to uniform rate or valua-
tion.
Another matter that comes HON e
to the Governor is that he prom
ised the people to investigate the
state offices and the administra-
tions of the larger cities. For the
power to- do this investis sating 1T
is necessary to have authority of
law and an appropriation to de-
fray the expenses. To a certain
extent the Legislature proposes to
assist in this matter, just partly,
and 80 u bill is passed that holds
the Governor up to the extent that
it prescribes that certain Republl-
cans shall be on the probe com
mission. The Governor says he
will accept the measure as it is be-
lieving that it is the best that
they will give, and he will do the
best he can under it.
The bill that has been intro
duced of great Importance to the
office man and to the business man
is to the effect that all evesdrop.
ping on telegraph and telephone
lines is prohibited, with penalty
attached that will make 1T strong
enough to make it interesting for
the fellow that violated the pro-
visions of the measure. This is
hoped to prevent much annoyance
to the telephone companies that
are compelled to operate party
lines in their system. When there
are several phones on the same
line, the number of rings given
calls but the person that has that
number of rings to designate his
phone, and it is not the privilege,
under this law for another person
on that line to take down his re-
ceiver and listen to the conversa-
tion. He is subject to a heavy
fine for such evesdropping and
that is a good law and should be
passed and rigidly enforced. 1t
is also intended for central phone
operators who hear the conversa-
tion and tell them on the out side.
A measure introduced by Sena-
tor Mathews is of great import
ance to the laborer and to the en-
ployer, in that it amends the labor
laws that make contributory neg
ligence and employees knowledge
of danger grounds for defense, by
striking out those sections of the
law, so that if an employee is
party to his injury and has knowl-
edge of the danger, he could yet
legally seek damages.
Senator Paterson introduced
measure to cut down the percent
to be charged to the poor fellow
that is 20 unfortunate as to be
compelled to become delinquent in
his taxes on his little home. He
probably should pay some percent
for collection but it should not be
80 extortionate as the present law
provides.
Mr.. Winters, of Erie county, got
through bill in the House to pay
Justices Of the Peace and Consta-
bles $l.00 per diem for attending
hearings of cases as well as trials.
So that in Mayors court, if
defendant pleads guilty, the costs
to the officers are just as much az
If trial was had.
The Brenner law was passed
giving power to the Governor TO
appoint q commission to take an
inventory of and appraise the
property of the state. This is GER
talnly step in the right direction,
for it will give the chief executive
II chance to know what the state
has to work with in each institu-
tion, and then be enabled to know