Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1910-03-18
GETS THE SEAL OF APPROVAL
ON THE BUSINESS OF
LOBBYING.
ROGERS STEAL IS RECALLED
Newspapers of Ohio and the Legisla.
tive Correspondents Represent
ing the Big Dailies Are
Denounced.

Columbus, O.-The house of rep
resentaieves on March Ia showed
its disregard for public criticism
and set the seal of approval on
the business of lobbying. The pro-
posed movement to check the opera
tion of the lobbyists, who have
swarmed about the state house like
a cloud of locusts, ended in the ex-
tension of a wide open invitation for
lobbyists to make themselves COM
Portable in the smoking room of the
house.
Representative Braun of Columbus
presented resolution to bar all per-
sons, not entitled to the floor privi-
lege, from the smoking room. 1t was
from this room that the fight against
reconsideration of the Elson tele-
phone merger bill was directed. The
resolution was promptly amended so
as to provide that persons interested
In pending legislation could have ac-
cess to the smoking room upon invita-
tion of any member In its amended
form the resolution was passed &c to
z. The effect is to give the speaker
and officers of the house no control
whatsoever over the smoking room.
Pending the vote the house listened
to a denunciation of the newspapers
of Ohio and the legislative correspon-
dents representing the big dailies.
Representative Elson seized the OPP
portunity to illuminate over the criti-
cism and public protest that followed
the introduction and passage of his
telephone merger bill. He wanted the
newspaper men not only barred from
the hall of the house, but from the
state house and the state house yard
as well. Other members spoke in the
same strain.
The situation was much the same
as that following the passage a few
years ago of the notorious Rogers So
year street railway franchise steal.
The bill was jammed through in the
face of public protest and then re-
pealed at the following session. But
the damage was done and a 50-year
franchise, the object behind the bill
was fastened on the city of Cincin-
natl. The big interests pushing the
Elson bill, now pending in the senate,
apparently fear publicity more than
anything else. Senator Mather, chair
man of the committee on railways
on the Elson bill would be delayed.
Congressman Ralph Cole sent pro-
test TO the general assembly against
any action on the taxation question
predicted on the assumption that the
avpicn 10 ic hn
congressman takes sharp issue with
Attorney General Denman and de-
fends the excise law that bears his
name. He says the highest constitu.
tional authorities in Washington
agree with him that the law is per-
fectly sound and will stand the test
of the federal courts. Cole says the
general assembly will act with tire
mendous rashness" if it listens to any
attack on the excise law. In his
lengthy statement he says the princi-
pal carried in the law has been sus-
tanned by the United States supreme
court for 20 years and that the Ohio
law has been pronounced bombproof
by Charles E. Littlefield. who drew a
similar law for the state of Maine
that has been sustained by the fed
eral courts With the state in it's pres
ent financial situation. Cole says 1t
would be folly for the Legislature to
assume that law bringing in more
than $2,000000 is unconstitutional.
The protest of the congressman, ap-
parently will have no effect. State
officials and legislative leaders have
agreed that the Cole law must come
out of the Langdon state tax commits
sion bill. The assembly is to be asked
to rely on the judgment of Attorney
General Denman rather than of Con-
gressman Cole. 1t has practically
been agreed to insert graded tax in
the Langdon bill to be levied on the
domestic business of all public util-
ity companies. The amendment will
call for per cent on the first $100,.
900 of business. per cent on the
second 100000 and 3 per cent on all
above 100000.
The house also forecasted defeat
for the employers liability bill of Rep
resentative Norris, Cleveland the
most important labor bill that has
been before the assembly in years
The showing of hands came on the
resolution of Brenner of Springfield.
authorizing the appointment of a
commission to Investigate the ques.