The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1911-06-14

| GOVERNOR HARMON CATCHES FISH AS WELL
AS VOTES.
| were placed in a single board Of four,
| while single fiscal agent replaced the
| nineteen stewards.
The advantage of purchasing sup
| plies for all institutions in bulk and
| the reduction in employees will save
| the state $4,000 u year. This law
! makes it possible to utilize the work
of prisoners and also creates market
| for their manufactured products by
compelling all Ohio political divisions
! to purchase such snnnlies as they
need from the penal institutions.
Employers and employees locked in
a struggle over workingmen's COM
pensation act, and when it seemed
there would be no bill passed Gov
ernor Harmon stepped in and acted as
arbitrator. A bill was framed and
drafted that has been approved by
both employees and employers.
The compulsory provisions which
made the New York act unconstitu-
tional were not incorporated into the
Ohio act Instead the employer could
elect either to pay into the compensa-
ton fund or not to pay. If he should
not avail himself of the law, however,
the employee may sue for damages for
injuries, or his legal representative In
case of death may maintain the action.
And in such suits the employer Is de-
prived Of the common law defenses of
fellow servant rule, assumed risk ana
contributory negligence.
The employee cannot resort to the
courts for damages when injured in
the factory of corporation which
pays into the state compensation fund
except when the injury Is caused by
the disregard of law, ordinance or
order issued by an authorized public
officer providing for the protection OF
employees or by the willful wrong of
an employer, his officer or agents.
The employer contributes 80 per cent
of the compensation fund and the EN-
ployees 10 per cent. Awards range
from 50, 400 to $500 and are graded
on the scale of wages paid employees.
The taxing laws Of the state were a
joke when Mr.. Harmon was indicted
into Office and the taxpayers had
no means to check extravaganza of
their public officers. These men decid-
ed on the amount of money they were
going to spend in a year and then
made a levy to produce that amount.
Taxpayers could do nothing but pay.
1.-THE authority which demands must
be curbed," said the executive In a
message to the general assembly. That
body obeyed and passed the Smith bill
which limited the maximum tax rate
that could be levied by public officers
in each district to ! per cent of tax
duplicates. That was sufficient, the
governor held, for an economical adj
ministration. II more money were
needed there was incorporated in the
Smith bill a provision for referen-
dunn vote on a higher rate.
There were a large number Of taxing
boards composed Of various state Off
GERS with jurisdiction over excise and
other corporate taxation, but different
boards were made up of different off
GERS so that there could be no uniform
and consistent action. Auditors in
eighty eight Ohio counties had nearly
Lightweight different rules of apprais
ing property. with the result that no
one got a square deal.
Governor Harmon had a bill drafted |
to abolish all these boards and to place |
the entire taxing machinery of the |
commonwealth In the hands of a sin |
gle state commission of three mem
bers. Other new tax laws make it
possible to chase out of hiding millions |
of dollars of property and also strength
en- and broaden the inquisitorial pow
ers of the state tax commission.
Ohioans expected big things from
Judson Harmon when they elected him
their governor. The achievements of
the Democratic general assembly show
the expectations Of the people have
been realized. He had been a leading |
attorney for years. but search Of his
record disclosed Harmon, while he had
corporations among his clients, had
never given his talents to appear in a
court suit against the people. AS an
attorney general of the United States
he had proved to be friend of the