The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1911-02-24
SAVING
OF Several Thousand Dollars
Will Be Made
II The Gebhardt Bill Becomes
A Law
Several Political Parasites
Will Be PriGd Loose
From Their Jobs On Canal
From Their Jobs On Canal
System Of Ohio
In Which They Have Render
ed No Public Service

Columbus, o., Feb. 23-Although
the executive was not consulted about
the measure, the bill which was in
troduced in the Ohio house of repre-
sentatives to deprive the state board
of public works of its power to appoint
subordinates and to confer that au-
thority on the chief engineer of the
department, is intended to follow the
recommendations Governor Harmon
made in his legislative message for
conducting the departments on busi-
ness principles.
The governor would have this de-
partment managed in the economical
and efficient method used by the big
corporations to transact their busi-
ness. Instead of many heads he would
have single skilled executive head
in charge of the actual work and the
entire outside force of the depart
nent. Regarding the authority of this
executive head the governor in his
message said: "He should have the
sole right to discharge men and, SUBJ
ject to the approval of the board, to
employ them, and no work should be
undertaken or accepted and no pay.
ments be made or rights Of any kind
granted without his concurrence. The
only natural and proper person for
this is the chief engineer. He is ap-
pointed and subject to removal by the
governor, so that trained and inde-
pendent judgment is added to that
of the board, and the purely executive
work of the department should be
placed more fully in his charge" I'm
der such plan the state board would
correspond to the boards of directors
of corporation; they would act in an
advisory capacity to the executive,
while the chief engineer would occu-
py the same relation to the state
board as the general manager does to
the business corporation. While the
board is created by the constitution
| anu huob DS lCLdihSu, IL pO"-
ers except such as may be prescribed
by law and these may be confined as
suggested by the governor.
The Republican state board of pub
lie works was given an opportunity
to clean house and to replace extrava-
gance and mismanagement with econ
omy and efficiency, but the board be-
lieving the normal $4,000 Republican
majority in Ohio protected it from in
reference by Democratic official ig-
nored a report filed last September
by Chief Engineer Marker, a Demo
crat. In this Marker set forth in de-
tail how money was wasted, and he
recommended reductions in employs
which would result in a saving of
$30,575 annually.
If the Gebhardt bill passes, 6 Re-
publican canal supefintendents, each
paid $1700 year salary and $500 a
year for expenses, will be discharged
These six are a fine aggregation OF
Republican politicians, some of whom
do not put in three hours of actual
work a month. BY cutting off other
employees Marker plans to save an ad
ditional $4,000. If the Republican
works would conduct their private
business as they have the states af
fairs, they would shortly be bankrupts
The Republican congress which un
dertook the familiar, and to them the
congenial task of increasing the rich
es of the rich and the poverty of the
: poor by enacting the Payne-Aldricl
tariff bill, rebelled when the Canadian
reciprocity pact, with its reduced
! schedule, was presented.
The Republican doctrines of pro
lection which has been perverted Il
enable concerns to pay 25, 80 and 81
per cent dividends - trust creatin!
n profits-could not be forsaken and on
: ly 63 Republicans voted for the bill
The votes of 1874 Democratic Congress
men were responsible for the pass
a age of the measure in the house. TIL
o chances are that it will be smothere
r by hostile senators and not come t
Z a vote this session of congress in tn
senate.
d Several months ago before he be
|. gan to lay ropes for his re-nomins
ton, President Taft, who negotiate