Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1911-07-06

fellow servant rule. assumed risk ano
contributory negligence.
The employee cannot resort to the
courts for damages when injured In
the factory OF a corporation which
pays into the state compensation fund
except when the injury Is caused by
the disregard OF a 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 90 per cent
of the compensation fund and the en-
ployees 10 per cent. Awards range
from $3,4O0 to $500 and are graded
on the scale of wages paid employees.
The taxing laws OF the state were
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.
THE authority which demands must
be curbed." said the executive in
message to the general assembly. That
body obeyed and passed the Smith bill
which limited the ma ximum 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 ad-
ministration. Ii more money were
needed there was incorporated in the
Smith bill provision for a referen
dunn vote on higher rate.
There were q 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
eighty eight different rules of apprais-
ing property. with the result that no
one got a square deal.
Governor Harmon mad a bill drafted
to abolish all these boards and to place
tue tHliIt hAlnB VI thS
commonwealth In the hands Of sin
gle state commission Of three mem
bers Other new tax laws make Ii
possible TO chase out Of hiding millions
OF dollars Of property and also strength
en- and broaden the inquisitortal pow
ers Of the state tax commission.
Ohioans expected big things from
Ia tod n m
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 a search Of his
record disclosed Harmon, while he had
corporations among his clients, had
never giver 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
people. lighting through court cases
which established the foundation Of all
Jurisprudence on the antitrust sub
ject In private life he was recognized
As one Of the ablest lawyers in Ohio.
In February. 1910, ten months before
the state election in Ohio. when Judson
Harmon would go before the people
for reelection. Ohio Republicans by or
der OF President Taft held harmony
meeting In Dayton. The Republicans
Mt Dayton did not talk Of helping Pres
ident Taft or Of restoring the Repub-
lican party; they talked about the
chance OF defeating Governor Harmon.
and they did not talk hopefully. Un-
consciously they paid patent tribute
to the real strength OF the man. II
suddenly revealed the tremendous sue
cess OF Governor Harmon and his CON-
plete mastery OF the political situation
in Ohio. The plan of opposition out