The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1913-02-13

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
Columbus, O.--Although there is
some prospect that the Assembly this
year may finish inside the five-month
period of the Seventy-ninth session,
there is little promise 1t will establish
the speed record that the governor
predicted last December.
A total of 440 bills-306 in the
House and 134 in the Senate-have
been introduced this session up to
date. More will be dumped into the
legislative hopper soon. No matter
how high speed the Governor, Speaker
Swain, Lieut.. Gov. Nichols and Senate
Floor Leader Green are able to gear
the slothful legislators to, 1t is now a
certainty that the session will last not
less than three months, with the
chances that it will go to four.
But Few Big Bills Passed.
Thus far the only important meas
ures that have run the gauntlet of the
House and Senate and are now ready
for the Governors signature are those
providing for jury reform and the short
ballot The important bills providing
for liquor license, primary elections,
compulsory workmen's compensation,
civil service and other reforms made
mandatory by the new constitutional
amendments and the Democratic party
platform are still being considered in
committee, and are far from the final
stage in legislation making.
Some of the biggest measures in the
Governors legislative program have
not yet been introduced. Among these
are the bills for the creation of an in
dustrial commission to take over the
work of five departments dealing with
labor, the taxation bill for the appoint
ment of deputy tax commissioners in
each county and the bill for the reor
ganization of the Public Service Com
mission. These measures are still ir
the hands of the drafters and may moi
be hammered into shape in time fol
introduction before the week after
next.
Opposition Is Disappearing.
Opposition to the plan of the Cover
nor for unification OF, departmental
work by creating agricultural and in
| dustrial commissions to supervise anC
regulate work now done by many
boards and bureaus is disappearing
The legislation to bring about these re
forms is being drafted by experts.
The proposed new bipartisan Agri
cultural Commission will have contro
of work done through thirty-two differ
! ent activities and will eliminate sup
posedly, duplication of effort. The In
dustrial Commission will also be ex
pected to effect a great saving.
Both of these reforms are expected
to prove economical. Instead of in
creasing patronage, it is claimed ;
number of jobs will be eliminated, or
at any rate, better service will result
Both the tax and utilities bills, it il
anticipated, will meet with vigorous
opposition from those holding jobs, al
we'll as from certain classes of bust
ness interests.
The taxation bill will be introduced
in the Senate and the utilities in tn,
House.
Revenue Feature.
The former measures big revenue
raising feature is embodied in the pre-
visions to be made for the appointment
of Deputy State Tax COMMISSIONS
in each county, named by the Stat
Commission, with Executive approva
or by the Governor direct. There will
be lightweight such deputies and eacl
of them will name assistants to do tn
work now intrusted to elective Asses
sors in his county. There's a lot 0
patronage in this which the electiv
Assessors may not like. The county
to be made the unit of taxation, pres
ent County and City Boards of Equal
zation and Review to be abolished an
new county board created to hea
complaints.
One of the big features of the util
ties bill, when introduced, will be
provision for the physical valuation G
the property of all public service col
porations. This, it is figured, will max
place for an army of appraisers, eng
neers and clerks.
Both of the present tax commissio
and public service commission law
are to be strengthened along the line
of giving more work and obtainin
more money.
Hogan Answers Questions.
In answer to letter received frol
Representative A. R, Reed, of SUNNI
county, asking his opinion as to th
constitutionality of the anti-lobby Law
recently passed by the Legislature, A
torney General Hogan said that as b
viewed the act it in no way infringe
upon the rights of free speech. "An
individual, acting in his individuai c;
pacity and upon his own volition,
Just as free to proclaim his sentimer
In regard to any legislation pending {
contemplated. where, when and I
whom he pleases, as If the act had ne
er been passed"
Building Regulation Not Affected
Right Of TIE state to deal with th
subject of buildings by the enactmel
of a general state code is in nowise a
fected by the municipal home rul
amendment to the constitution TIL
is the ruling Of Attorney General T.
Hogan to State Inspector of Workshop
and Factories T. P. Kearns as membt