The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1913-12-18
OFFICIAL WRECKER
FINDS MUCH TO Do
Condemns Unsafe and DiIap-
idated Structures.
HAS MANY BUILDINGS RAzED
Monthly Bulletin Of the State Fire
Marshal Shows That the %
tober Fire Loss for Ohio
Was $532, 900.
o. A. DONOVAN,
Special Columbus Correspondent.

Columbus, Ohio.
THE official wrecker" of the state
fire marshal's office, a recent
acquisition, is finding much tc
do. 1t is his duty to travel
throughout the state and locate and
condemn buildings which are dilapi
dated and unsafe. The department
then orders them razed. Since the
creation of this position, some three
months ago, more than 20 unsafe
structures have been torn down. The
monthly bulletin of the state fire mar.
Bhal shows that the October fire loss
for the state was S532, 900, which was
practically eQualIed by the loss occa-
stoned by the big Akron fire, which
occurred in November. This was
probably the biggest fire of the year.
excepting the fire in the business dis
trict of Dayton during the flood last
spring.
Charges Excessive Rates.
In a report which will be filed with
Gov. Cox by the legislative committee
surance rates in Ohio, the insurance
companies are charged with mulcting
the people of the state out of enoF-
nous sums annually through excessive
and eXorbitant rates. 1t is charged
that losses sustained by companies in
other states are recOuped by the
higher rates imposed in this state
Gov. Cox, it is expected, will present
the report to the special session OF
the Legislature in January with the
recommendation that immediate dras-
tic remedial legislation be enacted.
The committee which was named by
the last legislature found during it's
investigation that advisory insurance
rates for Ohio are fixed under the
Dean schedule" by bureaus at Cleve-
land, Columbus and Cincinnati. This
has not resulted in an increase of rates
for highly protected properties, but a
substantial increase for other prop
critics. Practically all companies en-
ploy the same agents to fix advisory
rates, and nearly alwayS charge the
rates so fixed, it is alleged The evi-
dence clearly indicated a combination
to fix and maintain rates to exist be-
tween the agents in certain localities,
particularly in Cleveland and Cincin-
natl, according to the report.
Want Question Settled.
Representatives of the law depart
ments of Cincinnati and Columbus
met with members of the attorney
generals force and the state civil
service commission Tuesday afternoon
to discuss the question of whether or
not the assistants in the city solicitors
Office are under civil service. If they
are held to be subject to this regula-
ton, then the new solicitors who take
office in January will be deprived of
the privilege of choosing their assist
ants. Those i'll office, appointed by
their predecessors, will hold on. The
attorney generals department has not
reached any decision on the question
and will not likely do so for a week
or more yet.
State officials view with increasing
surprise the public misapprehension
that exists regarding the new state
wide civil service law. Probably Aalf
the inquiries that flow into the capital
indicate either very vague notion of
what the law means or else a very
distorted one of its provisions. The
misconception of the law is variegated
Some persons believe that there is an
iron-clad and absolute protection af
forded practically all appointive state
officials and employees in the new law.
Others believe that present EMPLOYEES
are wholly protected in their present
positions, while still others believe
nobody in the public service will be
safe from competitors who may want
their Jobs" None of these concep-
tions of the new law is correct. In
the first place the operation of the law
does not afford to anybody the protec.
tlon from dismissal which is afforded
and will continue to be afforded nv
the police and fire civil service. The
new statewide civil service law mere.
!y makes it little harder for whole
departments to be shaken up polit.
ically. But it does not secure any EN-.
ploye his place. In other words, the
appointing power may dismiss any en-
ploye he desires to dismiss. The re-
striction is that he must certify the
cause of the dismissal in writing. But
when the order Of dismissal, with the |
certitication of the cause, is given, the |
one affected has no authority to which !