The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1913-05-15
LIVELY SUMMER
CAMPAIGN AHEAD
Attacks on Many Laws En-
acted to Be Fought Out.
GOV. COX MAY TAKE STUMP
State Chief Charges Liability Insur.
ance Companies OF State Are Be-
hind Movement to Defeat the
Workmen's Compensation.
o. A. DONOVAN.
Special Columbus Correspondent.
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IW over Ohio by the fulfllment
Of threats of various inter-
ests that some of the biggest bills
passed by the general assembly will
be sent to referendum vote. Gov.
Cox already has declared he will take
the stump this summer in defense of
the workmen's compensation bill
against which referendum petitions
already have been prepared. In a
statement which he has just issued.
the governor charged that the liabil-
ity insurance companies of the state
are behind the adverse movement and
coincidentally he made the declara-
ton that he would take a personal
hand in the fight.
The plan Of the liability compan-
les is to initiate a new bill, and with
an unselflshness which has always
characterized the attitude of the liabil-
ity companies in their conduct with
labor, they make the provision that
the manufacturers may be permitted
to carry their insurance with liabil-
aty companies" says the governor in
bis statement. This provision would
mean continuous warfare of litiga-
tion between the state and the pri-
vate companies"
Puts Green Law Up to Voters.
Referendum petitions on the Green
compulsory workmen's compensation
law passed in March have been sent
out to 1000 manufacturers of the state
from the Ohio Equity association, To-
Gated In Cleveland. In the same
mail went initiative petitions on a
substitute compulsory compensation
measure which has as it's principal
point of differences more liberal COM
pensation as well as full competition
for manufacturers liability insurance
rather than the state insurance fund
monopoly created by the Grecn law.
The Green compulsory workmens
compensation act is one of four meas
ures enacted into law by the recent
general assembly which the Ohio
Equity association proposes to carry
directly to the people for popular
verdict at the next election.
Second. probably. in Importance Of
the four measures is the Fitzpatrick
bill put through the legislature to-
ward its close, which pulls some Of
the teeth Of the Smith one per cent
tax limit law by taking out the 1910
and all interior maximums.
Two other laws to be attacked
through the referendum are the Mills
bill, which removes all debt limita-
tious on bonds issued by cities to pur-
chase self-sustaining public utilities,
and the Warnes deputy state tax com.
missioner law, which changes the tax
ing machinery of every city and
county.
The Green compulsory compensa-
ton law is being acted on first be-
cause Of the short time left in which
referendum petitions may be filed with
the secretary of state. The compen-
sation bill was signed by Gov. Cox
on March II. Under the 80 day lin
itation, the referendum petitions bear
ing at least 10000 signatures must be
in the hands of the secretary of state
by June II.
1t is the plan of the Ohio Equity
association to submit both the refer
endum petitions on the Green COM
pensation law and the initiative petit
tions on the substitute measure on
the same date.
Charles S. Gongwer, secretary Of
the association, said that this plan
was decided upon to give everyone a
full opportunity to compare the two
measures, also to have the substitute
compensation measure ready for en-
actment at the special session of the
Legislature next winter in the event
the referendum on the Green law is
successful.
Referendum on the Green law,
threatened since its enactment last
March, is expected to be welcomed
both by manufacturers and certain
labor organizations which have been
loud in criticism of the new law.
The Green law as it stands has been
criticised as unfair by both employ
ers and employees.
Employers protest against the prac-
tical monopoly which is made for the
state insurance fund administered by
a bipartisan state board.
Labor has expressed its dissatisfac,
tion because the schedule of awards
for injured and killed employees has
been declared to be too small, also be-
cause employees, under the terms of
the Green law will be made to bear 10
per cent of the cost. Labor's claim
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