The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1913-04-17


Gov. Cox was invited to address
. joint session Of the assembly and he
accepted, telling the state lawmakers
the story Of the flood and outlined re-
lief and reconstruction legislation.
INN~NN.N~e.~~-NS~~.N
There was generous applause as
the governor concluded his statement
and at various times as he spoke,
particularly when he, announced that,
with the aid of the military, 1t had
been possible to distribute supplies
rapidly that the pinch of extreme
hunger had not come to a single in.
dividual in the state.
Commencing the bravery of the cit
izenship, he asked that the legisla-
ture consider fully the burdens and
woes Of the people and disregard
precedent if it were necessary to do
the act that seemed warranted by the
situation and approved by the delib.
crate wisdom of the legislature.
Asks Gold Medals for Heroes.
He placed part blame for the food
damage on abandoned canals, hy-
draulics and small reservoirs located
near the cities, declaring the canals
directed the food into the cities. He
said that at one place, railroads in
constructing bridges had not given
flow way enough for the waters and
suggested the public utilities commits.
sion or the highway commissioner be
given supervisory powers to oversee
construction of that sort in the future.
Declaring that John Arthus Bell,
chief operator of the Bell Telephone
Co. ut Dayton, was the one man who,
above all others, had rendered large
service to the state in saving life and
property he asked the legislature to
bestow gold medals to Bell and to
Thomas Edward Green, long distance
traffic manager in the Columbia Bell
Telephone office.
He commended their patriotic eff.
forts, their valuable services and good
Judgment. ''t -"
He asked special emergency
measure be passed that would enable
cities at once to borrow funds on city
notes for cleaning UP work, these
notes to be taken up later by bond
issue or tax levy. He said that i'm.
mediate cleaning up was necessary
to get the cities in sanitary condition
that epidemics might be avoided.
Precedent should not be considered
as final, Gov. Cox said, and the effort
should be to make the legislation safe,
sane and Immediately helpful.
Urges Law be Broadened.
He urged that the state depository
law be broadened at once so the state
treasurer may deposit state funds up
to $3,O00,000 with building and loan
associations. This should be done,
he explained, to deposit usuable funds
at once in places where the most
acute need exists so that funds may
be obtained by owners of partly
wrecked homes.
He said not more than 100000
should be placed with any concern.
This, he declared, would apply large
ly in the flooded cities where build,
ing and loan activities are large.
Within an hour after the speech, a
bill providing for that purpose was
introduced by Won Derheide.
He explained the measure for the
creation of a state relief commission,
with county and city commissions to
cooperate in overseeing and planning
the reconstruction and rebuilding OF
the wrecked cities. Gov. Cox said it
was not unfair to say at the present
time that if some cities had the op.
portunity now they would revise their
list of public officers.
He wanted the assistance of the
committee for every community where
an emergency exists that the best re,
suits may be secured.
Gov. Cox urged the full list OF
measures on the administration pro,
gram be pushed through, declaring
that with the full Sc under considera,
ton not one had caused embarrass.
ment to any member He urged them
to hasten the flood relief work through
and close the session.
Tentative agreement was reached
between Gov. Cox and Senator Erie
bolin of Cleveland on the bill Friebo
lin will introduce, authorizing city and
county relief commissions.