Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1914-10-02
Total Appropriat's$15S, 200


During Governor Herrick's admins
tration it cost only about 81 to expend
$40 in road improvement, while under
the present administration it costs 81
to get only 81 applied to good roads
that is, overhead charges have in
creased much more rapidly thar roads
have been built. The annual pay roll
of this department now approXimates
$100. 900. The Republican party is
heartily in favor of a statewide sys-
tenn of good roads under state super
vision, economically conducted. but in
sists that more of the taxpayers
money shall be used in road building
and less in payment of big salaries.
Republicans and members of all par
ties are properly criticising the state
highway department and many other
departments for their lavish expendi-
ture of taxpayers money, for their SUI
.perciliOus arrogance toward local u
thorities, for their au%tocratic exercise
of power for the purpose of building
IN an enormous political machine.
This warranted criticism does not at
all imply that the departments criti-
cised are to be abolished, but that I'M
der Republican management their
method of administration is to be SO
changed and the laws so amended as
to retain the benefits of state super-
vision without the unwarranted eXer
else of One-man power In the diEec-
ton of machine building. It is an un-
wise system which puts into the hanIs
of n man the power to eXpend mil
lions of dollars per year ard to emf
plOy thousands of men throughout the
state under the control directly or in
directly of the state administration at
Columbus. In such a system resides
too great possibility OF political infu-
ence and party bossism, even though
it is all done as the law provides,
with the approval of the governor
The state highway department is not
to be abolished, but it is to be shorn of
it's Notwithstanding power. What
people want and will receive if the
Republican party is charged with re-
sponsibility is better roads and less
bossism.
The governor, desperate in his at.
tempt to draw criticism away from
the acts of his e~xtravagant autocratic
administration. lays claim to FL cred
it for the enactment of the workmen's
compensation law. This just and hu.
name legislation had it's inception in
Governor Harmon's administration al
the hands of a Republican legislature
1t was not and is not a partisan meas
ure, but is the result of patriotic co
operation of men OF all parties. Gov
ernor Harmon gave it his personal
support; leading workmen and EN-
ployers of labor worked together tc
perfect the measure: from the time
the first step was taken till the bill
finally became a law Republican mem
bers of the legislature were active II
it's support, and every Republican il
both branches of the general assem-
bly, voted for the bill on it's fral pas
SAGE. On this subject the Republican
platform says: I'VE not only favo,
the workmen's conversation law
which we participated in ~enacting, bu
we favor the increase in the maximum
amount to be paid for death and tota
disability urder said law" With tkii
statement of principle I am in fulles
accord, and also am strongly in favO
of a national WOrkmen'S cOmDenSa
ticn law for the protection of working
men engaged in Interstate commerce
for which as a member Of congress
voted in accordance with the platform
pledges of the Republican PARTY. Re
publicans participated actively a
every stage in the making of this law
they will not repudiate their owl
work, but they do insist that while thi
is a wise law, in harmony with the HI
manitarian spirit of the times, yet tina
It can be improved and made NOR
Just and equitable by ju~diciOus amend
ment." Not only do Republicans favo
the wOrkmen's compensation law, bu
also the eight-hour law. laws for tn
moral protection and physical deve
opment of women workers. and law
giving fuller recognition to the wide
claims of the people on their govern
ment for social Justice and broader
ing human welfare.