The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-03-26
NEWS CULLED
INTHE CAPITAL
WHAT LEGISLATORS ARE D =
ING AND OTHER HAPPENINGS
Referendum to Fix Tax Levy.

Referendum to Fix Tax Levy.
Ohio voters will be given chance
at next November's election to write
into the state constitution a ten
mill tax levy limit coupled with
provision authorizing the legis-
lature to classify property for taxa
tion.
Announcement has just been made
by the Ohio state board of commerce
that it will shortly begin the circula-
tion of petitions initiating the proposed
amendment for submission to the peo-
pie. Signatures of 10 per cent of the
electors of the state, nearly 10000,
must be secured.
Under the proposal changing sec
tions l and 2 of article II of the con-
stitution, the tax rate throughout the
state would be rigidly fixed at 10 mills.
an increase In any taxing district to
be allowed only by a majority vote OF
the electors Levies for interest and
sinking fund purposes, however, would
be made outside this limit. Whenever
10-mill rate would be more than suffi-
cient to produce the needed revenue
In any district, it is stipulated that
the new rate shall be no higher than
necessary to produce sum equal to
that raised in the last preceding year,
and that the revenues, not the rate,
may be increased from year to year
in the same ratio that the tax dupli-
cate is increased.
oIa
provide for classification by requiring
property to be divided into three
classes for the purpose of taxation,
real property, tangible personal prop
erty and intangible personal property,
the legislature to determine what
property is tangible aud what is in
tangible.
May Test Flood Law.
On the ground that the powers
granted to flood directors under the
new Vonderheide conservancy act are
so sweeping as to be unconstitutional,
the city of Troy promises to check
the operation of the law by a test suit
Such a suit would completely tie up
the operation of the law, which al.
ready has begun in the Miami valley
and in Columbus. The law provides
that when the common pleas court sets
out flood or conservancy district and
appoints directors therefor, such di-
rectors shall have unlimited power and
authority to levy assessments, con-
denim property and take other steps
for flood protection within the dis.
trict. even to the extent of going be-
yonds the limits of the district to COM
pei outsiders to bear their share Of
the burden of cost. The act even
stipulates that no court Injunction can
prevail against the work of the di-
rectors.
Mandamus Suit In High Court.
A mandamus suit will be brought in
the supreme court to compel Putnam
county to comply with the Hite law
under which each county is required
to make a half-mill levy annually for
good road purposes. This money is
paid into state fund. Claiming that
the demand for the levy was made be-
fore the 90-day referendum period for
new laws was up, the county contends
1t cannot be made to make the levy
This raises the question Of whether
tax levies are subject to a referen-
dunn. The courts ruling will dispose
OF this. 1t was decided to bring the
suit at conference held at the attor-
ney generals office in which the aud
itor of state and auditor and prosecut-
ing attorney of Putnam county took
part.
Hope for Peaceful Settlement.
Hopes for peaceful settlement Of
the coal miners controversy are
brighter now than they have been
for many weeks. Intimations from
Chicago, where the operators and min
ers are in another conference, are to
the effect that cancellations have be-
gun to prevail and that it is possible
that there will be no shutdown Of the
mines at all on April /. These init.
nations are being given color by the
fact that many of the railroads and
other interests that are large consum-
ers of coal have practically abandoned
heir program Of storing up coal
against possible famine. They are
thought to have some inside" tip
rom the coal operators that the pros
oects of strike are less remote than
hey were a few days ago. During
strike threats in past years all rail-
'oads stored mountains of coal in ad-
yance.
Sixteen Didn't Observe Signs.
Because they failed to observe
don't trespass" signs on rail.
way property, sixteen persons in
ohio met death by being struck by
rains and four by being struck by
electric cars in February, according to
report just issued by the state public
Utilities commission. Twenty EN-.
'loyes were killed on duty. The total
lumber Of fatal accidents during the
month was At on steam roads and
IN electric lines