The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-01-22
TAXSPENDERS
WANT MORE Coin
Governor Especial Session Plans
Are Bitterly ASSall8d.
DEMOCRATIC ORGAN IN REVOLT

The Week, Columbus journal Of
Fundamental Democracy" WalIops
the State Administration and R6i.
cules the Governors Holier-Than.
Thou Attitude.
in THE CURRENT ISSUE OF
"THE WEEK." A DEMOCRATIC PA
PER PUBLISHED AT COLUMBUS,
THE PROGRAM LAID OUT FOR
THE SPECIAL SESSION OF THE
LEGISLATURE BY GOVERNOR
cox is DISCUSSED. "THE WEEK"
SAYS:
Ohio's cure-all legislature is to meet
in special conclave ON January 19-
Governor Cox has issued his call for
an extraordinary session to take up
and push over a few more pet meas
ures.
If he gets away with this, he can
then send another message to his
legislature" and demand that they
pass additional Socialistic measures.
Next to the school bill measure the
most important recommendation is
the proposition to amend the Long
worth bond limitation act. That
there is an Ethiopian in this woodpile
will be clearly appreciated by the fol
lowing analysis:
Among other thingssg Governor
Cox's call and message to the gen
eral assembly recommends the re
enactment of what was known as the
mills BILL" amending the Longworth
law which places limitations on the
creation OF municipal bonded indebt-
edness. The Mills bill was passed at
the last session, but was so loosely
drawn that the governor was obliged
to veto ii.
The important feature of the Mills
bill Is l provision that Municipalities
may issue bonds for the purpose Of
acquiring, constructing. improving
or extending any public utility" in un-
limited amounts upon the faith and
credit of the people.
Governor Cox presents a specious
argument in favor of the measure
and calls on the legislature to pass it
as IAN act Of good faith and for the
further reason that the public inter
ests will be conserved" Unfortu-
nately, as is so often true Of the gov
ernOrs utterances, his argument is
based on false premises and he ar.
rives at conclusions which the facts
fail to warrant.
In his call and message the cover.
nor says:
Those who favor municipal owner
chip contend that the plan will WELD
not only improved service but lower
rates. There will be no way of dem
onstrating this except by the disasso-
ciation of the utility owned by the
city and the purely municipal fiscal
operations,
which is perfecly true, and he adds:
The measure suggested now not
only makes the Longworth law har-
lhOlllphS wan lllC lItS'ilt SiludllOll,
but places the operation of munich
pally-owned utilities on it's own foot
ing.
which is unqualifiedly untrue.
the constitution makers wnen they
provided home rule for Ohio cities
gave every municipality the right tC
engage in any public utility business
"the product or service of which is
or is to be furnished to the munich.
pality or its inhabitants"
This is a fundamental constitution,
al right and can not be limited or in.
creased by the general assembly,
But in order to safeguard the people
OF municipalities against excessive
and burdensomo public Indebtedness
1t was provided that laws may be
passed to limit the power If munici-
palities to levy taxes and incur debts
for local purposes
That is exactly what the Longworth
law does as it now stands. 1t does
not interfere with municipal owner
ship in any respect, but does limit
the power Of municipalities to incur
debts for any purpose to per cent
of the total tax duplicate Of the mu-
nicipality. Furthermore, in order to
leave municipalities unhampered in
their development of municipal utili-
ties and at the same time to bring
about the "disassociation of the util.
ity owned by the city and the purely
municipal fiscal operations" which
Governor Cox considers so necessary