The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-11-19
NEWS CULLED
in THE CAPITAL
WHAT LEGISLATORS ARE DO
ING AND OTHER HAPPENINGS
o. A. DONOVAN,

COlum BUS. OnlO.
4 BRILLIANT array of legal tai
ent was marshaled before the su
preme court Thursday, the occa'
sion for this being the hearing on
this being the hearing on the
suit involving the constitutionality
of the flood conservancy act. Nearly
so lawyers represent the litigants and
practically all were on hand. An at
tempt is being made to knock out the
law. 1t was upheld by the lower
courts. The case comes from Mont
gomery county and is styled William
L. Snyder and others against Edward
A. Deeds and others. Judge A. N.
Summers OF Springfield, former mem.
ber of the supreme court, is chief
counsel for the plaintiff. In the attack
on the law the contention is made that
1t is fatally defective, first, because it
provides for the cost of the improve
ment by an assessment on land Spe-
cially benefited and by tax on real
estate of counties, townships, cities
and villages, and second, because it
provides for tbs cost OF maintenance
by tax on real estate alone and not
upon property generally levied by a
uniform rule according to its true
value in money. The tax imposed
should be on all kinds of property, to
make the act sound, it is contended
The conservancy law was enacted at
the legislative session following the
big flood of year ago last spring.
Warns Of Game determination.
Unless Ohio is willing to face a
gradual determination of her fish and
game she must map out a definite
program Of protection and propoga-
tion, according to Chief State Fish and
Game Warden John c. Speaks. War
den Speaks says that the old notion
that some game is so numerous that
II cant be exterminated has been re-
peatedly disproven by actual facts and
experience. Back in 1859, for eX-
ample, the Legislature began its cam
paign for the protection of quail, but
when asked also to protect wild pig
cons fairly laughed at the idea, owing
to the tremendous numbers OF wild
pigeons then in the state. 1t was BE-
lieved impossible that the wild pigeon
ever could be exterminated because of
the hundreds of millions of their kind
that infested Ohio alone Speaking of
this old incident, Warden Speaks now
points out that 10 days ago in the Gin
cinnati geological gardens the last
specimen of the wild pigeon species
died. Its kind is no more, at least in
this state.
Will Civil Service Law Protect?
Whether the state civil service law
will protect is naturally one of the
leading questions in state politics just
now. An examination of the law re-
veals the fact that the protection af-
forded by its provisions is rather
"shaky," particularly in view of the
Republican contention that the meas
ure was enacted solely to entrench
Democratic attaches in their Jobs. The
fact is that the only protection given
is that involved in the provision that
before an employe is discharged he or
she must be given specific reasons.
The employe may demand a hearing,
but the hearing is to be had only be-
fore the discharging official. Incident
ally it may be remarked that the state
constitution now commands some kind
of civil service or merit system.
Reported to Have Inside Track
1t is persistently reported at the
state house that Col. Edward S. Bry-
ant of Bloomdale, commander of the
Second regiment, has the inside track
for adjutant general under the new
administration. 1t is understood that
most of the COlonels of the Ohio Ma
tional Guard have endorsed him. Mai. |
". H. Duffy of Columbus is making a
hard fight for the place The Spanish |,
War Veterans of Columbus have en-
dorsed him.
Hunting Will ce Stopped.
Hunting will be stopped all over the /
state by the agricultural commission |
because of the foot and mouth disease |
now prevalent. Farmers complain
that dogs working with hunters are
liable to carry the infection from |
farm to farm and do great damage. |
There are $4,000 licensed hunters in
thn state, but their licenses will be .
worthless after the quarantine order |
of the commission is issued. II is Ii |
able to come any day
Miners Return to Work.
News was received in Columbus .
that miners of the Coshocton district .
had approved in a referendum vote .
the terms of settlement offered by the .
coal operators. The mines of the dis /
trict, a small one, will open at once
and employ about 1000 men. Since
March 81, when the wage scale agree
ment expired. the mines have been
idle. Operators stated the agreement
contemplates an advance of 8 or 1
cents over the last agreement, but is 6 /
cents less than the miners asked.
Again Loses in High Court.
Attempts to oust the Standard OIL
Co. from doing business within the
state again failed when the supreme
court refused to allow George H.
Phelps, Findlay attorney and oil pro-
ducer, to file additional records in his
suit against the oil company. His case
was dismissed by the supreme court
several weeks ago on the ground that
he had not filed the necessary records, |,
and shortly after that he petitioned to
be allowed to present these. He sued
on the ground that the Standard Oil
&c. is monopoly in restraint of trade
under the Valentine antitrust act Il
Want "Joyrlders" Placed In Prison.
Organizations OF automobile own
eTs are complaining of the clem-