The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-01-01

nag lulS Was dL hluSBOlu, Od.B OU
years ago. We have been looking for
this flag for 20 years."
VIII Step In and Call Halt.
There is a species Of graft in various
parts Of Ohio that has become in par
ticular cases so fragrant that the state
itself now purposes to step in and call
a halt. This species of public dishon-
esty is the sort that creeps into collec-
tion of delinquent taxes, and a survey
which has been in progress for some
time under the direction Of the state
tax commission shows many glaring
instances wherein taxpayers have
been fieeced. The fleeing consists in
the employment by regular county off,
cials Of delinquent tax collectors, who
take as their compensation from 25 to
40 per cent of ali the axes they col
lect. Thus, instead of being paid into
the public treasury where they were
intended to CO. these percentages of
taxes go into the pockets of private
officials, in spite of the fact that the
regular officials are fully clothed with
authority in law to make collections
of delinquent taxes themselves. The
facts are in most cases that the delin-
quent tax collectors do very little eX-
cept write letters to the taxpayers
who are delinquent. A large per cent
Of the delinquents readily pay, and
the collector pockets his large share
without having been put to any pains
excepting the dictation of circulars.
Members Of the state tax commission
regard this practice as an imposition
on the general taxpayers and bur
den on the public at large. The whole
subject has been discussed at confer
ences Of state tax officials with Gov
Cox, and the state auditor has been
asked to lend his aid in determining
just how far the fraud has perme-
ated the county taxing systems o:
the state. 1t is estimated roughly
from figures now at hand that during
the last few years in Ohio millions Of
dollars have been paid delinquent tax
collectors that ought to have gone
into the public treasury, and that
would have gone there had regularly
elected public officials performed their
sworn duties. 1t will be necessary,
probably, to make various changes in
the laws in order that the old prac-
tices Of employing delinquent tax col
lectors may be changed. The situa-
tion is so serious that it is suspected
wherein elected officials have made
money out of their own delinquency
The suspicion is, in other words, that
the elected officials purposely allowed
taxpayers to become delinquent and
then employed collectors, with whom
they shared the "spoils."
Ignorant of Laws Provisions.
State officials are finding that hun
dreds of employers throughout the
state are ignorant of the provisions of
the new workmen's compensation act
that goes into effect with the new
year, and that big campaign of en-
lightenment will have to be pursued.
Much of the misapprehension is due
to the belief that only the owners of
workshops and factories have to in
sure their employees. The facts are
that the new law throws a mantle of
protection over nearly every man and
woman in the state that works for
wages or salary. The people who
work in offices are just as much in
cluded as those who do actual manual
labor. 1t is roughly estimated here
that fully 80 per cent of all the en-
ployes in the state will be affected by
the new state scheme of Industrial
insurance. The law says that every
employe of five or more persons must
protect those employees against acci-
dent. With the employers of less than
five the question of protection is op-
tional. Under the present law the
question is optional with all employ
ers. Practically the only class of en-
ployes that are not included in the
new state scheme of insurance con-
sists of railroad men. Because Of the
fact that they are nearly all engaged
in interstate commerce it is held i'm
possible for them to be included un.
der the protection of state laws.
Find Increased Public Approval.
The Ohio Good Roads federation
officers say they are finding an in,
creased public approval of the new
system of market and intercounty
roads that already has been begun
The system comprises the improve
ment of a little more than 5000 miles
of highways throughout the state. 1t
is the present plan to complete this
entire work within 10 years and to &C.
complish at least 1000 miles of i'm,
provement within the next year. The
federation people argue that when Ahe
whole work is finally complete Ohio
will take her place at the top Of the
list of states in the matter of i'm.
proved highways. Under the act of
the general assembly of last winter
the sum Of $3,500,00O will be available
for road building during the year 1914
alone.
Professor Makes Charges.
Twenty-Five per cent of the working
girls in Ohio cities are not getting a
living wage, according to Prof. M. H.
Hammond of the state industrial com.
mission. Statistics of the department
show their wage to be less than Sc a
week.
New Social CAnfar