The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1915-05-13
NEWS CULLED
IN THE CAPITAL
WHAT LEGISLATORS ARE DO
ING AND OTHER HAPPENINGS
speclal cOIumbus correspondent.


year ago, was virtually enacted
into law by the house of repre-
sentatives late Wednesday afternoon.
The Gallagher measure permits min
ers and operators to make individual
contracts outside the provisions of the
Green statute, which compelled all
miners wage contracts to be made on
the run-of-mine basis. The measure
was defeated by the house on its first
consideration, April Is, then lacking
nine votes. Its passage Wednesday
was by margin of two votes.
Tax Commission Starts Probe.
The state tax commission has start
ed an investigation to determine the
cause Of alarming decreases in per-
sonal property returns in various
counties OF the state. These decreases
range from to 33b per cent in diff
ferent townships of groups of counties.
An examination of tax returns and in
quiries made Of the local and district
assessors indicate that there has been
very complete appraisals made, and
that vast number are ludicrously be-
low what they should be. There are
whole counties in which hardly a dol
lar has been returned on household
effects. Building and loan association
stock is subject to taxation, but little
of it is being returned. 1t is in the
most prosperous communities that the
tax evasion is most prevalent. The
tax commission will instruct the dis
trict assessors to lack up" the local
assessors where the returns are show
ing heavy shrinkages. Unless this is
done the grand duplicate for the state
will show big decrease from that of
last year and the effect Of this will be
to increase taxes.
Drastic Antelope Measure.
The drastic antelope" bill which
has been fathered by Representative
Platt of Ashtabula county and Senator
Lynch Of Cuyahoga county Is now prac-
tically law, although, according to
the assembly records, 1t has gone
through one house only. But really it
has passed both houses, for the house
bill just enacted is the same as the
original bill which the senate passed,
although the senate will have to vote
again to be conventional. The meas
ure makes it increasingly difficult for
users Of habit forming drugs to obtain
them and places the dope" victims
under the supervision of the probate
Fatal Accident Is Recalled.
Exactly half a century ago April 81,
the steamer Sultana sank in the Mis-
sissippi, near Memphis, Tenn, carry.
ing 1900 Union soldiers, who we're be-
ing taken north, down to a watery
grave. Most of these soldiers were
Ohioans. The boat contained $500
soldiers and was badly overcrowded
A boiler explosion caused the disaster
The river was at flood stage, and this,
together, with the fact that the soldiers
were weakened from confinement in
southern prison camps, made the cas-
ualty list heavy.
Good Fruit Crop In Ohio.
There is to be a good fruit crop this
year. The state crop report shows
this. The word received from all
parts of the state by the state agri-
cultural commission is that the har-
vest will be most bountiful. Danger
of frost is now over, the season being
too far advanced for any loss from
such cause. Berry prospects are re-
ported to be good. Early in the year
it was feared that the peach crop would
fall off heavily this year, but there is
every promise that this fruit will be
plentiful. The agricultural outlook in
Ohio is better this year than it has
been for several years. "Harvests gen.
orally should produce more and better
crops than last year." says the com
mission in It's official statement.
o-K's One Day Rest in Seven.
The house, 70 to 5, passed the Whit
acre bill for one days rest in seven in
continuous industries. The bill makes
exemptions in few employments and
gives power to the industrial commits
sion to prescribe, modify and enforce
orders for the reasonable enforcement
OF the measure.
job Hunters Better Stay Away.
If applicants for jobs are wise they
will stay away from the governors
office just now. All the time of Gov.
Willis is being taken up in conferences
with legislative leaders in the consid-
Grafton of administration measures
which the chief executive insists shall
be passed by the legislature before it
adjourns.
OberIln Bill Is Defeated.
Fond expectations of elective county
officers for two years. extension to the
terms for which they were chosen last
November were blasted when the
Oberlin bill, prepared and backed by
the state association of county clerks,
was first mutilated and then killed in
the house Of representatives.
Rules on Eight-Hour Law.
The eight-hour law does not apply
to clerks and other employees of state
departments, soe Attorney General
Turner holds. No general routine
work that is performed for the state
comes under the scope of this act. 1t
only applies to public work of con-
structiVe, Improvement or betterment
character. The ruling was given to
Charles E. Thorne, director of the
state experiment station at Wooster,
who wanted to know if the station
employees hours of labor were regu-
lated by the law. They are not.
Must Pay Taxes on chatteIs.
It is the duty of the county treas
urer to seize the goods and chattels of
any person who fails to pay taxes and
to sell these effects to realize enough
to cover the tax claims, so Attorney
General Turner rules in an opinion to
Prosecuting Attorney Curtis of Port
age county. The effects may be re-
turned if the delinquent taxpayer calls