The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1915-08-26
NEWS CULLED
IN THE CAPITAL
ACTIVITIES OF STATE DEPART
MENTS--OTHER HAPPENINGS
speeIaI Columbus CORRESPONDENT.


hey in turning down S252
voucher for groceries ior the res
taurant in the Ohio building at
the Panama-Pacidc exposition Of
fers at least a mild sensation in the
super-mild dog days. The erefusal of the
auditor to o. X. the voucher is based
on the contention that the items for
which the state is asked to pay indi-
cate a too luxurious manner of living
According to Mr.. Donahey handful of
employees and officials at San Francisco
are spending more than $500 a month
for groceries alone. In the rejected
voucher and others on file in the aud
itor's office there are listed items for
whisky, brandy, ice cream, card tables,
finger bowls, sherry wine, cocktail
glasses, claret glasses, music for
dances and other things which the aud
itor insists should not be charged to
the state. Il have decided to put my
foot down on this thing of high living
at the expense of the state said the
state auditor in a staement supple
menting his declaration of refusal to
o. K. the voucher. 1t had not been
generally known here, prior to the
auditors action, that a restaurant was
being maintained in the Ohio building
The records do not indicate that it is
profit producing. 1t was begun last
February and the first voucher shows
an expenditure Of SIS for groceries for
the month. The monthly amount has
increased until in June it was 1852
The vouchers were approved until that
for July reached the auditor this week
He found that it totaled 1852 for gro
Ceries, exclusive of meats, and that
the aggregate total promised to exceed
$500. He announced his decision to re
turn the statement unappToved. There
are no records here to show just who
has been eating at the restaurant
Donahey says he has not exact knowl
edge and that his information is from
reports only. There are II employees
constantly at the Ohio building, rang
ing from a maid at $50 month to a
hostess at 500 month. There are a
half dozen members on the Ohio com
mission to the exposition. Excepting
the case of the directing commissioner
who gets $4,000 year, and the secre
tary of the commission, who gets
$500 a year, the commissioners re-
ceive no salary All, however receive
their expenses. Two commissioners, in
addition to the secretary, are on the
exposition grounds now. The EN-
ployes of the Ohio building are not
supposed to get their expenses paid
according to the state civil service
commission. Donahey insisted he
would not pay the July voucher unless
compelled by court action.
Has Interesting Career.
James l.. Hampton, the newly Sc
lected secretary of the state liquor Ii
cense commission, has had an inter
esting career. Back in 1890 be was
made secretary of the old state boarC
of equalization. Hardly more than {
year later he became assistant state
law librarian and served in that ca
pacity for four years. Then he re
signed to become the executive Clerl
to Gov Bushnell. Meantime Mr.. Hamp
ton had been graduated from Ohio
Northern university at Ada, where
Gov Willis later became a teacher
and he had married the daughter o
the founder of the university, H.
Lehr, for years teacher also but nov
retired. Until Sept. 3, when the neN
license law will become effective, MI
Hampton will get salary at the rat
of $4,000, but under the new law hi
salary will be $2,40O year.
Loan Shark Law Is Effective.
In an official statement State Ban
Supt. Harry T. Hall has called after
ton to the fact that the drastic ne
loan shark" law is now effective an
has asked the cooperation of the PEE
pie Of the state toward it's enforc
ment The aim of the new measure
to prevent INSCRIPTIONS agents an
companies from bleeding" victim
who ask small loans of money. TT
bleeding process consists in the e
tortion of huge sums in the form (
under the guise of interest. Mr.. Ha
shows that hereafter no person ma
charge as interest more than p,
cent a month, plus fiat charge of
in the case of loans under $50. TIL
is a maximum of approximately 36 p
cent year. 1t is high enough surel
but nothing as compared with the 81
per cent and even 1000 per cent whit
loan sharks have been known to char!
in the past.
FaVors Old Convention Plan.
Harry M. Daugherty, former Repu
lican state chairman, has come o
against the primary election systel
He favors a return to the old conve
tion plan. I'VE have too many ele
tions, the multiplicity of which is
nuisance and the expense or which
a waste of money" said Mr. Daug
erty. The general primary electic
!aw is a failure.
Approves Merger of Societies.
OF interest in fraternal insurance
the announcement that the state inst
ance commissioner has approved Il
merger of the American Insuran
Union, which had headquarters at {
lumbus, and the Home Guards, wi
offices in Van Vert. The merg
amounts to the taking over of the V;
Vert institution by the larger insl
ance union. The combined polici
represented in the merger amounts
about SAG, 100000, and there are mo
than IL 900 new members added to t
American Insurance lists by the state
action.
Fair Grounds to Be Park.
After this years state fair the enti
fair grounds are to be thrown open
the people of Ohio as great pal
Instead of being useful one week o
of So, the grounds will be useful eve
day of the year. This is the latest a
nouncement of the new state board
agriculture. "Ohio Park" the fair 81