The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1915-11-25
Cancellation Courts an institution.


Courts Of conciliation are be-
coming an institution in Ohio. They |
are based on the theory that the |
least litigation is the best for |
all the people, and so they strive
to settle claims without real process |
of law. Cleveland has one which per-
mits every claim of S35 or less to file
a petition without cost and without the
aid of an attorney. When a claim is
fled the court notifies the defendant
by mail and he comes into the tribunal
to talk things over. II A says that B
owes him $40 and B says that the
amount is not more than SIS, 1t is
usually not difficult to have both reach
an agreement as to the reasonable set
tlement Many times the would-be lit
igants split the difference" and go
away happy. The experience has cost
them not penny. Cincinnati has been
trying the same sort of stunt, but not
in an official way. Other cities are
talking about it. Columbus is about to
try an experiment patterned after the
Cleveland plan, excepting that the
amount of the claims to be settled by
conciliation will be smaller. Here in
Columbus only claims of SIS and less
may be subject to the jurisdiction Of
the new court, which will be simply
part of the new municipal tribunal Just
created. And the amount is made
smaller for the simple reason that If 1t
were made bigger the lawyers would
kick on losing fees. Yes, sir! The
lawyers don't like the new idea little
bit, for it spells lack of litigation and
lack of litigation means a smaller in
come for the legal profession. In
Cleveland they started in to make the
conciliation claims $50 or less, but the
lawyers kicked and got the maximum
reduced to $35.
The EIixer Of Life.
Aha! The elixer Of life! Ellis M.
Black, student at Ohio State uni
versity, is said really to have dis.
covered it. And it's not a mythical
elixer either, or a joke, if the stories
being told of it here are to be credited
or even half credited. Anyway, young
Black-he is 24-is declared to have
discovered some sort of substance
that adds to the growth and develop.
ment of animals when it is fed to
them. Young animals will thrive upon
this mysterious matter, it is said. De-
formed animals or stunted ones can
be made to attain full development
even after the period of maturity II
given the new elixer with their food,
if experiments conducted at the uni
versity have produced the wonderful
results accredited to them. Even
babies have been experimental with,
but with true professional conserva.
tism. The youthful scientist simply
| says of the results that some Of them
are favorable. lie is not ready yet to
announce them. The new element to
which such remarkable attributes are
reported is explained by young Black
to be the sixth or hitherto unknown
substance of foods. 1t is the element
that seems absolutely essential to life,
because when it is removed from the
food of any animal the animal quickly
dies.
Exercised Over Court Ruling.
State taxing officials are consider.
ably exercised over ruling by Judge
Walter D. Jones of the Miami county
common pleas court holding that
county commissioners practically have
a free hand in providing for levies for
road Improvements. They declare that
if the decision stands that this will
mean the ruination of the Smith per
cent, which places a limit on the tax
levies that may be made. Under the
decision the commissioners can order
levies without getting the consent of
the people. The attorney general re.
Gently held that commissioners could
not make these road levies without a
vote of the people except in cases OF
absolute emergency, for example,
where funds might be needed to make
badly needed repairs because of floods
or other dire happenings. Under the
Jones ruling the county commissioners
could call any road job an emergency
and make levy which would compel
the people to pay increased taxes for
unrestricted road improvements. The
tax commission has asked the attor-
ney general to fight the ruling and
take it to the supreme court, if neces
sary, to obtain reversal.
Fixes Time for Trial.
The supreme court has fixed the
afternoon of Dec. as the time for the
hearing of the suit to determine the
legality Of the action of Gov. Willis in
removing Byron l.. Clendening Of Gin
cinnati, Democrat, as member of the
state liquor licensing board because Of
his activity in behalf of the referen-
dunn on the McDermott liquor license
act, which was defeated at the recent
!election. The finding Of the court will
establish whether it is wrong for a
licensing official to take any part in a
referendum affecting the liquor bust
Iness.
N.~~~N~~~I~~NNSNAN-N