The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1915-10-15
DESTROY
Is What Governor Willis De-
CenTalizing Means
Sample of HIS Work Seen
in Unfit appointment Of
BOpe, the BOOzer.

Within week after his appoint
ment II has been found necessary to
demand the resignation of State In
spector of Workshops and Factories
George w. Bope, of Columbus, be-
cause OF repeated acts of intoXica-
ton Governor Frank b. Willis was
aware OF the habits of the man when
he appointed him and members of the
State Industrial Commission siren
uously but yainly objected to exc
cutting the order issued from the Cap
itol to Install him in office. To make
a place for him, the Governor COM
manded the dismissal of Thomas p.
Kearns, of Dayton, who had been in
the Office for nearly seven years and
is a sober and practical machinist
who came to the inspectorship from
a superintendency in the National
Cash Register Works Bope s a
lawyer with only a nominal connec-
tion with the musicians union at Col
umbus. He never worked an hour
in a factory In his life and knew
nothing of the essentials of the great
labor department over which he was
appointed to govern. His appoint
ment was frankly admitted to be
reward for his support of the COVER
nor in 1914.
The action was a part and parcel
of the governors program to break
down the present laws or at least
prevent them from operating in fav-
or of the working classes. The work
mems compensation act has been
VNa1 ,FFsfs4
sued by Willis's superintendent of In
surance to casualty and liability in
surance companies in New York and
Great Britian to compete against the
state and conspire against labor and
through the wholesale discharge of
trained and expert employees. In des-
peration the State Federation of La
Dor is appealing to the Supreme
Court to save the law by overturning
the insurance commissioners con-
Prior to the naming of
Bope, successive discharges and nom
nations transformed the sub-depart-
ment in the Office Of the state inspec-
tor into farcial comedies Politi-
clans without any training were nam
ed to take the places of skilled work
men who for years have administer
ed the laws regulating their occupa-
tions. The law requiring licenses of
these officials was ignored A tray-
cling salesman was made state boil
er inspector; a commission merchant
was appointed to check reports of
and building examina-
tions; a newspaper editor was placed
at desk where he was to wise reports
on strains and stressures of metals.
In Toledo a grossly fat election work
er was given a position of inspector
Of steam boilers and had to be re-
moved when it was found that it was
an impossibility for him to get into a
boiler manhole.
The climax came when Bope, the |
lawyer, was designated as chief of |
the department which has to do with |
The safety and health of every factory |
worker in Ohio. His drunkenness was |
open and scandalous, but no action |
was taken until an indignant citizen |
who had been abused by the new Of |
fetal went to the state house and fill
I'D formal complaint. Then it tran
3pired that Rev. Y. B. Campbell, of |
.he state civil service commission,
Lieut.. Gov. John H. Arnold, DR.. Clar-
ence Maris, of the state fire marsh
lPs office, and other Willis appoint
ees, had seen him intoxicated before
md after his appointment and prior
o his attack on the complainant.
But they held their peace and he
would likely have been continued by
he governor despite his habits, to
larry out the work of decentraliza-
ion and destroy the labor depart
nent of the state.