Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1915-07-29

total amount available for the year.
While these contracts were Illegal and
void, to the extent of Sl65,93S.29, yet
local officials and contractors had act
ed in good faith and incurred obliga-
tions under these void contracts, and
1t was necessary, therefore, for the
legislature, when It met in 1915, to
validate these contracts and make an
appropriation to meet the same
"The department is, therefore, faced
ut the present time with the necessity
of taking Sl65 933.29 out of its income
for main market road purposes for the
year 1915 and using the same to meet
contracts entered into in 1914 by the
department in excess of its income
for That year. The same situation eX-
lists as to intercounty highway funas,
to the extent of $S734S.40. The state
highway commissioner is compelled,
therefore, to operate the department
during the year 1915 with an income
that has been reduced one-third, as
compared with the income of the de-
partment last year, and, in addition.
he is compelled to take $l65, 1929 of
the income of the department for main
market road purposes during the year
1915 and pay the same on contracts
entered into in 1914, and he is further
compelled to take a substantial part
of tne intercounty highway FUNDS re-
ceivable this year and pay the same
on contracts entered into last year
over and above the appropriation fer
that year.
1T will thus be seen that the state
highway commissioner is not only
compelled To operate the department
with a substantially reduced income,
but out of tnat reduced income he is
compelled to pay over a quarter OF a
million dollars on the debts of the de-
partment contracted last year, over
and above the income for that year.
"The reduction in the income of The
state highway department for the
present year, by reason of the action
of tne general assembly in July, 1914,
in reducing the levy from fve-tenths
of a mill to three-tcnths of mill,
which reduction in income will
amount to over a million dollars, and
the further fact that ii is impossible
to apply all of this years income TO
new work and has become necessary
to use over quarter of million dol
lars of sucn income to pay the old OBJ
legations of the department incurred
without authority of law and in excess
of the appropriation in 1914, means
that it viii be absolutely necessary 20
curtail the activities of the state hish-
way department during the year 1913.
when the finance committee OF tie
house OF representatives began Its
work early in 1915, it invited the state
highway department, as then cons;i-
tuted, to submit budget. but the for.
mer state highway commissioner and
those associated with him were of lie
opinion that the department could not
comply with this request. and there
fore refused to make the attempt OF
necessity, the finance committee was
compelled to depend upon the oral
statements OF certain representatives
of the highway department. as theE
constituted, and these representatives.
assured the members OF the finance
committee that there were no uneX-
pended balances left over from the lp-
preparation for 1914 As matter of
fact, there were balances to the
amount of $j556S6.SS in the inter
county highway funds to the credit of
many OF the counties and there was
also a balance of $50 3O5.l3 in the
maintenance and repair fund The
members of the house finance commit
tee were deceived by the faulty infor.
nation impaired to them by the rep
resentatives of the highway depart
ment called before them, and, as re-
suit, the balances above referred TO
were lapsed by House Bill No. 3l4,
being the bill making the appropria-
tions for the period beginning Feb.
Is, 1915, and ending June 30. 1915.
"The lapsing Of these balances and
the time required to draft and secure
the passage of legislation reapproprl-
ating such balances and making them
available for the use of the depart
ment has also been the cause of much
delay in the letting of contracts in d
number OF counties in the state.
"In the drafting of Legislation to
make available funds to meet con-
tracts entered into in 1914 without
authority of law, and in excess of the
appropriation for that year, it was
also necessary to bear in mind that
such legislation was not an appropria-
tion for the current expenses of the
state government or state institutions
but was, in effect, a recognition of a
moral claim against the state and IA
provision for the payment of the
same. This legislation. therefore, can
not 90 into effect until Aug. 81, 1915,
being ninety days after the law in
question was filed in the office of the
secretary of state.
"The above situation results from
the referendum provision of the con.
stitutioD of Ohio and the moneys ap.
propriated out of the 1915 income of
the highway department for the pur-