The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1915-06-24
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
NOT RUINED YET
Another Cox Press Bureau
Fabrication DisprOVed =.
WILLIS KNOWS SCHOOL WORK
Malignant statesment Of What the
Republican Administration Would
Do to the Code Did Not Come True
Changes Made Are Approved.

Columbus.-(Sp Even before
Governor Willis was inducted into
office the Democratic papers were
teeming with calamitods predictions
of what would happen under his ad
ministration. Among other things il
was declared that the school law:
enacted under the previous admins
tration would be ripped" asundeI
and that. the pupils of the ruraI
schools would be consigned to the
dire and terrible" conditions that
prevailed prior to the advent of James
M. Cox ,-.' n#
AS soon as the legislature convened
aid bills began to drop into the nop,
per-. some of them Incorporating the
extreme views of those smarting un-
der two years of autocratic rule, the
Democratic critics set up the cry that
the extremist of these proposed meas
ures represented the views of Gov.
Willis.
Look at the Result.
The work of the legislative session
is now concluded and what are the
results? The needs of the benevolent
and educational institutions of the
state have been provided for as never
before in the history of the state and
the school code remains without ma
terial change. The Winans law sim
ply reduces the number of district su-
perintendents from not more than one
for every twenty teachers to not more
than one for every thirty eachers, and
this change had the sanction of prac-
tically all the educators in the state;
provides for giving villages the option
of having their own superintendent or
continuing under a district superin-
tendent ~.',
Will They Stay Out of Politics?
The school code adopted two years
ago is still intact. It's future must de-
pend largely upon the county and dis
Qlct. supervisors who, because of pro-
7fessional ana personal interests are
its staunchest advocates If they will
devote themselves industriously and
religiously to their work and let poll
ties strictly alone, all will be well; If
they yield to the temptation to con-
vert themselves into political ma
chine all will not be well. In the
meantime it must not be- forgotten
that the rural school teacher, who is
the most underpaid of all those en-
gagged in school work, has not sprof-
tied financially by the new system
Unfortunately the increase in salaries
has gone to those higher up"
1--WE urge the enactment of laws
comforting upon the Supreme
Court jurisdiction to revise the de-
cisions of the Secretary of State
on primary, election and initiative
and referendum questions"
The Cass law puts the determining
of theNvalidity of signatures upon the
members of the local board of cleo
tions, who can readily secure knowl-
edge of the facts, leaving the Secre-
tary of State none but clerical duties.
I'VE pledge the Republican par
ty of Ohio to the appointment of
farmers to all offices whose func-
tions relate to the farm"
This pledge is kept by the Smith
Mallow law which decentralizes the
agricultural commission does away
with four $4,000 commissioners and
provides for a non-salaried non-parti-
san agricultural board which elects a
$4,000 secretary, saving $4,000 a year
in salaries.
I'VE recognize the wider claims r
Of the people upon their govern
ment for Legislation, to promote
social justice, and pledge our CO.
operation in the broader move
ment for human welfare"
. The Republican party was organ
lied for that greatest of social uplifts,
ssthe freeing of slaves, and it has been
I the most effective advocate of social
#reforms.
I'VE further propose the dscen-
tralization of the licensing author
ity which, through the present
plan of appointment Of ComMis-
. sioners by the governor, tends to
/, make political machine of the
saloon. We would place the IL
censing authority beyond the ma
nipulation of partisan politics"
The McDermott bill puts the issu-
ing of licenses in the hands Of three
officials elected in the county. The
enforcement of the laws regulating
the traffic being an executive function
is vested, necessarily, in the governor.
I'VE heartily favor the conaaFuc-
ton and maintenance Of q state
wide system of good roads, bat we
demand that the large sxRendi-
lures for that purpose shall be
made by the regularly constitHAad
authorities OF each county"
The Cass law provides four town
ship highway superintendent Instead
OF eight, and they will do the road
dragging, the Office of township road
dragger being abolished.
The county surveyor Is made the
county highway superintendent and
his duties are greatly increased He
Is. in close touch with township ON
GERS and the state authorities. Under
the county commissioners, he directs
the road building Of the county.
County officials will direct the build,
ID az imhagsanAg zaaAn.
p -