The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1915-10-28
NEWS CULLED
IN THE CAPITAL
ACTIVITIES OF STATE DEPART
MENTS--OTHER HAPPENINGS
special Columbus Correspondent.

w. II. Walker will require all ap-
plicants for licenses to give the
serial factory number of their machine
when they apply. This rule goes into
effect the first of the year. With this
Information on file the department will
be better enabled to trace the owners
Of stolen cars. Each application for
a license now, in addition to giving
the full address of the applicant, must
also give the name, make, motive pow
er, style and horse power of the ma
chine. This information is duly made
a matter of record. To evade detec-
ton persons who steal automobiles
usually change the number tags and
often obtain new tags from the state.
OF course, there is no way for the
registrar to tell when tags are sought
for use on stolen cars. 1t is his duty
to issue tags to all who apply and pay
the stipulated fee. But we will be
better enabled to get line on stolen
cars if we have the factory number of
the car on file," said Registrar Walk
er. ''The other day we were able to
ascertain the name Of the owner of a
stolen car located in Fremont because
OF the fact that the factory number
had been given when the application
was filed. The tags had been stripped
from the car and the factory number
left the only clue to the identity of
the owner" Registrar Walker expects
to be able to show a saving of 13 per
cent in the operating expenses of his
department this year. This will be
based on the number of automobile
licenses issued, which will be more
than $4,000 in excess of the number
issued last year The total number for
this year will approximate 1S0, 900. The
cost of running the department last
year was in the neighborhood Of $780,
900. Registrar Walker intends to es-
tablish a number of new branch Of
fees next year from which licenses
will be issued just the same as from
the main office in Columbus. Cincin-
natl, Cleveland and Toledo have such
branches. 1t is probable that new
branch offices will be located in Can
ton, Dayton, Youngstown and Akron.
An Ingenious AIIbi.
Frank Fink, Williams county horse
thief, just received at the peniten-
tiary, is giving the pen officials an
alibi so ingenious that the officials are
wondering how the man ever came to
be convicted. mo, sir, didn't steal
any horse" says Fink to the pen peo-
pie; fact is, the horse stole me. You
see, was a bit under the influence,
and when l got into that buggy the
blamed animal just started off and ran
away with me-" "Well, asked the Off
cials, ''Aow does it come that you sold
the aNtmal to a liveryman for $1O?"
Didn't do any such thing" replied
the prisoner. "The liveryman he just
took tho harse away from me and held
the $40 under my nose. And l was
that scared by the runaway that put
the money in my pocket" The people
who have had to do with prisoners for
years say that Fink has it on any of
his predecessors, even on the man
who said he stole a rope and later
found there was a COW attached to it.
A Pleasant Surprise.
The soldiers of the Sandusky home
perpetrated a pleasant surprise upon
Gen. w. R. Burnett, commandant of
the Sandusky home, and Mrs. Burnett
Tuesday. 1t was their 50th wedding
anniversary and the aged veterans
planned to observe it in an appropriate
way. They sent word of their inten-
tions to the state board of administra-
ton and Thomas Davey, one of it's
members, went to Sandusky to repre-
sent the board at the function. Gen
and Mrs. Burnett had no inkling of
what was to take place and were taken
completely by surprise when they were
summoned to big hall where the SOL
diers were gathered to do them honor
Failed to Provide Funds.
All road work for the coming year
in Muskingum county has been
stopped because of the failure of the
county commissioners to allow funds
for the payment of the salaries of the
assistants of the county highway
superintendent, R H. Strait. The lat
ter has appealed to State Highway
Commissioner Clinton Cowen for help
and Cowen will write to the commits
sioners, telling them that it is their
duty under the new Case highway law
to make the necessary allowance of
funds.
One Million Copies.
Within a few days the voters of the
state will receive copies of the pub
icity pamphlet to be sent out by Sec
retary of State Charles Q. Hildebrant
containing the text of the proposed
amendments to the constitution and of
the McDermott liquor law decentral-
izer and the Sprague redistricting con-
gressional bill, together with the argu-
nents for and against
Affirmed Discharge.
The state civil service commission
has passed upon the first appeal made
to it by a discharged state employe.
s. NJ. Paxton, who was let out as a
state house attache by Adjt Gen. B.
M. Hough, sought reinstatement by
the commission. He was discharged
because of refusing to obey orders.
After several witnesses had been
heard, the commission sustained the
action of the adjutant general The
new civil service law gives discharged
employees the right of appeal to the
state civil service commission.
Student Voting Question.
The OIL student voting question is
up again with all its perplexities and
trouble. Doubtless it will cause the
same confusion it has always caused
on election day. The discussion arises
from the dispute as to whether stu
dents attending college outside their