The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1916-11-23
Special Columbus Correspondent.


Der of Commerce. The disinclina
tion on the part of the legisla
ture, at recent past sessions, to
give serious consideration to the
appeals of Ohio's cities for relief
and to tamper In any way with
the Smith l per cent law, was com,
mented on by all the speakers and
the fear expressed that the next gen
eral assembly will probably evince
the same temerity in attempting q
solution of the difficulty. One Of the
reasons for the chilly reception given
the subject was laid to the door of
the large number Of legislators who
live in the rural districts, where the
citizens almost unanimously oppose
changing the Smith law in any way, or
In legislating addltSslal taxing powers
to municipal Subdivisions Sugges-
tons for recommendations to the next
legislature relative to a solution of
the cities financial problem, made at
the meeting, included an amendment
providing that city councils shall not
issue bonds in excess of one half of
l per cent Of the property value, in
stead of l per cent, as is now the
law; provision permitting cities,
upon the vote Of the people, to issue
bonds for the purpose of paying inter
est and sinking fund charges, outside
the 10 mill limit of the law; that the
nNuy to hn d{unrkaH 70 tbn 90
the local communities in which it is
raised, and that the direct tax levy be
dispensed with by the state.
State EmpIoye for Years.
John F. Slemmons, 73, civil war sol
dier, who died at his home in Colum-
bus, was a state house attache for a
number Of years, having held positions
in the adjutant generals and state
treasurer's offices. He came to Colum-
bus from Redwood, Union county, in
1880, and served in the adjutant gen.
erals of1ice as roster clerk. He en-
tered the state treasury as chief clerk
during the administration Of the late
John c. Brown, who came from JEFF
ferson county, and continued in the
same position when w. T. Cope, for
merly of Columbiana county, became
treasurer. He was deputy commission
er of insurance during the Bushnell
administration. Later he went to To-
ledo as treasurer Of life insurance
company. He returned to Columbus
five years ago.
Checking Up Accounts.
State Examiners A. B. Dawson and
Joseph F. Hogan have started to check
Np the accounts of Secretary of State
Hildebrant so that he can turn his
Office over to W. D. Fulton, secretary
of state-elect, on the second Monday
in January, when the change of admin
istration takes place. There are sew
sral hundred thousand items to be
checked over in this department. AL
though Chester E. Bryan, the new
state treasurer, will take office along
with the other state officials the sec
ond Monday in January, the actual
transfer of the Office will not take
place until every cent of money and
every security in the states possession
is carefully counted and found to be
correct. 1t sometimes takes a week
or more for this work.
Will Move Headquarters.
Ohio Socialists are to move their
state headquarters from Columbus to
Cleveland on Dec. 1. At the late state
convention, it was decided to maintain
state headquarters in the home city of
the secretary. AS Alfred Wagenknecht,
the newly-named secretary, is a Cleve-
land man, the Sixth City gets the head
quarters. 0. G. Van Schoyck of Col
umbus is the retiring secretary. The
new state executive committee is COM
posed Of the following: Tom Clifford,
Cleveland; Charles Baker, Hamilton;
Scott Wilkins, Lima; George Bundy,
Warren; e. L. Kitchens, Norwood;
William Patterson, Toledo, and James
White, Toronto.
Will Sing at Inauguration.
The famous Republican Glee club
Of Columbus, which sang at the big
Hughes meetings in New York city
in the closing hours of the national
campaign, will take part in the pro-
gram incident upon the Inauguration
of Gov.-elect Cox. When the Glee club
was at Dayton attending the Repub-
lican campaign opening there, it sere-
naded Gov. Cox at the Office of his
paper, the Daily News. When he
thanked the club members for their
courtesy, he gave them cordial in
vitation to visit him at the governors
Office in January. The club has ac-
cepted the invitation.
Opposed to Extra Sessions.
Representative Frank H. Reighard
Of Fulton county, chairman of the
house finance committee, is strongly
opposed to the proposal that a special
session of the legislature be held to
investigate the high cost of living and
to confirm the state officials appointed
since the Legislature adjourned a year
ago last June. 81 think such an in
vestigation by the Ohio legislature
would not accomplish anything"
First to Resign.
Col. Miletus Garner, state budget
commissioner, is the first Willis ap-
pointee to resign since the election.
Establishes Precedent.
The state public utilities commits
sion established a precedent when it
decided that it had no authority to
fix an emergency gas rate, pending
the outcome of a referendum on a
rate ordinance. The decision was
handed down relative to a gas rate
referendum on an ordinance passed
by the city council of Cincinnati. The
commission pointed out that in the
event a city wants speedy solution
Of state question, it may call a spe-
cial election within FIVE weeks OF the