The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1917-02-01
REST
PLEDGE LOOKS AS
IF IT WON'T HOLD
Question of Early Adjournment
Is Worrying Members of
General Assembly
WILL cox CONTROL ACTIONS2 7
solons Can't Hope All Needed Laws
Will Be Handed Them Ready
Made-TaxatIon Emergency
Measure Most Urgent.
BY Clarence Maris.

Columbus. - (Special) - They're
worried about it!
The members of the general assem-
bly, learned from two governors that
Ohio should have legislative rest"
and from the Cox newspapers that
their arduous, intellectual labors
should be ended by the date for the
reinauguration of Mr.. Wilson, that
they might joyously expand their
chests with fog from the Potomac
flats while exulting in the spectacle
of the first Inauguration of Demo
cratic president to succeed himself
since Gen. Jackson-and that's nearly
a century.
The session now is four weeks old
and no promise of legislation has been
kept, not even the promise of econ
omy, and but four legislative weeks
remain till the day that they wish to
celebrate.
Doubtless many Of them will attend
the inauguration of the president
which may rival in splendor that of
Gov. CoX-those who bet on the elec-
tiOn will be able to $3.50 the general
assembly will recess over the needed
days for the pilgrimage and eDthrail-
ment.
Then this legislative rest pledge,
He Can, But viii He?
Will Gov. Cox gently but firmly and
absolutely control legislation as he
did throughout each of the three seS-
sions he needed during his first term?
| Will he furnish the bills embodying
one mans ideas and ink the rubber
stamp? Nuno! they can't hope that
all needed laws will be handed them
ready made nor that they will give 2he
state a Legislative rest.
Speaking to the first of the last pair
of assertions, it must be said that Cox
can't control the piece of legislation
which is most urgent that on taxation,
because he has not in the house the
tWo-thirds necessary to passing it as
an emergency measure, and must be
so passed to provide for tax assessors
by the second of April. The Repub-
licans will not furnish the needed
votes unless the Republican mem
bers in the high joint" taxation COM
mittee are allowed some SAY" in
forming the bill. But it may bring
bad luck for them to take any part of
the responsibility for this bill, for
owing to an eccentricity of human ma
ture, all tax laws have been unpopular
from the time of Caesar, anyway.
But the good young governor won't
let the Republican members take any
of this risk if he can help it, and Re-
publican politicians who are ripe
hope he won't.
A Single e-Taxer in Power.
He slated Mr. Agnew of Cleveland
for chairman of the taxation commit
tee of the senate. Agnew is an ex-
assessor, and since Newton d. Baker,
the pacifist, was translated to the
head of the war department, he is the
leader of the single takers of the Tom
Johnson-Fels soap kind. When neces-
sity seemed to demand that the Re-
publicans consent to the governors
plans, he had Agnew trade with Sen
ator Horn, who had been named one
of the high joints" so that Agnew
could be chairman, but the Republican
members of the joint committee
ploughed with one Of Mr.. Cox's heif-
ers, as the long late Mr.. Sampson
might say, and elected Mr.. Guthrie,
Democrat, of LaRue, city whose ex-
travagance has not yet caused it to
sob over bankruptcy. Now, Guthrie is
in disgrace with Cox and Agnew in
despair of fiavoring taxation with sin
gle tax ideas.
Tax Bills a Plenty.
And no Legislative rest nor vacation
from the dictation of the governor is
seen in the tax bills introduced or in
preparation for the legislative mill.
One bill demands home rule in taxa
tion by counties-redlight districts
want home rule by precincts. This
demand is from Cleveland-the taxa
tion, not the redlight, understand, it's
author being Peter Witt.
Single takers want the exemption
raised from $1OO to $500, and the la
Dor members will all support the bill.
Another wants shares of stock taxed
at their value to sell instead of their
face value. A bill giving taxing Off
cials power to inspect bank books on
tax day is ready and another to reach
funds in building and loan companies.
And worse yet, another requires the
assessor to determine from the banks
books the average amount depositor
has had during the year.
Jockeying in Legislation.
To insure his control in making the
provisions of the joint taxation bill
the governor announced through the
Cox-Wolfe newspapers names of two
attorneys, a Democrat and Repub-
lican who would draft the law. Each
of these gentlemen is favorably known
in very small circle, and the Repub-
Killed by Train.
| Fostoria, o. l. AS Joseph Bricker,
aged 55, farmer, drove on to the