The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1917-03-01
.OHIO MAY HAVE A
LEGISLATIVE REST
Number of Laws Given State
by General Assembly TO
Date Is Next TO Nil.

(SpeciaD Maybe Ohio
is to have the legislative rest recon-
mended by two governors. The num-
Der of laws given it by the general
assembly to date is next to nil. A res
olution to adjourn March s has been
passed in the house.
The resolution of MIR. Stokes, ma
jority leader in the house, providing
for adjournment March 20 20 hav-
ing reached the calendar, the minor
ity gave notice that they would resist
its passage.
1t was possible that a number of
Democrats having personal bills they
desire to save from the committee of
bill sections might vote with the Re
publiCans.
SaIVe to Soothe.
To save the situation, Mr.. Stokes
moved an adjournment over night in
order to placate the Republicans. The
Republicans agreed to support the
resolution If they were given repre-
sentation in the committee which
provided for the appointment OF five
Democrats, and if a resolution to ad-
journ sine die during the week after
next were passed first; and SO both
resolutions were passed.
The naming of a calendar commit
tee to act as undertaken to several
hundred bills this early in the ses-
sion and when but few bills have
L.,
To Rob Republicans of Credit.
Formal protest against the holding
up in the senate of the clark resolu-
ton for an investigation of the high
cost of living and the shortage of fuel
was offered in he house by Repub-
lican Floor Leader Reighard. The
protest is proper in view of the stand
taken by the public utilities commits
sion in asking for laws that will give
it power to deal with the coal situa-
tion now and in the future.
"If the conditions that have existed
in the supply of fuel the last two
months are due to the lack of some
law" the protest says, then that in
formation should have been furnished
this house six weeks ago so that laws
could have been enacted reducing
prices of coal and forcing the distri-
button Of coal standing in cars. 1t is
against this slow, negligent action l
protest. This protest is filed with deep
regret that narrow, selfish, partisan
politics should appear to determine
action wherein the welfare of the
whole state is concerned
Protest Is Barred.
On a point of order raised by James
4. Reynolds of Cleveland, Speaker
Hopple ruled the protest could not GO
In the house journal, declaring the
negligence charged as not against any
house action, but related to the sen
ate
The senate committee, which was
holding the Clark bill till Democrat
could get credit for this urgent bit OF
| legislation, sent it to the calendar
The senate being to l Democratic
this bill will be passed or killed, as
the governor directs.
Is It the Bull Con?
In several newspaper offices now
there is kept handy on the imposing
stone a half-column cut of little
black bull
When the editor uses statement
that strains credulity he has the bul
set in, either as evidence that he
himself, is too astute to be fooled, ol
to protect the gullable from beins
misled by a statement printed in Lis
sheet For example. the bull was Sc
in in the following sentence:
Gov. Cox told members of the
Ohio Associated Dailies that he
was ten times as proud of being
newsboy az he was OF being
governor of the state.
Again, the little black bul! was uset
to ornament the paragraph which fol
lows:
"Give the bill the widest pub
licity want it to satisfy the legis-
lature. Gov. CoX's instructions
to Representative Bragg concern
ing the administration agricul-
tural ripper which will give Cox
S316,O0O worth of jobs TO pass
out.
Ohio's Pork Barrel.
"One million dollars of pork" Thu
do Republicans characterize a SEE
ton of the Bliss highway ripper bill
by which Gov. Cox hopes to obtai
dictatorship over the highways de
partment in much the same way h
hopes to become the autoCrat of tn
agricultural department by the Brag
ripper bill, which was railroade
through the house.
The present highway law provide
for a fiat assessment of 10 per Ger
ST all properly abutting on an in
provement constructed by the higl
way commissioner.
Bliss ripper provides for a min
mum assessment of 10 per cent an
provides that county commissioner
can also assess abutting property owl
ers for the county and township
share of improvements.
Here Is the Section.
Republicans called attention to th
significant section of the Bliss ripper
"In repairing intercounty highway
and main market roads, the state higl
way commissioner shall not be lin
tied to the use of the material wit
which such intercounty highways {
main market roads were original
constructed, but may repair sue
intercounty highways or main mark'
roads by the use of any materi
which he NAV deem DrODer"