The Semi-weekly Madison County Democrat. (London, Ohio) 1923-19??, 1933-04-07
FAVOR
PENSION LA "
Continued From Page One)

was read at the Aerie meeting. The
statement follows:
"An amendment voted in the Ohio
Senate at Columbus defeats the pur-
pose of initiated Old Age Pension bill
sought by more than 100000 residents
of the state who signed petitions for
it last summer.
unable to keep the initiated bill off
the floor for vote after weeks of
fruitless maneuvering, the lobbies of
the states special interests, the Ohio
Chamber of Commerce, the Ohio Man
ufacturers association and the utilities
succeeded in the rush in the Senate
just before adjournment in inserting
a weasel-worded amendment from the
floor for the purpose of killing the bill
in event of referendum. Under such
plan the law would be imperative,
and may be unconstitutional. The
sponsors of old age pensions will never
accept this amendment, designed sole
ly to deny to the workingmen of Ohio
and the small town property owners of
the state the protection afforded in the
bill as reported by the Senate Labor
Committee.
"The bill as passed by the House and
sent to the Senate provided for setting
up a system of statewide compulsory
old age pensions in Ohio, which are
to be financed at a future date, pos
sibly 1885, when the act would become
operative 1t expressly prohibited any
tax on real estate to finance it, its
sponsors being Of the opinion that the
state legislature can and should fine
a more equitable method of raising the
money, as has been done for many
other state projects.
''The Senate amendment would pro
vide for financing the. measure from
state and county funds jointly, infer
ring that the states half of the cost
might be taken from school funds rails.
ed by taxation, while the county's hall
would come from real estate taxes
within the present 15-mill limitation
Many counties now have trouble meet
ing their present obligations witt
funds from taxes within the Is mill:
because of greatly reduced duplicates
"Under the Senate amendment al
counties would be compelled to pay
their proportionate share of the state.
cost of operation. The small and les!
wealthy counties would be unable tt
provide funds to make the law oper
ative in the counties, and would be de
MED state assistance. AS result
they would be merely contributing tt
aid the more wealthy counties of tn,
state.
The Amendment was designed b.
the lobbies of the special interests
knowing it would not be acceptable t
sponsors of the bill. 1t is favorable t,
the plan to kill the bill and agains
the workingmen and the small prop
erty owners, for whom we are tryinl
to afford protection. We cannot &C
cept the Senate amendment. We in
sist that the Old Age Pension Law b.
enacted as recommended by the Sen
ate Labor Committee, which is fair t.
everyone"
The initiated bill passed the Hous'
in the form in which it was initiated
After the Senate amended it, it wa
sent back to the House for concur
renee in the amendments. When i
was placed before the House for con
sideration of the amendments. tina
body decided to have a conference
committee consider the measure during
recess of the Assembly, which will ent
the middle of May.
The conference committee is com
prised of the following: Senators Johl
F. Smolka, Marvin c. Harrison and i
l.. Marshall, all of Cleveland; and Rep
resentatives Harry w. Frick, Senec;
county; Clarence H. Burk, Huron
county; and Horace S. Keifer, Clarl
county