Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1933-02-16
General Assembly Began Its Seventh


Week. Monday
(By Charles Sawyer, Lieutenant
Governor of Ohio).
The general assembly opened its
seventh week, Monday, digging out
from an avalanche of bills. Tues
day night of>last week was the dead
line for introduction Of proposed
laws ard was marked by frenzy OF
haste of legislators and assembly
employees to include all Of the ideas
which have terminated In the minds
of lawmakers and those back home
who are prodding them on.
This week the legislature was
down to real work. Continuous and
lengthy committee meetings will be
held; vigorous and bitter contests
over controversial legislation will
take place. During the first six
weeks practically no legislation ex-
cept the emergency appropriation
bill was passed Hundreds Of bills
have received but cursory attention
BY this / do not mean to imply
that the legislators have not been
diligent in performance Of their
duties. On the contrary members
OF both parties in both houses give
evidence of an unusually serious at
titude toward the many and diff
cult problems confronting them. 1t
is, however, impossible to take up
everything at once. and attention
naturally has been directed to
pressing matters.
Governor George White in his
message to the assembly stressed
three major ideas First, that the
state shall live within present in
come so far as it's ordinary func-
tions are concerned. Second, that
needs of the hungry and unclothed
citizens must be given immediate at
tention, and If emergency taxation Is
required, the money must be provid-
ed to relieve the unemployed. Third,
certain obligations owing by the
state to the schools by reason of
previous legislation providing for
state aid districts, must be taken
care Of, these obligations at present
being concerned chiefly with pay
ment of salaries to thousands of
teachers who have in many cases
taught several months without COM
pensatiOn.
Bills to provide for poor relief
and unpaid teachers salaries have
received extended consideration. The
senate passed the Gunsett bill pro-
viding that local authorities may di
vert gasoline tax funds for the pur-
pose of poor relief The pressing
emergency in some of the large
cities was pictured graphically to
the senate. Several senators. while
voicing their opposition to the the
ory of the bill, voted for it. A bill
to transfer three and one-half mil
lion dollars from the state highway
fund to the payment of teachers
salaries was killed in the committee
on, finance, and a substitute is to be
evolved.
The proposal to divert money
from either local or state funds de-
rived from gasoline tax has aroused
vigorous opposition. The claim is
made that all relief should not be
had at the expense of the automo-
bile owner 1t is obvious, however,
that the situation must be met, and
those honestly opposing particular
forms of taxation should bear in
mind that money must be provided.
There is no magic by which we can
bring it into existence. Only some
form of taxation will do it.
The proposal to pay teachers sal
aries aroused extended arguments.
Proponents claimed the state has
both a moral and aSlegal obligation
to pay these salaries, and that the
necessities of the teachers require
that they be paid. Those who OBJ
tanned a reference of the bill to the
finance committee conceded the need
and the obligation. They question
ed the amount necessary as claims
had been made that other items
than teachers salaries were includ-
ed. They also stated that unless
funds were available to meet the
provisions of the bill, the teachers
were being deluded and the legisla-
ture in appropriating money for this
purpose must have the courage to
adopt necessary measures to raise
it. There is no doubt that this
matter will be dealt with in some