Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1939-07-06
BIGELOW PLAN CONDEMNED
BY OHIO c. OF c.

/ Ohio Chamber of Commerce and
their local business organizations is
necessary If Ohio is to maintain it's
present enviable position" William
A. Mills, director of organization
relations of the Ohio Chamber of
! Commerce, declared before a group
or about 80 of the country's lead
ing citizens at meeting held here
last Thursday night at the Kennebec
| hotel, where dinner was served at
/ $50 O'Clock.
| Those present were asked to be-
come district councillors of the Ohio
Chamber of Commerce to cooperate
actively with that organization in
resisting some of the crack-pot
schemes which now seriously threat
en- the state.
| These councillors Immediately
must concern themselves with two
| important problems first, resisting
the attempts being made by former
congressman Herbert S. Bigelow, Of
Cincinnati, who is proposing two
radical constitutional amendments
and, second, immediate attention to
economy of local governmental
units.
Mills pointed out that 500 Of all
the public expenditures are made by
local political subdivisions and IL
the threat of new taxes is to be
avoided, economy must come from
within the field of local activity.
He explained that for the fifth con-
secutlye year the Ohio Chamber OF
commerce has given effective lead
ership to economy in state govern
ment and in the recent legislature
1t proved itself again when no new
taxes were imposed upon business.
Ohlo is the only important indus
trial state which, during the past
nve years, has not imposed addi-
tlonal taxes upon business for the
support of state government
The State Chamber is decidedly
concerned with the present threat
TO llberallze pension payments. Two
groups are at work circulating petit
tlons in favor Of $50 every Thurs
day. The Townsendites are strong
er than ever before. in their history
ana more militant as result of the
recent action of congress in defeat
ing the Townsend plan.
More serious than any of the 9TH
ers, Mr.. Mills said, is the plan Of
former Congressman Bigelow to
radically amend the Ohio constitu-
ton in two important particulars.
Petitions are already being cir
culated in a number Of Ohio coun-
ties, the speaker said, to amend the
constitution of the state II they
are successful in getting the requir-
ed number of signatures, the matter
will be placed before the voters at
the coming election. If they are
successful in their present cam
paign, it will not only bankrupt the
state but impose such burdensome
tax levies on business that the re-
suit will be widespread unemploy-
ment due to the shift of industrial
operations to other states. If these
and other crack-pot schemes can be
successfully resisted and if Ohio
maintains it's present no new tax
program, Mr.. Mills declared that IN
his opinion Ohio is on the thresh-
hold of it's greatest industrial de-
yelopment in the history of the
state
The first Bigelow amendment, ex-
panding old age pensions, would
wreck the states economic struc-
ture. The second, making it cas-
ier to amend the constitution and
enact laws, would destroy our pres
ent form of representative govern
ment. Mr.. Bigelow, in his old age
pension amendment, proposes to
give every person of sixty years of
age and over, not gainfully en-
ployed as a wage Garner, pension
OF $50 month. In the case of
married persons, husband and wife
would receive $50 month.
Proponents of this pension plan
estimate that it would cost about
500, 100000 each year and propose
to finance it by an additional 20
mill tax III addition to all levies for
general revenue purposes, on all
land the value of which exceeds
$20,000 an acre. and state income
tax of one-fourth of the amount of
income tax paid to the federal gov
ernment by each taxpayer the pre-
ceding year
These claims are fantastic" the
speaker declared. Instead of pro-
viding 500, 100000 year from the
proposed two new taxes, the yield
will not be greater than $5S,72O,
900, according to the best informa-
ton available by the Ohio Cham
ber's Research Department Instead
of costing a meager 500, 100000
a year. to pay these pensions the
cost will be in excess of 1881, ,000,-
600 the first year and would reach
q peak in excess of $560,00O, 200 in
1860. If this amendment carries,
the state would Immediately be OBJ
igated to impose additional taxes
in order to pay these pensions, the
taxes being in addition to the two
proposed by the amendment itself
The second amendment, proposed
by Mr.. Bigelow, Mr. Mills said,
would eliminate the present consti-
.utiOnal safeguards against emotion
II and destructive changes in Ohio's
and statutes. In order
% amend the constitution it is now
required to secure signatures equal
% 1919 of the votes cast for gov
ernor in the last general election,
ind these signatures must come
rom 500 of the counties with at
east $50 of the vote cast for gov
Zach county Mr. Bigelow would
weep aside these constitutional pro-
ections and give to any interested
'roup the right to have placed upon
he ballot at the next election any
amendment to the constitution for
which they can secure 100000 sig
latures at large. 1t might be pos
ible to get this number of sigma
ures in one or two of Ohio's larg-
st cities. For initiating laws, he
would require only $4,000 sigma
ures at large. Under these schemes