The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1955-07-07
Telephone Hog

Telephone Hog
The party-line telephone hog is
the target of this next measure.
If tn law is passed, no one shall
refuse to relinquish a telephone
party-line in the event another
on the line asks for it because
of an emergency endangering
human life. On the other hand,
it also Furnishes those who report
falsely an emergency in order
to obtain a line For those who
violate these rules, penalties will
will be enforced of 80 to 500
dollars.
Water Pollution
The service of the Ohio Water
Pollution Control Board was eX-
pandd to help rural comnuni-
ties in handling stream pollu-
ton. The move will aid political
subdivisions so that they can
comply with the present pollu-
ton laws. The legislatures also
extended the law to include all
meeting of local governmental
bodies be open to the public.
The government group decid-
ed to allow loads which are up
to 1000 pounds overweight per
axle, to be exempt from penalty.
That would be however, only if
the preceding or following axle
is underweight an equal amount.
The law in general clarifies and
smoothes operation and admin
istration of axle-mile tax.
Along with the tax change,
they have increased the maxi
mum allowable width, height,
and length of vehicles operating
on highways. Semitrailer's
length increases from 35 to 40
feet. And to keep all of this
under control, the highway pat
rol has been authorized to in
crease from $50 to 700 men.
Still on the subject of high
ways and road travel, the group
made plans to permit Ohio to
use Yield" signals at intersec-
tions where Stop" signs are
unnecessary.
New Courts
The legislatures re-arranged
some of the Ohio court system.
They plan to create six additional
municipal! courts and to enlarge
the jurisdiction of the existing
Cincinnati, Columbus, Willough-
by and Portsmouth municipal
courts. New courts would be
established in the municipalities
of Eaton, Elyria, Findlay, Lee
banon, Troy and Marietta.
In addition, the bill would
provide for the nomination and
election of judges of the munich
pal courts. If passed, the bill
would eliminate the justice of
peace courts in Franklin and
Scioto counties.
Strip Mining
Strip mining regulations will
be revised by the new laws. The
miner who constantly violates
the law will be definitely refused
a license. The new legislation
also includes auger mining for
the first time. In order to pro-
tect some of the possible new
roads, strip mine operations will
be required to obtain a license
before mining can be extended
within so feet of a public road.
Educational Changes
Education and most of the per-
sonnel connected with it, has
been given a shot in the arm.
A new teacher formula for dis
tributing state subsidy to local
school districts has been devised.
The new system will replace the
old per pupil formula now in
effect. The new law will go into
effect January l, 1857.
The State Board of Education
will now be consist of % men,
bers, one member 20 be selected
from each Congressional district.
To encourage entrance into the
to incourage entrance into the
teaching profession, a $l,020,500
appropriation was made for
teacher scholarships. The group
also appropriated $5,860,000 to
meet the deficit in the School
Foundation program.
Under one of the new pro-
visions, graduated municipal in
come tax would be prohibited.
The move would limit income
tax to one per cent without
voter approval. If the law passes,
it will require SIS per cent of
electors in general election or
so per cent at a special election
to increase tax above one per
cent.
Although the legislatures in
nr.ancnd The nrnrcn "a lnrrrnnnr,A L,nrn