USA > Ohio > Ohio legislative history, 1913-1917 > Part 13
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STANDARDIZATION OF OFFICES.
I commend to your careful consideration the important work done by the State Civil Service Commission in collecting information which will be of the greatest service to your Finance Committees in framing the appropriation bills. The work has been particularly noteworthy in its newly arranged standardizing and classifying of practically all
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positions in the regularly classified service. This standardization tends to eliminate unnecessary positions, to secure equal wages for equal service all over the state, to make the classification of service more exact and to secure the just promotion of individuals from one class to another according to their merit. Thus the permanency as well as the justice of civil service rule is secured. The Commission has worked in conjunction with the Budget Commissioner and has called to its assistance men of recognized ability throughout the state service in the various lines of work being considered and has had the constant advice and guidance of a special committee of business men of large experience and recognized standing. Heretofore appropriations for personal ser- vice have been made without definite information as to the personal service needs of departments and the actual work to be performed. The use of this information will enable the Finance Committees to compare requests for appropriations, both as between individuals and as between departments. It will introduce into the appropriation for personal ser- vice method, record and publicity. The plan which has been prepared by the Civil Service Commission providing for a classification of public employments is based upon a careful study and analysis at first hand, and is reinforced by study and criticism of many of our best business and professional men. It has been estimated that the ultimate annual saving which would result from the aplication of this business-like em- ployment plan would approximate 10 per cent of the total pay roll cost, or at least $500,000.00.
TAXATION.
I recommend that the protection afforded the taxpayers of the state by the one per cent tax limitation law be retained. While there has been much agitation in favor of breaking down this limitation al- together, in my judgment a repeal of this law would be inimical to the best interests of the people of the state and in the long run would prove to be detrimental to the very municipalities which feel that their progress would be enhanced through the repeal of the law. However some method must be provided whereby interest and sinking fund charges for existing municipal indebtedness can be cared for.
In my first message to the SIst General Assembly I said: "It is to be regretted that the debt contracting powers of the minor political subdivisions of the state have not been more carefully guarded by legis- lative and constitutional limitations. The experience of the state gov- ernment as distinguished from the experience of its political subdivisions is an unanswerable argument in favor of such limitation. According to the most recent report of the Auditor of State the total debt of
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cities, villages, counties, townships and school districts in Ohio in 1880 amounted to $41,297,000; in ten years this had increased to $62,992,000 and in 1900 it had reached the startling sum of $96,193,000. It was hoped that the maximum of indebtedness had been reached at that time but to the consternation of the friends of economy the debts mounted up to $187,574,000 in 1910; and then as if to put on the cap- sheaf of amazing extravagance and profligate waste these debts were increased in only four years from $187,574,000 in 1910 to $293,099,019 in 1914." These observations made with reference to the increase in indebtedness of all the political subdivisions of the state are especially applicable to municipalities. Municipal indebtedness has increased by leaps and bounds amounting according to the reports for 1915 to $243,000,000. While it is undoubtedly the part of wisdom to retain limitations on tax rates and the amount of bond issues for the future, yet a way must be found to enable the municipalities of the state to meet interest and sinking fund charges on indebtedness now existing or else these municipalities will soon face a condition of impaired credit approaching bankruptcy.
The Auditor of State in his report for 1916 makes on page 8 the following statement : "It would require a larger volume than the audi- tor of state's report to properly present the deplorable condition of these hundreds of taxing districts that are facing bankruptcy. We can devote space to a very limited number of specific cases, but these will illustrate a condition that is becoming more general throughout Ohio year by year. One leading Ohio city with a tax rate of 6.01 will receive from direct taxation $1,695,730.00. From this income it will be necessary to set aside $1,941,600.00 to retire bonds and interest falling due. Result, a half million deficit in operating expenses. Another Ohio city has an income from direct taxation of $38,018.00 for the year. Bonds and interest falling due within the year amount to $71,753,53. Here we have the example of a city whose annual debt and interest charge is almost double its income. Its current operating expense will aggregate $38,000.00, and it will have a deficit at the end of the year of $71,000.00, and refunding bonds will be issued to take care of the deficit."
Clearly some remedy must be found at an early date for this appall- ing financial situation. In my judgment it will be found that if inter- est and sinking fund charges on indebtedness now existing are provided for, the revenues obtained from levies within the one per cent limita- tion will be found adequate to meet the legitimate expenses of municipal government wisely and economically administered with the object in view of limiting expenditures to estimated revenues, not first fixing expenditures and then increasing taxation to meet expenditures of
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doubtful wisdom. I therefore recommend legislation that will authorize the electors of each municipality to decide for themselves by popular vote whether they will assume a rate of taxation greater than that al- lowed by the one per cent law, such greater rate to be for the sole purpose of providing interest and sinking fund charges for municipal indebtedness now existing and for no other purpose. This plan will relieve the pressing needs of cities, will clean up existing municipal indebtedness and will preserve unbroken the salutary provisions of the one per cent tax limitation.
SPECIFIC APPROPRIATIONS.
I urge that in all appropriation of public funds the provision of the state Constitution requiring specific appropriations be strictly ob- served. On this subject I said in a former message: "Lump sum ap- propriations are indefensible from every viewpoint ; they are unbusiness- like; they promote extravagance; they furnish convenient means for autocratic centralization of power and political machine-building at public expense; they are contrary to American precedent and tradition from the days of Thomas Jefferson down to the present hour and they are in plain violation of the letter and spirit of the Constitution." This view was in accord with the judgment of the legislative body and con- sequently the appropriation bills passed by the 8Ist General Assembly carried on their face in unmistakable terms every dollar appropriated to any state department or institution. Through the pernicious practice that formerly obtained of appropriating receipts and balances it was impossible for any citizen to know how much money had been appro- priated to any given purpose. The tax-payer was confused by mys- terious items appropriating "receipts and balances" and "lump sums" to be expended at the discretion of some department head. This unbusi- ness-like, extravagant system of financial juggling has been abolished and I very respectfully urge that hereafter only specific appropriations be made, as the Constitution of Ohio clearly and unmistakably provides.
ABSENT VOTERS AND PRIMARY ELECTIONS.
On a similar occasion two years ago I recommended in the follow- ing language to the law making body the speedy enactment of an absent voters law : "At this time I desire only to suggest for your considera -. tion the advisability of providing by legislation for a system of regis- tering and voting by mail. Such a law must be most carefully drawn. in order to prevent fraud and preserve the purity of the ballot. Its enactment would preserve the right of franchise to thousands of our
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voters who now by the exigencies of their vocations are prevented from registering and voting. The subject was considered in both Houses of the General Assembly but in the rush of work incident to the closing days of the legislative session agreement was not reached by the two Houses and consequently the bill failed of passage. It ought to have passed then and become a law. The consideration given to the subject by the former General Assembly ought to facilitate the prompt enact- ment of the law now. Participation by every elector in the respon- sibilities of government through the exercise of the elective franchise either in selecting officials or in voting on questions submitted to the electorate through the referendum, is a patriotic duty of prime im- portance. Our soldier boys in the service of the Federal government, traveling-men, railroad men, railway mail clerks and others whose duties and vocations keep them away from their legal voting place on election day ought not to be penalized for patriotic performance of duty or assiduous attention to business. For these reasons I respectfully urge the prompt enactmen't of an absent voters law to permit voting by mail with such safeguards as will preserve at all times the purity of the ballot.
Candidates for nomination at the primaries are entitled to a fair chance on their merits without any advantage on the one hand or handicap on the other arising from, position of their names on the ticket; the chief purpose of the primary law is to give party voters an untrammeled opportunity to express their preference in the nomination of candidates on their ticket without dictation or confusion through fortuitous circumstance. Therefore I respectfully recommend that the primary election law be so amended as to require rotation of names on the ballot the same as is now provided with reference to the non- partisan judicial ballot.
ROAD BUILDING.
Provision must be made to permit fuller employment of prisoners in the Ohio Penitentiary at productive labor. The idle house must go.
The economic welfare of the state, the health and welfare of the prisoners and the highest humanitarian considerations all alike demand that a way be found to furnish useful employment to all prisoners physically capable of toil. While Ohio is now making the most rapid strides in road building ever known in the history of this or any other state, much yet remains to be done. While almost 600 miles of new construction were under way last year and nearly 1,000 miles more repaired, yet even at this rapid rate it will take decades to complete the road building program necessary for the best economic and educa-
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tional advancement of country and city. Better transportation facilities will help solve the problem of high cost of living; better roads and better schools go hand in hand. The people of Ohio need better roads, the state already has a plant for the construction of road material, the men in the Reformatory and in 'the Penitentiary would welcome oppor- tunity to help solve the problem of road building by making paving- brick; their labor can be used much more effectively in this manner than in actual construction work, on the line of the road. Section 1221, G. C., should be so amended as to vest in the State Highway Commis- sioner the authority to furnish road building material produced by prison labor to the counties of the state in lieu of road funds to the extent of the ability of the state to produce such road building material. Such use of prison labor will not interfere with free labor because the problem of road building in Ohio is so vast as to furnish ample em- ploymentfor all that can be induced to aid in road construction for decades to come. In fact the impetus given to better roads by somfe such plan as I have suggested would so increase road building and arouse public interest in its importance that in the last analysis private firms producing road building materials would have larger markets for their products and their workingmen would find increasing demand for their labor. The plan I propose can not injure any, it surely will close up the idle-house and set prisoners to work and it will get Ohio out of the mud.
INDETERMINATE SENTENCE.
The penal laws of our state need revamping. A move in this di- rection was the enactment of the so-called "Indeterminate Sentence Law." This law has some imperfections. The hard and inflexible rules of law should not govern the fixing of the minimum and maximum terms for which a prisoner may be confined. Under the operation of this law rapists and persons convicted of manslaughter are often classed with the person who steals a loaf of bread to prevent his dependent family from starving. Courts and juries should be granted, subject to proper legal restriction, the right to fix at least the minimum sen- tences for which those committed should be imprisoned. Again under our present laws person who have served previous terms of imprison- ment are not allowed to go upon parole and the Board of Administration are often under the necessity of granting a final release to prisoners who should be under the supervision of the prison officials.
SCHOOL LANDS AND LAWS.
Upon the organization of the State of Ohio in 1802 Congress formally turned over to the new state a 36th part of the lands within
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its boundaries to be held in trust for the benefit of the common schools. Several thousand acres of this land are still held by the state as trustee and are occupied by tenants upon annual rentals, the rents being applied to the uses of the schools. My attention has been called to the woeful lack of systematic administration of this trust and in view of the financial problems which confront the school districts of the state I believe that the time has come when the General Assembly should pro- vide an effective administration of the resources of this trust.
The evils requiring such remedial legislation largely arise from the fact that the laws on the subject have become obsolete and in some cases made uncertain and confusing by several hundred special acts that still encumber the statutes.
Gross injustice to the schools also arises from these conditions. Rents are sometimes not collected for years. In many districts lands that should yield large revenues to schools that are now financially em- barrassed yield insignificant incomes because of mal-administration for which there are no remedies provided by law.
Efficient administrative agencies should be established that would be uniform throughout the state with effective state supervision; the rights of tenants should be clearly defined, the duties of administrative offices should be clearly laid down and sufficient sanction given to the law to insure performance of those duties; on the one hand the interests of the schools should be fully protected, on the other equities of both tenants and purchasers of these lands should be preserved.
TRUANCY LEGISLATION.
At present there is practically no unification of the efforts of the approximately two hundred truant officers in Ohio and no organized responsibility to a central authority. This important state-wide work could be materially strengthened and rendered very much more efficient by vesting in the State Superintendent of Public Instruction full au- thority to establish uniform records, require annual reports and pro- vide minimum requirement for conducting the work.
EDUCATION FOR CITIZENSHIP.
I wish to call attention to the fact that many thousands of Ohio's male population of voting age are foreign born. Many of these are recently from countries where government is still a synonym of oppres- sion. Consequently, some of them are unacquainted with American civic and social ideals and are unaware of the privileges and respon- sibilities of American citizenship. Inability to speak our tongue pre- vents association and fraternization with their fellows of native birth.
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Education in the fundamentals of good citizenship should be provided for these people in order that they may become what they most desire -- good Americans.
Undoubtedly the level of our citizenship would be raised by ade- quate provision for the civic and social education of our recent im- migrants. Appropriations for the maintenance of such education should be made in order to promote the welfare of the state and to add to the usefulness and happiness of this class of our population.
PATRIOTIC LEGISLATION.
The 8Ist General Assembly enacted more than a score of laws having for their purpose larger recognition of the soldiers and sailors of all our wars and the perpetuation of the memory of their heroic deeds. One of these laws made possible the rescue of the battle-scarred, shot-torn banners of the Republic from the gloomy chamber where they reposed and the placing of them in the rotunda of the State Capitol in permanent cases where they will be preserved through generations to come, the pride of those who come after us and a lesson of patriotic inspiration to all within their hallowed presence. Other legislation pro- vided for the erection of memorials to Ohio heroes both in the state and outside of it. It is confidently believed that such expenditure of public money is wise. It teaches the young historic lessons, rekindles the fires of patriotism and gives slight recognition to those whose unselfish devotion to country saved its life and carried its principles of liberty beyond the seas. I accordingly recommend that appropria- tion be made to complete Ohio's part in the erection of monuments on the Vicksburg battle-field in accord with the recommendations of the Vicksburg Battlefield Commission.
LEGISLATIVE REST.
The people of Ohio and business in general need a legislative rest. The people should be given opportunity to become acquainted with the laws they already have.
The enactment of only absolutely necessary legislation, the abolish- ment wherever possible of offices and employments, strict economy in the appropriation of public funds and careful attention to the needs of the state's unfortunate wards - these are some of the major problems which must engage your attention and which I trust you will success- fully solve with high purpose and courageous, unfaltering devotion to the public interest.
FRANK B. WILLIS.
Governor.
CHAPTER VI Proclamations of Frank B. Willis, Governor of Ohio
PROCLAMATION
COLUMBUS, NOVEMBER 8th, 1915.
T HANKSGIVING DAY as observed in Ohio is peculiarly an American institution, having its origin in the intense religious nature of the early settlers of our country. From colonial times it has gradually combined the beter elements of the ancient autumnal festival with the sacred thoughts and memories that center in church and home. It brings friends and neighbors together in altruistic spirit, assembles kindred about the family hearthstone and inspires in all, regardless of creed or race or social condition, a sense of human fellowship and gratitude to the Almighty for the manifold blessings enjoyed in this favored land.
This year we have special occasion for manifestation of the spirit appropriate to Thanksgiving Day. While powerful nations across the sea are engaged in the most frightful combat of all the centuries, we are at peace. It is our prayer that "The mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away". Peace with honor is our passion; among our fel- low citizens, there is no sentiment for wars of conquest or aggression.
In an unusual degree, during the past year, we have been blessed with bountiful harvests. Garden, orchard and grain field have yielded abundant tribute. We have food for our needs and a surplus for our less fortunate brethren in other lands.
We have come in health and safety through the year that has gone. Though unfortunately some districts have been stricken by disaster, yet happily the devastated areas were comparatively small and relief was readily available. The state as a whole has been free from pestilence and the ravages of the elements. We enjoy in a measure vouchsafed to few nations the beneficent influences of civil and religious liberty. In our own state progress has been maintained, civic rights have been safeguarded and the road of opportunity has been broadened. The call of charity has not been in vain; contributions to worthy causes have been prompt and generous.
In view of the many blessings that are ours, in harmony with American custom and in compliance with the recommendation of the President of the United States, therefore,
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I, Frank B. Willis, Governor of the State of Ohio, recommend that the people of the state observe Thursday, November 25th, 1915, as Thanksgiving Day in their homes, public assemblies and places of wor- ship and that they render thanks to the bountiful Giver of all for the benefits we enjoy. In our gratitude may be not forget those in our midst and in distant lands who are less fortunate than we; out of our abundance let us minister to the needy remembering "It is more blessed to give than to receive", speak a kind word to some troubled soul, help smooth out the wrinkled brow of care and make Thanksgiving Day a day of joy to ourselves by promoting the happiness of others.
[SEAL]
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto subscribed my name and caused the Great Seal of the State of Ohio to be affixed at Columbus, this Eighth day of November, A. D., Nineteen Hundred and Fifteen.
FRANK B. WILLIS, Governor.
January 1, 1917.
By the Governor :
C. Q. HILDEBRANT. Secretary of State.
MOTHERS' DAY PROCLAMATION
On memory's canvas the pictures of mother are as varied as the hues of the rose, yet as lasting and changeless as its perfume. The infinite variety of human personality is excelled only by the infinite unity of mother love. What hallowed memories the word "mother" recalls! Is it the picture of a solitary cabin yonder on the frontier with mother and child alone in the flickering firelight of the open hearth wait- ing the welcome footfall or cheering whistle of the proud young father returning from the day's honest toil? Or do we see a humble cottage by the riverside, its walls festooned by honeysuckle and trumpet-flower and in front of it a woman with tear dimmed eyes and quivering (lips, at her side her children clinging to her for protection and waving fond baby farewells to a blue-coated figure stalwart and determined but with a heart that is bursting as he goes down the lane and across the old covered bridge to join his regiment? And then after that come the speechless anguish of the waiting for news from the front and the heart- breaking discouragements of tasks before untried? Is this the picture or does memory conjure up the likeness of a gray-haired matron proud
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in the midst of her happy family, ministering to their every want, now giving the word of encouragement and now sounding the note of warn- ing advice? Or rather do the fairy artists of affection paint on memory's canvas the picture of mother as she stood there in the door that morning we left home and started to battle for ourselves with the buffeting bil- lows of life's unresting sea?
The tongueless speech of mother-love gave comfort and strength for the stormy voyage just beginning. As we have steered our ships by the chart and compass of mother's advice we have succeeded; as we, forgetting that safe guide, have tried to sail our puny craft on uncharted seas we have failed. Weary and tempest tossed though we may be, the guiding star of mother's admonitions will bring our ship on smiling seas and safe into the harbor at last. Somehow the memory of mother brings a mist before the eye, to the heart a resolution for better things. Her temples may be whitened by the snows of many winters, and her chil- dren grown to stalwart manhood and mature womanhood, yet to her they are still her "boys" and "girls" as they used to be when at even- tide she soothed their childish woes with story or song and tucked them in bed as she uttered a prayer for their safety. Her hands may be cal- loused and her figure bent - toil for her children made them so. Her eyes may be dim - anxious hours of sad watching at the bedside of a child touched by the hand of death may have quenched some of the fires of youth in bitter tears and left a lifelong hunger in the heart, not to be satisfied till the glad reunion over yonder. Her voice may be quavering and feeble, yet can we not remember its tone when strong and clear it sang the good old songs we loved and gave us a vision of "The Home Over There" in the land of "The Sweet Bye and Bye". Whether in joy or sorrow, in success or in failure, in health or in sickness, the mother spirit is always with us. Other friends may fail, her affection is boundless, her devotion unswerved. If mother has gone let us honor her memory and bathe our souls afresh in the fragrant perfume of her unfailing love. If she blesses us by her presence let us cheer the golden autumn of her life by casting about it the effulgent halo of filial devotion.
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