USA > Ohio > Ohio legislative history, 1913-1917 > Part 27
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Senate Bill No. I, by Mr. Mooney, passed January 30, 1914- requiring every State Officer, institution, department, board and com- mission to deposit weekly in the State Treasury all public funds col- lected. Before the passage of this Act, over one million dollars annually was collected by departments and institutions in various ways and dis- bursed without ever being turned into the State Treasury. This Act abolished private check books in public business and provides that not a dollar of such outside receipts can be expended except on a warrant of the Auditor of State. This is one of the greatest fiscal reforms in the history of Ohio.
House Bill No. 701, General Appropriation Act, passed May 27, 1915 - In this bill specific appropriations were made for individual salaries in each department and the appropriations in general were bet- ter classified than previously. This change resulted from a vigorous denunciation by the Auditor of State in his reports and through the press of the dangerous plan formerly followed of making lump sum appropriations which permitted heads of departments to squander their appropriations at will.
House Bill No. 405, by Mr. Reighard, passed April 27, 1915-pro- viding that no executive, legislative, or judicial officer, board, commis- sion, or employe of the State shall attend at State expense any associa- tion, conference, or convention, outside the State, unless authorized by the Emergency Board. Previous to the passage of this law, expensive junkets were common. Most officials are now paying their own expenses to these gatherings or staying at home.
Senate Bill No. 218, by Mr. Garver, passed May 5, 1915 - pro- viding that all payments into the State Treasury shall be by pay-in order
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OHIO LEGISLATIVE HISTORY.
or draft of the Auditor of State. Requiring daily statements of balances by the Auditor and Treasurer of State and that cancelled warrants shall be surrendered to the Auditor of State by the Treasurer at least monthly. This law also provides that the Auditor of State shall, without previous notice, examine the State Treasury at least once each year, and as fre- quently as he deems necessary, and shall make an inventory of all securities held in the treasury. Under the old law the date of such examinations was fixed and the Treasurer of State was thus- able to adjust his affairs and have everything prepared to make a proper show- ing when the auditor arrived. Examinations without notice, as now provided for, would have prevented the treasury scandals that occurred some years ago. This system absolutely safeguards the State and pro- vides proper checks on all financial transactions by the State Treasurer.
Senate Bill No. 297, by Mr. Garver, passed May 27, 1915 - pro- viding for the collection by the State Treasurer of certain taxes and other revenues of the State upon duplicates set up by the Auditor of State. Previous to the passage of this law, millions of dollars were being collected annually by the Superintendent of Insurance, Board of Public Works, Board of Charities, and other State Departments, with- out any proper check on these transactions. The State Constitution requires that the Treasurer of State shall be the State's collector of revenues and this law places this duty where it constitutionally be- longs and gives the Auditor of State a proper record of every claim filed for collection. This fiscal reform is so important and necessary that it is surprising that it was not made years ago.
Senate Bill No. 158, by Mr. Myers, passed May 27, 1915 - pro- viding that before any State official, board or commission shall print any report, pamphlet or bulletin at State expense, the publication must be authorized by the Printing Commission. It also provides that the Secretary of State shall publish annually a volume of Ohio General Statistics, giving a condensed report of each Department. This dis- penses with a large number of separate publications. This law is cur- tailing needless State printing and relieving the congestion in the State House basement where useless State reports are stored. The State Printer estimates that this law has saved $75,000.00 annually on the State's disbursements for paper, printing and binding.
House Bill No. 377, by Mr. Lustig, passed May 20, 1915 - pro- viding for the refunding of money erroneously paid into the State Treasury. Under the old law if an officer, board or commission, in determining the amount of an assessment, tax or fee, made an error and collected an amount in excess of the legal rate or made an erroneous collection, the error could not be corrected until the General Assembly
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OHIO LEGISLATIVE HISTORY.
convened and appropriated the amount due. Under the new law the amount to be refunded is certified by the Department that made the over-charge to the Auditor of State who issues a warrant for the amount to be refunded.
House Bill No. 378, by Mr. Billingslea, passed March 20, 1917 - This is the Building Code relating to the construction, alteration and improvement of State Buildings. This Act requires that all architects' plans must be complete and specific and filed with the Auditor of State and prohibits any changes in such plans unless approved by the State Building Commission, consisting of the Governor, Auditor and Secre- tary of State. The State has long needed a new building code to pre- vent unreasonable charges for extras not included in the original plans. In the past, the State has been frequently at the mercy of some design- ing contractors who have taken advantage of imperfect plans and specifications and changes made in same after the contract was en- tered into.
House Bill No. 192, by Mr. Garver, passed March 20, 1917 - This Act provides for the better administration of the school and min- isterial lands. The Auditor of State is made State Supervisor of such lands. Heretofore, the control of these lands has been in the hands of special trustees elected in the original townships. In most cases no elections were held and the schools of Ohio have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars by neglect and local favoritism. The new law will insure to the schools the maximum of revenue and safeguard the inter- ests both of the schools and the lessees.
Senate Bill No. 212, by Mr. Terrell, passed March 21, 1917 - Re- quiring all officials and departments to furnish monthly to the Auditor of State a statement approved by the Governor showing every contract entered into or expenditure contemplated. Failure to comply renders the expenditure illegal and makes the head of the Department liable for the amount of the contract. Under the old law there was no means by which the Auditor of State could determine the amount of outstand- ing contracts entered into by any department. The new law will make deficiencies inexcusable and will prevent the various departments of government from making contracts in excess of their appropriations.
House Bill No. 193, by Mr. Canny, passed March 21, 1917 - To provide for a State Purchasing Department. This law puts an end to the indiscriminate purchase at retail by officials and departments of typewriters, adding machines, steel cases, furniture, rugs, etc. Under the new law, a State Purchasing Agent appointed by the Secretary of State will purchase all such supplies at wholesale under competitive bidding. Any furniture or equipment displaced or no longer needed
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OHIO LEGISLATIVE HISTORY.
by a Department will be turned over to the Purchasing Agent to be furnished to another Department or sold. Not only will there be a great saving in purchases, but the reprehensible practice of selling unused machines and equipment for a fraction of their real value will now cease. It demoralizes the public service to permit extravagant pur- chases of office equipment. The new law will have a wholesome in- fluence in every department in addition to saving the State thousands of dollars a year.
Senate Bill No. 115, by Mr. Cunningham, passed March 21,. 1917 - Requiring that where a department fails to make collection of a claim due the state, it shall immediately be certified to the Auditor of State who shall make a record of same and transmit it to the Attorney- General for collection. When Mr. Donahey became Auditor he found a statute that had been overlooked by his predecessors that required the Auditor of State to collect all delinquent claims. He promptly notified all departments to certify all delinquent claims to him and was astonished to find over one million dollars of such claims outstanding and uncollected. Many, because of this negligence, could not be col- lected but he succeeded in securing payment of thousands of dollars that otherwise would have been lost to the State. He also found hun- dreds of thousands of dollars of unpaid claims in the hands of the At- torney-General for collection, of which the Auditor's office had no record. No matter how honest a state official may be, it is bad public policy to give him a chance to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars with no certain method of detection. The same condition applied to the auditor's collections as well as the attorney-general's. Auditor Donahey, believing that it should be no part of an auditor's duty to collect money due the state, secured the passage of the Cunningham law. At present all unpaid claims are certified under the provisions of this law to the Auditor of State and, after being recorded, are transmitted to the At- torney-General for collection, and the latter official is required to ac- count for every dollar so certified. This method makes impossible mis- appropriation of all state revenues so collected.
HON. CHESTER E. BRYAN, Treasurer of State.
CHESTER E. BRYAN, Treasurer of State
Chester E. Bryan was born October 20, 1859, at London, O. His father, Marcellus L. Bryan, was born at Batavia, Clermont County, March 23, 1829, and came to Madison County about 1858 and began the publication of the Madison County Democrat, which, upon his death, has been continued under the direction of its present owner, the sub- ject of this sketch.
Mr. Bryan was educated in the London public schools from which he was graduated in 1878. He has spent his time since, except a few years in the South when a young man, in his home town, in newspaper work to which he is greatly devoted and in which he has been quite successful.
On February 25, 1886, he was married to Miss Maria Daley, of Monroe Township, Madison County, O. To this union were born the following children: Hazel, wife of Warren A. Stevens, of Columbus ; Beulah Marie, deceased, wife of Godfrey Strauss, of Cincinnati; Uarda and Naomi at home.
In politics, Mr. Bryan has always been a staunch and consistent Democrat. He has served as chairman of the Madison County Demo- cratic committee for many years and the success of the party in the county has been due largely to his political sagacity; he has served as a member of the Democratic state committee; has been a candidate at different times for presidential elector on the Democratic ticket; was a delegate to the Democratic national convention at Baltimore in 1912. He was appointed president of the board of trustees of the State In- stitution for the Deaf, by Gov. Harmon, which he held until the posi- tion was abolished by legislative act, in 1910.
In the election of 1916, Mr. Bryan was elected Treasurer of State, by a plurality of 23,704 and was inducted into office January 8, 1917. His administraton has been characterized by a heavy increase in the funds of the State Insurance department, by an increased volume of collections from other departments and from tax collections in general.
Receipts and disbursements from the General Fund, tending to show increased business :
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OHIO LEGISLATIVE HISTORY.
Year.
Receipts.
Disbursements.
1913
$12,568,508 63
$11,652,087 38
1914
13,642,383 48
13,780,762 17
*1915
9,719,263 92
9,218,075 65
1916
15,120,827 57
14,180,545 30
1917
16,746,710 61
15,107,286 95
Receipts and disbursements from Insurance Fund (Workmen's Compensation Law) since 1913.
Year.
Receipts.
Disbursements.
1913
$1,094,213 90
$228,230 51
2,862,847 92
1,510,777 86
2,893,529 58
2,339,814 33
5,425,513 12
3,494,816 62
8,718,223 11
4,919,035 91
Interest on deposits of State funds :
Year.
1913
$241,227 17
1914
450,971 05
1915
273,547 56
1916
457,007 63
1917
562,078 39
* The fiscal year was changed and this does not represent a full year.
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OHIO LEGISLATIVE HISTORY.
ORRIS E DUFF, Chief Clerk
Orris E. Duff, was born in Fayette County, O., March 24, 1871, was the son of William M. Duff, born near Jeffersonville, Fayette County, O., on December 25, 1840.
He received his education in the rural schools, South Solon high school, Ohio Northern University and Lima College; he taught school for twenty years with an ex- perience in all lines of school work.
On November 30, 1894, he was married to Miss Lora L. Gossard, of Grassy Point, Madison County, to whom two sons were born. William Robert (deceased) and Ed- win Brooks, now a senior in the London high school.
A believer in the principles of the Democratic party and prominent in party politics in his home county of Madison, he was the candidate of his party in 1908, for Congress, in the "Old Seventh" district against the veteran congressman, Gen. Keifer, cutting the normal Republican majority in two and paving the way for the General's retirement two years later.
He has been chosen delegate to the state conventions at different times, has been chairman of the county executive committee and was alternate to the Democratic national convention at St. Louis in 1916. He was appointed Tax Commissioner of Madison County in 1913 and held the position until April, 1915. He was appointed by Treasurer of State Bryan, Chief Clerk in his department which position he now holds.
OHIO STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE
CHARLES H. ALLEN, Washington C. H. J. L. CARLISLE, Greenfield, O. FOSTER B. HOUSTON, South Cha-1-ston. O. H. C. PRICE, Newark, O.
J. S. MYERS, Akron, O.
WM. STROUP, President, Dayton, O.
W. E. SHAW, Secretary, Columbus, O.
J. W. KIRGAN, Cincinnati, O. D. R. ACKLIN, Perrysburg, O.
R. D. WILLIAMS, Xenia, O.
G. B. WARNER, Wellington, O.
THE OHIO DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
The Ohio Department of Agriculture organized in 1846 has grown to be one of the largest departments of state government. For over half a century but little change in its organization was made or was necessary. With the rapid development and advancement in all lines of agricultural pursuits and with the additions of many new laws made necessary by constantly increasing agricultural activities, the necessity for a change in organization became apparent. Likewise the work of the State Experiment Station and the College of Agriculture has grown rapidly and some confusion as to the specific duties of the different institutions was becoming evident and considerable duplication of work was being done.
In order to remedy this condition the Eightieth General Assembly passed a law providing for an Agricultural Commission consisting of four men, one of whom should be the Dean of the Agricultural Col- lege. Under this commission were placed the activities of the Agri- cultural Experiment Station, the Agricultural Extension work of the College of Agriculture and the work formerly conducted by the Board of Agriculture. The same act abolished the office of Dairy and Food Commissioner, the Commission of Fish and Game and certain duties of the Board of Pharmacy all of which were made a part of the De- partment of Agriculture, under the Agricultural Commission.
This organization was an admirable one in many respects. It met with considerable opposition, however, before the plan became thor- oughly understood and after remaining in effect two years was re- pealed. The Eighty-first General Assembly again separated the work of the three institutions placing them under much the same arrange- ment as that in existence prior to the organization of the Agricultural Commission.
A Board of Agriculture of Ohio was again created in 1915 con- sisting of ten members. The work of dairy and food, fish and game being retained as a part of the duties of this board.
In 1917 the organization of the department was again changed. A board of ten members was retained but the position of Secretary of Agriculture was created. He is appointed by the Board for a period of two years. The secretary is the executive officer of the department, makes all appointments, which, however, must have the approval of
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OHIO LEGISLATIVE HISTORY.
the Board. He has full authority to act on many matters connected with the department which was formerly placed with the Board. The law also provides for an Agricultural Advisory Board, composed of the Secretary of Agriculture, the Dean of the College of Agriculture of the Ohio State University, and the Director of the Ohio Agricul- tural Experiment Station. It is the duty of this advisory board to coordinate the work of the three state departments of agriculture, the College of Agriculture and the Agricultural Experiment Station in such manner as to avoid unnecessary duplication and to secure har- mony and unity in these institutions along all lines of agricultural work.
Under the present arrangement the agricultural work of the state is being conducted without friction. The work and duties of the sev- eral institutions are clearly defined, duplication of effort is eliminated and the interests of the farmers and all related industries are being served to better advantage than ever before.
The State Department of Agriculture is charged with all regulatory work affecting the agricultural interests of the State, foods and drugs, narcotics, weights and measures, fish and game; conducting the state fair and with certain regulatory powers for county and independent fairs ; agricultural statistics, markets and marketing.
To properly conduct this work, the department is organized into bureaus with a chief in charge of each. Under these different bureaus are employed inspectors, veterinarians, entomologists, wardens, super- intendents, bookkeepers, clerks, stenographers, laborers, etc. constitut- ing a regular force of nearly 200 salaried employees.
Bureau of Fair Administration.
E. V. WALBORN, Chief.
The State Fair has grown into a vast agricultural and industrial exposition and ranks with the best state fairs in the United States. Last year there was erected a mammoth Coliseum seating over six thou- sand people and with an immense arena where live stock classes can be exhibited to better advantage than heretofore. Nearly four acres of concrete floors have been put down in the exhibition buildings mak- ing them more sanitary and better equipped in every respect for ex- hibition purposes. Additional improvements are contemplated and the plant is now one of the most complete fair grounds in the country. The thousands of people who come by automobile necessitate addi tional land for parking purposes and it is hoped that this can be pur- chased in the near future.
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OHIO LEGISLATIVE HISTORY.
Bureau of Live Stock Industry. DR. T. E. BURNETT, Chief.
The health and welfare of the live stock interests of the state are guarded and protected by the Bureau of Live Stock Industry through a large corps of trained veterinarians. A large serum insti- tute is maintained at Reynoldsburg where hog cholera serum and virus are produced, tuberculin prepared and furnished the stockmen of the state.
Bureau of Horticulture.
E. C. COTTON, Chief.
The Bureau of Horticulture has a trained force of entomologists and fruit specialists who inspect nurseries and orchards and import nursery stock coming from abroad. Expert bee men inspect apiaries for bee diseases. This bureau is also engaged in promotional horticul- tural work including the supervision of the state apple show.
Bureau of Markets and Marketing.
V. H. DAVIS, Chief.
The Bureau of Markets and Marketing recently created investi- gate the cost of production and marketing, disseminates information concerning supply and demand, prices, commercial movement of farm products and maintain a market news service. It also has the power to make rules regulating the grading, packing and handling of all food products within the state. Promotes and encourages the organization of co-operative and other associations and organizations for the im- provement of better relations and service among producers, distributors and consumers of food products. This bureau is destined to play an important part in a better distribution and marketing of farm produce.
Bureau of Fish and Game. A. C. BAXTER, Acting Chief Warden.
The Bureau of Fish and Game has very important and heavy duties to perform in administering the fish and game laws of the state, collecting and distributing fish throughout the state and in patroling Lake Erie and the many inland lakes under state control.
A large fish hatchery is maintained at Put-in-Bay, where over five hundred million fish eggs of different varieties are hatched an-
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OHIO LEGISLATIVE HISTORY.
nually and distributed. In the last few years a number of fish hatch- eries have been established throughout the state from which the streams in surrounding territory are supplied with fish. The bureau owns a fish car by means of which fish are distributed throughout the state. The bureau has also been actively engaged in the propagation and distribution of game birds with the result that many of these birds are becoming well established and plentiful in many sections of the state. A large game farm will soon be purchased where it will be possible to propagate game birds in larger quantities than has here- tofore been possible.
Bureau of Dairy and Food.
T. C. GAULT, Chief.
The Bureau of Dairy and Food has charge of the enforcement of the laws regulating dairies, canneries, food stuffs, weights and meas- ures, the sale of narcotics and the keeping of cold storage products. A constant effort is made to keep the different establishments handling food products in a healthful and sanitary condition to prevent fraud in adulteration of food products, illegal weights and measures and the illicit use of narcotics. A large number of trained inspectors are necessary for the proper enforcement of the laws governing these things.
Bureau of Feeds and Fertilizer.
E. J. HODDY, Acting Chief.
The Bureau of Feeds and Fertilizer plays an important part in securing the farmer against loss and fraud in the use of feed stuffs, fertilizers, agricultural lime and insecticides and fungicides. Inspec- tions are made of all these materials, samples collected, analyses made and findings published. The work of this bureau has been so well conducted in recent years that short weights, misbranded and adul- terated goods are rarely found.
Through a corps of about two thousand crop correspondents esti- mates on crop conditions are gathered from month to month and the public is advised of these conditions through the press and the publica- tions of the department. Yearly statistics on farm crops, acreage, number of farm animals and other matters of agricultural interest are listed on taxation blanks and sent to this department where they are published in bulletin form.
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OHIO LEGISLATIVE HISTORY.
The department publishes quarterly an official bulletin in which is given the work the department is doing from period to period and other valuable information of interest to farmers.
It is the aim of the department of agriculture to administer wisely and fairly the laws placed under its control, to protect the agricultural interests of the state and to encourage and promote the business of farming in Ohio in every possible way. No state, everything con- sidered, possesses greater opportunities along agricultural lines than Ohio, and to do what it can to keep her in this high rank is the aim of the Department of Agriculture.
NORMAN E. SHAW
A very important position in the Ohio state government is that of Secretary of the Board of Agriculture. Mr. Shaw received his appoint- ment as secretary by the present board, which was created by the Eighty- second General Assembly, and if a thoroughly scientific education in horticulture is the requirement of the position then no better appoint- ment could have been made. Besides his education, Mr. Shaw has a most happy faculty of discerning and managing all the multifarious duties of his position. Norman E. Shaw was born at New Richmond, Clermont County, Ohio, July 29th, 1876. His father, John C. Shaw, was born at the same place. The son, Norman, was educated in the public schools at New Richmond, Doane Academy and Denison Uni- versity at Granville, O. He also attended Ohio State University, from whence he graduated in agriculture, horticulture and forestry, in 1906, with the degree B. of S. He managed the University Gardens, while attending that institution in order to earn his way through. Mr. Shaw spent two years as commercial gardener at Columbus, and at Orchards, in southern Ohio, before coming to the State Agricultural Department in 1908. He was chief of the Bureau of Horticulture during the ad- ministration of Governor Andrew Harris and continued in that posi- tion until appointed to his present position in 1917.
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