OHIO 885 



tory official) in July 1913, is to be appointed for four years by the governor (256,615 to 

 251,946). Statutes may provide for the regulation of insurance rates charged by companies 

 organised or doing business in the state (321,388 to 196,628). To the prohibition of a poll 

 tax is added the prohibition of any service required by the state, "which may be commuted 

 in money or other thing of value." The clause for exemptions from taxation limits the exemp- 

 tion of public or school bonds "now outstanding," and the personal property exemption is 

 increased from $200 to $500. There may be statutory provision for inheritance taxes 

 (exempting a part of any estate less than $20,000 in value), for income taxes (exempting a 

 part of an income of $3,000 or less), for excise and franchise taxes and for taxes on the produc- 

 tion of coal, oil, gas and other mineral products; at least one-half of income and inheritance 

 taxes collected must be returned to the local government unit from which the tax originated 

 (269,039 to 248,684). Bonded indebtedness may not be incurred or renewed without legisla- 

 tive provision for a tax to pay interest on bonds and to create a sinking fund for their redemp- 

 tion. Corporations may be classified and controlled by statute (300,466 to 212,704). Bank- 

 stockholders are liable for corporation debts in proportion to the amount of their stock 

 at par in addition to the amount invested in their shares (377,272 to 156,688); and statute 

 shall provide for the inspection of private banks. State printing may be done by the state 

 (319,612 to 192,378). A clause permitting the grant of licences 1 to traffic in intoxicating 

 liquors (except where there was local prohibition under the Rose county option law of 1908 

 and the Beal municipal option law of 1902), but limiting the number of saloons to one for 

 every 500 inhabitants, was voted on in a separate column of the ballot with space for a vote 

 "for licence" and one fora vote "against licence." The vote was 273,361 "for" and 188,825 

 "against." Civil service appointments and promotions in state, county or city must be on 

 merit, ascertained if possible by competitive examinations (306,767 to 204,580). 



Candidates for a constitutional convention must be nominated by petition and there 

 shall be no emblem or party designation on the independent and separate ballot, on which 

 their names appear. There must be a vote every twentieth year, beginning 1932, on the 

 call of a constitutional convention (271,827 to 246,687). An entirely new article (XVIII) 

 on municipal corporations (adopted by 301,861 to 215,120) classifies corporations over 5,000 

 as cities and under 5,000 as villages and provides for home rule; statutes for the government 

 of municipalities, other than general laws, become operative in a municipality only when 

 they are approved by popular vote; municipalities may own, lease and operate public utilities 

 (even without their corporate limits) if an ordinance therefor within 30 days after its passage 

 is not opposed by a IO % petition calling for a referendum; and municipalities may frame their 

 own charters (not in conflict with general laws) or adopt a commission form of government. 

 The vote on the schedule for amendments was 275,062 to 213,979. 



Legislation. The legislature met in regular session from January 2 to May 31, 1911 

 and ratified, January igth, the proposed amendment to the Federal Constitution for an 

 income tax. It provided for a vote for United States senators on primary ballots and 

 for statements by candidates (like those in Oregon) that they will follow the people's 

 recommendation. The law in regard to registration for election was revised. A corrupt 

 practices act requires the accounting of campaign funds, strengthens the law against 

 bribery and specifies a maximum campaign outlay for candidates in different offices. 

 Candidates violating the law may be disqualified for office. There is to be a separate 

 independent judiciary ballot, to be marked " Judicial Ticket," for all elective judges 

 and on this no names of parties are to appear. 



The initiative and referendum are provided for in municipal corporations, giving the 

 initiative by a petition of 30% of the qualified voters to be filed within 120 days of the date 

 pi the first signature. A measure thus initiated must be voted on at the next general election, 

 if it is not passed within 60 days after its submission, without change, by the council. Fran- 

 chise grants, bills providing for expenditures, etc. must be referred to the people if within 30 

 days of their passage a petition therefor is signed by 15% of the qualified electors. Acts 

 of city councils dp not go into immediate effect unless they are declared to be emergency 

 measures and receive a three-fourths vote in the council, and even then may be vetoed by a 

 referendum vote. A bill drafted by the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce provides that no 

 city council may have more than 32 members; the minimum is 7. The nuisance of noise and 

 smoke in a city may be abated by the municipality. Cities are permitted to establish 

 municipal pawn departments. An elaborate building code was adopted. 



A public service commission was created to take the place of the railroad commission ; it 

 has power to supervise and regulate public utilities and railroads not including street rail- 

 ways and other utilities operated by municipalities; to investigate and fix rates; to establish 

 uniform accounts and to grant permission after a public hearing for the consolidation of 



1 The constitution of 1851 forbade the grant of liquor licences but allowed the legislature 

 by law to "provide against evils resulting therefrom." There was a state tax of $l,ooo on 

 each person or corporation trafficking in intoxicating liquors. 



