GRAPH SHOWING PRODUCTION OF PIG IRON AND FERRO-ALLOYS, 1900-35 director at its head. The system of administration thus estab lished is closely analogous to that of the Federal Government.
The general assembly consists of a senate and a house of representatives, the members of which are elected for terms of two years. The ratio of representation in the senate is obtained by dividing the total population of the State by 35, the ratio in the house by dividing the population by 1 oo. The membership in each house, however, is above these figures (32 in the senate and 135 in the house in 1937), because of a system of fractional representation and of the Constitutional amendment of 1903 which allows each county at least one representative in the lower house. The Constitution provides for a reapportionment every ten years beginning in 1861. Biennial sessions are held beginning on the first Monday in January of the odd-numbered years. The Constitution prohibits special, local and retroactive legislation, legislation impairing the obligation of contracts and legislation levying a tax on State, municipal and public school bonds, and it limits the amount and specifies the character of public debts which the legislature may contract.
The judicial department in 1936 was composed of a supreme court of seven judges, nine judicial courts of appeals of three judges each, courts of common pleas, and probate, juvenile, justice of the peace and municipal courts. Under the Consti tution of 1802 judges were chosen by the legislature, but since 1851 they have been elected by direct popular vote— the judges of the supreme court being chosen at large. They are removable by a concurrent resolution approved by a 3 majority in each house of the general assembly. The terms of supreme court judges, judges of the courts of appeals and judges of the courts of common pleas are six years; that of probate judges and justices of the peace is four years.
The principal units of local government are the county, the township, the city and the village. The chief county authority is the board of commissioners of three members elected for terms of four years. The other officials are the auditor and surveyor, elected for four years, and sheriff, treasurer, recorder, coroner, clerk of courts and prosecuting attorney, elected for two years. The county also has a board of education elected by the qualified voters. This board appoints the county superintendent of schools. The chief township authority is a board of trustees of three mem bers, elected by popular vote for two years. The other township officials are the clerk, treasurer, assessor, supervisor of roads, justices of the peace, constables, board of education and board of health. Under the Constitution of 1821, municipal corporations
were established by special legislation. The Constitution of 1851, however, provided for a general law, and the legislature in 1852 enacted a "general municipal corporation act," the first of its kind in the United States. The system was changed again in 1912 when the so-called "home rule" amendment was put into the Constitution. This allows each city to make its own charter or constitution. As a result, a variety of charters exist, and the three outstanding types of municipal government—mayor and council, city manager and commission—are found.
In Ohio all State and county officials as well as U.S. senators and representatives are nominated at primaries held in even numbered years on the second Tuesday in August.
Finances.—The ordinary expenses of the State Government are met entirely by indirect taxation. There was, however, in 1932, a State levy of .20 mills for the redemption of the $25,000, 000 issue of World War compensation bonds. These bonds were the last bonded indebtedness of the State; the only outstanding debt is the non-interest bearing debt of proceeding from the sale of lands given by Congress for educational purposes. The chief sources of the general revenue fund are a one-tenth of 1% tax on the asset valuation of domestic and foreign corpora tions, a premium tax on insurance companies, a 4% gross earn ings tax on steam railways, a tax of 1.2% of the gross receipts of miscellaneous utilities, an inheritance tax, assessments on banks and finance companies, a franchise tax on new corporations, a 1.2% gross earnings tax on electric railways, a cigarette tax, a 3% retail sales tax and other receipts. In 1935 the net receipts for this fund were $56,744,798, the disbursements $54,472,698, and the balance at the end of the fiscal year $7,740,934. The gaso lene tax, automobile registration fees and certain other reve nues are handled as separate funds. The disbursements of the highway department for the fiscal year were $25,763,306. The total revenue derived from tax levies on real estate and public utilities for all divisions for the tax year ending Dec. 31, 1934 was $382,109,352. Of this total tax, $47,013,049 was regular and special county; $5,877,411 regular and special township; $64,952, 470 schoor; and $88,823,691 regular and special municipal. There were, on June 30, 1935, 714 commercial and savings banks operat ing within the State; their total resources were $2,168,900,000 and deposits $1,869,100,000. Of the total number of banking institutions 249 were national banks, and their resources totalled $1,014,041,000.