“ A constitutional convention may be called if demanded by two-thirds of the members elected to each branch of the General Assembly, and by a majority of all the electors voting at a popular election. The question ‘Shall there be a constitutional convention?’ is voted upon at a popular election each twentieth year and determined by a majority of all the electors voting. The exercise of the franchise has the usual limitations of age, sex, and sanity, and the requirement of a residence of one year in the State and such time in the county, township, or ward as may be provided by law. ”

“ The prominence of the iron and steel industry and the convenient resources of coal have exercised a beneficial influence on the manufacture of foundry and machine-shop products—the second largest industry in the State. This branch early attained large proportions at Cincinnati, which city was favored by its location on the Ohio River and its nearness to the coal and iron regions farther east. The industry has since developed generally throughout the State, Cleveland having become the largest centre. From 1890 to 1900 there was a gain of 66 per cent. in the value of the product. ”

“ The principal feature in the geology of Ohio is the broad fold or anticlinal whose axis extends from central Kentucky and crosses southwestern Ohio near Cincinnati, thence running northwest into Indiana, while a branch axis runs northeast toward the western end of Lake Erie. From this axis the strata dip gently in either direction, so that a broad area of Silurian rocks is exposed, covering southwestern Ohio, southeastern Indiana, and north central Kentucky, with a narrower band along the branch axis toward Lake Erie. ”

“ School attendance is compulsory between the age of eight and that of fourteen. Considerable progress has been made of late in Ohio in the centralization of rural schools, with the result that there has been an increase in the number of high and graded schools, as well as in the regularity of attendance. The cost of maintaining the schools under the new system, including transportation, is in some cases less than under the old system. The census of 1900 gives the illiterate population of Ohio as 4 per cent. of the total population of ten years and over, being 2.4 per cent. ”

“ It will be seen that the percentage of the value of products has increased much more than that of the number of establishments:
Transportation and Commerce. Ohio ranks fifth in its total railroad mileage; and in its mileage per 100 square miles of area—21.61 miles—it is exceeded by only one other of the large States. The first railroad built in Ohio, the Mad River and Lake Erie, now a part of the Big Four System, was chartered in 1832. By 1850 the mileage had increased to 572 miles ”

“ Both the upper and lower coal measures contain several workable seams interbedded between strata of shale, limestone, sandstone, and clay, and ranging in thickness from two to over a dozen feet. It has been estimated that Ohio contains enough coal to supply the demand of the State for soft coal for 1000 years at the present rate of consumption. ”

“ The judicial power of the State is vested in a Supreme Court, circuit courts, courts of couunou pleas, courts of probate, justices of the peace, and such other courts inferior to the Supreme Court, as the General Assembly may from time to time establish. The officials here mentioned are all elected by popular vote. ”

“ The General Assembly may provide for the organization of cities and incorporated villages by general laws, and variously restrict their powers. Similarly, provision is made for the election of such county and township officers as may be necessary, the day of election for county officers being the same as that for State officers. Their terms of office do not exceed three years. No person is eligible to the office of sheriff or county treasurer for more than four years in any period of six. ”

“ Public kindergartens are found in all the larger cities. For the preparation of teachers there are a number of State and private normal schools. Some of the colleges and the universities also give courses in pedagogy. Ohio has more public high schools than any other State, though New York has a greater high school attendance. In 1901 there were in Ohio 899 public high schools, with a total attendance of 41,909. ”

“ In the same year there were 12,450,261,839 tons of freight transported one mile, the average distance haul per ton being 72.18 miles, and the average amount received per ton mile $.013. Ohio leads every State in the extent of its interurban electrical railways. It is now possible to cross the northern part of the Commonwealth on electrical lines, or to go from Newark to Cincinnati. Cleveland, Toledo, Columbus, and Dayton are important centres for electrical lines. ”