The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1876-01-06
The GOcerHOp's Mess00e.

Governor Hartranft's fourth annual mes
sage WAS submitted to both houses yeStel
day morning. The message is II docu
ment of considerable length and i'm mer
point of literary merit it exceis any of TIN
former ones that have cmana:ed from tn
same source. But what the message gain
in smoOthneSs and grace of style it lose
III force, precision and official sincerity
While the governor balances his NIGEL,
rounded sentences the representatives o.
the people will sometimes be at Il loss con.
corning his real purpose. lie seems to be
more concerned about the composition OF
his message than its contents, yet. at the
same time, ii contains some important re-
concentrations which deserve and doubt
less will receive the careful consideration
oil the legislature.
After the appropriate invocation of Di-
vine assistance in the work of legislation
the message proceeds to tie discussion of
the finances Of the state. The governor
informs the Legislature that the appropria-
tons for the fiscal year ending November
30, 1915, exceeded the receipts of the gen.
eral revenue fund Sj1j, ,S21. With like ap-
preparations at the present session and
with tie same receipts the deficit would be
doubled. He estimates that the revenues
oil the present year will fall half million
short of the receipts of last year, but he
Goes not give the data on which this calcu-
lation is based. From the increase that
has been made in the revenues from lead
ing sources of taxation during the year
there is reason to believe that there will he
no diminutiOn in the funds unless it be
made by removing portion Of The taxes.
since the appropriations cannot be reduced
10 any considerable extent, and since new
taxes arc out of the question in this period
of business depression. the governor
recommends that portion of the money
IN the sinking fund be diverted to the or
diraiy needs of the state government He
suggests that One-third of the revenue
from the tax on corporation stocks be as
signed to the general fund. The revenue
from the corporation tax in 1875 amounted
10 -, l55, 5SI, which would give nearly !
three quarters of a million to the general |
iund, and this revenue is more likely to /
increase than diminish. According to the /
estimate OF Gov. Hartranft the withdrawal |
Of this amount from the sinking fund
would relieve the embarrassed condition of |
The treasury and at the same time leave
enough money to liquidate the whole
state debt in fifteen years. Another i'm
portant recommendation Of the governor
m connection with this subject is that a |
aw be enacted authorizing the sinking
und commissioners to invest the unex-
pended balance in the treasury in the
bonds OF the state or of the United States
In his recommendation concerning the
public schools of the state the governor
relterates the opinions Of his former mes
'ageS. There is in all that he saws on this
SnhJect not one word of the vicious and
cant abort sectarian interference
with the common schools which has form
ed the staple of so much of this kind of no.
itical writing. The governor has too
muchrespect for The representatives of the
people and for himself to indulge in this
sort OF partisan clap trap. If he had NOT
he exHmt,le of Z, ,r-,-I- = e "