The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-01-12

/ GOYerUOr'S message.
Governor Hartraufts annual message to
tie Legislature treats almost exclusively OF
the affairs of unr own Commonwealth.
: The State finances claim The first place.
These we summarize rs follows {: The re-
CENTS for the year and the balance coming
over from 1915 were $7,072, 09S-the dis
bursments on al accounts So, ,0S7, l00-leav-
/ ing balance in rhe Treasury on the ooth
/ of November hast of 1884, ,99S. The funded
debt Of the State on The same date was
800, 97S, 95l-against which the Sinking
: Fund holds securities as assets to the
/ amount of 50, 054 99l-ieaving as the total
of the State Debt uHpr0cided for the
amount of $13, 924, 040. Thus it will be
seen that the State Debt, which for many
years stood at about forty Millions is grad
ually melting away, and is now compar-
atively small sum. With reference to that
pant of the Funded Debt which becomes
rcdeemable or payable within the next live
years. and which bears more than five per
cent interest the Governor recommends
the Issue of a new loan, at not exceeding five
per cent, re6eemable i'll fifteen years, and
payable i'll Thirty years. This he thinks a
preferable mode to paying off at rs rapid a
rate as that prevalent for some years back.
1t will also place the redemption of the debt
TO be hquidated every year I'D more man
aeeable form for the Sinking Fund Com
missioners. With reference to the General
Fund for the ordinary expenses of the
State, the figures presented by the Gov
ernor show that the resources for that fund
will be abou. $500, 900 less this year than
last-aud that extraordinary expenses will
likewise be diminished to the amount OF
about $50, 000--leaving about $500, 900 to
be provided for, which lac thinks can be
done by a jiudicious exercise of economy,
without additional taxation, and without
Withdrawing proper aid from charitable i'll
stitutions.
The Governor is of the opinion that the
present system of assessment aud collection
of mercantile and tavern license is expen-
sive and inefficient and requires revision.
He calls attention also to what he thinks u
necessary revision OF the tax Oh corporation
stocks, with the view of making its opera
ton more equitable as between dividend
paying an n-dividend paying corpora
tious. Following this is a recommendation
for much needed law regulating Saving
Banks. Education is the next topic. 1t
is discussed at considerable length, the Gov
ernor renewing his previous recommend
ations, with respect to neglected children
whose parents, guardians or other care-tak-
ers neglect to send them to school, thus
preventing the public school system from
operating upon the very class whose needs
led to the first establishment of free schools.
lie fnpilaSlZeS also WndC ne udS ntlebOlolc
said in favor of technical aud special public
school training for artisans, miners, manu-
facturers agricuturists aud designers. In
the course of these observations lie con-
graduates the State Oh the good results OF
the Soldiers Orphan Schools. The his
torical publications relating to the State,
the goo6 results anticipated from the Geo
logical Survey, aud the propriety of pro
vidiug some appropriate place for the dis
made 10y the theological Survey, are brought
to the attention of the Legislature; also
the consideration of aid to the proposed In-
dustrial School and Museum III Memorial
Hall. The fine conditions of the National
Guard of the State is commended i'll warm
terms 1t is not large in numbers but very
efficient; costing the Stale much less iii
proportion to its size, the Governor thinks
it 'much superior to any other ia the pro-
portion of effective troops" Connected
with this is the subject of lawlessness in
the mining regions of the State, which is
greatly abated now, because of the vIgor-
Gus prosecution of the offenders; but to
provide against any return of it the message
recommends that instead of using the mill
taiy hereafter authority shall be gwen the
Sheriffs OF the counties to enroll a civic
force, to be paid from the county treasures,
whenever the occasion for their services
shall require it. The overcrowded condi-
tion of the Eastern Pententiary the Gov
ernur thinks should be relieved by author
izing the Inspectors o increase the number
of cells from $50 to 7S0, and by modifying
the law that no prisoners be sert to the
penitentiary whose sentences are for less
than two years. The Board of Public Char
tiles is doing most servceable work at \
very tritiing cost to the State the Fish
Commissioners deserve encouragement; the
testimony heretofore givene 10y the GOveIn-
or of the value of the lnsui ance Depart
ment is very strongly repeated the neces-
sity for revision of our Building Inspection
laws and their vigorous enforcement are
warmly urged ; CO operation it'll the Ma
tional Government i'll improving the naviga-
tion of the Ohio river is ecommeuded; also
the selection of two historical characters
Of the State as subjects for the statues invi-
ted by Congress for the National Capitol.
The next subject is the Municipal Com
mission to prepare a plan of government
i'll order TO reform abuses in municipal cor
porations. Among the miscellaneous sub
iecis treated are tue following The rapid
and alarming destruction of our forests
/ the propriety of equaliziug the poll tax
throughout the State the necessity for a
! law to prevent the possibility of waiving
/ the exemption laws, and commendatiOn
Of the suggestion of the State Board OF
! Health. The Governor then does justice
to the gentlemen who MADE the Centennial
/ Exhibition success Reviewing the pro-
gress of the century in very fine passage,
he comes TO the conclusion that there is no
I truth III the alleged degeneracy of our
| days, as we have advanced i'll intelligence,
morals and general welfare, as well as in
! population and wealth. The message con-
cludes with an examination of the causes
and consequences Of periodical dcprcs-
sions' in business.