The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1881-01-08

the commission charged with that import
ant duty certainly have learned enough to
show how the inequality oi the act may be
mitiglted.
On the subject of the public schools of the
Commonwealth, the message cites these sta
tistcal numbers Whole number of graded
schools, 1887 ungraded schools, 1913
with 931 $40 pupils on the rolls, and an ave-
rage attendance of seventy seven per cent
Quoting the words of the superintendent Of
Education, the message represents the schools
as "in all departments characterized by a
vigorous life and progressive spirit" which
is rather rhetorical than precise. There are
still 25SO children under the care Of TIE
Stute in the Soldiers Orphans schools-in-
stitutons in which the people Of Pennsyl-
vania take just pride. These children are
composed, first, Of orphans whose fathers
were killed or died of disease in the army
(only 100 of this class remaiu) second, or
phans whose fathers have died since the close
OF the war from wounds or disease contract
ed in the service aud third, of children OF
soldiers still living but who, from wounds
or disease, cannot support their families. 1t
is respected that the schools will close in 1885.
By that time they will have supported, edu-
Gated and trained twelve Thousand soldiers
orphans till they have or had reached the
age of sixteen at an expense of $S,0O0,00O.
This is an example for the rest Of the world
to note.
Relormatory Prisons and Houses ofRe(uge
occupy, deservedly, large space in the mes
sage, and the point of it is this: Our prison
records show very large numbers of youthful
convicts, many of them first offences, and
others for minor crimes. Overwhelming
proportions of these are young fellows with
out trades or other steady means of gaining
a living, and so they DRIFT into idleness, vict
and crime. Prisons for old and hopelesslN
depraved criminals are not the places fol
these young conycs. An intermediat,
prison for them, like that at Elmira, New
| York, is therefore recommended. II th'
| Legislature acts on this, our House of Refugt
will furnish the State good place to begir
with, as it is well adapted to the purpose.
Another interesting subject considered il
the message is the policy Of keeping child
ren out of almshouses when their parent
go there. Such policy should be adopted
for the future Of children brought up il
almshouses is almost hopeless. The Ger
mantown charity organization can tell an,
committee Of the Legislature to whom thi
subject is committed some things wort
while for them to know.
i The Governor reminds the Legislator
that it has not yet obeyed the mandate q
the Constitution to enact laws to prohibi
discrimination" in freight charges on-th
part of common carriers chartered by th
State or doing business within the Stat,
! and gives a detailed narrative Of the Pre-
gress and fate of the prosecutions on that az
count begun under AUTHORITY of the Attorne
General .wo or three years ago. They cam
to nothing. The Governor now urges o
, the Legislature the enactment of laws
/ carry the provisions of the State Constltl
tion on this subject into effect. They hu,
| neglected the imperative command of Ii
Constitution for nearly seven years, au
unless they begin Congress will be in aC
vance of them with an "Inter-State Con
merce Act"
The message contains another remind,
of long neglected duty. "No action hi
yet been taken upon the report of the Nun
cipal Commission Of 1851" The Govern
calls attention To its mass of well digestt
facts, and to the draft of bill for the GO
ernment of large cities which accompani,
it. He seems to have a proper conceptiC
Of the evils from which large cities suf1
for want of such legislation, and suggests
indirect phrase, instead of recommendir
straight out the adoption of such measu
as that reported by the Commission. TT
Governor might have done the municipal
ties of the State great service by the inse
q ton of a few plain, strong words here, b
we regret to say they are not to be foun
He hopes "the labors of the Commissit
will not be lost" and that the "civic legi
/. lation of the Commonwealth may be wise
i, improve"-a trhe vague and rather wea
The rest, is mainly about matters the pc
!, pie are already acquainted with.
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