Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-11
LEGISLATIVE GOSSIP.
Amendments TO the General Revenue Bilis
The School Syndicate Obiects-To In.
vestigate the observation-disclosures for
Police RfatfOua.

-The school syndicate Ob1ects-Io In.
vestisate the observation-disclosures for
Police Stations.
TFRoM STAFF ooRREsPoNDENT.l
HARRISBURG, April 10.-Auditor General
McCamant and Corporation Clerk Glenn, Of
the Auditor Generals department. appeared
before the Finance Committee Of the Senate
to-day and proposed number Of amendments
to the general revenue bill. These were
adopted and at the request of the committee
the gentlemen tonight put the bill in shape to
be reported to the Senate in the morning. One
amendment provides that natural gas COM
panies, which pay portion Of their gross re-
ceipts to other companies which supply them
with gas, shall not be required to pay the gross
receipts tax on such portion. This is to avoid
double taxation. The amendment that DR..
Net had inserted in the House, providing that
indebtedness on which a man pays interest
shall be deducted from the amount of his
money at interest in making assessments is
stricken out. Sections 20 and q Of the act of
1879 are substituted for the same sections of
tne present bill. The exemption of manufac-
turing corporations is only slightly altered. 1t
is made to exclude from taxation corporations
exclusively for manufacturing purposes, ex-
cept such as enjoy or are permitted to exercise
the right OF eminent domain and brewing, dis
tilling, packing and canning companies" The
section taxing private bankers and brokers
per cent on their gross receipts is stricken out,
and the tax thereby left as at present, viz:
Three per cent on their net receipts. Water
companies are subjected TO the tax on gross
receipts as well as the tax on capital stock.
Section 20 is so amended that two-ffths Of
stock tax) shall go into the sinking fund until
the first of November, 1890, instead Of one-half
until the same date in 1893. The other three
nitns NTH shall go into the general fund. After
1880 one-half Of this, the capital stock tax, in
stead of the whole, shall go into the sinking
fund, and the other half into the general fund.
The effect of the amendment is to give the
general fund S500, 900 for the next two years
more than the bill originally provided.
The soldiers orphan school syndicate has
sustained number of serious reverses at this
session of the Legislature, but it has not aban-
doned the fight against adverse legislation.
The amendment of Representative Kaufman,
OF Lancaster, prohibiting the commission to be
appointed under the proposed bill from apply
ing any portion of the S450,00 to be used in
taking care of the wards of the State the next
two years to the maintenance Of any children
In the schools at McAllisterville, Mount Joy,
Mercer and Chester Springs was blow between
the eyes of the syndicate. It staggered ex-
Senator Wright and the men associated with
him in the management Of the schools, and he
complained bitterly of the injustice done him.
A final effort to neutralize the work which has
been done against them is being made by dele
cations who are here from Lancaster, Juniata,
Mercer and Chester, In which the syndicate
schools are &pcatad, for the purpose Of having
the Objectionable features of the pending legis-
lation eliminated. 1t is generally admitted that
the House will not allow il to be thus amended,
but the effort for amendment is a determined
one. The gentlemen who are here claim to
come of their own motion. There are Grand
Army men among them, and more good words
are being said for the syndicate schools than
have been heard about the legislature for
long time.
The members of the Senate Appropriations
Committee leave here in body for the West
tomorrow. They will arrive in Pittsburg to-
morrow night, and will visit the Western PenI-
tentiary at 10 A. NJ Friday. Senator Robbins
will accompany them there. He is the author
of the resolution to investigate the institution.
Senator Reyburn says the regular and ordin-
ary investigation that it is customary for the
Appropriations Committee to make is all that
will be attempted. unless that investigation de-
velops something more than the subcommittee
of the House Appropriations COMMITTEE
burg to Erie, from there to Warren, thence to
LOCK Haven, to the State College and to the
Danville Asylum. If they have time they will
visit Wilkesbarre, where hospital Is being
built The latter part Of next week will be de-
voted to Philadelphia and other Eastern insti-
tutions.
The act to prohibit deception in themanu-
facture importation and sale of oil passed
second reading tonight by large majority. 1t
is intended to prevent the sale of cottonseed
oil under the guise of olive oil, and as such is
a blow at the Cotton Oil Trust, an offshoot of
the Standard Trust.
A number of Philadelphians were here to-
night to enlighten the Senate Elections Com
mittee on the benefits of the Australian mode
of balloting. They were taken in hand by such
apostles of reform as ex-Chairman Cooper and
Senator Reyburn, and finally left, quite freely
admitting that those gentlemen could give
them points on practical politics and then beat
them clear out of sight.
The bill providing for a matron at police
stations in cities of the first and second classes
was favorably considered this afternoon by
the Senate Committee on Municipal Affairs.
The Senatorial election investigation in
Philadelphia will be concluded on April 20,
according to a decision of the committee.
Four thousand witnesses have already been
examined.
Representative Speer is proud of the fact
that he has just disposed of an imported
French coach horse to Forney Bros, OF Coshoc-
ton county, Ohio. for 5000.
This morning the act for the election of Con-
stable for three years in cities of the third
class was made to apply to cities Of the second
class. SIMPSON.