Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-22
LIBERAL TO SCHOOLS.
AN INCREASE OF $4,000, 900 IN THE An
NUAL APPROPRIATION. ..

Philadelphia Members Oppose the Amend
ment, but 1t Goes Through-A Differ
ence of Opinion on the Revenues for the
Next Two Years to Come.
HARRIsBURG, May 2l.-If the House gets its
way and the Treasury holds out there will
be State aid galore for public schools. When
the general appropriation bill came up in
the House this morning Chairman
Fruit moved to amend by increasing the
annual appropriation for schools from
$4,000, 900 to s5O000O0. This means $40 600 900
for the next two years, an increase of sc, ,0O0,-
900 over the last appropriation. Messrs.
Brooks and Fow and other city, members
opposed the increase. Mr.. Brooks said
make such an increase, and if 1t were made
many charities must be cut off without q
cent.
The fear that the many city institutions
which animated the opposition to the in
crease. Mr.. fowler, of Forest, said the
money was in sight: The Boyer bill would
bring in a all the money ; needed :Is
The country members. demanded it and
would be satisfied with nothing less. By
this means the burdens of local taxation
would be reduced. If Mr.. Fruit had not
offered the amendment he would have done
SO himself. .s.' =
The Amendment Passes.
After considerable talk the amendment
was carried, not even those who had op-
posed it voting against it. 1t passed finally
at the night session. In connection
with this bill, Chairman Fruit fur
nishes some figures. He says the
total amount appropriated by the
the last Legislature and approved by the
Governor was $l5,237,7O1 81 The reve-
nues were more than sufficient to meet this
sum, and they will not be any less during
the next two years under the present laws.
II the Boyer bill passes the revenues will be
increased at least $6,00O000. ''ei,'''
The change in sinking funds methods will
render 5000, 600 more available for general
purposes. The committee has recommended
an extraordinary appropriation, aggregat-
town flood bill, chronic insane hos
pital, monuments to Reynolds, Mead
and Hancock, new library building and
deficiencies in National Guard and Insane
appropriations. The last generalappropria-
tion bill aggregated $10535,31S; the present
one $40, BIS, ,;334. To the latter must be added
the Sc, ,0OO, 600 proposed increase in the public
school appropriation.
The Revenue for Two Years.
Mr.. Fruit estimates that the revenue for
the next two years, if the Boyer bill passes,
will be about $22, 100000 The appropriations
recommended by this committee aggregate
between so, ,OOO, 600 and $93 OOO, ,000 Mr.. Wherry
ciainls tnat Ine sreutest possipie increase un-
der the Boyer bill cannot exceed 81, ,75O, 900.
From this must be deducted $500 900 for retail
licenses and $2JOO00 on personal property
tax, both retained by the counties, which
will leave only %, 1876 900 to meet the $1,000 900
increase to public schools. As the State and
charitable appropriations, already exceed
the present revenues s., 900, nothing will
be left for the Governor to do but cut Off all
private appropriations.
Treasurer Boyer also opposes the extra
two millions to public schools. His bill will
add but four millions to the revenues for
the next two years aud he thinks, in view of
that, there is no use appropriating six
millions.