Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-14
THE ROAD BILL DEAD.
A Veto Message Setting Forth Pattison's OBJ
jections to the Measure-He Also Hits a
Reading Hospital Appropriation -


81 herewith return without approval Sen
ate bill No. p. This act increases the mum
Der, alters the term and provides a new
method for the election of township road
supervisors, authorizes them to .sub-district
townships and to appoint road masters al
their discretion; to purchase machinery and
implements for road-making; to join with
the supervisors of other townships in main
tanning highways; creates the office of town
ship treasurer and township collector, pro
vldes for their compensation in part by pen
alties imposed on delinquent taxpayers; es
tablishes fixed salaries for supervisors; pro
/ vides for report of the township authori
ties, and accountability to the County Com
missioner and Secretary of Internal Affairs
establishes special class of roads called
highways alters the proceedings in a case
OF road views and contemplates the appro-
priation of State moneys to townships Of the
| commonwealth, without, however, making
any appropriation for that purpose.
Reasons for the Veto.
"The objections to this measure seem to
me to be manifold. Its purposes are so
numerous and diverse as to expose it to the
! constitutional objection of containing more
than one subject. Whatever popular de-
| mand exists for the enactment of legislation
| on the subject of roads and road making will
| certainly not be satisfied with the provisions
| OF this bill. If they are to become effective
at all they could be made so only by liberal
| appropriation of State moneys, for which, as
have said, neither this bill nor any other
legislation as yet enacted has made pro-
vision.
even If such grant were made it is very
| doubtful whether the plan of distribution
proposed by this bill would be equitable,
satisfactory or constitutional. The basis of
distribution which it proposes is the amount
OF road taxes collected and expended by
each township for road purposes during the
preceding year. This would put it entirely
Within the power of rich and populous rural
districts, such, for example, as adjoin large
cltles and boroughs, to receive large share
OF the States bounty, which would be ap-
plled where, perhaps, it was least needed for
the purpose of general road improvement,
Mnlie remote, sparsely settled and compare
t,e lively poor districts, where road improve-
ments were most desired, would receive little
OF comparatively nothing.
No Benevolent Appropriations.
Moreover, the policy and propriety of the
grant of State moneys, raised by general
taxation, to particular districts or communi-
ties, is extremely doubtful, if not absolutely
forbidden by the spirit of the constitutional
provisions declaring that there shall be no
appropriations for benevolent purposes to
any community and that tile Commonwealth
shall not assume the debt of any city, county,
borough or township. The present enact
ment proposes to distribute to some of the
districts of the State, for purely local pur-
pose-that of road mal1ng-moneys which
have been raised by taxation upon all the
citizens of the State.
"The roads of the townships only are to be
constructed and repaired by the aid of State
moneys, while those Of municipalities are to
be provided for by local taxation. This is a
discrimination wholly unwarranted by tie
Furthermore, 1 cannot ignore the fact
that this bill passed the House of Represent
aIlves by bare constitutional majority.
ifxy fc
cured with great difficulty, and violate no
confidence in saying that since its passage
In the one branch of the General Assembly,
number of members, whose votes were re-
qu1red to make that maj ajority, have conmu-
n1cated to me their opposition to and pro-
tests against the bill in its present form.
"0f the lob members who comprised this
majority, barely one-f1fth represent districts
affected by the bill. 1t was imposed upon
the communities affected by it against the
votes and protests of q large proportion of
their representatives.
The Drowning Objection.
"Finally, if there were no other objection
to this bill, a sufficient one would be
afforded by the fact that there are at
present special and local road laws to the
number of several hundred; governing as
many townships of Che State. If the pres
ent bill is to have any efficiency, it must re-
suit from its operations as general road
law, binding at least on the townships of
the State.
'The section which proposes to repeal all
not sufficient for that purpose, according to
decisions of our Supreme Court. If they re-
main, as they certainly will under the bill
in its present FORM 1t will utterly fail as q
Other reasons forcibly suggest themselves
for disapproval of this measure, but 1
deem those which have set forth as ample
to justify veto of the BILL"
Money for Private Charity.
The second veto of the Governor is of a |
s., 2,0OOappropriationf for the Reading Hospital |
He says in message to the Senate:
"This is the first bill which has reached |
me during the present session of the General |
Assembly making an appropriation of |
money to institutions that are not under |
absolute control of the Commonwealth. The |
beneficiary of this act is one of that large |
class OF private charities which depend, in
more or less degree, upon the bounty of the |
but are not subject to its |
control.
cat the present time can form no idea |
how many appropriation bills of this class |
will be presented for my approval; what |
total amount of appropriations they will in |
volve, or what relation this amount will |
bear to the revenues to the Commonwealth |
penses and the necessary appropriations to |
absolutely under its control. I |
deem it proper. therefore, to improve this
upon this bill, which may indicate to the
Legislature my attitude toward others of its
class.
The State Too Lavish.
"I have heretofore indicated my sense of
the Commonwealth's primary obligation to
her own charitable institutions, established
by her laws and controlled by her own
officials. 1 am not willing to take any risk
Of the State Treasury being embarrassed by
approving appropriations made to private
charities beyond the power of the State to
take proper care of its own institutions.
"The act of April "a, 1869, provides that
charitable institutions desiring to receive
state aid shall be the subject of inquiry by
,he Board of Charities, through its general |
agent, into the gromI of such request and
The result of such inquiries is to be embraced
no just ground for apprehension that the |
Board of Public Charities has stinted these
Institutions in passing upon their demands. |
indeed: there is widespread public feeling
hat the State has been and is apt to be too |
avish in its grants to institutions not sub |
ect to its control. Only exceptional cir
,umstances, in my Judgment, will warrant
5he amounts recommended by the board"
The Equalization of Taxes.
The following preamble and resolutions
we're presented to-day in the Senate by Mr..
irady:
''WHEREAs There is widespread demand
or the enactment of such measures as will
,ring about the equalization of the taxation
md the relief of local taxation on real estate;
md