The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1893-02-22
Ernn, rha STATE can.tol.

From the 5taL6 G5ptLOl-
The first petition fasor ng the repeal Of
the blue laws Of 1894 came into the House
Thursday Il Is signed BY eighty-f0ar citi-
zsEs Of Mexican county and urges " the re
peal or modification Of The Isws Of i7Sl in
accorlancs with the enlightened views Of
the nineteenth century
TIE bill repealiug tie local option law
governing the borough Of Nj. Peasant viii
be reported 70 the House With an affirmative
Recommendation This bill was once killed
in committee and reconSidered. II has been
before the legislature Tor number Of years.
aud has besn the topic for much deba.e aad
wrangiing.
II. Crifehfsld, Friday, introduced a
measure. providing for keeping the public
highway when blcckaded with STOW. allow
ing supervisors to erect such fences for the
prevention Of blockades as they may deem
proper. and liking compensation f1r the
loss Of any fence which may be removed in
making such change. A similar bill xss
introduced in the House by Mr. Thomas, Of
Cambria
A vigoroGs atiemp. is 70 Be msde to
change the system Of liquor licenses Sena-
tor Hackenberg has introduced a radical
bill. in that line. IiProTides forthe division
Of the state into fourteen license distr cts o!
which PhiIsdelphil is one and Allegheny
county another In every district there are
to be six commissioners, three from each
party, appointed by the governor. The sal
aries are to be paid By the State. on the ba-
SIS OF $ per each application passed upon
or transfer made. The compensation,
though, IS not % be less than 5000 nor
more than S3e0C. The qualifications Of IL
cense applicants aud the proceedings are
practically the same "a under the Brooks
law, and The fees ere unchanged Saloons
are TO close on Dsc1rzlion day and grape
growers may make and sell wine without
license. A similar provision is made for be-
IA fiie clubs which may sell for soc-al par-
poses q, cost without hcsases. except on
Sunday.
At a joint meeting Of the game aud fish
committees Of the senate and house held
Thursday IL was unanimously decided 70 re-
port sfhrmativeiy oil providing f1r the
taking Of game a. fgllows Rabbits, quail,
pheasanls, Mild turkeys deer and grouse
from October = % December IS: raii and
reed birds from September TO December
Is: ducks, geese ald other wild foEIs from
September 1 - May T. TIE COMMITTEES,
after bearing a number Of gentlemen discuss
the gcodcock question, decided 10 amend
tie bill 50 that woodcock can be taken from
July to August 1 and also that these birds
can be taken from October % to December
Is.
The bill also provides that no game shall
be sold whether killed in or out Of the state
after January I Of every year The granger
scalp act allowing bountes for panthers
skunks, foxes, minks, Eessels, HAWKS and
owls vas hvorsbiy CONSIDERED Dr.. Tools
bill. watch provides f5r the erection Of eel
wsirs in August, September and November,
was passed with Affirmative reeomnend4-
ton.
The manner OF the distribution ofthe slo,-
0dO.Go0 appropriation 70 oommoa schools
viii doubtless be changed by the present leg
isiature- Al present il i distributed BY the
county commissioners At the iriennial As
sezsments- Tnis plan is regarded By the
country districts As insquitable, and several
bills have been introduced ali aiming TO
remedy the dificaity. That Of Senator Lo-
gan, Of CraEflrd, proposes 5 distribution on
the number Of schools open and in &C i've
operation six months each year. Aaother
bases il upon the number Of teachers, and
one teacher for school. another upon the
num5er Of children Of school age. and
fourth, tha. introduced by Mr. Tswkshury,
present. a system based ouj5intly upon the
number Of schools and The whole number Of
months they are annually open
The present system has been in use since
about 1854 An important suggestion Ou;-
side Of these bills has been made that, if
carried out, might improve it. The asses
msnt IS made triennially, while the legisia-
ture approp-iaies for two years only. Thus
every four years the money Is distributed for
the last year Of one trieunial period OF one
basis, and for the frst year Of the next on
another. For example; The dis;ribution
Of las year WAS based on the number Of
tzxabies returned il lsS9. while thas Of is93
Is on the number retained in Is92- The Per
capita amount IN 1922 was $ 45. This year
the number Of taxablss have considerably
increased, While the appropriation remains
the same, the amount per capita IS lowered
This leads to loud complaint from districts
not bearing this fact IN mind If the returns
OF taxsoies we're made bienuialiy to CORES
pond With the appropriation, il would OBJ
viate much OF the trouble complained OF, as
vel as enable towns springinS up rapidly 10
gei their fair share Of the appropriation
sOOcer.