The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1895-04-26
HARRISBURG LETTER.
Fight Between Friends and 0ppo-
nents of a Greater Pittsburg.
CONGRESSIONAL APPoRTIoNMBNT

A Biil 10 be Prepared by the House Com
mittee-Uncle George Lawrence VIII
Ride Home on Horseback at tho End
of the Present Session.
Especial Correspondence.)
HARRISBURG, April 22.-Therc is liable
TO be trouble in the house tomorrow when
the Finn greater Plttsburg bills come up
on second reading. The resolution fixing
the special order for their consideration
read that they should be taken up Just
after the reading of the Journal not later
than IL o'clock. The special order for the
consideration of tho Smith bill for the dis.
tribution Of school funds was fixed for II
O'Clock, and there is where the hitch comes
In. The lobby Of the capitol will swarm
With the friends and opponents OF the three
annexation measures. Representative
Merrick, of Tioga, the legal oracle OF the
grangers, has been selected to mako the
fight against the bills He will be seconded
by Representative Mansfield, of Beaver,
and Richey and Tillbrook, Of Allegheny.
Mr. Merrick has few old scores TO psy
of with the boomers Of greater Pitts
burg, and this Is one OF the ways In which
ne proposes to get even.
The Pittsburg people claim that their
bills must be considered until disposed of,
and the Smith bill friends insist that when
ii o'clock arrives the consideration Of the
Finn bills must be stayed until the school
fund bill is disposed Of
A decision on this point made In the
house in 1861 by Speaker Elisha w. Davis,
that has never been disputed, says: 1.-THE
speaker decided that the house, having by
atwo-thirds vote determined that it would,
at a certain specified hour, upon partic.
ular day, proceed to the consideration OF
certain question, and the time having
arrived, the house must proceed to its con-
sideration and any other business before
the house stands postponed until the ques-
tion is disposed of by the house, either by
adoption, rejection or postponement."
The Finn bill people clearly have the
decision on their side. Tho African in the
woodpile Is that the consideration of the
Finn bill may consume the entire day,
and the other special orders will be shut
out and cannot go on the next days cal
endar
The School Appropriation Bill.
The Smith bill proposes to distribute
the school appropriation by scattering one
third according TO the number oil teachers
employed for the full term and the balance
on the basis of the number of taxables.
Under this plan Philadelphia would re-
ceive over 100000 less than it's present
share, and other large cities correspond
ing decrease.
The members from the rural districts
and small towns are pushing the bill.
They argue that the cities should mako
concessions to the country DISTRICTS where
the people lack opportunities and facili.
ties to learn. In the large centers of pop
ulation 1t is easier to gain an education
The Philadelphia delegation is a unit
against the measure. Repre- sentatives
Fow, Stewart and Hicks have given the
subject much attention. They contend
that 1t is not fair to the populous cities,
whose corporations and industries pay the
bulk of the state taxes, and where the cit
izens take pride in improving their schools,
to perpetuate the miserable system Of edu-
cation in the country-that Is, short terms
and low salaries to teachers.
Chairman Niles, of the house judicial
apportlonment committee, has fixed to-
morrow for a hearing on the memorial Of
j. w. NJ. Newlln, the Philadelphia law
yer who charges Judge Gordon, of that
city. with holding secret court in viola
tion of the bill of rights. Both sides have
been notified to be present. The investi-
CATION will be conducted by sub. com.
mittee of five. Representative Kunkel, of
this city, Is chairman.
A meeting of the house congressional
apportionment committee will also be
held tomorrow evening to prepare II bill.
The measure will practically DO the same
as that of 1893, and will give Philadelphia
and Allegheny each an additional mem
Der. The house ways and means commit
tee will meet the same evening to consider
finally the new revenue bill. 1t Is gen.
orally conceded that the bill will be brought
out of committee and killed on second
reading. A special calendar will be made
for the revenue, apportionment and ap-
preparation bills.
Will Criticize Treasurer jackson.
A resolution will be offered in the house
this evening by Mr.. Bliss, of Delaware,
asking for more definite answer from
State Treasurer Jackson as to the probable
amount of revenue which could be derived
during the next two years from tax of
sixteen cents barrel on malt liquors
brewed in the State, In reply to resolu-
communication to the house last Friday
in which he stated that he was not in pos
session of the data necessary to make such
an estimate. Mr. Bliss is angry, and in
tends to rake the state treasurer in the
resolution. He says Colonel Jackson could
easily have obtained the information about
the beer tax had he desired to be accom-.
modating.
In the statement referred to above Treas
urer Jackson reported as follows
Balance in the treasury March 81, 1898,
less advances made to the Legislature, 49,
2S4, ,S05 SO; amount due on account of ap-
propriations for 1893, and which includes
the common school appropriation balance
for 1895 of g, 500, 900, 1880, S9l.40. In this
total sum there are appropriations to five
charitable associations and to the soldiers
orphans industrial schools Of which no
part has been drawn from the treasury,
amounting to sl03, 500.
The estimate OF the ordinary revenues
of the state for the current year, ending
Nov. 80, 1895, amount to s9S25, 100 From
this is to be deducted 1868, 9,37l.bo trans