The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1895-06-07
HARRISBURG LETTER.
This Is the Last Week Of the Pres
ent Legislative Session.
THEQUAY COUNTY BILL WILL PASS
The Female Teachers Have Not Given Up
the Fight for Equal Fay with Men Teach
ers - The Porter School Bill Has No
Chance for Passage.
Especial Correspondence)

Especial Correspondence.)
HARRISBURG, June 3.-The close Of this
week will see the close of the state legis-
lature. The Legislators have been work
ing day and night the past two weeks,
preparing for the final adjournment. In
the house nearly all the appropriation
bills have been passed The house appro-
priation committee has cleared It's calen-
dar OF house bills and at its meeting to-
day the senate measures will be taken up
for final consideration. The Legislators
will get very little rest from now until
the close of the session. The calendars
are loaded with bills. many of which can
never be reached This is especially the
case with the house. The senate Is up
with Its work and has nothing to do but
consider measures messaged to II from
the lower branch Of the legislature.
The Quay county bill will be called up
in the house tomorrow for final passage.
Senator Quay is anxious that the bill shall
pass, and there seems to be no doubt but
that 1t will go through by comfortable
majority.
The general appropriation bill will be
passed finally this afternoon in the house.
The bill has already gone through second
reading, and is now in the appropriations
committee to be perfected. There will be
fierce fight In the senate over the prop
osition to reduce the school appropriation
Sl,0000O0 for the next two years. 1t was
intended to report the bill from the house
committee with an item giving the schools
$ll, 100000 but this plan has been aban-
doned The program is TO attempt to scale
down the appropriation in the senate and
then send the bill to conference com.
mittee.
The Beer Tax Bill.
The Cochrane beer bill, taxing brewers
twenty-four cents barrel of thirty-one
gallons for all malt liquors browed in the
state will come up in the senate this
week for final passage There is much OBJ
lection to the measure in its present form,
and 1t will probably be amended so as to
give the auditor general authority to ap-
point collectors to sell stamps to the brew
ers and enforce the law.
The state conference bill, which makes
complete change in the state revenue
system, is still in the hands of the senate.
Tho fate Of the bill cannot be predicted.
On the surface there is no serious opposi-
tion to the measure, yet 1t is the general
impression of those who have given the
matter attention that the bill will never
go through the senate.
The religious garb bill will come up in
the house this afternoon for concurrence
in the senate amendment which places
the penalty for violation of the proposed
act upon the school directors employing
teachers who wear any religious garb or
insignia in the school room, and not upon
the teachers themselves. The friends of
the measure have no fault to find with the
change and the bill will go through with
practically no opposition.
There will be q conference between q
Joint committee from the senate and
house on the two judicial apportionment
bills. The house bill is not to the liking
Of the senator's, while the representatives
will have nothing to do with the senate
measure, The result will likely be that
the committee will not be able to agree
on bill satisfactory to both branches Of
the legislature and that there will be no
change in the present judicial districts.
The time of the house during the re-
mainder Of the session will be taken up in
considering appropriation and senate bills
and the reports of conference committees.
Talk of an Extra Session.
With the defeat of apportionment there
is renewed talk of the possibility of the
governor calling an extra session for legis-
lation ON that subject and to consider the
question of revenue, as 1t Is almost an as
sured fact that no revenue bill will be
passed this session. In view Of the de-
pleted condition of the treasury there are
few who seriously expect such a movement
on the part of the governor, as the present
legislature has clearly indicated that il
wants no opposition.
The appropriation bills are all in ex-
cellent shape and can easily be passed in
time The general appropriation bill has
passed second reading in the house, and By
this evening it will be ready to go to the
senate After today the senate will con
slider only house bills and the house only
senate bills.
A bill which, If passed, will be worth
over 500, 900 to the city of Philadelphia !:
now hanging fire In the senate, having
passed the house. Under the present law
the state pays one half the cost of main
tanning tho INDECENT insane of the various
counties in the state hospitals. When th'
counties have more INDECENT insane thar
can be cared for at the state hospitals
they have to care for them themselves
Outside of Philadelphia the number o!
INDECENT insane supported entirely by tn,
counties Is very small. Philadelphia
however has l 800 patients in the Norris
town Asylum and supports in addition
LOO patients in the county asylum, II
the state pays one-balf the maintenance
Of some Of the INDECENT insane Superin
tendent Lawrence, of the Philadelphia
Almshouse, contends she should help sup
port all, and he has drawn the pending
bill to meet that point. 1t provides tina
county shall be credited with paymen
for as many patients in the state hospital
as she cares for herself
Senator Quay ms a Peacemaker.
The visit of Senator Quay has had won
ierful effect in clearing the legislative al
mosphere, and there will now be no troubl
whatever in winding up by Friday night
80 us to adjourn finally at noon ON Satul
day. The calendar, TOO, will be neare
cleaned up than at any time for years, an
the indications are that no important bi
will 20 down In the final crash. The az
portionment bugaboo is safely out of tn
way, the intermediate court bill is throug
the house and likely to pass the senat
with but little trouble since Senator Qua
has come out in its favor, and the Qua
courtv hill L. also in n fair way of becOn