The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-01-04
LABOR measures ABOUND
Representative Williams, Of Carbon
County, Grapples Company Stores.
FEATURES OF HIS LITTLE BILL
Another Subject Of Probable Legislation
Is the Establishing of q Cabinet Bureau
New Charity Pro.
jcct Is Also Urged.
Special to the Scranton Tribune.


Special to the Scranton Tribune.
Harrisburg, Pa, Jan. S.-There will
be numerous labor bills introduced dur
ing the present session of the legisla-
ture. Nearly every senator and repre-
sentative from the great labor centers
Of the commonwealth has been en-
trusted with labor measures of various
sorts. Chief among them are bills
which are intended to be amendments
to the semi-monthly pay law and the
act against the existence of company
stores. Attorney General Hensel in
his last biennial report, called the at
tention of Governor Pattison to the fact
that the act against manufacturing and
mining companies controlling stores Is
being persistently violated, but the
rather loosely constructed provisions
OF the act are such as to enable them
to do SO without legal accountability
Mr.. Williams, of Carbon, has bill
which he will introduce in the house
when it reconvenes that is intended to
be q blow at the company stores as
we'll as a relief to the workmen, the
miners especially. If the measure be-
comes a law it will prevent companies
from deducting from the wages OF
their employees the amount of the debts
they have contracted in these stores.
1t Is the practice with the managers OF
some of these company stores to regu-
larly keep from the employees the
amount of their indebtedness on pay
days. If the bill prevails this will no
hn n l.
lams says this Is species of attach
1nent of the employees wages, which, In
itself, is contrary to law, and that II
it becomes law the men will feel at
liberty to trade where they choose.
There are sure to be number of
amendments offered to the semi
monthly pay law In its present form
1t is practically worthless.
Reapportionment Troubles.
The York county delegation, which Is
the only solid Democratic delegation in
the house, Is much exercised over the
prospects of the passage of an appor-
tionment bill that will redistrict that
county so as to make 1t possible to
elect at least two Republican members.
BY making one large "shoestring" dis
trict nearly fifty miles in length it will
be possible to accomplish the purpose
of the Republican leaders. The Demo-
Gratis have no hope of saving the old
Democratic stronghold without a veto
of the proposed apportionment bill.
This, however, is not thing to be very
hopefully expected.
Several of the most influential men,
bers of both senate and house are said
to favor bill, the preparation of
which, under the supervision of Leon
ard Rhone and other leading grangers,
is nearly finished, for the consolidation
of the various disjointed and unsystem'
atized agricultural institutions more
or less connected with the state gov
ernment and the establishment of
state department of agriculture, whose
chief officer shall be entitled secretary
of agriculture. There is a similar pro-
ject, although less advanced in details
and outline, for department of chari-
ties and correction.
System and Harmony.
Among the complaints about the pres
ent state of things is one that many
men who are not real agriculturists
and are often nothing more than repre-
SentativeS of race tracks, manage to
become members of the state board of
agriculture. Then, it Is argued, the
dairy and food commissioner the state
college eXperimenters, the tobacco peo-
pie, the fishing and gaming experts
the state ornithologist, the forestry
commission and other specialists in
lines related to agriculture, all go their
own separate ways without such sys-
tematic direction or harmonious action
as would be for the best interests of the
tillers of the soil.
No specifications as to number of Off
GERS and clerks or amount of salaries
for the proposed department of agricul-
ture are yet divulged, but champions Of
the embryo law assert that its results
in saving money to the state will be
as gratifying as the promised bringing
OF order out of chaos. The forestry spe-
cialists mention that restrictions on the
Christmas tree business are suggested
by the waste of last month, when nine
ty carloads, containing 2,70O young
trees. were taken from Pike county
and thereabouts, and owing to the cor
ner" in the tree market, hundreds Of
them found no buyers. In general
way, the hackers of the new agricultur-
al department project propose to estab-
lish, among other bureaus, those OF
forestry, pure food fish and game. to-
bacco, dairy products, zoology and state
agricultural society. Each of these
bureaus would be expected to enforce
all the laws bearing upon their respec-
tive lines of business.
The New Charity Project.
As to the proposed department of
charities and corrections. governed by
q secretary or a reorganized board, it
is argued that the state, by an expendi-
ture fully one-third less than it has
been making for these purposes, could
accomplish more satisfactory results.
For instance, 1t is said, homes for chill
dren could be consolidated, and there
by not only a reduction in the number
of officers and employees would be made,
but a uniform and more economical
system, with better care for the chill
dren, could be established. The desire
to provide salaried places for people in
the multiplication Of homes and asy-