Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1895-04-11
HARRISBURG LETTER.
Talk of Extending the Legislative
Session to June l3.
TO CUT SCHOOL APPROPRIATIONS.
The Governor and His Advisers Consider
ing Proposition to Reduce the Appro-
psiations to Four and a Half Millions
Annually,
Especial Correspondence.)

Annually.
Especial Correspondence.)
HARRISBURG, April S.-The senate will
reconvene this evening after ten days
recess There will be no more holidays
for the lawmakers until the final adjourn
ment. The calendars are crowded with
bills, many of which will never see the
light of day. The members are beginning
to realize this and are working to get
special orders for those in which they have
the greatest interest. Beginning this
evening the order in the house on Monday
evenings will be consideration of senate
bills on second reading The appropria-
tion, apportionment and revenue bills are
still in committee. They will hardly be
reported before the close of the month.
The date Of the final adjournment has
not yet been fixed The senate would like
to get away on June 10, but the house
wants to quit week or two sooner.
Another proposition is to take recess from
May to Jan. l next, but this idea does
not meet with much encouragement.
Since the legislature began meeting on the
first Tuesday in January, under the con-
stitution of 1888, there have been seven
sessions that extended into June. That of
1889 lasted to June %, in 1910 the session
ended .on June 12, and in 1912 the law
makers remained in session until July 20.
In 1879, under the constitution of 1873,
the session closed on June 8, in 1881 on
June 9, in 1888 on June 6, in 1885 on June
IL and in 1893 on June /. Since the state
legislature began to hold sessions, Nov. %,
l776, ten extra sessions have been held. In
August, 1871, the extra session lasted ono
week; in 1913, nine days; in 1894, twenty
two days; in 1897, one day; in 1900, thirty
days; in 1929, twenty eight days; in 1857,
seven days; in 1861 sixteen days. in 1888,
from June to Dec. 6, and in 1891, the SEN
ate only, from Oct. 10 to Nov. IL. A curl
GUS thing in connection with the legisla-
lures under the constitution of 1875 was
that the first four each held two sessions
year, and the last three held three sessions
ayear. The present legislature, if it should
extend its session until June 13, as is now
proposed, will beat the record under the
constitution of 1873 by one day, the session
of 1885 having ended on June 12.
Kissing the Bible Abolished.
Governor Hastings has approved the
Fow bill abolishing the kissing Of the
Bible in administering of oaths and sub
stituting therefor the laying of the hands
on the open book. The approval of this
The act goes into effect at once. The only
three legal ways in which an oath can
hereafter be administered in this state are
by the hand resting ON the open Bible,
with the uplifted hand and by affirming.
The custom of kissing the book was abol.
ished by Judge Mcpherson two years ago
in the Lebanon county courts, and subse-
quently 1t was done away with in the
courts of Dauphin county. Mr.. Fow's
bill was endorsed by the state board of
health because of the great danger of
spreading infectious diseases by the indis-
criminato kissing of the Bible by witnesses
and Others in the criminal courts.
| The decrease in the state revenues will
likely result in a cut Of 81, coo, 900 year in
the school appropriation for the next two
years. A proposition to reduce the appro-
priation to 81, SOC, 900 annually is now be-
ing considered by Governor Hastings and
his cabinet Chairman Marshall, of the
house appropriation committee, thinks
this is one way of making ends meet In
dealing out the state revenues. DIR. Schaef-
fer, superintendent of public instruction,
has been asked to give his opinion. He
does not believe the appropriation ought
to be reduced, and has prepared for tho
Information of the governor statistical
statement, showing the amount of the
annual appropriation to the schools for
the past flfty-one years.
If the legislature agrees to the PROPOSE
tion to reduce the school appropriation
1000, 600 will be left for charities This
Is million less than the last legislature
distributed among the institutions of the
state. Members of the appropriations COM
mite have figured that If the reduction of
/ e1 ODO 0OO 10 adj aarh tay
for school purposes will have to pay an
| additional fourteen cents. In granting
appropriations to hospitals the committee
will try hard to benefit those institutions
which have been of the greatest benefit to
| the people. In this just treatment many
prominent concerns will be cut out of the
support which they have heretofore re-
ceived from the state.
Against Increasing a Salary.
The bill,to increase the salary of the SUI
perintendent of public printing and bind
ing from 50, 900 to 5000 year will prob.
ably never become law, although 1t has
gone through the senate. When the meas
ure reached second reading in the house,
to the great surprise of It's friends, it was
! killed. Subsequently the house reconsid-
| cred its action and sent the bill back to
committee, where it now fingers. Friends
of the measure will endeavor to amend 1t
in committee by fixing the salary at s., 800
1t is the general impression among the
lawmakers, though, that the salary of the
superintendent is sufficient, and the
chances are that the bill will never be
brought out of committee.
The house has passed for the second time
the Ritter bill to retire ON full pay judges
who have served twenty consecutive years
or thirty years altogether and have
reached the age of 70. The bill now only
affects Judges Hare, Finletter and ALI
son, of Philadelphia. 1t will not be many
years, however, before it will affect sew
eral other judges on the bench. The rural
members are almost unanimously op-
posed to the proposition, but out of cour-
tesy to Speaker Walton, It's most earnest
advocate they allowed 1t to go through on
second reading without calling the roll. A
bitter fight will be made against the meas
ure on third reading, with what result
suit 1t Is difficult to predict. Apparently
both sides are confident of success If the
bill ever gets through the house 1t will