The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-05-10
LA AWMAkERS ARE At WORK
House Of Representatives Will Hold
Three Sessions Daily.
REVENUE BILLS CONSIDERED
Morning and Afternoon Session Devoted
Entirely to Discussion OF Measures
Framed by the State Conference.
Various Objections Offered.
Special to the Scranton Tribune.

| Special to the Scranton Tribune.
Harrisburg, May 9.-The house held
| three sessions today in order to avoid
session tomorrow. The order of busi-
ness at the morning and afternoon ses-
| sions was the consideration of revenue
! bills on second reading In the evening
the order was senate bills on second
| reading and original resolutions.
| Speaker Walton is urging the house
| to keep at work in order that 1t may
clear its calendar and get away on May
| 23. He says three sessions a day will
be held next week. Mr.. Walton Is con-
fdent the session will close this month
but the general impression of his col
leagues is that the final adjournment
will not come before the first week of
June.
The morning and afternoon sessions
were almost entirely devoted to the dis
cussion of the revenue bill framed by
the state tax conference, representing
the six great interests of the state.
Chairman Ritter. of the ways and
means committee, called up the meas
ure. The agreement to give as much
as necessary to the bill as followed out
by the postponement of the three spe-
cial orders for the morning. The main
fight on the provisions of the revenue
bill was made on an effort to amend
section thirteen so as to reduce the
tax on foreign building and loan asso-
Citations from 2 per cent. to mills.
This lasted through the morning ses-
sion into the afternoon and resulted
finally in the adoption of the amend
ment. Representative Fow, Of Phila-
delphia, unsuccessfully opposed the sec
ton taxing mutual savings associa-
tions.
When the bill was taken up by agree
ment Mr.. Zulick, of Northampton.
moved to postpone indefinitely. This
opened the discussion and Mr.. Ritter
took the floor and made an elaborate
argument in support of the measure.
He contended it would raise more reve-
nue. than the present law and was
more equitable and just. Ex-Auditor
General Niles, member of the state
tax conference, was the next speaker.
He said the bill did not altogether suit
the wishes Of his constituency, al
though it was a great step toward the
solution of the problem of equalization
of taxation.
Objections of Mr.. Niles.
Mr.. Niles said the ways and means
committee made mistake, In his judg-
ment, in striking out the provisions
taxing building and loan associations,
manufacturing corporations and mu-
tual insurance companies. He sent to
the desk and had read by the clerk a
resolution adopted yesterday at a meet
ing of the legislative committee of the
state grange accepting the bill so far
as it corresponds with the measure pre-
pared by the tax conference as set
tlement of the question of relative and
equitable taxation, and disappearing
of the changes objected to by Mr.. Niles
The resolution recites further that
the committee docs not accept the bill
as a settlement of the question of state
taxation of these corporations, but re-
CARDS ourselves at liberty to continue
the agitation for the taxation by the
state Of these corporations. That be-
lieving that the bill as amended is more
equitable and just and based on better
revenue law, we urge its passage, re-
serving to ourselves however the right
to endeavor to secure state taxation of
the classes of corporations that are
now exempted"
Mr.. Niles did not think the scheme
Of capital tax should be changed. AS
a reason for this stand he recited an in
stance showing that the Reading rail-
road, with property of equal value and
about the same amount OF capital stock
as the Pennsylvania railroad, paid only
about half as much taxes, because it's
bonded Indebtedness had wiped out the
capital stock value.
After further discussion the motion
to indefinitely postpone was withdrawn
and the adoption of the bill by sections
begun. All went smoothly until the
twelfth section, when Mr.. Fow demand
ed a division and then the yeas and
nays. This section taxes the deposits
on mutual savings fund associations
which do not have paid-up capital
stock. The section passed with only
twenty-seven dissenting votes.
Great Fight of the Day.
When the next section was called up
the great fight Of the day began. This
section placed a tax of two per cent. on
the deposits on foreign building and
associations. Chairman Ritter present.
ed an amendment reducing this to
mills. Immediately a half dozen men,
bers were on their feet for recognition
Mr. Bliss, of Delaware. was first to be
ing the tax was in line with the fight
made by the representatives of the for
eign building concerns against bills
which had already been in the house.
Mr.. Mattox, of Venango, thought the
tax ought to be reduced Then Mr..
Bliss very sharply inquired of Mr.. Ritter
If the amendment had ever been sub
mitted to the ways and means commit
tee Mr. Ritter admitted that 1t had not
and said that 1t had been agreed upon,
however, in general conversation. Then
Mr.. Crowthers, Of Philadelphia, took
the floor and denounced in vigorous
language the foreign building and loan
associations. He said they were on a
par with the short term orders, whose
failures had caused so many losses to
the people OF the state.
Bills Passed Finally
The following house bills passed
finally: Relating to the use Of oils or
other products for illuminating pur-
poses in coal mines; to prohibit the
adulteration Of milk by the addition of
so called preservatives; making dying
declarations competent In prosecutions
for criminal abortions; the chairman of
the committee on rules made a report
which was adopted. providing for night
sessions hereafter on Tuesdays,
Wednesdays and Thursdays Of each
week.
The house this evening, by vote of
80 to % endorsed the preamble and reso-
lutions adopted May last by the as