Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1895-07-01
THE GOVERNORS VETO.
HASTINGS REASONS FOR TURNING
DOWN QUAY COUNTY.
Thinks That Taxpayers Would Suffer and
the Division Would Benefit Only a
Few-Also Considers 1t Special Legisia-
tion-How the News Was Receive

Governor Hastings on Thursday even
ing vetoed the bill by which the proposed
new county was to be formed out of por-
tions of Luzerne and Schuylkill. Below
is the statement of the governor in ex-
planation of his act:
''This bill by its title is general in
character. 1t is entitled AN act to pro-
vide for the erection and organization OF
new counties out of two or more adjoin-
ing counties and prescribing the manner
in which the same may be done An
examination of the body of the bill, how
ever, discloses this language: Provided
further, that in the construction of any
such new county no comfy from which
1t Is formed or partly formed shall be
reduced in population below $50 in
habitants, as ascertained by the last
preceding decennial census. The con-
stitutional limitation upon the formation
of new counties is that No new county
shall be established which shall reduce
any county to less than 400 square miles
or to less than 20, 900 inhabitants, nor
shall any county be formed of less area
or containing a less population, nor
shall any line thereof pass within ten
miles of the county seat of any county
proposed to be divided
This bill has received very patient
consideration. Its advocates and oppon-
ents have been heard at length, and it
is conceded by the friends of the meas
ure that, II it were to become law, it
would at present be applicable to but
single locality in the commonwealth.
The adjoining counties of Luzerne and
Schuylkill, it is claimed, are the only
counties that could furnish the necessary
area and population, and neither be re-
duced below $1,000 inhabitants, as re-
quired by the bill. This measure was
argued, therefore, before the executive
with reference to proposed new county
to be formed by adding part of Schuyl
Kill to part of Luzerne county with
Hazleton as the proposed county seat,
and without reference to any other
locality.
"After a careful consideration of all
the reasons advanced for and against
the bill | have reached the conclusion
that it is without merit. There seems
to exist no necessity for the legislation.
To permit this bill to become law and
to become operative upon the locality
referred to | believe would be exceed
ingly onerous and oppressive to the tax
payers of the district contained within
the new county limits.
1T has been demonstrated to me that
the taxpaying population of the district
is not sufficiently large to warrant the
the expense of erecting public buildings
and paying the cost of the administration
of county affairs
"Those who would be called upon to
pay the taxes are almost unanimously
against the measure, and, while some
Inconvenience may obtain at present
for part of the population to reach the
county seat at Wilkesbarre, 1t is incom-
parably less important than the serious
burdens that would be imposed upon the
taxpayers II the bill were to be approved.
This act is so specific in character and
so hedged about by provisos as to make
il applicable to but single locality in
the commonwealth, and it's constitu-
tionality is therefore more than doubt
ful "