Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1897-01-29
HARRISBURG LETTER
A Bill to Abolish Borough and
Township PoOrhouses.
THE SCHOOL FUND DISTRIBUTION.

A DeoIsion by Secretary Reeder Affecting
Many Corporations Doing Business in
the state--A Bill Fixing Seven Months
as the Minimum School Term.
Especial Correspondence.)
HARRISBURG, Jan 25.-Owing to the fact
that the election of the United States SEN
ator is over, the appointments made and
the various committees formed, the leRis-
lature will now proceed to the vigorous
dispatch Of business There Is likely to
be little friction between opposing fac
tions over some matters Of legislation, but
1t is believed that harmony will prevail in
the end. This was manifest after the in
PRODUCTION of a concurrent resolution call
ing for an investigation Of the state treas
ury and auditor generals departments.
which was introduced by Senator Nit
chell, Of Jefferson, Senator Finn opposed
the resolution on the grounds that there
were no charges against either depart
ment, and therefore the resolution was
unnecessary; but it passed with few dis
senting votes When the resolution was
introduced in the house, Mr.. Bliss Of Del
aware, was quick to oppose It, because IL
did not specify when the committee must
ANE1Ab 4hAe DAAh5 nlONoQ 10 hInenQ III SO
the committee would be required to report
not later than March 10. The motion was
carried. Some Of the members feared It
was presented to head off intended legisla-
ton. 1t is thought a motion will be made
to reconsider it this week, in which event
lively discussion will no doubt ensue
Proposed Legislation.
Deputy Secretary Of Agriculture John
Hamilton's road bill, as introduced in the
senate last week by Senator McQuown, of
Clearfleld, will receive early attention,
and it Is thought IL will be passed with
little opposition. The principal features
OF this bill are that 1t provides for the cleo
ton Of three supervisors in each township;
one to serve one year, one to serve two
years and one three years. They are to
levy tax, which shall not exceed ten
mills on each dollar ON the last adjusted
valuation for county purposes, and a
greater rate than ten mills, but not more
than thirty, may be levied by the court Of
quarter sessions upon the petition of the
board with their unanimous reoommen-
dation, and due cause shown, ca ch resi-
dent male taxable TO be assessed the sum
of 81 In addition to the millage referred to.
This bill also provides that person
eligible to the office of supervisor must be
freeholder. A road master is to be en-
ployed who shall work on the roads at
least seven months in the year. One-half
of the tax is payable in money and the
other half in work. The provisions Of this
act is to go into effect the first Monday
of March, 1898
Mr.. Gould, of Erie, will offer bill early
in the session to abolish borough and
township poorhouses. This will embrace
Of ha . H. III a. 4
during the session Of 1895, which was de-
feated owing to its being considered too
comprehensive. 1t is now framed to elm
mate any of the Objectionable features of
the former bill The friends of this bill,
who have been laboring industrlously in
It's interests, are very sanguine of its be-
coming a law
Distribution of the School Appropriation.
Mr.. Bell, of Miffln county, will shortly
introduce a bill providing for a more
equitable basis in the distribution Of the
school appropriation. Instead of this dis
tribution being made on the percentage
of taxables In the several school districts
1t provides that it be made in accordance
with the number of children of school age
in the district Governor Hastings con-
demns the present method and recon-
mends its abolition in part. He bases his
objections on the reports of the state SUPER
intendent of public instruction for 1891
and 1898. He finds that there is not a sim
gle county in the state in which there Is
not at least one district that received in
1891 more than double as much per school
as some other districts in the state. The
object of the state In the appropriation Of
money for public education, he believes,
Is not to abolish taxes, but to abolish illit-
eracy, and the aid should be in proportion
to the need.
How to remedy the overcrowded hos
pitfalls for the insane and penitentiaries
is question having some consideration
at the present time.
A bill is now in course of preparation
requiring each county of the common
wealth to establish hospital for the in
sane, to be operated in connection with
the poor farms, and these to receive state
aid to assist them In their successful
operation. 1t is hoped in this way to dis
pose of this part of the problem. Rumor
is current an effort will be made during
the session to provide suitable building
in which to keep the criminal insane.
1t is thought by some that the times de-
mand an institution Of that kind, and
that 1t deserves special consideration.
There seems to be a strong sentiment
developing of the advisability Of looping
off at least 8, ,OOO, 0O0 in school appropria-
tions, and that the amount Of money ap-
propriated by the state to the schools Is
much too great. Instead of Its being an
incentive TO further the interests Of the
public schools Il is used in many districts
to reduce taxation.
A Blow at Corporations.
General Reeder, secretary of the COM
monwealth, has decided a question in re-
spect to stock dividends that has never
been adjudicated in state departments or
the courts of the state. This relates TO a
method employed by many Of the corpora
tions Of Pennsylvania of retaining their
exclusive franchise, by increasing their
capital stock in ordor to avoid paying
their dividends, which would have
amounted to more than per cent. for
five years upon the capital stock. This
decision grew out OF an application made
by Scranton capitalists for a water COM
pany charter, in the borough Of Philips
burg, against which the Philipsburg Wa
ter company made protest on the grounds
thAs it had exclusive franchise. 1t was
shown at a hearing before Secretary
Reeder that the old company had paid In
dividends In fifteen years S5 per cent. and
In stock dividends, representing surplus
earnings expended for the improvement
and betterment of the plant, S27 900. 1t
was contended by the oompany's attorney
that these stock dividends were in reality
Investments by the stockhoider, and
could not be taken into con alteration in
estimating the profits Of the concern, for
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