The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-04-23
AN ACT DEFINING
LIBEL IS PASSED
Committee Appointed TO Investigate
Child Insurance Scandal.
SCHEMES TO USE CONVICT LABOR
The Commission Recommends That
Machinery BE Dispensed with in
Prisons--Smith Bill at the Head OF
the CaIendar--A Measure intro
duced Prohibiting the Sale of Beer
TO the Speakeasies.

barrlSDurgs April ZZ-lne senate
this morning cOncurred in the house
resolution providing for an investiga-
tion into the management of the East
ern and Western penitentiares.
The president pro TEN. appointed
Messrs Goblin, Hardenbergh and Dur
ham members of the committee, on the
part of the senate, to investigate the
child's insurance bill scandal
The act defining libel and its pun
ishment was passed finally without
dissenting voice. The vote was 30 to 0.
The commission appointed by the
legislature of 1896 to ascertain the best
methods Of utilizing convict labor so
as not to interfere with legitimate in
dustries made its report to the senate
today
The commission recommends that
machine labor shall be dispensed with
in the prisons of Pennsylvania.
The joint military committee in
formed the senate that it has completed
arrangements to enable the legislature
to attend the dedication of the Grant
monument in New York.
The house will adjourn tomorrow
morning until 3 o'clock Wednesday af-
ternoon.
The Smith bill regulating the distri-
button of the public school fund was
at the head of the calendar for the
days session. A similar bill has passed
the senate and on motion of Mr.. Smith,
of Bedford, consideration of the house
bill was postponed so that the senate
bill may be substituted. The Hamilton
road bill passed second reading.
MARSHALL'S BEER BILL.
Mr.. Marshall, of Allegheny, intro
duced a bill providing that brewers
shall pay an annual license fee of 81, 900
into the state treasury and that the Ii
cense shall be issued by the state treas
urer instead of the courts. The meas
ure also prohibits the sale of beer. ale
or porter by brewers to unlicensed
houses and speak easies."
Mr.. Muehlbronner, of Allegheny
called up postponed house bill limiting
the number of inmates of state penal
institutions to be employed in the
manufacture of goods and prohibiting
the use of machinery in the manufac-
ture of such goods. The bill was
amended so as not to apply to the
manufacturer of goods for the inmates
of such institutions and then laid aside
for second reading.
Mr. Gould, of Erie, called up post
poned house bill to make a uniform
poor system in the state outside of
counties containing a population of
more than $4,000. The purpose of the
act is to abolish the practice in some
counties of farming out" their poor.
The temper of the house was against
the measure, but it was so amended
by the author to meet many of the OBJ
jectlons. The bill in it's present form
does not apply to the poor districts un-
til the following conditions have been
complied with:
In all poor districts co-extensive with
counties and governed and managed by
directors of the poor elected as such,
when such poor directors Of any coun-
ty shall adopt a resolution expressl~ -
desire to come under the provisions
of the act and the resolution shall have
been approved by a grand jury of the
county and the president judge of the
district and placed on file in the office
of the clerk of the quarter sessions.
after which the act shall apply to such
poor district on and after Jan. / next
ensuing.
In all counties where the county COM
missoners are eX-officio poor directors
and as such have entire control and
management of the relief and mainten-
ance of the poor in such county poor
districts only when the same shall
have been recommended by two grand
Juries of the county and the president
judge of the district, shall have ap-
proved of the recommendation and it
has been placed on file in the office of
the clerk of quarter sessions of the
county after which the act shall apply
to the poor district on and after jan
uary / next ensuing.
In counties where the poor directors
are not co-eXtensiVe with the county
or where the poor districts are man
aged and controlled in whole or in
part by overseers of the poor the act
shall become operative only when the
oVerseers and voters of any such coun-
~ shall have recommended it by petit
tion and recommendation of one-half
Of the overseers of the county the court
of such county shall submit the ques-
tion Of coming under the provisions of
the act to the voters. The election
shall be held at any time as the poor
directors shall direct under the pro-
visions OF the act Of June, 1879, relat-
ing to poor districts and if a majority
COtnlDS
under the provisions of the act ther
1t shap become operative at once. In
all other counties and poor districts the
act shan become operative only when
local or special laws under which the
poor districts in such counties are or.
ganized and managed are repealed.
TO REGULATE FISHING.
A bill was introduced by Mr.. Stew.
art, of Philadelphia, regulating fish
Ing in the Delaware river. The meas
ure was drafted by the joint fish com
missioners of New York, New Jersey
Pennsylvania and Delaware, with tn,
understanding that 1t should be enact
ed by the legislatures of these foul
states before 1T should become opera
tive. 1t does away with fish baskets
and eel weirs. increases the sizes o
the meshes of shad and herring seine
and regulates the season for fishing.
The New Jersey legislature amended
the bin and 1t was not reached in tn,
New. York assembly. There is n,
chance OF It's being passed by the Penn
sylvania Legislature, but 1t was pre-
sented as an evidence OF good faitl
on the part OF the Pennsylvania com
mission.
At $50 the house adjourned to NEE