The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1897-03-31
News From the stars Capital.

A bill was introduced in the house
Thursday by Mr.. Jeffries to provide for
building commission to erect a new capi-
tol. The measure authorizes the govern
or. auditor general and state treasurer,
who constitute the commission. to ask
for competitive bids and specifications
for a modern building from architects,
citizens and residents of Pennsylvania,
to be submitted within thirty days after
il becomes a law. The commission shall
select five Of the best plans which shall
become the property of the state and
they shall pay for those selected by di-
viding one-half OF one per cent. of the
cost of the building into equal parts and
giving to each architect an equal share.
From the five plans selected the conf
mission shall select an architect who
shall superintend the erection of the
building. for which he shall receive four
and one-half per cent. of the cost of the
building. The commissioners shall adj
vertise thirty days for bids for the entire
work from builders who are citizens of
Pennsylvania. The bids shall be received
at a fixed time and shall be opened in
public and scheduled and the contract
awarded to the lowest responsible bid
der, who shall give proper security for
the completion of the work before No
vember l, 1S9s. The entire work done
upon the building shall be by citizens of
PENNSYLVANIA and all materials, so far as
possible, used in the construction shall be
secured in Pennsylvania The cost of
erecting the building shall not exceed
sI,OOO.OO0.
A new legislative apportionment bill
was introduced by Mr.. Patterson, of
Blair. Allegheny county gains four menu
bers, Cambria, Lackawanna, Blair, JEFF
ferson, Clearfield and Luzerne one each,
while the counties of Adams, Chester,
Crawford, Lawrence, Somerset, Bedford,
Clarion, Huntingdon, Mercer, Wayne,
Bradford. Columbia, Lancaster and
Schuylkill each lose a member.
The bill TO prohibit treating TO intoxi-
eating liquor was killed by vote of =
to l3 yeas. The senatorial patriots con-
sidered this bill un-American.
BY vote of ~ to - the house killed a
bill increasing the minimum school term
in the state from six TO seven months.
This measure has been up at every ses-
sion for ten years and has always been
knocked out by the rural members.
Twelve years ago the term was increased
from five to six months and no legisla-
ton on this point has since been enacted.
Mr.. Hermann, of Snyder, led the oppo-
sition yesterday and won amer a hard
reading and final passage by Chairman
Hammond, of the education committee.
The joint committee appointed to in
vestigate the offices of the state treasurer
and the auditor general made its report
Tuesday. The report practically exoner-
ates the state treasurer and auditor gen.
eral from the charges of mismanagement
which have been made against their Off
ces. Whatever effects were found were
ascribed to an insufficient clerical force
and to faults in the systems under which
the departments are managed. The
house accepted both reports, but took ~
vote on the question of adoption.
The jury in the case of the soldiers or
| phans' school commission against Rev,
Dr. Swallow. editor of the Pennsylvania
Methodist charged with criminal libel
returned a verdict of not guilty, but di-
rected the defendant to pay the costs.
At meeting OF the "Seventy-six,
Thursday night, Senator William Finn
offered a resolution calling ON John Wan
amaker to become candidate for State
| Treasurer, and it was unanimously
adopted.
| The good roads bill drafted by JOIN
Hamilton, deputy secretary of agrieult
ure, and now in the legislative mill
aims 10 secure efficient work from tn,
| citizens who woIk out their road tax 10y
| placing over them a roadmaster appoint
| ed by the supervisors TO direct repairs t.
| the roads. Their shall also be a treasures
of the board of supervisors who shall re
lieve the board from all clerical work jus
as the roadmaster relieves the supervi
sors from the work of directing repairs
| Under the new law the townships will bt
districted into sections of twenty mile.
each of which is to be in charge of gooC
common laborer, who directs the labol
that reports to him and acts upon instruc
| tions received from time to time from tn,