Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1897-04-09
HARRISBURG LETTER.
The Hamilton Road Bill Now Re-
oeiving Special Consideration.
THE COMING STATE ELECTION.
Republican Legislators Actively Cam
vassing for Their FhvoriteS-siuber-
natorini Candidates Already Beinx
Boomed-AIny Not Take a HOLIDAY.

vassing for Their Favorite~-tiuber-
natorini Candidates Already Beinx
Boomed-AIny Not Tnlse Holiday.
Especial Correspcndence.)
Harrisburg. April 6.-Beyond the pas
sage OF a number of bills on first and
second reading ard a few finally. but
little was accomplished by the house Of
representatives during the few days
they were in session last week
number of bills that are on the calen-
dar are being worked for very indus
triously by their enterprislng proiec-
tors. with hope OF eventually securing
their final passage. Among those that
are being pushed by their trainers are
what is known as the French salary
bill. BY the provisions of this measure
the salaries Of county officials are to be
based on what is believed to be more
equitable basis. II provides that the
state he divided into counties Of first
second and third classes. etc, and that
in a county having population Of over
$50 600 the district attorney shall re-
ceive $4,000 salary. sheriff $500, pro-
thonotaries $4,000. clerk of courts 81, 500
treasurer $4,000 commissioners sl5O0
each, and auditors $500 each. this to
constitute a county of the third class
In county containing over 100, 900 and
less than 10000, the salaries OF the
county officials are to be as follows:
District attorney, $4,000; sheriff, Sc, coo;
prothonotaries. $5 500; clerk OF courts.
$4,000; register, $500; recorder, SO, 500;
treasurer, s3,5G0; commissioners. $1,000
each. and auditors $3.50. The counties
of the sixth class are those having less
than so. 900 population. and the salaries
in these are to be: For district attor-
ney, $1,000; sheriff, $500; prothonotary.
1900; clerk of court, $1,000; treasurer.
81, ,5OO commissioners, $500 each; sur
veyor, 500; auditors. $3.50 each, and
coroner $3.50. The bill also provides
that all fees collected by county Of
ficials, in addition to their salaries, are
to be turned over to either the county
or state.
The Hamilton Road Bill.
The Hamilton road bill is now receiv-
ing special consideration and is growing
in popularity The objections that have
been made to 1t in some of the country
districts have now been met-when a
comparison is made between the ex-
penses incurred in the operation of the
present law. BY a careful investiga-
tion it is found that the Hamilton, OF
senate bill No Q, will effect a saving
TO the taxpayers of 1920, ,s31, because
the present system of supervision costs
for the salaries of 1920 supervisors an
average of $3.50 each annually, which
makes a total of S4S4, 500. The Ham
ilton road bill would allow to each
supervisor only s54 for the supervision
of each township. In Pennsylvania
there are 1,53S townships, making the
total cost of supervision under the
Hamilton bill $S3,052, while the salary
of the treasurer of the board under
this same law cannot exceed pei
cent of the money tax collected, and
may be fixed at a little lower sum
The entire road tax in Pennsylvania IL
1895 amounted to $3622, 7Os. BY tho
Hamilton bill one-half of this sun
would be payable in cash. II the maxi
mum sum of per cent were allowed
It, would. .maJle, the, .salSIisR! Of AL thI
added to the supervisors salaries
would amount to $15S,61 as the tota
cost of supervision for the state unde,
the Hamilton law. Thus II is plain tc
be seen that, Instead of increasing tht
tax on the farmers. a saving would
be effected of 1926 SS1. The present svs.
TEN of taxation for road purposes costs
13 4-10 per cent for road supervision
while by the Hamilton law It would
cost only $40 per cent. thereby SAVING
lilo per cent to the taxpayers.
The owners of bicycles are very much
exercised over the Introduction of a bill
to impose a tax on each bicycle in the
commonwealth, the proceeds of which
are to be used for the improvement of
the public roads. They are bringing
very considerable pressure to bear
against the passage of this bill, and
they have very just ground for COM
plant. They claim that. by the present
wasteful and extravagant system of
roadmaking, no amount of money ex-
pended would be OF much benefit to
the public roads of the state. They
say they are not opposed to the nav
ment of a tax on bicycles If the state
had any systematic system of improv-
ing the highways that was In any way
in keeping with judicious and substan-
tial Improvement but unless there Is
better system adopted they will
contend bitterly against imposing any
tax on their wheels.
Electric Light Legislation,
Since the introduction OF the electric
light there has been disposition
among the members to legislate In
respect to fixing the price of this H.
luminant. Several bills have been in
trodueed recently which. n they be-
come laws, would drive this system
OF lighting out Of the market. Such
legislation as this has a tendency to
check the Introduction of improve
ments, which is greatly to be deplored.
The committee Of public grounds and
buildings OF the house, in their report
TO Speaker Boyer in reference to the
special message OF Governor Hastings
concerning the necessity for legislative
action providing for the erection of a
capitol building, claim they find that
the commonwealth OF Pennsylvania is
practically free from debt They as
sert that existing provisions for the
sinking fund will redeem all Of its out
standing obligations as they mature.
In view Of this they recommend that
the state is justlfiable in the expendi-
ture of not less than 81 900 600, but not
TO exceed this amount. for the erection
OF new capitol building. It looks now
as II this viii be the amount that will
be eventually agreed upon. In their
report this committee recommend that
In order to provide for the proposed
expenditure by taxation a slight in
crease on the existing rate Of corpora
tion tax, the enactment by law of a
succession tax on inheritance of every
kind above a moderate figure. and a
tax on beer. an article OF luxury and OF
very general use, would provide ample
revenue for the raising Of the amount