The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-02-02
The Various Reform Bills Now Being
Pushed.
USELESS EXPENDITURE VOTED
Both Houses Pass a Resolution Providing
For the Spending Of $50, 600 For Mail
ing Legislative Records-Anti-
Treating and other New
Measures.
lspeolnl Corresnondenoe.l

All Jne proposed legislative measures. The
bill is intended to modify the present anti
pool law, which is admitted to have over
reached the purpose of its legislative sup
porters and blighted important agricul-
tural interests.
The new bill is backed by most Of the
agricultural societies of the state, as we'll
as the various racing associations, includ-
ing those OF Philadelphia and vicinity,
n McKee's Rocks, Allegheny county.
By limiting to twenty-five the number of
days Tor racing in a year, on any estab-
ilshed track, and allowing restricted pool
selling on that number of days, the pro-
posed law is expected to practically pre-
vent the construction of new race tracks
for continuous racing.
The bill specifies that no part Of the
twenty-five days racing, with the pool
selling confined to the grounds and to the
races there in progress, shall be don in
the period from Nov. to April 80, inclus-
i've, and there shall not be more than six
days of the sport in any one of the six
months from May to October, included.
1t Is argued that this arrangement will
restore the lost vitality of the county fair
grounds throughout the state, while at
the same time barring out the gambling
and other evils which prompted a former
legislature to action, the results Of which
may not have been f~oreseen and were GER
tainly not desired by the farming com
munities. The bill, therefore, is expected
to receive its main support from repre-
sentatives in whose counties the former
opposition to even such restrictions as are
now to be put upon pools found it's chief
backing.
Many Reform Measures.
The Municipal Leagues seven reform
bills recently introduced include one
aimed against political assessments on Of
hceholders' salaries or wages. A bill for
the same purpose is among the several
Quay reform measures. which will be in
troduced this week. Another Municipal
League bill on civil service applies only
to Philadelphia, while the Quay project
is for a state commission and would be a
general law. A third bill from the
League puts increased restrictions around
municipal contracts. The other League
bills, in addition to putting the tax office
and city treasury under civil service
rules, would bar out city counciImen
from holding public office of profit, and
would require an income from franchises
and reduce the number of members in
councils, electing the select councilmen at
large.
The Quay Heutenants say they are ready
to take from the Municipal league bills or
elsewhere any suggestions that may inn
prove the Quay bills, al hough the latter
are claimed to be more radical than any
other measures yet introduced on the same
subjects. All the league bills, as well as
other municipal reform plans, including
those of Senator Quay, will be acted upon
by the house municipal affairs committee,
in which there are two Wanamaker vot-
ers, and the municipal corporations COM
mittee of the senate, in which all the Re
publicans were Penrose voters.
Representative Keator's bill to create n
salaried commission, with qualifications
of supreme court justices, for the purpose
of s~crutinizing all bills as soon as reported
from committees, and again just before
sending them to the governor, is not re-
ceived with much favor among Quayites.
This fact is attributed by anti-Quay men
to the circumstance of Mr.. Keator's ay-
ing been the original Wanamaker can
didate for representative in Philadelpbia.
Representative Crothers, of Philadel-
phia, has. a bill which he will soon intro
duce to repeal the law passed in 1895.
through the efforts Of Senator Charles A.
Porter, to facilitate the consolidation of
corporations.
Extravaganza in Expenditure.
There was a resolution passed bv the
senate recently, as we'll as by the house.
which means a useless expenditure Of $40
GOO of the peoples money. There was but
n dissenting vote in the senate. and
none in the house. The resolution pro-
vides that hereafter forty copies of the
Legislative Record shall be allotted to
each member OF the legislature daily, to
be mailed to their constituents.
II costs inst about t--c ,u-A-
to mail these Records. This is an unneces.
sary expense of 5000 per day. For $50 DAVIS
of a session it means just 100000, exclu-
siye of the increased cost of publishing.
The Legislative Record In the past has
been one Of the superb fakes" of every
legislative session, 1t has frequently been
an unending source of annoyance to tho
members, NotOnly has it been notOriouslv
inaccurate at times, but it has rarely an
peared with regularity. At one time
several sessions ago, The Record was over
a week behind time, Already this session
have thoro boon two members in the house
who have found it necessary to correct the
publication.
The anti-treating bill, offered by Mr.
McElhaney, Of Allegheny, does not carry
in its provisions any reference to the word
treating Its enacting section provides
UhaI 10 hhulA pe unlawful for any person
holding a license for the sale Of LIQUOR TO
allow any person or persons to drink mon
or around the premises intoxiatirr "a
quors, except such haye~5een paid for nv
the person who opposes to drink ft. ME
penalty lAposej is a fine Of not more than
s9Elnor less than $50, with optional inn
prisonment for not more than one vear or
than one month, by order Of the court,
bills TO Protect the Flag.
There have been two bills introduced
which provide for penalties for dishonor-
ing on Decorating the American Gag.
Representative FAIR, of Laokawanna. ana
Representative Keator, Of PHILADELPHIA
are the authors Of these bills. Strangely
enough neither provides for the deseora-
ton of the flag by advertisers. They sim
ply make provision that it shall be unlaw-
tnl for IN person to. wilfullv or mali
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