The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-04-05
NEWS FROM
HARRISBURG !
The Hamilton Road Bill Now Receiving
Special Consideration.
THE COMING STATE ELECTION
Republican Legislators Actively Canvass
ing For Their Favorites- -Gubernatorial
Candidates Already Being Doomed.
May Not Take a Holiday
Special HERALD correspondence.

little was accomplished by the house OF
representatives during the few DAYS
they were in session last week. A
number of bills that are on the caIen.
dar are being worked for very indus.
triously by their enterprlsing projec-
tors, with a hope Of eventually securing
their final passage Among those that
are being pushed by their trainers are
what is known as the French salary
Dill BY the provisions of this measure
the salaries of county officials are to be
based on what is believed to be a more
equitable basis. 1t provides that the
stat be divided into counties Of first,
second and third classes, etc, and that
In county having a population Of over
600 the district attorney shall re-
ceive $4,000 salary sheriff Sc 50O pro-
thonotaries $4,000, clerk of courts SO. 800.
treasurer $4,000, commissioners 81, 500
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 900;
prothonotaries, S5 500; clerk of courts,
$500 register, $500; recorder, 50, 500;
treasurer, $500; commissioners, 81, 200
each, and auditors $3.50 The counties
of the sixth class are those having less
than $4,000 population, and the salaries
in these are to be: For district attor-
ney, $4,000; sheriff, $500; prothonotary.
Sl500; clerk Of court, $1,000; treasurer,
$l,bOO; commissioners. 5000 each: sur
Veyor, 500; auditors, $3.50 each, and
coroner $3.50. The bill also provides
that all fees collected by county Of
fcials, i'm 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 it 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-
ton it is found that the Hamilton. or
senate bill No. g. will effect saving
to the taxpayers of 1920, ,S31, because
the present system of supervision costs
for the salaries of 1890 supervisors an
average of $3.50 each annually, which
makes a total of $4S4, 500. The Ham
ilton road bill would allow to each
supervisor only $54 for the supervision
Of each township. In Pennsylvania
there are 1888 townships, making the
total cost Of supervision under the
Hamilton bill $83O52. while the salary
Of the treasurer of the board under
this same law cannot exceed 5 per
cent of the money tax collected, and
may be fixed at a little lower sum
The entire road tax in Pennsylvania in
1895 amounted to $S,622,708 By the
Hamilton bill one-half of this sum
would be payable in cash If the maxi
mum sum of per cent were allowed
1t would make the salaries of all the
treasurers of the boards of supervisors
Ia the commonwealth SIS. SCI This sum.
added to the supervisors salaries
would amount to S15S, ,619 as the total
cost of supervision for the state under
the Hamilton law. Thus it is plain to
be seen that, instead Of increasing the
tax on the farmers. a saving would
be effected OF $325,SS1 The present sys-
tenn of taxation for road purposes costs
lS 4-l0 per cent for road supervision.
while by the Hamilton law 1t would
cost only 4 $40 per cent, thereby saving
lilo per cent to the taxpayers.
The owners Of bicycles are very much
exercised over the introduction Of a bin
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
roadmakng, 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 pay
ment of 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-
ual Improvement but unless there is
better system adopted they win
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 IL
luminant, Several bills have been in
troduced recently which, If they be-
come laws, would drive this system
of lighting out of the market Such
tN1i'A9tApA as lils mas tendency to
check the introduction Of improve
ments which is greatly to be deplored.
The committee of public grounds ana
buildings of the house, i'm 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 viii redeem all of it's out
standing obligations as they mature.
In view of this they recommend that
the state Is justihable in the expendi-
ture Of not less than 81 600 600. but not
TO exceed this amount. for the erection
Of a new capitol building. II looks now
as If this VIII be the amount that win
be eventually agreed upon In their
report this committee recommend that
In order TO provide for the proposed
expenditure by taxation slight in
crease on the existing rate OF corpora-
ton tax, the enactment by law of a
succession tax on inheritance Of every
Continued ON Second Pago.)