Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1897-01-21
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE.


THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
The contest over the Senatorship exclt-
cd so much popular interest when the
Legislature met that little consideration
was given to the Governors message.
Nevertheless the document IS able and
interesting, and its recommendations de
serve the serious consideration of the
Legislature, for they are evidently the
fruit of careful thonght and are enforc-
ed by sound reasons.
1t is gratifying TO learn that the net
indebtedness OF the State on the first OF
last month was but trifle over Sr,65o,-
600. and at the same time there was a
balance of nearly three million dollars
in the general fund to meet expenses.
But this balance is not large enough, Tor
nearly six million dollars appropriated
by the last Legislature and still unpaid,
and the sum will be increased next June
by five and half millions appropriated
for the public schools for the year then
beginning. The fiscal officers OF the
State believe, however, that the current
revenues will meet these demands. They
estimate that the revenues for the next
two years will amount to nearly 2o,ooo,-
600. As the Governor says, it is evident
the appropriations to be made this year
will have to be reduced below those
made by the last Legislature, unless
some means can be devised for increas-
ing the revenue. He suggests no such
means, however, and it is fair to assume
that he thinks appropriations may and
should be reduced.
The section of the m essage relating to
the public schools will excite general IN
terest. The Governor thinks there Is
grounds for the general complaint that
the distribution of the State appropria-
ton is not fair and equitable. The dis
tribution is now based on the number OF
resident taxables i'll each district; bnt
thic system practically discriminates
against the poorer districts, which may
have number of scattered schools to
keep up although the population may be
small. The governor recommends that
on.-third of the appropriation be distrib-
uted according to the number of taxables
in the district, one third in proportion to
the number of children of school age and
and one-third in proportion to the num-
Der of schools in the district. This
would no doubt be a fairer method of
distribution than the present one, and
the recommendation merits the serious
consideration of the Legislature.
The Governor calls attention to the
over crowded condition of the state peni-
tentiaries, and seems to favor such a
modification of existing laws as to re-
quire the counties to keep in their re-
spective jails criminals convicted of mi
nor offenses. This charge would involve
a general re organization of our local
prisons under some common authority
and on improved lines of conduct. At
Of another State hospital for the insane.
1t appears that there are now IN these in
stitutions 9.473 patients, the increase last
year being 545 and the average annual
incaease for the past thirteen years being
3I8. The Governor suggests that the
continued growth of t his class of public
patients may require each future Legis-
lature to provide an additional hospital
a suggestion is somewhat alarming in
more ways than one. The State Board
of Charities proposes as an alternative,
that the several counties provide Tor the
care, employment, treatment and nain-
tenance Of such of their insane as do not
require care in a state hospital. This
plan involves the erection of asylums in
the several counties at their own ex-
pense; but the Governor suggests that
two or more counties may unite for that
purpose.
the protection of miners, and he recon-
mends that the eighteen Mine Inspec-
tors be placed under responsible head
to whom they shall make detailed re-
ports of the condition and equipment Of
the mines under their charge. The Gov
ernor also urges the present Legislature
to discharge its constitutional duty by ap-
portioning the State into new Senatorial
and Representative districts. The last
Senatorial apportionmeht was made in
1874 and the last Representative appor-
tionment in 1887, and in many districts
the people are denied the representation
to which they are entitled. The same
thing may be said of some Congressional
districts, and it is to be hoped the pres
ent Legislature will discharge its consti-
tutional duty in this regard.
The Governor recommends some need
ed amendments to the Ballot law, and
recent experience in some of tie western
counties of the State has suggested 9TH
ers that are quite as urgently demanded.
He properly denouuces the corrupt use
of money in elections whether primary
or general, as an offense which "should
not only be stigmatized as crime, but
punished as crime" 1t is possible that
some new statute may be needed for the
correction of this growing evil, but we
suspect the trouble lies not in the lack OF
laws but in the dissemination to enforce
the laws that are already on the statute
books.
The Governor refers to several other
subjects of less general interest-corpor-
ations, the State library, the Department
of Agriculture, State sanitation, the pub
lie roads, the forests of the State, the
National Guard, the Banking Depart
ment, factory inspection, and the Sol
dier Orphan schools. On all these
points his message furnishes information
or suggests desirable improvements. II
it is to be hoped il may have due inhu'
ence with the Legislature to which it /:
addressed.
CHAIRMAN Dmgley of the Ways ant
Means Committee recently pointed on
the difference between framing a tarif
bill now ana the construction Of the Nc
Kinley bill in 1890, and it should not b
lost sight fby those who are intereste'
in seeing the srduous task successful.
performed. Ii 1890 the Treasury had
surplus which was growing larger all III
ti,,an and the Tariff hill uss intaunod I