The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-02-01
STATE
LEGISLATIVE
TOPICS.
Special to the Scranton Tribune.

Special to the Scranton Tribune.
Harrisburg, Jan. Sl.-Bills on first read
ing will be the order Monday night in both |
house and senate. The calendars are small
and will be hurried through to give the
legislators a chance to read bills In place.
The committees will meet during the week
and pass on legislation, over 100 bills
have already been offered in the senate
and more than twice as many IN the
house. The number will probably be IN
creased to LOCO before the rules commit
tees call halt.
The one feature of the week promises
to be the fight Monday night in the house
between the Republican factions over the
Mitchell resolution to investigate the state
treasury and auditor generals office. I'm
der the rules the resolution falls If 1t is
not called up then. Senator Quay's friends
favor the proposition and VIII endeavor
to secure its passage. The other side 10
not want the investigation because they
believe 1t will block their scheme to Sc
cure the passage of n law requiring the
payment of interest on state deposits. The
Democrats hold the balance of power and
both sides are seeking their support. They
will hold a caucus before the session and
decide on a line of action. 1t is probable
| they will agree to support the resolution
| If they are given recognition on the COM
mittee.
| The state board of game commissioners
| has drafted a general game law to take
| the place of the numerous local and gen
| eral game acts now in force. The pro-
| posed act makes hunting or shooting on
| Sunday punishable by fine of s25 for eV-
| cry offense, or one days Imprisonment
| in county jals for every dollar of penalty
| imposed. 1t prohibits the killing wound
| ing. trapping of song birds and the taking
| or needlessly destroying of the nests or
eggs of song or wild birds, except for sci
| entifc purposes. Certificates may be
granted to persons over fifteen years old
| for the collection of birds their nests or
| eggs or game mammals for strictly scienu-
| tic purposes on payment of fee of s. and
| the filing of a bond for 800 with the
| board. The certificates run for year and
are not transferable The English spar
row, kingtisher, cooper's hawk sharp
| Skinned hawk, duck hawk, pigeon hawk,
| great-horned OWL red birds and doves are
| not included among the birds protected
| by the act. Wild turkey, pheasant, grouse,
| quail, partridge, woodcock, prairie chick
| en-, English, Mongolian or Chinese pleas
| ant, elk deer or fawn may be killed only
| from Oct 10 to Dec. 10. Hunting of deer
| with dogs and the killing of game for
| sale or shipment outside the state Is made
| ny IL IlSdNS lilc anu iilipil lSOii-
ment. The act also prohibits the hunting
of rabbits with ferrets and the trapping
| of game birds and animals with snares,
| blinds, etc. Decoys may be used, though,
| in hunting ducks, wild geese and brant.
| Quail MAJ be trapped from Jan. to Feb.
| 10 to keep them alive during the winter.
The fines collected under the act are to
be covered into the state treasury for the
| use of the board.
| Webster C. Weiss, of Bethlehem, will
| offer as an amendment to the act pro-
| position to permit artificial hatcheries to
| sell their trout at any time, provided they
| are not less than nine inches long and the
| packages are marked with the name of
| the owner when shipped. Mr.. Weiss will
| also try to secure the enactment of a law
| limiting ungraded schools to the purchase
| of apparatus at Sl5 a school, All such ap-
paratus must be paid for from the fund
collected during the year in which the
purchase IS made.
Chairman Hammond, of the house edu-
cation committee, advocates the passage
| of several acts of vital interest to the pub
| lie school system. He has given the sub
ject careful thought and has outlined a
policy which he will ask the committee
| to adopt Mr.. Hammond says: 1--WE lack
system in our method of conducting coun-
term after term with no other object than
getting through the book only, to have
the teacher the next term repeat the same
thing. We should have some good system
of grades or township supervision arranged
and approved by our superintendents. This
would prepare the way for higher educa-
tion and the township and borough high
school, which is so much needed. The
state should give liberal appropriation
to high schools and encourage the intro
duction of manual training by making
special appropriations to high schools in
Producing this branch, thus preparing the
boys and girls for the practical affairs OF
life rather than encouraging the further
| over-crowding of the professions to the
exclusion of the mechanical arts
"A longer school term should be re-
| qured. 1t Is my purpose to do everything
l can to have the legislature pass my seven
months bill. ! also favor school census
biennially and will introduce such a bill.
This would enable the educational depart
ment to determine the number of children
of school, age between and q years and
how many between 13 and IL years are out
of school. The compulsory act should be
amended to include all children physically
and mentally able TO attend school be-
tween 7 and IA years, and all those be-
tween IA and IL not regularly employed
More restrictions should be thrown about
| this act to make it more effective and 1t
, should be materially strengthened in many
points.
There should be a change in the meth.
cd of distributing state appropriations sc
that the country districts would receive
their just share, which they do not get un,
der the present system. Every school dis
. trict should be required to raise as much
money by taxation for school purposes ss
ii receives from the state. This woulC
largely increase the school revenues In