Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1897-06-04


charged on the floor of the house that
this resolution was offered for the pur-
pose OF sidetracking the investigation
Of the insurance scandal.
Senator Saylor's bill requiring the
state treasurer to pay the chairman OF
any Joint legislative investigating com
mittee the money necessary for the
payment of witnesses and the actual
expenses of the committee and officers
was killed by the house. 1t was argued
that this measure would open the doors
to all sorts of reckless expenditures.
The Governor on Organized Labor.
Governor Hastings received large
delegation of representatives of or
ganized labor at the executive depart.
ment who called to urge upon him the
approval OF the Weller bill, permit
ting employees of corporations to form
and join labor unions This bill caused
no end of discussion during its passage
in the legislature, and at one time its
defeat in the senate seemed almost
certain, but the laboring element in
the lawmakinR branch this session is
strong, and there were certain political
influences at work in the interests Of
the bill which made its passage pos
sibe Governor Hastings told the dele
gates who called upon him that II he
found the bill good for the laboring
people and for the best interests Of the
commonwealth he would have no hes
itancy in signing It, but If he found
that it was going to work an injury,
and If 1t would not be beneficial to the
workingmen, he would not hesitate to
veto it. He recalled the fact that he had
favored organized labor in his in
augural address, and said to the zee
men In his presence that he believed
labor should be organized, just as capi-
tai should, because through organiza-
tion much good might be accomplished.
The Hamilton road bill has not yet
reached the governor. In the senate
the proviso that the bill should not be-
come operative until an appropriation
of s1,000,000 for the improvement of
roads was passed was amended by
striking out ST. 0O0, 900 and inserting
100000. In this form the bill passed the
senate and now goes back to the house
for concurrence.
From day to day the supporters OF
what is known as the Ripper" bill, u
measure designed to uproot the pres
ent city administration of Pittsburg,
announces that the bill will be called
up and passed, but 1t is not called up.
and those who ought to know say that
it's passage is out of the question.
An important bill for third class cit
ties has just been approved by the
governor. It provides for levying
school and school building taxes on the
city valuation in cities of the third
class where the school district com
prises the same territory as the city.
This will give the school districts a
much larger amount of money, mas
much as heretofore the school taxes
had been levied on the county assess
ments.
Two Legislative Investigations.
Two legislative Investigations are in
progress which threaten unwholesome
disclosures. One is probing the charge
that $4,000 was demanded to defeat
the bill prohibiting the insurance of
children, ami the other is attempting
to bring to light the truth or falsity
of the charge that oleomargarine deal
ers in Pittsburg paid an agent of the
department of agriculture large sums
of money for protection. Both these
committees will be ready to report
something definite before the close of
the session.
Attorney General Mccormick has de-
cided that neither the legislature or
the attorney has any power to settle
the disputed question of title between
the present owners of land in Oil City
on the one side and the Cornplanter
Indians on the other He says that the
courts are the proper tribunals to set
tie the claim of the Indians to the site
| Of Oil City.
There is probability of revolt on
the part of the senate against any
final adjournment resolution emanating
in the house. The senators say that
for several years it has been the habit
of the house to hold up the senate bills
until the last minute, and then permit
them to die upon the calendars. They
want to know this year that their bills
will be considered before they consent
to final adjournment.
There was an interesting fight in the
senate over the bill appropriating $685.
0S.96 to pay the expenses of the senate
committee which investigated the mu-
nicipal affairs of Philadelphia. Sena-
tors Kaufman and Flynn opposed the
bill on the ground of extravaganza, and
| contended that the Legislature was un-
der no obligation to pay these expenses.
Senator Grady defended the commit
| tee, saying that not one cent had been
expended unnecessarily. Senator Nc
Carrell also made a speech in support
of the bill. The bill passed finally by
vote of % to IL. When 1t comes to
the house there is almost sure to be a
| long debate, as the factional lines in
the larger body are more distinctly
drawn than in the senate.
Governor Hastings has approved the
bills providing for forest reservation
and the protection of timber land. Nc
legislature has ever done so much tc
advance forestry reform as the present
The game bill prepared by the State
Sportsmens' association has passed the
legislature and has been approved by
the governor. 1t is said to be one OF
the best measures for the protection OF
game in the United States
One of the pleasant incidents of last
week was the reception rendered Major
General John Rutter Brooke, U. s. A..
by Governor Hastings at the executive
mansion. General Brooke is one of tho
most distinguished Pennsylvania sol
diers of the late war, and since the end
of that struggle has done gallant ser
vice for his country on the frontier
During the reception in his honor he
met many old comrades who had
served with him in the Forty third
Pennsylvania
sTACKPoLE.