Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1897-08-20
HARRISBURG LETTER
Important Decision Regarding the
Labor Of Conviots.
THE NEW CAPITOL COMMISSION
having Considerable Trouble In FIX
ing Upon "a Plan For the structure.
A Cheering Statement From the De-
pareraent OF state.

the superintendent OF the Huntinndon
reformatory, recently asked the attor-
ney generals department for a proper
construction Of the act of assemble
passed at the recent session of the ieR-
islature limiting the number OF in
mates Of penal institutions who can he
employed IN the manufacture of wares
and merchandise IN such institutions.
This act provides that only Der cent
Of the number Of inmates in peni-
tentiaries and other penal institutions
can be employed in the manufacture
Of articles such as are manufactured
elsewhere IN the state Some Of these
institutions took the ground that they
can employ In each institution per
cent Of the number OF Inmates confined
In all Of the institutions Deputy At
torney General Elkin holds that this
Is not proper construction of the law.
lie says that each institution must be
treated separately and that the per-
centage mentioned IN the act must be
held TO mean per cent of the number
Of Inmates confined in each Institution.
He also holds that the third section Of
the net prohibits the use Of power
driven machinery In the manufacture
OF any kind Of goods wares and mer-
chandise manufactured elsewhere I'm the
state. The labor organizations Of the
state were back Of this law, which
is intended to prevent competition be-
tween convict and other labor.
Capitol Commission Moving SLOWLY.
The commission charged by the leg
islature with the erection OF new can
itol is finding It's task much more
difficult one than was anticipated bv
the members when they invited. the
architects Of the country to submit
designs two or three months ago Gov
ernor Hastings returned from Belle
fonte last Wednesday night and on
Thursday met the commissioners at the
executive department. Those present
were State Treasurer Haywood. Au-
ditor General Mylin, Senator McCar-
rell, the president pro tenn of the SEN
ate, and Speaker Boyer, of the house
Professor Warren p. Laird, of Phila-
delphia, the architectural advisor of tho
commission. was also present and gave
oil the assistance In his power during
the consideration Of the plans. A fhw
days ago the three experts went over
the 80 plans on file and made a selection
of eight In the order of merit for rec
ommendation to the commission. At
the meeting on Thursday Professor
Laird read the report of the board Of
experts In which they gave their
reasons for selecting those plans which
have been referred to the commission
AS each plan bears a number instead
Of the name of the designer, no one
will know whose plans have been rec
| commended until Judge Simonton opens
the numbered envelopes in his possess
sion. which contain the names of the
competing architects.
Having been unable to reach a con-
clusion on Thursday the commission
met again the following day and spent
several hours inspecting the plans and
considering in every detail the import
ant subject 1t was finally decided to
postpone a decision on the matter unti
next Thursday. a decision was to have
been announced on Saturday last, but
the commissioners found II impossible
to make up their minds within the time
limit. and In order to fully consider
all the points involved they extended
the time. 1t having been reported that
the plans involve more money than the
legislature had appropriated, Governor
Hastings was asked whether this was
true. He said: There were eight plans
submitted TO us by the experts, and of
seven Of these the highest cost was
S5lS,0O0, The eighth plan, that selected
as No. by the experts, was estimated
to cost se25, ,O00 but the architect ex-
plains that he can modify II so as TO
bring the cost within the sum appro-
priated-s550, 600" The governor says
the building win be of the colonial
renaissance style of architecture, and
the west front facing the river, will
be exceedingly handsome 1t Is prob
able that the contract viii not be given
out before the middle Of September.
Cheering Industrial Statistics.
An important showing Of the reviv-
ing Industrial and business interests OF
the state Is contained in a statement
prepared by w. c. Farnsworth, tho
corporation clerk Of the state depart
ment, who has entire charge of the
charter business of the department II
is through this department that all cor
porations receive their charters and are
authorized 10 increase their capital
stock, and to extend their corporate
privileges. 80 that the business OF the
department increases or decreases as
the state at large Is prosperous or de-
pressed. During March, April. May,
June and July Of 1896 the manufacture
ing and miscellaneous charters repre-
sented a capital Of S17. s1s ,OOO the build
ing and loan associations $16, $50, 900 and
railroads and street railways 81 . AIS, 900.
Corporations increased their capital
stock and Indebtedness for the pur-
pose OF extensions and improvements
to the amount of 1885, ISL 900, making an
aggregate amount Of capital represent
| ed by the transactions for the period OF
$50, 720, 600. For the corresponding pc
riod OF 1887 the. manufacturing and
miscellaneous corporations chartered
represented a capital OF 500 sos, 900.
building and loan associations S19, 800, e
/ Oe0. railroads and street railways So
757 600 and increases Of capital stock
and indebtedness Sis, al. 900. making an
aggregate amount OF capital repre-
sented by the business for the first FIVE
months Of the present national admin
istration OF tl6S. 424 900, showing an in
crease In favor OF the same period this
year as compared with 1896 OF $50. 79S
600, or more than l25 per cent.
Much interest Is manifested by the
state political leaders, who meet In
Harrisburg frequently for conference,
IN the Democratic and Republican
state conventions. which are 70 be held
In Reading and Harrisburg respective
~. II Is expected that these conyen-
tions viii IN some measure Indicate the
line OF battle for next year. A few
weeks ago II was believed that Beacon
ana Mccauley for state treasurer and
auditor general, respectively. would
have no serious opposition In the Re
publican state convention. But the re-
cent declaration Of the business Mems
League In Philadelphia IN favor OF Nc