Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1897-07-16

rlAAt hius Uul II II tNi flthI MOW AtN
governor IS TO escape cutting down
some Of the larger grants 10 the big
educational institutions. one OF these,
the Lehigh university has been given
5000 600 by the legislature; the Univer-
sity OF Pennsylvania has also been
given large appropriation; and other
institutions have Jared well. OF course,
II the new revenue acts produced the
amount Of money which their authors
predicted there win be a larger income
than was originally estimated by the
state officials; but there Is doubt In
some minds whether these new rev
enue schemes win be as productive as
was hoped they might be But In any
case these measures WIN not be opera
tive until next year and the deficiency
in the treasury cannot be met by cheer
ful calculations
State Treasurer Haywood insists that
mistake was made by the Legislature
in not cutting down the appropriation
TO the public schools. He holds that this
ls the real trouble, and that there win
be no Improvement in the revenue sit
uation until some reduction is made In
the school fund. It has been suggested
that under authority vested In him the
state treasurer can withhold payments
to the schossl districts a year or two un-
til the stringencv In the treasury is
over. Those who made a fight against
the reduction of the school appropria-
tiun, however, say that any such course
upon the part of the state treasurer
would be a distinct violation Of the
pledge given 10 the house by Speaker
Boyer on the day OF final adjournment
when he promised that come what
might there would be no cut In the
school appropriation and the state nor
NAL schools would get their usual as
sistance These say further that tri-
ding with the school districts win react
upon the Republican party, and that
the state leaders must understand that
the people will resent any interference
Of this kind,
A great hullabaloo has been stirred
up among the merchants of the state
by the proposed law increasing the
mercantile license tax. Today Governor
Hastings had before him a large dele
cation, representing the big and little
merchants in all parts of the common
wealth protesting against his approval
Of the bin. They contended that II was
an unfair proposition and In its fea-
lures was inquisitorial and a menace to
the business interests Of the state. This
bill makes the mercantile tax from 81
year to $4,000, according to the vol
ume of business transacted by the mer-
chant. 1t requires him to make a re-
turn to the mercantile appraiser ap-
pointed by the auditor general and
state treasurer-one for each county of
the state except Philadelphia and
Pittsburg, which have five and three
respectively-and should the return be
unsatisfactory, the auditor general is
given power by the bill to compel a
merchant to produce his books and pa
pers. State Treasurer Haywood, In a
! long statement, takes the position that
the merchants, as a class, have not
been paying their just share of the bur
den Of taxation. and that this bill Is
eminently fair in all its parts He com
pares the big merchants doing a bust
ness of several millions a year to the
firm, copartnership and corporation do
ing a much smaller business and pay
ing a tax many times higher. Notwith-
standing the opposition to the bill, it
will probably be approved by the gov
ernor. This bill was originally meas
ure to tax beer but when 1t reached the
senate that body transformed It into a
bill taxing merchants and dealers.
Judge Gunnison, Of Erie, came here
Thursday and made a strong argument
before Governor Hastings against the
bill ceding the rights of the state to
Presque Isle. a peninsular piece of
ground extending into Lake Erie, to
eNcity of Erie, on condition that the
government would take similar action.
! Judge Gunnison contends that this bill
would be an injury in the end, because
/ 1t would probably result in the United
| States government becoming Indifferent
to the harbor improvements at Erie.
He also intimated that Presque Isle,
as public park, the purpose for which
the bill is alleged to have been intro
duced, would not be a place of which
the people of Erie would be proud.
In fact, he threw cold water on the
whole project, and as there is some
doubt about the constitutionality Of
the bill, 1t is pretty certain to be We
toed.
Adputant General Thomas ]. Stewart
has made himself exceedingly popular
with the members of the National
Guard by establishing a precedent in
the matter of Issuing a special order
announcing promptly the results of the
inspections of the guard. In this mat
ter he has been assisted by Inspector
General Morrell. who insists that the
various subordinate inspectors shal
make their reports without delay t.
headquarters. On Saturday a specia
order was issued containing the rating
Of the various regiments and companies
and also the reports of Inspector Gen
tral Morrell and Brigadier Inspector
| Sweeney, Miller and Penny. These fig
ures get into the hands Of the guards
men at the summer encampments be
fore they undergo inspection and en-
able them TO discover their veal
points in advance OF another inspec
ton These reports this year indicat
that the National Guard OF Pennsyl
vania was never In better shape.
There was a sensational report a da,
or two ago to the effect that 30 o
40 important bills had failed TO reac
the governor after passing the legisla
ture owing TO the fact that the pre-
siding officer Of one of the two house
had failed TO sign the bills. Upon In
vestigation this proved to be withou
foundation. A bill appropriating abou
$50, 900 to the Garrett School for Dea
and Dumb Children, Philadelphia, wa
recalled from the governor for amend
ment during the closing rush and neve
got back TO him. II is difhoGlt to plaC
the responsibility in such cases.
CAUGHT THE CASHIER.