Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1897-07-29
HARRISBURG.

On Thursday CO.. Hastings vetoed
the so-called Becker bill, the bill that
Quay and Penrose tried to induce and
bully him into signing In his veto the
Governor says there never has been sub
mitted to him for consideration meas
ure so utterly destitute of merit. 1t is
so bad that no argument can be made
in favor Of any of its provisions. The
bill itself, the Governor concludes, fur
nishes better argument against its
approval than any language of his own
Bills authorizing the collection of a PEI
capita tax annually from aliens fol
school purposes, and ratifying extra
work and material in the construction
of the feeble minded home at Polk,
were approved, as were also 1913 appro-
pritions to hospitals and asylums,
aggrivating
On Friday the Governor vetoed the
Kumkel fire-alarm bill ;'and heard argu
ments on several appropriation bills.
On Tuesday Gov Hastings vetoed
two hospital bills, the Titusville one
for $4,000, and the Butler one for
$5,0O0,-both ON the ground that the
buildings were not yet erected.
Regarding the bill for the mainten
ance of the Butler Hospital he says:
objection having been fled to the
approval of the bill on the ground that
no necessity existed for the appropria-
ton of such sum Of money, at my re
quest a member of the State Board Of
Public Charities visited Butler for the
purpose of ascertaining the facts which
are as follows:
No application was made to the
State Board Of Public Charities for an
appropriation, and accordingly no rec
ommendation was made by the board,
The Butler County General Hospital is
an association composed of good citi
zens of the borough of Butler, who
have purchased a lot of ground al site
for the proposed hospital, for which the
sum of 1880 has been paid A sub
scription list has been circulated among
the citizens and subscribers thereto
have been obtained to the amount Of
something over $4,000 Plans ant
specifications have been prepared ant
bids have been advertised for, and it il
proposed by the officers of the organiza
ton to expend from $4,000 to $4,000
in the erection of hospital building.
Except the purchase of the building
site, the obtaining of subscriptions a
above stated, and the advertisement t.
let the.contract for the building, moth
ing has been done. The town Of But
Ter contains from 10, 600 to II, 900 popu
lation. The nearest hospitals are tn
Mercer hospital, 81 miles distant, an
the Allegheny City hospital, at a dis
lance Of 81 miles, or about an hour
ride by rail The members of th
Board of Public Charities making th
investigation concludes his report q
follows L am not convinced tina
there is such necessity for this new no.
pital at this time that will warrant th
State in granting the aid asked for.
1t will be observed that the apprC
priation made in the bill is for mail
tenance, but inasmuch as there is n
hospital, and taking into considerable
the length of time reasonably necessar
to erect and furnish building, and
view of the fact that the next session
the Legislature is only Is months di
tant, am of the opiniea that the ne,
Legislature would better determine I'll
question whether or not in future IL
State should give partial aid to IL
maintenance of this institution, and f,
these reasons executive approval
withheld.
By noon of that day the Govern,
had disposed of all but 81 bills, "A
which were appropriation bills I'll
important bills remaining in his han,
were the general appropriation, Bee
and Mercantile Tax bills.
The beer bill" increases licenses, an
the Mercantile Tax bill continues t
scale above the present limit.