The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-01-25
GOVERNORS ADDRESS

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sworn to discharge.
1T Is my purpose, in so far as can,
10 discharge honestly and fearlessIy my
whole duty TO the people Of Pennsyl-
vania. can accomplish little without
their cooperation and without the sup
port and cooperation Of their chosen
Representatives. IL seems to me that
what the State needs at this time is
more Of business administration than
political one.
STATE DRAINED BY COUNTIES.
"It is not my desire to eriticise the
action of Legislative bodies in the past,
nor Of State officials, bat deem it my
duty to the people CT the State and to
myself to point out the financial cOndi-
ton Of our State and TO recommend to
the Legislature such measures as seem
to be necessary to remedy 1t. am inn
pressed with the idea that past legisla-
tive bodies have had greater desire to
legislate for the counties and school
districts Of the State than they have
had to legislate for the State, and past
Legislatures have appropriated more
money for the coming fiscal years than
the anticipated revenues, and this
with the knowledge as contained in
the reports Of the State Treasurer of
existing Indebtedness due the counties
and school districts of the State. As a
result the State to-day is indebted to
the school districts and counties and
normal schools over three and half
million dollars over and shove the ball
ance Of available cash 10 the treasury.
And We find this indebtedness carried
into the estimate of expenditures for
the coming fiseal year, while the esti-
mated revenue for the coming fiscal
year is no more than sufficient to pay
the estimated current expenditures Of
the coming year exclusive Of the in-
debtednrss Of three and half mill
ions Of dollars aceruing In former
years
7
sour State has been appropriating
larger sums for educational purposes
than any other State in the Union.
The net receipts of the State available
for appropriations for 1898 were SlO,-
524, ,256.20, while the total appropria-
tions for educational purposes for that
year were IS SsI, 1876, being an appro-
priation of 81 per cent. of the entire
revenue OF the State for educational
purposes. New York appropriated on
ly IS per cent Of her revenue for edu-
eatiOnsl purposes; Massachusetts only
3 per cent. Ohio 70 per cent. Illinois,
Is per cent; New Jersey, 1S per cent
This appropriation Of 1881, ,435 in
eludes $, 500, ,OO0for the common schools
Of the State; 1000 for the salaries of
the county superintendents; s227, 500
for normal schools; $50, 900 for soldiers
orphan sch Ools; home for the training
in speech Of deaf children before they
are Of school age, at Bala, SIG, 80; Penn
sylvania Institute for the Deaf and
Dumb, Philadelphia, Si20,OO0. West
ern Pennsylvania Institution for Deal
and Dumb, Pittsburg, So, 400; Penn
sylvania Oral School for the Deaf,
81 600; Pennsylvania Institution for
the Instruction Of the Blind, Philadel-
phia, Si4 200; Western Pennsylvania
Institution for Instruction Of the Blind,
Pittsburg, So, ,670; Pennsylvania Train
ing School for the Feeble Minded, FL
Wyn, sS7, 800; Western Pennsylvania
Institution for Feeble Minded, Polk,
SI07, $50; Pennsylvania Museum and
School Of Industrial Art, Philadelphia,
so, 900; Pennsylvania State College,
s4S,666; Lehigh University, Bethlehem
S75, COO; University Of Pennsylvania,
Philadelphia; Sl5O,OO0; wilIiamsport
Training School, 81 500; Philadelphia
Museum, $4,000; CornpIanter Indians,
500; Pennsylvania Nautical School
ship, Philadelphia, $4,000.
MUST GET DOWN TO BUSINESS.
II find no evil in appropriating
money for educational purposes with a
literal hand, but / can not approve
and justify appropriations that exceed
the revenue of the State. We can az
ford to be liberal, and / see NO direc-
ton in which Iiberality can better be
expended than in support OF the eCm-
mon schools and the institutions emu
merated above, but our iterslity
should be limited by our revenue. We
have created a sinking fund for the ex-
tiDguishment of the State debt, and
the sinking fund has increased until
our net debt over and above the sink
ing fund on December last was only
81, OF, ,9si.S3, while by our excess Of
/ liberality we have incurred a floating
debt equally as sacred, Of little over
50, SOC, 900, which is annually increas-
ing at the rate Of from $4,000 TO
81, O0O, 600, with no provision whatever
for its payment, and with no evident
and apparent intention Of meeting it.
II is not the fault of any ole man or of
any political party of tie State, but
rather grows out Of faat extravagant
disregard for plain business principles
which should guide the State as well
as individuals
1--WE can go no farther at the pace
We have Deen going. One Of three
things must now be done. We must
either increase our revenue, reduce our
expenditures or borrow money. Penn
sylvania was never more prosperous
than at this time. Her people were
never more cOntented and satisfied.
The State was never so rich as it is to-
day. More people are employed at fair
wages who wish TO be employed than
ever before. 1t seems to me that every
body is prosperous bat the State OF
Pennsylvania The proposition to bor-
row money to meet the deficit in the
Treasury under all these conditions is
preposterous- 1t clearly was never in
tended by any one, and the power to
borrow money is wanting. The franz
ers Of the constitution never contem-
plated that there would come time
when the revenue Of the State would
be insufficient to meet the expendi-