Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-03-20
WITH THE LAWMAKERS.
NOTES AND COMMENTS FROM THE
PENNSYLVANIA CAPITAL.
Money Question Is Becoming an Annoy
ing One to the Governor-Republican
Intend to Cut Down the School Appro-
priation and Increase Taxes.

several of the past sessions the state is
today behind in its payments on appro-
priations about $3,5OO,O00. This debt
has been carried along from year to
year and now efforts will be made to
have it paid. Governor Stone held
conference recently with the house
committee on appropriations and the
situation was thoroughly gone over.
The governor advocates the cutting
down the yearly appropriation to the
public schools about 800, 900. Cover
nor Hastings also tried this during his
term, but the country members opposed
it to man and the plan had to be
abandoned.
AS far as salaries of public school
teachers are concerned, the school dis
tricts need all of this appropriation and
more to it. 1t may seem scarcely credi-
BILE, but it is nevertheless true that the
average rate Of wages of teachers in this
state is only $315.71 per year. The
lowest salaries paid are in township in
Crawford county where teacher re-
ceives only $s2.s3h for years teach
ing. There are plenty of others who
six months.
THE GOVERNOR is DETERMINED
that unless additional revenue is pro-
vided he will not approve any appro-
priations to hospitals or educational in
stitutions, and that no more money will
be appropriated or laws approved which
carry with them appropriations until
the states finances get into better shape.
during his administration. He does not
expect this money to be paid by the
present session, but he insists that it
must be liquidated before his term ex-
pres.
The members Of the committee practi-
cally agreed that no new applicants
for state aid would be considered; that
their bills would not even be reported;
that the public schools were receiving
too much of $11 900, 900 every two years.
1t was pointed out that the schools re-
ceive one-half of the entire revenue of
the state, the other half being distribut-
ed, in round numbers, as follows: State
government, $4,000, 900; National Guard,
81 900, 900; insane and penal institutions,
81, 800, 900; hospitals and charitable in
sttutions, nearly S2,OOo,0OO; sinking
fund, SO, ,600,O
Governor Stone says that the raising
and equpping of the six new regiments
of the National Guard would require an
ADDITIONAL MILITARY APPROPRIATION
of $500, 200, unless money is saved by
the elimination of the annual encamp-
ment.
Governor Stone intimated that he
would favor the Hosack bill now before
the legislature, permitting the state
treasurer to retain all Of the personal
property tax for two years. Three
fourths of this tax is now returned to
the counties and amounts to nearly
$4, 900, 900 in two years. The executive
is responsible for the introduction of
this bill. The appropriation committee
has counted up the bills asking for state
aid and the amount foots up to about
$40, 100000 This is ten millions more
than the revenues amount to. These
bills will be scaled down to meet the
revenues and if possible provide for the
floating debt made by previous legisla-
lures.
Representative Hoskins, of Erie
county, has offered bill providing for
the levy and collection for two mill
tax on real estate,
THE PROCEEDS TO BE RETURNED
to the schools districts of the state In
direct proportion to the number of
teachers employed for the annual term
not less than seven and one-half months.
The purpose of the bill is to improve
the schools by increasing teachers sal
aries.
Governor Stone has signed the bill
providing for the granting of divorce
DEGREES, and also the resolution to be
sent to President Mckinley recommend
Ing the promotion of Colonel Hawkins,
of the Tenth Pennsylvania regiment,
now at Manila, to be brgadier general.
He has also approved the bill authoriz-
ing the Pennsylvania Canal Company to
abandon part of its canal. These with
the constable fee bill are the only
new laws passed so far this session.
There are two sanitary bills before
the legislature that, II passed, would be
benefit to the sanitary considerations
of the state. One of the bills is supple
mentary to the act providing for the
quarantine of dogs during an epidemic
of rabies. Under the supplement the
agents of the live stock sanitary board
are given authority to shoot dogs
stricken with rabies. The other bill in
troduced is to compel persons living in
country districts to bury the bodies of
horses and other animals dying of
certain infectious diseases. Many farm
ers now leave animals dead of all kinds