The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1901-10-10

IN time, and that is that the rill Of
the majority shall rule 1t. and when
It was settled every one in the party.
those who opposed him as well a.
those who favored him. were glad of
It. and no one has questioned it since.
except the Democratic convention.
"The Democratic platform says that
The legislature proceeded to that 9TH
er and greater robbery of the railway
franchises Of TIE state worth millions
to the plunderers and stripping every
city. town and township in the com.
its streets for trolley improvements
This is q most ridiculous statement, as
we'll as false one, and made with the
thought tht no one would take the
pains to read the laws, but would take
their word for 1t. The law relating to
surface street railways is simply an
amendment to the street railway act
OF 1889, and gives the councils Of cities
and towns the right to permit the oc.
cupation Of streets that other com.
panies have abandoned, but still claim
to have exclusive rights upon.
"The elevated and underground rail-
way law IS new and became necessary
to relieve thickly copgested streets in
large cities. The supreme court had
decided that there was no authority to
build and operate an elevated railway.
Both laws, however, provide that the
consent Of councils must first be OBJ
tanned. The laws simply give the
power to councils to grant the right
There Is not and cannot be any valid
objection to the laws, because the con-
from the people affected through their
representatives in councils. There
may be applications to councils for
rights over streets where the necessity
for roads is disputed, but this Is a
question for the people themselves to
determine through their representa-
tives in council. The laws are wholly
unobjectionable. The railways con-
templated in many instances may be
Objectionable. If city or town should
object to railroad through It that
Is no reason why there should be no
railroad laws. But surely these laws
do not strip every city, town and
township in the commonwealth of the
proper control of it's Streets as
charged in the Democratic platform.
MANY GOOD GENERAL LAWS.
81 will not discuss local laws af-
fescting cities of the different classes,
nor the laws specially affecting bor-
oughs and townships. 1t will be found
that the representatives of the major
ity of the municipalities affected by
the local laws passed supported them
and voted for their passage. The gen.
eral laws passed by this legislature
are very important. / undertake to
say that this last legislature passed
more good and necessary general laws
than any Legislature within the last 20
years. / have only time to mention
few of them. The act establishing
the department of forestry is one of
the first, as well as one of the most
important. The state has purchased
and agreed TO purchase about 324,000
acres OF forest land o. an average
cost OF $1.SS per acre. These lands
have already largely increased. in
value. The commission was offered
the other day $4,000 in advance of
what they paid for one large tract. In
few years these lands will produce
a considerable state revenue from the
sale of ripened timber, coal and oil.
Germany gets the greater part Of her
revenue from her forests. Besides,
the forests are preserved; the streams
are protected, the climate Is kept more
even and the people can use them as
parks for hunting and fishing and
camping. We are doing well with this
undertaking. 1t is popular with the
people, but according to the Demo
cratic platform the commission is
honeycombed with fraud, for this is a
separate department under this law.
"The law passed directing that ply
sical culture shall be taught in the
public schools was demanded by the
German citizens Of the state. They
have been trying to have this law
passed for years. The law Furnishing
kidnappers of children with imprison.
ment for life meets popular demand.
The only objection to it is that it is
not severe enough. This legislature
remedied one evil of long standing. 1t
passed law providing that when
for year judge is unable to attend
to his duties. he may be retired on
half salary for the balance of the
term for which he was elected, If he
is permanently disabled, and a new
Judge elected to fill his place. In a
number of instances there have been
judges unable to hold their courts for
years until they died. 1t saves money
to the state, for it dispenses with the
necessity OF calling other judges on
extra pay and gives the people OPP
portunity to have their cases disposed
of by Judge of their own counties
"The law committing sentences Of
prisoners passed last winter has been
knocking at the legislature for years.
All tho pricop societiae opd tho DrisOn