Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1901-01-03

Strfngent Laws Regarding OieO
Ballot Reform and Election of
United states Senator's by Popular
vote.
Especial Correspondence
Harrisburg, Jan. 1--Governor Will
lam A. Stone, in his message to the leg
islature, which convened here today,
touches upon many issues in which the
people of the commonwealth are inter-
ested. He states that "the two years
Just closed have been the most pros
porous two years in succession the state
has ever experienced. Our people have
been prosperous individually, and that
prosperity has resulted in large in
crease in the revenues of the state
Continuing, the governor says: "On
the first of January, 1899, there
was a deficit in the state treasury of
about $4,000 600 l am happy to state
that owing to the unexpected increase
in the revenues this deficit has been
entirely liquidated. there is sufficient
money to pay all unpaid appropriations
as they mature, and there will be on
the first of January, 1901, balance,
over and above the amount necessary
to liquidate all demands, of about ST.,
100000.
The report of the state treasurer,
which will be shortly submitted to you,
will show the total receipts of the treas
ury department from all sources for the
fiscal year ending Nov. 80, 1900 to be
S17,494, Pills. Deduct the interest re-
Ceived on the securities in the sinking
fund and the securities maturing and
paid into the sinking fund and you
have a balance of receipts avail
able for general disbursement of
S17,192, ,S17.91. Taking out the S344,-
371.50 transferred to the sinking
fund, there was a balance of 6,SiS,-
443.4l available for general disburse-
ment. If you shall appropriate
the million dollars to the public schools
eliminated from the appropriation made
by the last legislature, there will then
be balance of $500 600 If the leg
islature shall appropriate for the com
ing two years Sl1,000,000 for the com
mon schools. as | presume it will, and
if il shall make appropriations for the
completion of the capitol, as in my
judgment 1t ought to do. it will not be
safe to increase the balance of the ap-
propriations beyond those made by the
last legislature, if the credit of the
state is to be preserved, and we are to
avoid another deficit in the treasury"
COMMON SCHOOLS
when the legislature convened in
January, 1899" continues the governor,
there was deficit in the treas
ury Of about three millions of dol
lars. The revenue for the coming
two years estimated by the auditor
general and state treasurer was entire
~ appropriated by the legislature. |
felt constrained TO follow the precedent
set by my predecessors and reduce the
appropriations sufficient to permit the
reduction of a portion OF the deficit
during the coming two years.
The legislature appropriated $4,000
Geo ipr the support of the common
schools for the two years beginning
June l, 1899, Anxious only for the
prosefvation of the credit of the state.
and 20 enable the payment in part of
the deficit then existing. found myself
unable to approve the whole OF this
item and withheld my approval from
oae million dollars of the eleven mil
liens appropriated for the support of
the public schools. But an unusual
aad unexpected increase i'm the reve-
years has enabled the state treasurer
10 liquidate the deficit which existed
ou The first of January. 1893. and | am
assured that there is a balance In the
state treasury of available cash over
and obove all liabilities which win ius-
tiiF he payment Of the one million 6f
dollars withheld
I. therefore, respectfully recommend
the rassage of a bill appropiating one
million OF dollars 10 the common
schools Of the state 20 he distributed
prCr 1rtiOnately under existing laws for
the Two years ending June / 1901.
la7much as the appropriation 20 the
cuUmo schools In 1850 was in lump
run tor the two years ending June |
1901, and payments of money al said
nayppriation have. been made and
nre being made by ins,almonts. this
appropriation viii not work any incon-
vcnience. and the money can he paid
"a tie same manner that IL would have
been paid II the one million Of dollars
had not been eliminated from the ap-
preparation In 1899"
CAPITOL BUILDING.
Upon the subject OF the completion
Of The capitol building, the governor.
among other things. anys; "Ow-
Ing to the Increasing demands of neces-
aary charitable institutions aud the
uncertainty that always surrounds an
ticlpated revenue, | dO not think Il
would be safe To take ont OF the reve-
nues for the next two years sufficient
moneys Ia complete this building, and
II IL cannot bo completed In time for
the meeting of the next legislature In
january. 1908. Its completion may as
well be postponed until the meeting
of the legislature In January. 1905.
II. therefore. respectfully recommend
the passage Of a Law aUuruprinting an