The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1903-10-29

Wyoming .......................... LlsIS
YORK ...,.,...................... zl0O3.2T
Total ............................ 72s o5S.53
What Might Have Been Done.
This fund left in the hands Of the
local treasurers would go a long way
toward constructing and maintaining
roadways in the several counties. 1ake
Berks or Blair or Cambria counties,
for example The amount taken from
Rerks county last year was s55, ,i0S.92.
That sum. added to the amount which
was collected and spent on road i'm
provements annually for five years.
would macadamize every important
highway in that county. Tho collec-
tion from Blair county for the year
vas 500 sos 80. simi erly used, It would
have achieved the same result in that
county. Cambria county contributed
$34,9l0.50 to the fund. and no one will
question that in five years that
amount supplemented by the local road
fund, would macadamize every road in
the county.
We have cited those counties at ram
dom. but any others will show the same
, result. In 'e western part of the state
Crawford county contributed s16. .12S.3s.
Erie s3s0l95l, Washington county
S21.79s.32 and Fayette county s25,-
545.60. Bucks county paid s13.7l6.97.
Delaware s20,466.34 and Montgomery
S3o,712.69. No county in this eastern
group would have a foot of unmacad-
amized road at the end of five years
II that amount were used for the pur-
pose in addition to the local fund coll
lected for road purposes. In the GEN.
trail section of the state, Dauphin coun-
ty paid s21,472.15, Lancaster s35,S10.53
and Lebanon slS,243.13. And so on
/ through the entire list Each county
could have had splendid highways
without saddling an expense Of s6,500.-
600, as it is proposed to do under the
operations OF the road law passed by
the last legislature.
No Complaint Against Proper Use.
II the money thus collected had been
needed for the economical administra-
! tion Of the government by the state
nobody would have complained. Penn
sylvanians are not niggardly in public
matters. All they ask is that the bur-
dens of government are levied equally.
that expenditures are economical, and
that the funds are disbursed honestly.
But, as a matter of fact, the collection
OF the needless funds has led to ex-
travagance in administration, as shown
by the fact that the expenses of the
state government have nearly trebled
within dozen years, and that the pub
lie service has not improved at all.
Outside of the appropriations for
schools there has been a uniform in
crease in expenditures equal to nearly
hundred per cent. and such an in
crease can't be honest or just.
Moreover, the eXtrava gance Is not
fairly distributed A few days ago one
OF the most distinguished jurists OF the
state protested against the inhuman
treatment Of patients in the insane
hospital at Harrisburg. From his own
observation he declared there are as
high as twenty of these helpless wards
of the commonwealth huddled together
In one room in that institution. In
answer to that shameful accusation,
the superintendent of the institution,
an eminent physician and alienist, ad-
I mitted the facts. but said it was the
fault of the legislature which had pass
ed laws compelling the institution to
accept patients and neglected to pro-
vide accommodations for them. That
! Is only partially true. That is the laws
have been passed and the accommoda-
tions have not been provided. But it
Is not the fault Of the legislature II
is because of the cruelty and rapacity
of the political machine.
Fault Of the Machine.
The superintendent of the Harris.
burg Insane Hospital asked the last
legislature for sufficient funds TO pro
vide the necessary accommodations
for the patients in that institution in
proper manner The state board OF
charities supported that request, and
a committee appointed to make in
| quiry concerning 1t declared It essen.
tial to meet the want of a civilized in.
stitution. But the political machine
wanted the funds for other uses and
refused to allow the legislature to
make the appropriation. The leaders
Of the dominant political party pre-
ferred to have a vast surplus in the
treasury for distribution among IA
yored banks TO be used as a stimuant
to political activity in the campaign.
These are the facts in the case. They
involve the disgrace Of the people OF
Pennsylvania. They cover the com
monwealth with shame. But they are
the legitimate fruits of the political
reign OF terror which has obtained in
this state for the past 10 years. There
is a remedy for this state of affairs.
1t lies in the hands OF the people. They
can vote the party responsible for it
i lut of nOWpr and 40 fhau fail 70 AZ tLos