Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1907-05-09
UPON THE GOVERNOR
VIII Be Saddled Responsibility of
Cutting Down Excessive
Appropriations
LAWMAKERS DODGE TROUBLE
Heavy Pruning Must Be Done to Keep
Expenditures Within States Rev
onues-Party Pledges Yet To Sc
standardization Resented.

Harrisburg, Pa.-Governor Edwin
s. Stuart will be compelled to swing
his executive AK most vigorously
when the appropriation bills reach
him. The present Legislature has ap-
propriated more money for various
purposes than any previous legisla-
ture ever has done, and a great deal
more money has been appropriated
than there are revenues.
Not only have liberal appropria-
tions been made to the state and pri
vate charitable institutions, but larger
appropriations than ever have been
made to the state insane asylums to
relieve the overcrowded conditions.
About 100000 has been added to the
INDECENT insane appropriation. A
large increase has been made to the
school appropriation. About 100000
has been appropriated to the sani-
toriums for consumptives. The state
is now required to pay for the hold
ing of party primaries and this costs
over 100000 a year.
All of these are worthy and neces-
sary expenditures and the governor
will find it difficult to know where to
begin chopping. 1t is a little unfair
to him that the burden Of this work
of cutting down should be left with
him, but so many Influences were
brought to bear upon the legislators
from various sources that the mem
bers of the appropriations committee
found themselves tied up fast with
promises. A few days ago Speaker
Frank b, McClain called attention to
the fact that bills reported out ap-
propriated about $30,0O0,000 more
than the prospective revenues.
Always a Difficult Question.
1t is not a difficult thing to get an
appropriation bill through, and it is
the easiest thing in the world to get
enthusiastic support in favor of bill
repeating some tax law so that this
financial question Is just as difficult
of solution in the state government
as in the household or anywhere else.
There is one place where the law
makers will not stand for much cut
ting and that is in the appropriation
for improved highways. This state is
away behind New York state and
other states in this direction, and it
is recognized as absolutely necessary
that something be done toward re-
lleving the conditions. 1t is thought
that $6,0OO000 or S700O,00O is a small
enough sum to spend upon the roads
of the state during the next two
years.
Governor Stuart is likely to be less
popular than he is if the legislature
makes him bear the brunt of every
thing which has any responsibility al
tached to it. Take the Cochran pen
sion bill for example. Here is
measure which carries with it an ap-
preparation of $5,754,375 for two
years, together with $G7,95O for ex-
penses. The act is to become effective
from the first of next year and the
sum appropriated is for the five quar-
terly payments between April !, 1908,
and the adjournment of the legisla-
ture of 1909. The amount appropri-
ated in the bill is thus fve-eighths
of what will have to be appropriated
biennially hereafter. Consequently if
this bill becomes a law the next legis-
lature will be asked to set aside about
$9,500,000 for pension purposes.
Must Be Cut Somewhere.
The members of the legislature
have found it very embarrassing to
say anything against or vote against
the bill, but most OF them did not
think that it would be just as en-
barrassing for the governor to veto
it, for that is exactly what will have
to be done unless the legislature cuts
down elsewhere in the expenditures
or enacts laws that will greatly in
crease the revenues Of the state.
AS the present session Of the legis
Iatura is drawing to a close Governor
Stuart is becoming anxious regarding
the bills pledged by the Republican
party, There are still many of these
measures yet to be passed. Unless
come determined effort be made to
push these bills through many of
them are likely to fall by the way
side. If they fail 1t will be because
What is everybody business is no
body's business" and no one has
taken sufficient interest In them to
bring about their enactment. The big
corporations are quite active, too,
and have discouraged the passage of
some of the more important meas
ures.
Republicans who have the interest
of their party at heart are urging the
members TO action. They say that
the party will have enough of a fight
on hand next fall for state treasurer
without taking on the additional re-
sponsibility of broken party pledges.
Resent Interference.
Certain reformers who have been
lobbying in the interest of bills have
been standing in their own light. Re