The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-06-02
HARRISBURG NEWS
Continued from Page One.)

| (for burial d resolution prepared by
Attorney General Bell, at the re-
quest of the Governor, providing for
the appointment of a commission by
the Governor to examine into the
question of a public utilities COM
mission and prepare a bill for the
next Legislature. Such resolution
had already passed the House, but
got no farther in the upper body
than a committee. How far the
Governor will go in retaliating upon
those who were influential in throw
ing him down will be seen within the
next thirty days.
Nearly three thousand bills were
introduced in both Houses during
the session. OF these, 191 became
laws, 26 were vetoed, and something
like 500 are in the Governors hands
to be acted on within thirty days.
The balance either went down to
defeat or failed to get out of COM
his four weeks task and a most re-
mittee. To-day the Governor begins
sponsible one it is. Notwithstand-
ing the repeated statements by the
chairmen of the appropriation COM
mittees that the appropriations
should not exceed the estimated re-
venues, it is known that the Legis-
lature voted away at least a mil
Ion dollars more than the States
financial officers believe will be re-
ceived, and some cutting must be
done as usual. The Governor will
have to face a considerable number
of salary-raisers, for the Legislature
voted many increases. Our old
friend, the Capitol Park Extension
bill, is up to the Governor also, ask
ing for 100000 as a starter, though
fifty times that amount will be need
ed before the project is completed.
Governor Stuart vetoed a similar bill
two years ago, on account of a lack
of revenue.
Two Important Measures.
Praise must be given the Legisla-
ture for having passed two important
constructive measures School
Code and the Sproul Good Roads
bill. 1t is safe to predict that the
Governor will sign the latter, the
former having become a law. The
School Code is not exactly what the
Educational commission desired but
it seemed to be the best that could
be had, and it is big advance over
the present system or lack of it. The
Sproul bill reorganizes the State
Highway Department, and it is gen.
orally believed that E. NJ. Bigelow,
of Pittsburg, will be the new man
at the head of it. Mr.. Hunter, the
present Commissioner, will be re-
tanned as Deputy.
Other bills passed by the Legisla-
ture concerning the wisdom of which
public opinion differs, are the soft
coal mine code, the full crew bill,
the Pittsburg plan for that city and
Scranton, the Judges salary in
crease, the Judges pension bill, the
Ferguson white slave bill, the single
medical board, resolution to amend
the Constitution so as to allow a bond
issue for good roads, bill to reim-
burse George Gray Barnard, the
sculptor, in the sum of $4,000, and
increasing the pay of Senators and
members.
Some that fell by the wayside were
the Local Option bill, civil service re-
form, pure paint bill. Fort Wash
ington park bill, soldiers pensions,
bill to tax anthracite coal, resolu-
tion permitting the people to vote
on direct election of U. S. Senators,
the excise board bill, the Kline Ii
cense bill, employers liability bill,
anti-Vivisection bill, equal taxation
for corporations, and a number of
revenue measures, beside several
bills providing for the initiative and
the referendum.
Kline Bill.
No liquor bill of recent years has
stirred up as much comment as the
Kline bill. The main purpose of
this act was to allow the state treas
urer to grant licenses to brewers and
distillers, to sell anywhere in the
State. The power of granting the
licenses was taken away from the
judges, and lodged in the State
Treasurer, who was given no discre-
ton in the matter. The bill, as ori-
ginally drawn, passed the Senate,
where it originated, and went
through the House with a slight
amendment. By the time it got
back to the Senate considerable op-
position had developed and the SEN
ate, by a small majority, refused to
concur. This left the bill pending
for few days, when it was sent
back to the House, in the effort to
have that body strike off the amend
ment, but this the House, by
large majority, refused to do, thus
defeating the bill. 1t is generally
conceded that its defeat was accom-
plished by the influence of the re-
tailers and restaurant keepers, aid
ed by the members in favor of local
option.
The Supreme Court last week re-
fused to disturb the finding of the
Superior Court and the Court of
Dauphin county in the Huston case,
and Joseph NJ. Huston, architect of
the new capitol will be sentenced to
the Penitentiary for an indeterminate
sentence of not less than six months
or more than two years. 1t is stated
that he is very much broken in
health and that he will probably
not live out even the minimum SEN