Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-01-05
tional space and facilities ought to be
furnished BY the Commonwealth.
Attorney General

furnished by the Commonwealth.
ATTORNEY General
The Attorney Generals Department
has rendered valuable services to the
commonwealth, not only in advising
the many departments OF the State
upon questions of law concerning the
powers, Jurisdiction and administra-
tion of the several departments, but
has carried to successful determina-
ton much important litigation in the
interests of the Commonwealth.
Quite number of acts of Assembly,
involving the administration of the
various departments of the State Gov
ernment, were from time to time at
tackled as unconstitutional, and 1t be-
came the duty of this department to
meet these attacks, which it did sue
cessfully.
The department argued with sue
cess in the Supreme Court of the
United States the case raising the con-
stituionality of the statute prohibit
ing foreign-born alienc from owning
shotguns and rifles, involving i'm
portant questions as to the police
power of the State and the construc-
tion of international treaties; and, in
tained the validity under the State and
Federal Constitutions of a very i'm
portant provision of the anthracite
mine code, requiring in the interest
and protection of the miners the leav-
ing of barrier pillars between ad-
joining mines; also the case involving
the constitutionaIity of the Pure Food
Law of 1909, which is the principal
act under which the Dairy and Food
Department operates. The constitu-
tionallty of the Full Crew Law, and
of various provisions of the taxing
laws, have also been upheld in the
highest courts OF the State, and the
act regulating private bankers, and
several other important departmental
laws, have been sustained in the lower
courts
In addition to this class of impor-
tant cases, this department has been
successful in obtaining judgments
from the courts concerning corporate
taxes, which resulted in increasing
the State revenues by several millions.
In one important case alone. after
twelve years of litigation, nearly
$500 was collected from one COM
pany.
Codihcation of Laws
The Legislative Reference Bureau,
at the session of 1918, was directed
by the General Assembly to make eN-
animation of the general statute laws
of the State and to prepare a list OF
obsolete statutes and statutes where
on some doubt exists whether they
have been repealed by the general re-
pealing clauses in subsequent acts. Ac-
cordingly Il bill has been prepared. re-
citing by title and repeating upwards
of five hundred laws. The bureau was
! also directed TO prepare compilations
| and codes. by topics of the existing
general laws, and to report to the
| General Assembly in 1915 such codes
as have been prepared. The bureau
J has codified and compiled the general
/ laws of Pennsylvania relating to taxa
tion in all its phases, State and local,
relative to business corporations (eN-
! cept railroads, canals, banking, and
insurance. which will be coditied sepa-
rately), and to boroughs.
Even if the codes mentioned above
should not become laws. the amount
expended on this work is justified by
the results shown.
Banking
There were 439 banks, trust COM
panies, and savings-fund institutions
doing business in Pennsylvania at the
close of the year 1910. This number
has grown to 4S7; the resources have
increased from S1.069, +S6, 6,S56.S5 to
S1.27S,644.951.TS; the deposits have
grown from $747,515,5 5,554.36 to $92S,-
294.4S6.S2; and the number of de-
positors from 1.744,049 to 2.315,321.
Building associations in this State
at the close og 1910 numbered 1850,
and now number 1,793. The resources
have increased from S1S1.302,0SS.2T
to S233, ,564. 1850, in January, 1914;
making the total resources OF all in
corporated financial institutions in the
State. for 1914, about Sl.700.000. 900
1t is to be regretted that the Legis-
| lature has not yet deemed il neces-
sary to enact measures similar to
those in use by the national govern
ment and many of the States for Il
7 M ~ lei %
method of winding up the affairs of
insolvent financial corporations.
Legislation should be enacted re-
quiring all individuals engaged in pri-
vate banking to take out a license,
and the provision in the present law
eXempting certain private bankers
should be repealed. They should not
be permitted to receive deposits upon
the credit of individuals, unless sub
ject to the examination and scrutiny
of the Banking Department. IN order
that such deposits may have the
greatest possible measure of security.
Insurance
Realizing that there were but two
States in the Union where more capi-
tai was invested in insurance enter
prises, and but one State wherein the
volume of business transacted was
greater than in Pennsylvania, the
General Assembly of 1911 enacted
comprehensive legislation reorganiz-
ing the Insurance Department and
extending its jurisdiction until to-day
the insurance laws of this State COM
pare favorably with those of any
other State.
Policies of life insurance and health
and accident contracts have been so
standardized that beneticiaries can
readily understand what protection
they or their families will receive in
the event of misfortune.
The liquidation of insolvent insti-
tutions had been a source of dissatis-
faction on account of the delay and
excessive cost of administration. The
act of 1911 authorizing the commits
sioner to liquidate insolvent compa-
nies has proved beneficial. Some
twenty-five companies and associa-
tions have already been wound up, or
are in process of liquidation. with a
minimum cost and no unusual delay.
Little additional legislation is re-
quired; but q. standard fire policy
should be adopted, authority should
be given the commissioner to examine
and supervise rate-making -associa-
tions, and provision be made for the
licensing of fire insurance adjusters
National Guard
The National Guard has maintained
its efficiency. It is composed of about
II, 900 young men of the State and IS
competently officered. I visited the
several encampments, and was i'm
pressed with the interest manifested
by the officers and men. The train