The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-01-05

T.
During this period ineressed accommodations
for the insane have been provided at Fsirvisw
and Rittersvilie; and additional buildings
ma nave been erected at Polk and Spring City for
the erection of buildings to care for the cou-
SANITY Increasing number of these two classes
OF unfortunates. large sums of money have
nsee appropriated for the purpose of making
them comfortable. The last session of the
General Assembly provided for the erection of
Home for Insbrtates Women's Reforms
tory. and Home for Feeble-Minded Women.
The Juvenile Court Act has been extended.
In order to make this already useful leeisla-
ton more effective; and the powers of the
Board OF Public Charities have been 30 in
creased as to enable t TO give better and
closer direction and supervision over the i'm
portant matters coming under its jurisdicton-
Many of the laws governing the care of the
dependcnt, delinquent, and penal classes were
passed years ago. when conditions were
tirely different from those existing today.
amendments were made from time TO time
as necessity seemed to require. until now. TAX
ing them together, there hundreds of
statutes relating to these different ssbjects. In
my Message to the General Assembly of 1918
II was recommended that. in order, to correct
this condition. commission be created to
examine into, these subjects and to report
comprehensive plan for their improvement.
Accordingiy, the commission appointed,
and will report the results of its deliberations
and conclusions at an early date.
snail the helpless be cared fort" is no
longer dehatabe queAtion--it must be DONE
pennsylvania never hesitated a moment in an
swering this question, and she has answered it
with liberalty which no other State can rival
During theN past four years Pennsylvania has
given Sll,000.000 for the sick, INDECENT. and
helpless in private hospitals and homes
Si,i69,0O0 to those In semi-state institutions.
which includes the blind and deaf; and SIS
100000 to State hospitals for the care and
maintenance of the INDECENT. insane, weak
minded, and sick This does not include
S5.00o,oO0 given to the Department of Health
n tHortH from, ttth
loss. and sS,5eo,0o0 for buildings to shelter
them.
AGRICULTURE
The great mining and manufacturing inter-
ssts of this State have brought to the door of
the pennsylvania farmer a market unsurpas
ed for everything produced upon the farm.
Pennsylvanias Department of Agriculture
compares favorably with like departments in
other States. This department exercises close
supervision over the agricultural interests
by extending agricultural knowledge, by edu-
cational work. and by protecting farmers and
other citizens of the Common weslth from pos
sib,e fraud on the part of manufacturers and
dealers in commercial fertilizers, commercial
feeding stuffs. linseed oil and farm seeds. The
Division of Farmers Institutes carries its
work into every county of the State. by hold
ing Movable Schools of Agriculture and
Farmers Institutes, delivering lectures and
giving object lessons and systematic instrue-
uon upon all subjects relating to successful
farming domestic science, and the improve
ment of rural conditions generally. The rum
ber OF persons receiving instruction in these
Movable Schools and Farmers Institutes has
been increasing, reaching last year more than
20S,O00, the largest attendance in any year
since the beginning of the work. Special in
structors and demonstrators have gone through
the State giving practical demonstrations in
soil Improvement, dairy and animal industry
poultry production, drainage. water-supply,
vegetable and fruit growing. home sanitation.
household economics, etc.
LIVESTOCK
Notwithstanding the fact that the livestock
of the State is valued at $3.50. .0OO, 900. we are
compelled to depend upon the markets of
other States for horses to do our work, and
for cattle, sheep, swine, and poultry for our
food supply. Pennsylvania should furnish a
surplus in this line and be able to export
rather than import animals and their valuable
and necessary products and. to that end, its
institutions of learning and the various
branches of the State Government are eneour-
aging greater efforts in breeding and raising
animals.
The wisdom of providing hygienic measures
for controlling the transmissible diseases of ami
mails has been demonstrated. Practically,
without warning, aphthous fever. one of the
most dreaded animal plaques of the old world
has been forced upon From the Chicago
Stockyards, this disease was spread to sixteen
States within period of two weeks The dis
ease was introduced in its incubation stage to
practically 500 herds in % counties in Penn
syiVania. In many cases the herds were iocat-
ed and quarantined by State agents before the
first symptoms of the disease had appeared
Our livestock interests have been disturbed
extensively. Regulations, restrictions, and
losses have fallen heavily on many. For the
public good it has appeared necessary to de-
stroy many valuable animals and much per
sonal property. The Federal and State officers
have promised to reimburse those that have
been unfortunate in this respect. in SO far as
the laws and finances will permit The ex-
penses have necessarily been heavy and the
funds provided by. the last Legislature have
been exhausted.
sembiy make prompt provision for the pay.
ment OF bills already contracted and for the
payment OF expenses necessary to continue the
work OF exterminating the disease.
ECONOMIC ZOOLOGY
The Division of Economic Zoology. to which
has been ASSIGNED all special work concerning
fruit production, is well organized, and the
gratifying results accomplished by it have
more than demonstrated its usefulness
Original Investigations are made for the pur.
pose of discovering successful means for sup
pressing disease and destroying insect nests
to which fruit-trees and fruit-producing plants
are subject. Some of the results obtained by
reason of these studies are now being used
not only in this State but by zoologists in
other States and countries Demonstration
orchards have been established in every coun-
ty in the State. making it possible for any cit
lien who is interested in fruit-growing to
reach model demonstration orchard in less
than one-half days travel from his home
GOOD ROADS
Your attention is called to the fact that on
June l. 1912. the State took over from the
counties and townships of the Commonwea alth
certain existing public roads connecting coun-
ty-seats, principal cities and towns, relieved
the said townships and counties of authority
over said roads. and assumed to inproye
maintain. and repair the same as State l-. h.
way routes. solely at the expense of the Com
monweath. These routes approximated 5000
miles in length
That such task was stupendous is appar-
ent. Many of these roads were not much
more than wagon-paths having no drainaee
system, but marked by 'water-breakers'' and
encroached upon by grass and shrubs.
In order that money might be provided 4,
sufficient amount for the early completion of
this comprehensive road Improvement an
amendment TO the Constitution of the Conn
monwealth was proposed, and the question
authorizing the State to issue bonds to the
amount of S50,000,o00 for the improvement
and rebuilding of the highways of Pennsyl-
vania was submitted to the electors and failed
of approval.
The work done has been limited to apnro.
priatons and funds totally inadequate to prop
erly repair and keep up the extensive hiph.
way system adopted by the Commonwealth.
Broad. well-crowned, smooth dirt roads have.
however, been substituted as far as possible
for the old time. ill-kept paths of travel. and
smooth, water-bound macadam roads have
taken the place of some of the old, rough,
stony turnpikes.
At the close Of the season of 1914. there
had been shaped and rebuilt approximately
$500 miles of dirt roads, and there were re.
constructed approximately son miles of maca.
dam Also, at the close of the current sea.
sons work, there were approximately 4St
miles of new State highway construction WORK
finished; divided into three classes: State high.
way routes. State-aid roads. and national
roads. This mileage, in addition to the mile.
age of stone roads reconstructed by the High.
way Department shows q completed mileage
equai to the entire State highway system OF
Massachusetts,.