Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-04-16

Attorney 0eneTdI DIOWH ldlhS Ol
What 1t Is Hoped to Accom-
plish by the Bills
Governor Brumbaughs plans for
raising funds for the Improvement and
maintenance of the States system OF
! highways and to meet additional eX-
penses in the State government VIII
take shape Immediately The general
! program as outlined in the Telegraph
! last night will be put through, the
! legislative leaders having agreed to II.
| This will be done regardless OF any
! other Legislative matters, local opton,
compensation, child labor, pubic serN-
ice or any other thing.
The bills 1t was decided to put
| through and the amount OF money
| they are estimated to raise each year
! follow:
| Anthracite coal tax, 60 per
| cent. to state and 40 per
cent. to anthracite coun-
! ties ....'. fioVV,VVV
| Fifty per cent. increase in
| automobile licenses 49,. 100000
| Two-cent tax on each 500
II worth of stock, sold or o,
Il transferred ....-,..... bOO,OOO
II Repeal of law making State
II pay for the primary cleo
ton expenses ........... SO0,0O0
II Total ................ SO, 100000
Attorney General Brown in telling
about the conference made the follow
ing statement:
1.-The conference felt that division
of the anthracite tax, 60 per cent. to
the State and 40 to the anthracite
counties would be fair. The tax pro-
posed in the pending bill is about
cents n ton. At this rate the gross
n would nhOllt
S4,500.000 a year. The conference
discussed the advisability of increas-
ing the tax to about Il cents a ton,
which would bring in s7,000,0O0 a
year. The State would have to pay
out l per cent. of its share for collec-
ton.
'It has been decided to call a con-
ference of the senators and repre-
, sentatives from the anthracite coun-
ties Tuesday afternoon. The Gov
ernor and I will attend and we will
endeavor to reach a satisfactory agree
ment with them.
THE conference decided that a
state commission would be created to
investigate the charges that anthracite
coal prices have been raised eXorbi-
family because of the tax. This COM
mission would also look into any
future eXtortionate rates. 1t and the
State would fight any attempt to in
crease the price per ton to a larger
sum than the regular selling price of
coal with the tax added. We would
resort to the use of bulletins. sent
broadcast over the state. and to first
page advertisements in newspapers if
necessary.
I'VE agreed to the passage of the
pending bill to put a stamp tax of
! 2 cents on each 500 value of stock
; sales and transfers. New York is
raising S5,00O,000 a year from this
source. We estimate this would bring
us at least 100000 a year.
THE new escheat bill is to be put
: through. All money in the various
! institutions of the state which has
! been unclaimed for ten years would
escheat to the state, with the pro-
viso that its original owners would
: have another ten years in which to
claim it. There would be no fees for
informers or no graft of any kind.
, TT was also decided that arrange
ments would be made for the State to
carry its own insurance. We are now
l paying over 100000 a year in pre-
= miums. This would be done by es-
/, tablishing a sinking fund. We have
,, , S25O.00O that would be available at
: once.
'The Attorney Generals office will
: proceed to the collection of money for
the care of INDECENT insane in cases
where the relatives are able to pay
but have been allowing the State to
, put up the $3.50 a week for the care
: of the patient We figure that we can
5 bring in from 100000 to 100000
from this source. We have legislation
e before the Legislature which gives us
. the right to appoint all attorneys
: employed in any department of the
: state government. All over the state
Z lawyers are representing the register
: of wills and the county treasurers in
I the collection of the mercantile tax.
a They would all be available for use in
: this department and some of them
9 would be brought here during legis-
lative sessions to help or at other
times when they would be needed.
We figure that We will get an
. additional $4,000 revenue from the
l new moving picture censor bill.
y The conference decided in favor OF
e | a so per cent. increase in automobile
e licenses. The rate fer the heavy
e trucks that are running the roads MAY
. be larger" He laughingly remarked
i. ! that ne had bill on his desk which
4 proposes to take the tax off traction
o engines. One gathered that this would
a hardly go TO the Governor with his
n o X.
Mr.. Brown said the conference was
= OF the opinion that 1t was not the time
n to press the bills to place a tax OF
s 4 mills on bonds at their source or to
I tax manufacturing corporations l mill
r 'I find said Mr.. Brown. "the
e taxable value of the real estate OF
s Pennsylvania is S5,332,13 A tau
:. of 1 mill would raise S5,332.13S.
!. just happened to have these figures in
v the conference this morning. but j
: guess such tax would not be pop.
: ular."
s Governor Brumbaugh said the bill
to repeal the personal property taN
law of 1913 would not be pushed. II
would interfere with the Philadelphia
| plan to float loans.
q The conference agreed that the bill
= to repeal the law requiring the State
!. to pay the expenses of the primary
= elections would be passed This will
save 100000 a year. The cost of the
T elections would have to be borne by
the counties.
e STATE RAILWAYS CONVENTION
TO BE HELD AT PITTSBURGH
After a meeting here for the las
! eight years, the annual convention Of
e the Pennsylvania State Railways AS.
. sociation will be held AFT Pittshurgh