Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-10-07
AMENDMENTS TO
BE DISCUSSED
Likely to Be Taken Up by Men
Active in Republican
Affairs Next Week

With the election close at hand vot-
ers and men In public life throughout
the state are commencing to sit up and
take notice of the amendments to the
Constitution proposed in resolutions to
be voted upon during the next Lngisla-
ture so that they can go to the people
Tor action. Four resolutions were
were adopted by the last session of
the Legislature providing for these
amendments and the members of the
Legislature who will be elected this
Fall and who meet in January next
will also have to pass upon them. A
resolution calling for an amendment to
the Constitution must be approved by
two succeeding Legislatures before 1T
can be submitted to a vote of the peo-
pie.
OF the resolution for proposed
amendments which were passed at the
last session of the Legislature, one
calls for the flotation of loan of $780,
100000 for the promotion ofigood roads;
one would permit of the consolidation
of the Common Pleas Court of Phila-
delphia allowing of the creation of one
court with one president Judge instead
of one for each of the five courts, as
now called for in this city; another re-
1ates to the acquisition of public lands
by the State or any municipality and
the other, which applies only to Phila-
delphia, has to do with the borrow
ing capacity of this city.
Road Loan Vote in 1918
Should the good roads resolution be
passed by the coming session of the
Legislature. the proposition for the
100000 loan could not, however. be
submitted to the people before the No
vember election of 1918. This is due to
the fact that there is Constitution
provision which reads: mo amend
ment or amendments shall be submitted
oftener than once in five years"
A proposed amendment for $780,
100000 loan for good roads was defeat
ed at the election in 1915.
The suggested Philadelphia loan
amendment is to change the amend
ment approved by the people at the
election in 1915. This amendment in
creased the borrowing capacity of Phil
adelphia from seven to ten per cent.
on the assessed property valuation and
stipulated that the money raised from
this increase shall be used only for i'm
proving the transit and port facilities
of the municipality. The suggested
amendment to this amendment would
permit of the use of the money raised
from such loans for general munich
pal improvements, thus removing the
restriction as to the transit and port
development. A question has been rais-
ed as to whether this proposed amend
of the Legislature, will not have to he
held until the election of November,
1920. befere it can be submitted to Il
popular vote. That would be done in
the event of judicial decision that the
amendment calling for 8 per cent. in
crease in the borrowing capacity in
the amendment approved at the election
of 1915 is practically the same as that
now under consideration
An Interesting Point
1t is contended. however, that the
Constitution restriction relative to the
resubmission of an amendment not oft
ener than once in five years applied
only to suggested amendments that
have been defeated by the people.
The proposed mendment relative to
the acquisition of public lands provides
that the State or any municipality in
furtherance of plans for the acquisition
and public use of property or rights
may appropriate an excess of property
over that actually to be used for pub
lie use and may thereafter sell or lease
such excess of property, and in the
disposal of this excess the State or
municipality may impose any restric-
tions necessary to preserve or enhance
the benefit TO the people of the prop
erty actually used by the State or mu-
nicipality.
Under such an amendment the State
or any municipality could protect and
regulate the surrounding or adjacent
property of boulevards, parks or park
ways Or other public Improvements.