Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-05-07
SENATE FACES
BIG CALENDAR
Many Important Measures
Are Listed For Action by
the Upper Branch

When the Senate meets this even
ing at 9 O'Clock several important
bills will be considered on third
reading. The Mckee bill, provid-
ing for the organization and main
tenance of an additional armed land
force to be at the call of the State in
case the National Guard engages in
the service of the United States is to
come up for final passage. The
Campbell drug bill. house measure,
also is booked for final passage pro-
viding it is deemed advisable to give
the measure precedence over other
blllS of similar import.
As a special oroer for 10 o'clock,
the Stern bill to validate all bonds
or other obligations made by the city
or which may hereafter be issued
pursuant to authority conferred by
the electors. is to be considered on
final passage.
Other bills on third reading of in
terest in the crisis with Germany in
clude the Sproul bill authorizing
common pleas courts to appoint vol
unteer police officers during the pres
ent war with Germany and the Bald
win bill empowering express COM
panieS to employ policemen commits
stoned by the Governor, together
with the McNichoI bills which pro-
pose change in the method of
handling State accounts and moneys,
including specific purpose in the use
of contingent funds and the same
senator's measure providing for the
retirement of State employees who
have reached the age of Z years and
been in the service of the State for a
period of twenty-five years.
The McNichol bill prohibiting en-
ployes or officers of the Workmen's
Compensation Board from being in
terested as lawyers in proceedings
before the board or referees comes
up for third reading. Under the
terms of this bill il is specifically set
forth that the time of the employees
be given unreservedly to the per-
formance of their duties to the State.
There are six house bills on the
third reading calendar in the Sen
ate, some of which have been amend
ed. These are likely to pass the
upper branch and be sent back to
the House for concurrence in the
amendments.
The Stern bill requiring that every
future act of the General Assembly
be given a short title for convent
ence of citation and to require the
Legislative Reference Bureau to re-
port to the next session of the Gen
eral Assembly a list of short title
for certain acts now in force is on
third reading.
on the second reading calendar
and at the top of the list is the Graft
bill fixing the salary of the governor
beginning with 1919, at $3.50 per
year. The bill came from the ap-
preparations committee as committed
last Tuesday, Senator Buckman pre-
senting the committee report. Sena-
tor Nares bill providing for the regu-
lation of rag, second hand paper and
junk shops in Philadelphia is on the
second reading calendar. On this
calendar too are the Whitten act
empowering the counties of the State
to establish and maintain schools
for the care and education of chill
dren under the jurisdiction of the
courts of quarter sessions or other
courts sitting as juvenile courts and
to acquire land therefor, and the
Buchanan bill providing for the ad-
mission of soldiers to practice in the
several courts of common pleas.
on first reading there are three
bills of more than passing interest.
The first is the Sproul joint resolu-
ton authorizing the State to issue
bonds to the amount of $4,000, O00
for the improvement of the high
ways of the State. Another is the
Lynch bill giving street passenger
railway companies and motor power
companies to operate omnibuses in
connection with the lines of railways
operated by them without the con-
sent of the local authorities.
Senator w. w. Smiths bill au-
| thorizing the Attorney General to
appoint investigators to investigate
estates of inmates of institutions for
the support and maintenance of
whom the Commonwealth may be
liable in whole or in part and to
ascertain the relatives of such in
mates who may be liable for their
support and maintenance, is on first